Daily GK Update- 14th Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World Bank sanctions Rs 770 crore for Inland Water Transport department in Assam: The World Bank and Inland Water Transport (IWT) department of Assam has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a Rs 770 crore loan to improve river transportation in the state. The information was given by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while flagging off four steel catamaran vessels at Pandu Port in Assam. The central government would refund 80 percent of the sanctioned amount and the state government would bear the remaining 20 percent.

 

2. Hardeep Singh Puri unveils statue of Maharani Lakshmi Bai in Hisar College: Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs & Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep S. Puri has unveiled the statue of Rani Lakshmi Bai at the Maharani Lakshmi Bai College for Women, Bhiwani Rohilla in Hisar (Haryana) through video conferencing. Describing Rani Lakshmi Bai as a major symbol of revolt against the repression of the British Raj, the Minister said that her life has been inspiring nationalism and Indian women for generations who led the freedom revolution of India with the utmost bravery, skill and force against British rule.

 

3. Annapurna idol stolen from UP back from Canada after 100 years: An idol of Goddess Annapurna that was stolen from Varanasi about 100 years ago and later found in Canada recently is all set to be back at its rightful place and will be gracing the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. It is 17 cm in height, 9 cm in breadth and 4 cm in thickness.

The idol which has reached Delhi will be taken to Aligarh, from where it will be taken to Kanauj on November 12 and then a day later will go to Ayodhya on November 14. After that, the idol will be finally taken to Varanasi on November 15 to be taken to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The return of the Annapurna idol comes in the wake of many such antiquities being identified and returned to the country in the past couple of years.

 

4. 44th Wangala festival begins in Meghalaya: Meghalaya state observed the 44th edition of ‘Wangala’, the festival of 100 Drums Festival begins. It is a post-harvest festival of the Garos tribe which is being held every year to honour ‘Saljong’, the Sun God of Garos, which also marks the end of the harvest season. Celebrated since 1976, it’s the most important festival of the Garo tribe and attracts a lot of tourists. During the Wangala, tribals offer sacrifices to please their deity Saljong, the Sun God. The first day of the festival is celebrated with a ceremony called Ragula which is performed in the house of the village’s chief. People dress up in colourful costumes with feathered headgears and dance to the rhythms of long oval-shaped drums on the second day of celebration, Kakkat.

Note: Meghalaya Capital: Shillong; Meghalaya Governor: Satya Pal Malik; Meghalaya Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma.

 

5. P.C. Mody made Rajya Sabha Secretary General: 1982-batch retired IRS officer and former chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Pramod Chandra Mody was appointed new Secretary General Rajya Sabha, replacing P.P.K. Ramacharyulu. Ramacharyulu meanwhile has been reassigned as an advisor for one year term. Ramacharyulu has now been appointed as an advisor in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat. Mody, a former chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), will be the new secretary-general of the Upper House of Parliament. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has signed an order to this effect.

 

6. A book titled “Unshackling India” by Ajay Chhibber and Salman Anees Soz: A book titled “Unshackling India: Hard Truths and Clear Choices for Economic Revival” authored by Ajay Chhibber and Salman Anees Soz. A new book examines whether India can use the next 25 years, when it will reach the hundredth year of independence, to not only restructure its economy but rejuvenate its democratic energy and unshackle its potential to become a genuinely developed economy by 2047.

 

7. Children’s Day: 14th November: On 14th November, Children’s Day is celebrated every year to mark the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Children’s Day is popularly known as ‘Baal Diwas’ in India. The day aims at increasing the awareness of the rights, care and education of children. On this day, many educational and motivational programs are organised across the country, by and for children.

History of Children’s Day: Jawaharlal Nehru, who was India’s first Prime Minister, was quite famous among children and was popularly known as ‘Chacha Nehru’. Following his death in 1964, it was decided that to move the celebrations of Children’s Day to November 14 as a mark of respect to him and to commemorate his fondness for children. A resolution was passed in the Parliament and since then, Children’s Day is celebrated in India on November 14 every year. Notably, Children’s Day was celebrated in India first on November 20, 1956, along with Universal Children’s Day.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Daniel Brühl named as Goodwill Ambassador of UN-World Food Programme: Spanish-German Actor Daniel Brühl has been named the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP). He has joined the WFP’s mission to reach a world with Zero Hunger. As the goodwill ambassador, he will inform about the main drivers of hunger and showcase the efforts of UN WFP to tackle both immediate needs and root causes of hunger.

In his role as a Goodwill Ambassador, Bruhl will raise awareness for the millions of people going to bed hungry every night and engage his supporters in advocacy for a Zero Hunger world. The 43-year-old actor will also use his platforms to inform his supporters about the main drivers of hunger and to showcase WFP’s efforts to tackle both immediate needs and root causes of hunger.

Note: United Nations World Food Programme Founded: 1961; United Nations World Food Programme Headquarters: Rome, Italy; United Nations World Food Programme Executive Director: David Beasley.

 

2. World Diabetes Day: 14 November: World Diabetes Day is observed on 14th November every year. The campaign aims to raise awareness around the crucial role that nurses play in supporting people living with diabetes. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23: “Access to Diabetes Care”. In 2007 General Assembly adopted resolution 61/225 designating 14 November as World Diabetes Day. The document recognized “the urgent need to pursue multilateral efforts to promote and improve human health, and provide access to treatment and health-care education.”

About the Diabetes: Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and lower limb amputation. A healthy diet, physical activity and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. In addition, diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with medication, regular screening and treatment for complications.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Women’s cricket to make its debut in Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: The first matches for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have been announced. Women’s cricket is making its debut at the Commonwealth Games with the T20 format. The last time cricket was played in the multi-sporting showpiece was in the 1998 edition in Kuala Lumpur. The women’s cricket T20 competition will be held at the Edgbaston Stadium from the 29 July, with the bronze and gold medal matches taking place on 7 August.

Schedule of the Matches:

(1) India will face Australia in the opening match when women’s cricket makes its debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on July 29 while the final will be played on August 7. India in the early session, with Pakistan playing Barbados, who was recently confirmed as the team from the West Indies that will take part in the Commonwealth Games.

(2) Hosts England will be in action for the first time on July 30, when they will take on the winner of a qualifying tournament which is due to take place at the start of 2022. They will then play South Africa in the early session on August 2, followed by a third match against New Zealand in the evening session on August 4.

 

2. India’s first National Yogasana Sports Championships setup in Bhubaneswar: India’s first Physical National Yogasana Championships has been organised in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from November 11-13, 2021. The National Yogasana Sports Championships 2021-22 has been organised by the National Yogasana Sports Federation (NYSF) in association with the Odisha state. Around 560 young Yogasana Sports athletes from across 30 states would are taking part in the event. The event aims to promote yoga and create a global brand around it, portraying it as a competitive sport with high standards and benchmarks.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Rajeev Srivastava appointed as CEO of Standard Chartered Securities: Rajeev Srivastava has been appointed as the chief executive officer (CEO) at Standard Chartered Securities for India operations. His appointment is subject to regulatory approvals. Before this, Rajeev Srivastava worked at HDFC Securities where he headed the products and business development functions of the organisation.

 

2. Retail inflation rises marginally to 4.48% in Oct: The retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), slightly rose to 4.48 per cent in October. Separately, the factory output, measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP), grew by 3.1 per cent in September. Food inflation picked up to 0.85 per cent in October from 0.68 per cent a month ago with a rise in prices of vegetables.

The inflation print for October this year, however, is lower than the year-ago level of 7.61 per cent recorded in October 2020. With the impact of excise duty cut yet to reflect in the headline numbers, high core inflation — the non-food, non-fuel inflation component — and risks of high global commodity prices are expected to keep the inflation rate under pressure.

 

DEFENCE

 

1. 32nd Edition of Indo Thai Coordinated Patrol begins: The 32nd edition of the India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy is being conducted from 12–14 November 2021. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk, an indigenously built Missile Corvette and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Tayanchon, a Khamrosin Class Anti-submarine Patrol Craft, along with Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies are participating in the CORPAT.

About the CORPAT: CORPAT builds up understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitates the institution of measures to prevent and suppress unlawful activities like Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy. It further helps enhance the operational synergy by exchange of information for the prevention of smuggling, illegal immigration and for conduct of search and rescue (SAR) operations at sea.

 

2. President confers ‘General of Indian Army’ rank to Nepal Army Chief: In continuation of a tradition that started in 1950, Nepal Army Chief Gen Prabhu Ram Sharma was conferred with the honorary rank of ‘General of the Indian Army’ by President Ram Nath Kovind. Nepal conferred the honorary rank of ‘General of Nepal Army’ to Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane during his visit to Kathmandu in November last year.

Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old “Roti Beti” relationship. Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal’s access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Renowned author Anand Shankar Pandya passes away: Former Vice President of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Anand Shankar Pandya has passed away. He was over 99 years old. He was a prolific author and public intellectual who wrote extensively on history, public policy and spirituality. He was active in the VHP and worked selflessly towards social service.