NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Education Minister launches Centres For Nanotechnology at IIT Guwahati: Union Education
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the state-of-the-art Centre for
Nanotechnology and Centre for Indian Knowledge System at IIT Guwahati. He also
released a book on NEP 2020 implementation. Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu
was present on the occasion. IIT Guwahati has achieved excellent rankings in
the various national and international ranking systems. Centre for
Nanotechnology and Centre for Indian Knowledge System:
(1) The Centre for Nanotechnology will work
towards meeting future challenges and augmenting academic partnerships with
industry in Nanotechnology.
(2) The Centre for Indian Knowledge System
(CIKS) will focus on preserving, documenting and sustaining the knowledge that
is unique to India, such as Indian classical music, Yoga, Sanskrit, traditional
medicines, temple architecture, ceramic tradition and special agricultural
practices of North-East India, among other things.
(3) The funding for the Centre came from
the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY).
2. Odisha
celebrated ‘Boita Bandana’ Festival on Karthika Purnima: On Karthika
Purnima, which is also known as Boita Bandana is celebrated at various water
bodies of Odisha. The festival is the maritime tradition that is celebrated as
a testament to the maritime trade history of Kalinga, tradesmen and mariners
known as sadhabas travelled on boitas (boats) to trade with distant island
nations that share borders with the Bay of Bengal like Indonesia, Java, Sumatra
and Bali.
Note: Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen
Patnaik and Governor is Ganeshi Lal.
3.
Andhra Pradesh Bags Best Marine State Award: Andhra Pradesh has been named the
best marine state in the country by the Department of Fisheries. The Department
of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
awarded best performing States for 2021-22 on 21 November 2021 on the occasion
of the ‘World Fisheries Day, to recognise their accomplishments in the field
and their contribution to the growth of the sector. The awards were announced by
the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam
Rupala in Bhubaneswar.
Top States:
(1) Marine states: Andhra Pradesh
(2) Inland states: Telangana
(3) Hilly and North East states: Tripura
Top Districts:
(1) Best Marine District: Balasore in
Odisha
(2) Best Inland District: Balaghat in
Madhya Pradesh
(3) Best Hilly and NE District: Bongaigaon
in Assam
4. A
new book “India vs UK: The Story of an Unprecedented Diplomatic Win” by Syed
Akbaruddin: Senior
Indian diplomat, Syed Akbaruddin has authored a new book titled “India vs UK:
The Story of an Unprecedented Diplomatic Win”. The book features the
behind-the-scenes details on India’s victory against the United Kingdom in the
elections to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2017. Syed Akbaruddin,
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN at the time, presents a
behind-the-scenes account of India’s coming-of-age in world affairs through the
prism of this momentous election.
5.
Assam Celebrates Lachit Divas on 24 November: Lachit Divas
(Lachit Day) is celebrated annually in the Indian state of Assam on November
24, to mark the birth anniversary of the legendary Ahom army general Lachit
Borphukan. Lachit Borphukan was born on 24 November 1622 in Charaideo and is
known for his military intelligence in the Battle of Saraighat. Every year,
since 1999, the ‘Lachit Borphukan Gold Medal’ is awarded to the best cadet
passing-out from the National Defence Academy. The ‘Mahabir Lachit Award’ is
given by the Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad in Assam to notable personalities. The cash
prize of Rs 50000 and a sword is presented under this award.
About Lachit Divas: The Battle of
Saraighat was fought between the Ram Singh-led Mughal army and the Lachit
Borphukan-led Ahom army in the year 1671 on the banks of the Brahmaputra river.
Chao Lachit was the Borphukan (Army general) of the Ahom army. Ram Singh, the
elder son of Amber ruler Mirza Raja Jai Singh, was commissioned by Mughal
Emperor Aurangzeb to invade the Ahom kingdom. The Mughal army was larger and
powerful than the Ahom army, but Lachit, with his powerful use of terrain,
leadership skills and Guerrilla warfare saved Saraighat from the Mughal
invasion, present-day in Guwahati. He died a natural death in April 1672 in
Jorhat, and his remains are present in the Lachit Maidan near Jorhat.
6.
Martyrdom Day of ‘Guru Tegh Bahadur’ observed on 24 November: Every year,
November 24 is celebrated as Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru
of Sikhs of Sikh religion. The day is celebrated as Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh
Bahadur across the country. It was on 24 November 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur
sacrificed his life for the sake of people who did not even belong to his
community to protect religion, human values, ideals and principles.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
US, Australia and UK signed MoU in Nuclear Submarine Alliance: Australia
officially became a part of the new Nuclear Powered Submarine defence alliance
with the United Kingdom and the United States after signing a deal with the
countries in Canberra, Australia. Under the AUKUS deal, Australia will be
provided with 8 nuclear-powered submarines capable of stealthy and long-range
missions. It is the first agreement on technology signed by the three countries
after the formation of the defence alliance AUKUS (Australia-UK-US).
About the AUKUS: AUKUS is a
trilateral security pact signed between Australia, UK & USA in September
2021. The first major initiative of AUKUS would be to deliver a nuclear-powered
submarine fleet for Australia.
Note: Australia Capital: Canberra;
Australia Currency: Australian dollar; Australia Prime minister: Scott
Morrison.
2.
8,573 Venezuelan musicians set world’s largest orchestra record: Venezuela has set a
new Guinness World Record for the largest orchestra with 8,573 musicians
playing together for more than five minutes. The record was set by the
country’s National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras, known as “El
Sistema”. The previous such record for an orchestra was made by Russia when
8,097 musicians played together in St. Petersburg. The broadcast included a
recording of Guinness World Records expert Susana Reyes announcing that the
Venezuelan musicians had been successful in setting a new record after they
played LaMarche Slave by Pyotr Tchaikovsky for more than five minutes.
Note: Venezuela Capital: Caracas; Venezuela
Currency: Venezuelan bolívar; President of Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Kento Momota and An Seyoung wins 2021 Indonesia Masters Tournament: In badminton, Kento
Momota of Japan beat Anders Antonsen of Denmark 21-17, 21-11 to win the men’s
singles title at the 2021 Indonesia Masters Super 750 badminton tournament. The
US$600,000 tournament was held at Bali in Indonesia from November 16 to 21,
2021. In women’s single, An Seyoung of South Korea defeated top-seed Akane
Yamaguchi of Japan 21-17, 21-19 to win the title. List of winners of 2021
Indonesia Masters:
Men’s Single: Kento Momota (Japan)
Women’s Single: An Seyoung (South Korea)
Men’s Double: Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi
(both of Japan)
Women’s Double: Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu
Shida (both of Japan)
Mixed Double: Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree
Taerattanachai (both of Thailand)
2.
Geoff Allardice appointed as Permanent CEO of ICC: The International
Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Geoff Allardice as the permanent CEO of the
International Cricket governing body. He was serving as interim CEO for more
than eight months. He replaces Manu Sawhney who officially resigned from his position
in July 2021. Allardice, a former Australian first-class cricketer and
administrator, was the ICC General Manager, Cricket for eight years. He had
previously held a similar role at Cricket Australia.
Note: ICC Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab
Emirates; ICC Founded: 15 June 1909; ICC Deputy Chairman: Imran Khwaja; ICC
Chairman: Greg Barclay.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
RBI authorized RBL Bank to collect Direct Taxes: Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) authorized RBL Bank to collect direct taxes on behalf of the
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) based on a recommendation from the
Controller General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance and Government of India.
Now, the customers of RBL Bank could pay their direct taxes through RBL Bank’s
mobile banking or net banking platforms or through branch banking networks.
About the Bank:
(1) RBL Bank is one of India’s leading
private sector banks with an expanding presence across the country.
(2) The Bank offers specialized services
under five business verticals namely: Corporate & Institutional Banking,
Commercial Banking, Branch & Business Banking, Retail Assets and Treasury
and Financial Markets Operations.
(3) It currently services over 9.97 million
customers through a network of 445 branches, 1,435 business correspondent branches
(of which 271 banking outlets) and 386 ATMs spread across 28 Indian states and
Union Territories.
Note: RBL Bank Founded: 1943; RBL Bank
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; RBL Bank CEO & MD: Vishwavir Ahuja; RBL
Bank Tagline: Apno Ka Bank.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
SBI Ecowrap report projects India’s GDP for FY22 between 9.3%-9.6%: State Bank of India
(SBI) economists in its research report “Ecowrap”, has revised upwards the GDP
growth projection for India to the range of 9.3%-9.6% for FY22 (2021-22).
Earlier this was estimated in the range of 8.5%-9%. The reason for the upward
revision is a decline in the number of COVID cases. The analysis suggested that
“India remained unscathed in Q3 from the global situation, which is marred by
supply disruptions, stubborn inflation and surges of infections during Q3
2021.” As per the report, India has recorded only an 11 per cent increase in
Covid-19 cases during Q3 this year the second-lowest among the top 15 most
affected countries.
2.
EPFO gets permission to park 5% of annual deposits in InvITs: The Central Board
of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) have
approved that up to 5 per cent of the annual deposits can be invested in
alternative investment funds (AIFs) including infrastructure investment trusts
(InvITs). This investment will offer diversification to the EPFO’s investment
basket. The Finance Investment and Audit Committee (FIAC) have been tasked to
decide upon the investment options, on a case-to-case basis. However, the board
has also decided to focus only on government-backed alternatives, which are
category one funds like public sector InvITs and bonds. The AIFs are regulated
by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1.
Pratham NGO won Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2021: Pratham NGO has
been awarded the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 for its work on expanding the
scope for education in India. Its pioneering work for more than a
quarter-century in ensuring that every child has access to quality education.
Its innovative use of digital technology to deliver education. Its regular
evaluation of the quality of education. Its timely response in making children
learn amid Covid-19 restrictions.
About Pratham NGO: Pratham NGO is an
innovative learning organization, which was created to improve education
quality in India. The NGO was co-founded by Farida Lambay and Madhav Chavan in
1995. It is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India. It
focuses on high-quality, low-cost, and replicable interventions for addressing
the gaps in the education system. It was established in 1994 in Mumbai to give
pre-school education for children in slums.
About the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize: The Indira Gandhi
Peace Prize is an annual prestigious award. It has been named after former
prime minister Indira Gandhi. It is conferred every year since 1968 by Indira
Gandhi Memorial Trust. It consists of a
monetary award of ₹25 lakh along with a citation.
2.
Anita Desai awarded Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award: India’s one of the
best-selling authors, Anita Desai has been conferred with the Tata Literature
Live! Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021 to recognise her long literary career
which spans over 50 years. Meanwhile, the Poet Laureate award for 2021 has been
conferred upon Indian poet Adil Jussawala. Both these awards are presented to
recognise exceptional work which has made a significant impact in the Indian
literary field.
The Twelfth Edition of Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest was organised from November 18th to 21st 2021. She has received several awards and honours in the course of her long-spanning literary career, including the Padma Bhushan, Sahitya Akademi Award and later Fellowship, and the Benson Medal of the Royal Society of Literature.
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