NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. 41st
India International Trade Fair begins in New Delhi: The 41st edition of the India International Trade Fair (IITF) has
started at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush
Goyal inaugurated the fair. The fair will continue till the 27th of this month.
This year the theme of the trade fair is Vocal For Local, Local to Global.
About the
41st India International Trade Fair:
a) The 14-day mega event assumes a special significance as it coincides
with celebrations of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
b) Twenty-nine States and Union Territories are participating in the event.
Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra are Partner States while Uttar Pradesh and
Kerala are participating as Focus States in the fair.
c) Besides, various Central Ministries, Departments, Commodity Boards and
PSUs are participating in this event to showcase their achievements.
d) NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr V K Paul inaugurated the Health Pavilion
at the 41st India International Trade Fair in New Delhi. The theme of this
year’s pavilion of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is- Heal in India,
Heal by India.
e) The Health Pavilion showcases various initiatives, schemes and
achievements of the Union Health Ministry. This includes the recently launched
PM TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, National Universal Immunisation Programme and
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
2. Wangala
Festival: 100 Drum Festival of Meghalaya: Wangala
Festival of Meghalaya is one of the most popular festivals among the Garos of
Meghalaya. Wangala Festival is a harvest festival that is held in honor of
Saljong, the Sun-God of fertility. The celebrations of the Wangala Festival
mark the end of a period of toil, which brings good output to the fields. The
beginning of the Wangala Festival also denotes the onset of winter. Key
Points:
a) The Wangala Festival is also known as 100 drum festival.
b) Wangala Festival is the occasion when the tribals offer sacrifices to
please their main deity Saljong (The Sun God).
c) The festival is celebrated for two days and sometimes continues for
weeks.
d) The ceremony performed on the first day is known as “Ragula” which is
performed inside the house of the chief.
e) The second day is called “Kakkar”. Younger and older sections dressed in
colorful clothes with feathered headgear dance to the tune of music played on
long oval-shaped drums.
f)
The Wangala Festival is the occasion to relax and
for days the hills and valleys echo with the extraordinary beat of drums. The
popular dance forms performed during the festival, have certain subtle
variations.
3. Indian
Railways Accomplishes Electrification of 82% of the Total BG network: The Indian Railways said it completed the electrification of 82 per cent
of its broad gauge network. The national transporter said it achieved 1,223
route km of electrification in the 2022-23 financial year till October 2022, as
compared to 895 route km (RKMs) during the corresponding period of FY 2021-22.
The railway is
working steadily towards achieving net zero Carbon Emissions by 2030 to become
the world’s largest Green Railway. “The Indian Railways has embarked upon an
ambitious plan of electrification of its complete Broad Gauge network which
would not only result in a better fuel energy usage resulting in increased
throughput, reduced fuel expenditure but also savings in precious foreign
exchange,” the ministry said in a statement.
Current
Situation: As on October 31, out of 65,141 RKM of broad
gauge (BG) network of Indian Railways, 53,470 BG RKM have been electrified,
which is 82.08 per cent of the total BG network.
4. 1995-batch
Senior IAS officer Gaurav Dwivedi appointed Prasar Bharati CEO: Senior IAS officer, Gaurav Dwivedi was appointed the Chief Executive
Officer of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati. A 1995-batch officer of
Chhattisgarh cadre, Mr. Dwivedi will have a five-year tenure from the date he
assumes charge. Earlier, Mr. Dwivedi was the Chief Executive Officer of
MyGovIndia, the citizen engagement platform of the government. He replaces
Shashi Shekhar Vempati.
About the
Prasar Bharati: Prasar Bharati is India’s state-owned public
broadcaster, headquartered in New Delhi. It is a statutory autonomous body set
up by an Act of Parliament and comprises the Doordarshan Television Network and
Akashvani All India Radio, which were earlier media units of the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting.
Note: Prasar
Bharati Founded: 23 November 1997, New Delhi; Prasar Bharati Headquarters: New
Delhi.
5. National
Epilepsy Day: 17th November: Each year, on November 17,
National Epilepsy Day is marked in India to raise awareness of the condition.
National Epilepsy Day 2022 is observed to raise public awareness of epilepsy.
Every year, November is observed as the Epilepsy Awareness Month to educate and
aware people about the signs, symptoms and impact of this dreadful disease.
According to the Epilepsy Foundation, the theme of National Epilepsy Awareness
Month (NEAM) 2022 is “There is no NEAM without ME”.
Notably: International Epilepsy Day is observed every year on the Second Monday
of February across the world. In 2022, International Epilepsy Day falls on
February 14, 2022.
Epilepsy: The neurological condition epilepsy is characterised by irregular
brain activity that results in seizures or episodes of strange behaviour,
sensations, and occasionally loss of consciousness. Epilepsy can attack any
person. Men and women of different ages, races, and cultural backgrounds can
develop epilepsy.
Note: International
Bureau for Epilepsy President: Francesca Sofia; International Bureau for
Epilepsy established: 1961.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. 17th
G20 Summit Begins in Bali, Indonesia: World leaders
from across the planet, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President
Joe Biden, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, have converged in Indonesia, for
the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit, taking place in the city of Bali. The
two-day summit is themed “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” and focuses on
global economic recovery, global health architecture, digital transformation,
sustainable energy transition and climate change, among other topics.
The conference
could possibly see Modi-Xi interacting one-on-one since the Galwan border clash
in June 2020. In the list of firsts, US President Biden met with his Chinese
counterpart for the first time since taking office. Their meeting came amid a
time of uncertainty and increased tensions between the superpowers.
About G20: The G20, or Group of Twenty, is an intergovernmental forum made up of
19 countries and the European Union. It focuses on major global economic issues
such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, and
sustainable development. The G20 presidency for the year 2022 lies with
Indonesia.
2. Natasa
Pirc Musar Elected Slovenia’s First Female President: Natasa Pirc Musar, won the second round of Slovenia’s Presidential
elections. Natasa Pirc Musar becomes the first female President of the country.
She won 58.86 percent of votes in the runoff, while the opposition right-wing
politician and the former Foreign Minister Andze Logar won 46.14 percent of
votes.
Key
Points:
a) The new President of Slovenia, an EU, and NATO member state will replace
the Borut Pahor. Borut Pahor was formerly a fashion model who served two
five-year terms and is often referred to in public as the Instagram President
for his use of the social network.
b) Natasa Pirc Musar is the new President, he formerly was a TV
representative who became a lawyer and campaigned on human rights rules of law
and social welfare issues.
c) Natasa Pirc Musar is a Slovenian Attorney and book author, former
Information Commissioner, Journalist, and the former President of Slovenia’s
Red Cross.
d) She is best known for her rulings and the books on freedom of
information, high-profile legal cases, in which she represented Slovenia-born
Melania Trump, the Social Democratic Political Party of Slovenia, and other
notable clients.
3. $4.2
Billion Fuel Costs Saved by India with Solar Power: India has saved around $4.2 billion in fuel costs through solar power
generation in the first half of 2022. Along with this, India has saved about
19.4 million tonnes of coal. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air,
and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis found that the
top 10 economies with solar capacity are now within Asia. The five countries
include India, China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. Key Points:
a) From January to June 2022, Asian countries including India, China,
Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, and Thailand avoided 9 percent of
total fossil fuel costs.
b) In India, solar generation avoided $4.2 billion in fuel costs in the
first half of the year.
c) India also avoided the need for 19.4 million tonnes of coal which would
have further stressed an already strained domestic supply.
d) China has saved over $34 billion as solar met 5 percent of the total
electricity demand and avoided around $21 billion in additional coal and gas
imports during the first half of 2022.
e) Japan has the second highest impact with over $5.6 billion avoided in
fuel costs.
f)
In South Korea, solar power generated 5 percent of
the country’s electricity avoiding potential fossil fuel use costing $1.5
billion.
4. World
Philosophy Day: 17th November: World
Philosophy Day is commemorated on the third Thursday of November every year.
This year it will fall on November 17. The United Nations Educational,
Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed it an international
day in 2005. However, that was not always the case. World Philosophy Day was
first celebrated on November 21, 2002. UNESCO aimed to raise public awareness
about philosophy and how vital it is, not only to connect the world today but
to the past and present, as well as for a better understanding of the future. The
theme for the 2022 World Philosophy Day is ‘The Human of the Future’.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Kabaddi World Cup 2025 to be Hosted by West Midlands in England: The Kabaddi World Cup will be held in the West Midlands region of the
United Kingdom. The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be hosted out of Asia for the
first time announced by the World Kabbadi Federation (WKF). The region will
host the sport’s most prestigious global tournament which will feature the
world’s best kabaddi players from leading men’s and women’s teams from India,
Iran, and Pakistan. The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will take place in the West
Midlands during the first quarter of 2025. Key Points:
a) The Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be the first edition after the 2020
edition that could not be held due to Covid-19.
b) The previous three editions of the Kabaddi World Cup were all held in
India with the hosts emerging as the winner of the three editions.
c) Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be organized by England Kabbadi, Scottish
Kabaddi, and the British Kabbadi League.
d) The West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), the region’s official economic
development agency will support and Champion the event to ensure its impact is felt
across the West Midlands and the UK.
2. New
Zealand’s Greg Barclay unanimously re-elected as Chairman of ICC for 2 years: New Zealand’s Greg Barclay unanimously re-elected as the International
Cricket Council (ICC) chairman for another two-year term after his rival,
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, pulled out of the contest
late. Barclay, who served his first stint as ICC chair between 2022 and this
November, will now be in the position until 2024. Barclay, an Auckland-based
commercial lawyer, was originally appointed as the ICC Chair in November 2020.
He was previously the Chair of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and was a director of
the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015.
Other
Important Appointment: Besides Barclay’s re-election, Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah was elected as the head of ICC’s
all-powerful Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee at the board
meeting. Shah will have the responsibility of heading ICC’s most important
committee. Al the major financial policy decisions are taken by the F&CA
committee before it is ratified by the ICC board.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1. Per
Capita Income Rose in Real Terms by 33.4% Since Enactment of NFSA: Centre to
SC: Per capita income of population in India has
increased in real terms by 33.4 per cent since the enactment of National Food
Security Act (NFSA) in 2013, the Centre has told the Supreme Court. The Union
government said this rise in per capita income of people has taken a large
number of households to higher income class.
Referring to the
increase in per capita income, the Centre said the upper limit of 75 per cent
for rural and 50 per cent for urban population who were considered vulnerable
in 2013-14, would have gone down considerably. The Union government also
informed the top court that about 4.7 crore ration cards have been added in the
last eight years under NFSA.
About
NFSA: The government has notified the National Food
Security Act, 2013 on September 10, 2013 with the objective to provide for food
and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to
adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life
with dignity. The Act provides for coverage of up to 75 per cent of the rural
population and up to 50 per cent of the urban population for receiving
subsidised foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
2.
India’s Industrial Output Jumps 3.1% in September: India’s industrial output, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production
(IIP), grew 3.1 per cent in September, supported by a double-digit increase in
electricity generation. This is compared with a contraction of 0.8 per cent in
the previous month and a growth of 4.4 per cent in September 2021. Key
Points:
a) According to the latest data from the Ministry of Statistics &
Programme Implementation, the country’s industrial production during
April-September 2022 jumped 7 per cent, compared with 23.8 per cent in the
year-ago period.
b) India’s electricity sector output grew in double-digits at 11.6 per cent
year-on-year to 187.4 on the IIP in September, mining saw a 4.6 per cent jump
to 99.5, and manufacturing posted a 1.8 per cent rise to 134.3, according to
the official data.
c) Consumer durables saw a contraction in output over the last two months,
contrary to the typical growth period ahead of the festive months with
increasing demand. Consumer durables output slipped 4.5% in September after
falling 2.5% in August.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Nobel
laureate Venki Ramakrishnan honoured UK’s royal Order of Merit: India-born Nobel laureate Professor Venki Ramakrishnan has been awarded
the prestigious Order of Merit by Britain’s King Charles III in recognition of
his distinguished service to science. The 70-year-old UK-based molecular biologist
is among six appointments made to the historic order by the late Queen
Elizabeth II before her death in September and the first to be appointed by
Charles. The Order of Merit is an exclusive mark of honour conferred by the
British sovereign.
About the
Order of Merit:
a) The Order of Merit, founded in 1902 by King Edward VII, is conferred on
individuals of exceptional distinction in the armed forces, science, arts, and
literature, or for the promotion of culture based on the personal choice of the
monarch.
b) It is restricted to 24 members at any given time and the other new
recipients this week include: broadcaster Baroness Floella Benjamin, architect
Sir David Adjaye, nursing expert Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, University of Oxford
professor Margaret MacMillan and geneticist and biologist Sir Paul Nurse are
the other recipients of the honour.
c) Other members of the Order include Sir David Attenborough, the famed
British conservationist, artist David Hockney, former House of Commons Speaker
Betty Boothroyd and World Wide Web founding computer scientist Sir Tim
Berners-Lee.
2. Kerala
Tourism won “Responsible Tourism Global award” at the World Travel Mart: The Kerala Tourism has bagged the prestigious Responsible Tourism
Global award at the World Travel Mart held in London. State Tourism Minister PA
Mohammed Riyas received the award on behalf of the department at London. The
award was given for the STREET project implemented by the Responsible Tourism
Mission under the Kerala Government.
About the
STREET project:
a) STREET is an acronym for Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible,
Experiential, Ethnic, and Tourism hubs, which was implemented by the
Responsible Tourism Mission under the Government of Kerala on March 31, 2022.
The STREET Project is an initiative that promotes water conservation and
protection with public participation.
b) Under the project, the deepening and cleaning of canals and other water
bodies take place to promote tourism, as Kerala is famous for its backwaters
and also preserve the water bodies to be maintained in good condition.
c) The ‘street’ initiative is a water protection and conservation project
in Tourism sector implemented with public participation. The project aims to
deepen the canals and various waterbodies and clean them for the purpose of
tourism activities, the tourism department.
Note: Kerala
Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan; Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram; Kerala Chief
minister: Pinarayi Vijayan.
OBITUARIES
1. Mehran
Karimi Nasseri who lived in Paris airport for 18 years passes away: An Iranian refugee, Mehran Karimi Nasseri, who lived for 18 years in
Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and whose intriguing tale inspired the 2004
Steven Spielberg film “The Terminal,” passed away in that same airport. The
cause of death, in Terminal 2F, was a heart attack, a representative for the
airport. His exact age was not immediately known, but he was in his late 70s. Why
Mehran Karimi Nasseri lived in that airport?
a) Early on, he said he was expelled from his homeland for antigovernment
activity in 1977 because, as a student in England, he had protested against the
government of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. When he returned to Iran, he found
himself imprisoned and soon exiled, he said.
b) He bounced around Europe for a few years with temporary refugee papers
before arriving in Belgium, where he was given official refugee status in 1981.
Mr. Nasseri traveled to Britain and France without difficulty until 1988, when
he arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport with a one-way ticket to London, a few
clothes, about $500 and no passport.
c) He told the airport authorities that his papers had been stolen at a
Paris train station. Waiving the usual rules, the authorities let him fly to
Heathrow Airport in London. But there, British immigration officials refused to
let him enter the country, and he was returned to Charles de Gaulle.
d) Mr. Nasseri could not prove who he was or offer proof of his refugee
status, so he moved into a holding area in the airport for travelers without
papers.
e) He was there for days, and then weeks and months. As the months turned into years, Mr. Nasseri became trapped in a legal twilight zone. In the 1990s, the French authorities insisted that he was on French soil illegally, but they could not deport him because no country would accept him.
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