NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Indian
Govt Announces Strategy for Suicide Prevention: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare unveiled the National
Suicide Prevention Strategy— the first-of-its-kind policy formulated by the
government to prevent suicides as a public health priority. According to the
ministry, the policy that will set the stage for promotion of mental health and
prevention of suicides in the coming decade. The goal of the strategy is to
reduce suicide mortality in the country by 10 per cent by 2023. The strategy
provides a framework for multiple stakeholders to implement activities for
prevention of suicides in the country. It’s Features:
a) First, it seeks to establish effective surveillance mechanisms for
suicide within the next three years.
b) Second, it seeks to establish psychiatric outpatient departments that
will provide suicide prevention services through the District Mental Health
Programme in all districts within the next five years.
c) Third, it aims to integrate a mental well-being curriculum in all
educational institutions within the next eight years.
d) The fourth objective of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy is to
strengthen surveillance of suicide and further generation of evidence through
evaluation, that will ensure improvement in the programme quality.
Whom To
Implement: The implementation framework of the National
Suicide Prevention Strategy envisions five key stakeholders responsible for
realising the objectives. These include national-level ministerial
stakeholders, state-level governmental stakeholders, district-level
governmental stakeholders, NIMHANS-Bangalore and other top mental health
institutes, and strategic collaborators. How It Will Be Implemented:
a) Reinforcing leadership, partnerships and institutional capacity in the
country
b) Enhancing the capacity of health services to provide suicide prevention
services
c) Developing community resilience and societal support for suicide
prevention and reduce stigma associated with suicidal behaviours.
2.
Uttarakhand: Nainital High Court bans beautification works of Sukhatal lake: The Uttarakhand high court has banned all construction activities in the
dry area around the Sukhatal lake, a rain-fed water body that recharges the
Naini lake. A division bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice R.C.
Khulbe imposed the ban while hearing suo motu a PIL against the beautification
and rejuvenation work going on around Sukhatal.
The State
Environment Impact Authority and the State Wetland Management Authority have
also been made parties and notices have been issued to them in this regard.
During the hearing, amicus curiae (friend of the court) Kartikeya Hari Gupta
told the court citing hydrological studies that the Sukhatal lake recharges the
Naini lake up to 40% and 50%.
Note:
Uttarakhand Governor: Gurmit Singh; Uttarakhand Chief minister: Pushkar Singh
Dhami; Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer).
3. Mumbai
Becomes the First City in South Asia to Top CDP’s Climate Action List: Mumbai has become the first Indian city to be added to the A-list in
the 5th Annual Cities Report published by CDP, a non-profit organisation that
runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states,
and regions – recognises the important role that cities play in taking bold
actions to mitigate and adopt to climate change. 122 cities across the globe have
been named as leaders in environmental action and transparency in 2022 by CDP.
For the first time, this includes cities from several countries in the Global
South, including Mumbai; cities that are often among those most affected by the
impacts of climate change.
Mumbai is the
most populous city in India, and, globally, the 7th largest in terms of
population. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, Mumbai is separated from the
mainland by Thane Creek and Harbour Bay. The city is vulnerable to climate
change-induced hazards, such as sea level rise, heavy rainfall, storm surges,
increasing heat, and tropical cyclones. It is also susceptible to landslides,
due to heavy rain that causes many fatalities and physical damage each monsoon
season.
4. IIT
Guwahati director T G Sitharam named as chairman of AICTE: Professor TG Sitharam, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology
Guwahati (IIT Guwahati) has been appointed as the new Chairman of the All-India
Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The Ministry of Education has approved
the appointment of Professor Sitharam as the new AICTE Chairman for a period of
three years. Professor Sitharam will take charge from UGC Chairman M Jagadesh
Kumar, who has been holding interim charge of the post of the Chairman of AICTE
after Anil Sahasrabuddhe retired on attaining the age of 65 years.
Note: All India
Council for Technical Education Founded: November 1945; All India Council for
Technical Education Headquarters: New Delhi; All India Council for Technical
Education Parent agency: Department of Higher Education.
5. IRSEE
Vinit Kumar appointed as CEO of KVIC: Indian Railway
Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE), Vinit Kumar takes over the charge of
CEO, KVIC Central Office, KVIC Mumbai. He is appointed as CEO, Khadi &
Village Industries Commission (KVlC), Mumbai under the Ministry of Micro, Small
and Medium Enterprises. He was welcomed by Shri Manoj Kumar, Hon’ble Chairman,
KVIC at Central Office, Mumbai. Vinit Kumar, an IRSEE officer of 1993 batch,
has served as the Chairman of Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port, Kolkata (erstwhile
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port, Kolkata) before taking over as the Chief
Executive Officer of Khadi and Village Industries Commission and also served as
Chief Electrical Engineer in Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd. and looked
after World Bank funded MUTP project before joining as CEO, KVIC.
Note: Khadi
& Village Industries Commission Founded: 1956; Khadi & Village
Industries Commission Headquarters: Mumbai; Khadi & Village Industries
Commission Agency executive: Manoj Kumar (Chairperson)
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Qatar
signed world’s ‘longest’ gas supply deal with China: QatarEnergy announced a 27-year natural gas supply deal with China,
calling it the “longest” ever seen as it strengthened ties with Asia while
Europe scrambles for alternative sources. The state energy company will send
four million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually from its new North Field
East project to China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec).
Asian countries
led by China, Japan and South Korea are the main market for Qatar’s gas, which
is increasingly being sought by European countries since Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine. Negotiations with European countries have struggled as Germany and
others baulked at signing the type of long-term deals made with Asian nations.
North Field is at the centre of Qatar’s expansion of its liquefied natural gas
production by more than 60 percent to 126 million tonnes a year by 2027.
Note: Qatar
Capital: Doha; Qatar Currency: Qatari Riyal; Prime Minister of Qatar: Sheikh
Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani.
2. Nepal:
Sher Bahadur Deuba elected for consecutive 7th time from Dadeldhura district: In Nepal, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has elected for the consecutive
7th time from the home district of Dadeldhura. The counting of votes continues
for parliamentary and provincial elections in the country. Senior Nepali
Congress leader, Mr. Deuba defeated an independent candidate Sagar Dhakal by a
margin of over 12 thousand votes. The 77-year-old Nepali Congress president
Deuba is currently holding the post of Prime Minister for the fifth term.
The
parliamentary and provincial elections were held on 20th of November in Nepal.
It was the second general election since the promulgation of the constitution
in 2015. Deuba secured 25,534 votes against his nearest rival Sagar Dhakal, 31,
an independent candidate who received 1,302 votes. Deuba has never lost any
parliamentary election in the five decades of his political career.
Note: Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu; Nepal Currency: Nepalese rupee; Nepal President: Bidhya
Devi Bhandari.
3. Lt
General Asim Munir Appointed as New Army Chief of Pakistan: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Lieutenant General
Asim Munir as the new army chief of the country, replacing incumbent General
Qamar Javed Bajwa. Information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced the
appointment on Twitter ending weeks of speculation over what some call the most
powerful position in the South Asian nation. Key Points:
a) Pakistan’s military has directly ruled the country of 220 million people
for nearly half of its 75-year history.
b) Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad will take charge as the chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.
c) Munir is currently posted at the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. He has
served briefly as chief of the country’s premier intelligence agency, the
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Tamil
Nadu batter Narayan Jagadeesan breaks world record for highest ever List A
score: Tamil Nadu batter Narayan Jagadeesan broke the
world record for the highest individual score in men’s List A cricket by
hammering 277 off 141 balls against Arunachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare
Trophy at the Chinnaswamy in Bangalore. Tamil Nadu became the first team to
breach the 500- mark in List A cricket before winning the Group C match by 435
runs, making it the highest victory margin at this level. The previous record
was Somerset’s 346-run win over Devon in 1990. This was after the 26-year-old
Jagadeesan became the first-ever player to score five consecutive centuries in
men’s List A cricket. He also went past Alistair Brown and Rohit Sharma to set
a new record for the highest individual score.
2.
Telangana’s Bhukya and Odisha’s Patri Held National U-13 Badminton Titles: Telangana’s Nishanth Bhukya and Odisha’s Tanvi Patri became the boys’
and girls’ singles’ champions at the 34th Under-13 National Badminton
Championships, notching contrasting wins at the UP-Badminton Academy.
Fourth-seeded Bhukya came from behind to beat Andhra Pradesh’s Akhil Reddy Boba
19-21, 21-12, 22-20 in 44 minutes whereas Patri took just 22 minutes to brush
aside local challenger and 15th-seeded Divyanshi Gautam 21-7, 21-10.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. HDFC
Bank, Flywire Collaborate to Offer Edu digital Payments: Payments software company Flywire has teamed up with India’s Largest
private sector giant HDFC Bank to help students in India pay education fees at
institutions around the world. By integrating with HDFC Bank’s banking
platform, Flywire gives Indian students fully digital checkout options for uses
ranging from application fees to tuition payments. Meanwhile, schools accepting
these payments will get their payments on time and in their local currencies,
“as well as full transparency into the transaction history, which eases their
reconciliation processes and streamlines operational efficiencies”. The company said that the integration
streamlines payments for students and families while also making sure they
comply with international translation guidelines.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
India’s Current Account Deficit Pegged at 3-3.2% of GDP in FY23: Robust domestic economic activity and an uptick in oil import bills,
India’s current account deficit is expected to be 3-3.2 per cent of gross
domestic product (GDP) for FY23, according to Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V
Anantha Nageswaran. India’s current account balance recorded a deficit of 1.2
per cent of GDP in 2021-22, against a surplus of 0.9 per cent in 2020-21. The
Reserve Bank of India expects CAD to have widened modestly in the first half
(April-September 2022) but shrink in the second half (October 2022-March 2023).
Overall, CAD is expected to be under 3 per cent of GDP for FY23.
According to the
RBI’s assessment (in the state of economy report), India’s foreign exchange
reserves at $ 530.0 billion, as on November 4, covered 8.6 months of imports
projected for 2022-23. The foreign exchange reserves’ cover of imports (on a
balance of payments basis) declined to 10.4 months at end of June 2022, from
11.8 months at the end of March 2022.
2.
Suryakumar Yadav named as brand ambassador of UrbanGabru: Men’s grooming brand UrbanGabru announced the star India cricketer
Suryakumar Yadav as its new brand ambassador. He joins the brand to endorse
UrbanGabru’s grooming range. Suryakumar Yadav, fondly known as SKY, is
currently ranked second in men’s T20 International batting.
About the
UrbanGabru: UrbanGabru, part of GlobalBees’ house of brands,
offers high-quality, affordable men’s grooming and personal care products. The
wide range includes facial, hair, beard, body, intimate area products, and
more. UrbanGabru is a men’s grooming brand from the house of GlobalBees Brands
Pvt. Ltd.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1.
India’s Purnima Devi Barman is one of UNEP’s ‘Champions of the Earth’ for 2022:
India’s Purnima Devi Barman, an Assam-based
wildlife biologist, is one of the five ‘Champions of the Earth’ for this year,
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced. The annual awards
are the highest environmental honour that the UNEP confers on individuals and
organisations whose actions have a “transformative impact” on the environment.
She has been honoured in the Entrepreneurial Vision category. The other
honourees include Arcenciel (Lebanon); Constantino (Tino) Aucca Chutas (Peru);
Sir Partha Dasgupta of the United Kingdom and Cecile Bibiane Ndjebet
(Cameroon). About the Purnima Devi Barman:
a) Barman has been working with local communities – women, specifically –
in Assam for more than a decade now to conserve the greater adjutant stork, an
endangered wetland bird whose numbers have been declining due to habitat
destruction and cutting down of nesting trees.
b) Barman won the award this year in the ‘Entrepreneurial Vision’ category,
for her trail-blazing work in protecting the greater adjutant stork, called
‘hargila’ in Assamese. Hargilas are five-foot-tall birds that dwell in wetlands
in some parts of southeast Asia including India and Cambodia.
2. Museum
maker AP Shreethar awarded Economic Times Inspiring Leaders Award 2022: Museum maker AP. Shreethar was honored with Economic Times Inspiring
Leaders Award 2022 in Delhi. The award was presented by Actress Mrunal Thakur
in the capital city, Delhi. AP Shreethar is a self-taught artist and museum
maker. He is known to have conducted over 72 shows and exhibitions around the
globe. AP Shreethar is additionally credited as the creator of the world’s first
Live Art Museum.
As a recipient
of the famed Lenin Muzem Award, AP. Shreethar specializes in capturing the
essence of his subjects with photo realistic renditions, gaining favour in the
eyes of celebrities such as actor Amitabh Bachchan, Padmashree Dr. Kamal
Hassan, Sachin Tendulkar, A.R. Rahman, Padmashree Dr. Bala Murali Krishna,
Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, Former French President Mr.
Francois Hollande, Former Prime Minster of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin
Tun Abdul Razak, and many more. Francois Hollande, Former President of the
French Republic, is personally noted to have penned a letter of appreciation in
recognition of Shreethar’s mastery.
3. Matrix
Awarded Partner of the Year 2022 by Procter & Gamble: Chennai-based Matrix Business Services India Pvt. Ltd., a leading
Business Assurance Services Company, part of the UDS Group, was recently
recognised and awarded “Partner of the Year 2022” by one of the world’s most
valuable companies, Procter & Gamble (P&G) at a recently held event in
Cincinnati, USA, for their contribution in transforming their business
processes.
Matrix was among
the 11 external business partners (EBPs) chosen from a global network of over
50,000 for the year 2021 – 22. This is a wonderful acknowledgment of Matrix’s
expertise in running an end-to-end business process in such a complex and niche
area like Trade Fund Management, that too across several countries. It is the
hard work and dedication of team Matrix that has paved the way to achieve this
feat, which is the highest honour a P&G partner can get.
4.
Prodapt won the Prestigious Salesforce Partner Innovation Award 2022: Prodapt, a leading global consulting, technology & managed services
provider with a singular focus on the Connectedness industry, has been named a
recipient of the Salesforce Partner Innovation Award in the “Communications”
category. The prestigious award recognizes Prodapt’s contributions to
Salesforce-driven digital transformation programs and the development of
specific solution accelerators for the communications industry.
Each year, the Salesforce Partner Innovation Awards recognize the significant contributions Salesforce partners have made across clouds, industries, and the broader partner program – including consulting firms, digital agencies, resellers, and ISV partners. IDC, a global provider of market intelligence and advisory services for the IT, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets, facilitated and judged the nominations.
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