Daily GK Update- 19th Nov, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Amit S Telang appointed as Indian envoy to the Caribbean Community: The Ministry of External Affairs has announced that Amit S Telang has been concurrently accredited as the Indian Ambassador to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and High Commissioner to the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda. Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Anil Kumar Rai has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

 

2. Ashok Vaswani appointed as MD & CEO of Kotak Bank: Kotak Mahindra Bank has appointed Ashok Vaswani as its Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from January 1, 2024. The bank’s board has appointed Vaswani for a period of three years, subject to the approval of the members of the bank, according to an exchange filing. The appointment of Vaswani follows the conclusion of Dipak Gupta’s term as the Managing Director and CEO of the bank, slated to end on December 31, 2023. The Reserve Bank of India had cleared Vaswani’s name for the post on October 21.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Nicaragua’s Sheynis Palacios Crowned 72nd Miss Universe 2023: Sheynis Palacios, representing Nicaragua, won the Miss Universe crown at the 72nd edition of the fashion pageant.  The show took place in San Salvador, El Salvador at Jose Adolfo Pineda Arena on November 19. Sheynis was also crowned as Miss Nicaragua 2023 earlier this year and has a strong social media presence.  For the finale of Miss Universe 2023, Sheynin was seen wearing a stunning embellished body-hugging gown.

 

2. 42nd Edition of India International Trade Fair inaugurated at Pragati Maidan: The 42nd Edition of India International Trade Fair has inaugurated in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The fair will remain open for all till the 27th of this month. This year, the theme of the fair is based on Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which emphasizes the significance of interconnectedness and cooperation in trade. Representatives of 13 countries are also displaying their products in the fair. Bihar and Kerala are the Partner States of the Fair, while Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh are the Focus States.

 

3. 19 November – International Men’s Day: International Men’s Day is celebrated on November 19 every year. Objective – To raise awareness about the health and well-being of men and boys and to highlight the issues that they face. The day also celebrates the positive value that men bring to the world and motivates them to become positive role models. Theme 2023 – Zero Male Suicide International Men’s Day was founded in 1999 by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a history lecturer at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. Since then, it has been celebrated every year, and currently, more than 80 countries celebrate the day.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Federal Bank introduces UPI lite for small-value digital payments: Federal Bank has launched UPI Lite to power small-value digital transactions in India. NPCI introduced UPI Lite a simplified version of the Unified Payments Interface system to cater to the growing demand for faster and more efficient small-value payments. Benefits of UPI Lite for customers include reduction in transaction time, a ready-to-access bank statement, higher payment success rate and enhanced security. UPI lite account can be created within the existing UPI app without downloading a new app.

 

2. India to become world’s third-largest economy by 2027: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India is expected to overtake Japan and Germany to emerge as the third largest economy in the world by 2027. India’s economic growth is estimated to be just under 7 per cent during the year, the highest among major economies, despite global headwinds. Amidst supply-chain disruptions and economic turbulence due to contemporary conflicts that impact the Indo-Pacific, irrespective of whether they are occurring in relatively distant Ukraine or in relatively-proximate Israel or Yemen, and despite the palpable tensions prevalent in the South-and East China Sea, the Indian economy stands out as a bright spot. Even according to the usually conservative estimates of the IMF, the Indian economy is set to emerge as the world’s third-largest economy by 2027, hopping over Japan and Germany, as its GDP crosses the USD 5 trillion level. By 2047, India aspires to be a developed economy.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Suresh Wadkar named for Maharashtra’s Lata Mangeshkar Award 2023: The Maharashtra government has chosen the esteemed playback singer and National Award winner, Suresh Ishwar Wadkar, as the recipient of the prestigious ‘Gansamragini Lata Mangeshkar Award’ for 2023. The announcement was made by Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, recognizing Wadkar’s remarkable contribution to the world of music. A Sangeet Natak Akademi laureate, Wadkar, 68, will be presented with a cash prize, a commendation, and a memento as part of the award at a ceremony later. Hailing from an ordinary family of Kolhapur, in his younger days, Wadkar was a wrestler and then became a music teacher in Mumbai before winning a singing competition 1976 that got him his first playback singing break with the late music director Ravindra Jain in 1977.