NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Sonowal to launch domestic sailing int'l cruise liner
Costa Serena: Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and
Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal will launch the domestic sailing of the first
International Cruise Liner ‘COSTA SERENA’ in India at Mumbai. Costa
Cruises is expected to carry approximately 45,000 passengers in its next 2
months voyages. Such cruise initiatives are part of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’, launched
on Prime Minister's appeal to the middle class to prefer domestic tourism over
international.
2. Aligarh Muslim University to launch Its Own Satellite:
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe),
under the Department of Space, the government of India, has
approved Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) proposal for the
development of the varsity’s first satellite, to be named after its
founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. The satellite is tentatively scheduled to be
launched in 6 months. The SS AMU SAT is a nanosatellite project which began in
November 2021 under AMU Robo Club. It is a 3U CubeSat with multiple objectives,
including the study of economic growth in India’s poorest districts using
satellite imagery and implementation of an in-house developed image compression
technology for a faster multimedia transmission. In addition to these, the
satellite will test various sub-systems that have been built in-house. A 3U
CubeSat is a standardized and relatively small satellite used for various
purposes, including research, technology demonstration, and earth observation.
3. ECI designed in-house software for election management
through ENCORE: The Election
Commission of India has designed in-house software for complete Candidate
and election management through ‘ENCORE’ which stands for
Enabling Communications on Real-time Environment. This provides a seamless
facility for Returning Officers to process candidate nominations, affidavits,
Voter turnout, counting, results, and data management. The ENCORE counting
application is an end-to-end application for returning officers to digitize the
votes polled, tabulate the round-wise data, and then take out various statutory
reports of counting. Another application called ENCORE Scrutiny Application allows
Returning Officers to scrutinize the nominations filed by the candidates
online. After verification of the nomination, the status is marked as Accepted,
Rejected, or Withdrawn helping the Returning Officer to prepare the final list
of contesting candidates and assign the symbols.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India And UAE Sign MoU To Strengthen Educational Ties:
UM of Education Dharmendra and UAE Ahmad Al Falasi signed
an MoU to strengthen existing educational cooperation between the two
countries. Aim: To facilitate student and faculty mobility, joint research
programmes, and educational exhibitions in areas of mutual interest held in
both countries. UAE being a global economic hotspot and India being a global
talent hotspot, both sides should work together to build a knowledge bridge to
cement our civilisational connect.
2. World Jellyfish Day is observed on 3rd November 2023: World Jellyfish Day is celebrated on November
3rd to raise awareness about jellyfish and their importance in the marine ecosystem
They
are often misunderstood and feared, but they play a vital role in the food
chain and help to keep the ocean healthy They are gelatinous creatures that
come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and color can be found in all of the
world's oceans, from the surface to the deep sea. Some jellyfish are
harmless and some can have venomous stings.
3. Mumbai Ranks Fourth In Global Housing Price Rise: According to Knight Frank’s Prime Global
Cities Index 2023 Mumbai recorded the fourth
highest year-on-year growth in prime residential prices among global
cities. The 6.5 percent increase in prime residential prices has moved the city
up by 18 places from 22nd rank in September 2022. New Delhi and
Bengaluru too recorded an upward movement in their index rankings. NCR
moved from 36th rank a year ago to 10th in September 2023 with a growth of
4.1 per cent YoY.
4. 15th India-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue held in
New Delhi: The 15th India-Singapore Defence Policy
Dialogue was held in New Delhi. The dialogue was co-chaired by
Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Permanent Secretary (Defence), Singapore
Chan Heng Kee. During the meeting, both sides reviewed the existing defence
cooperation between the two countries and agreed to enhance collaboration in
Service-to-Service interactions and bilateral exercises. They also articulated
steps to take forward cooperation in emerging areas like cyber security. Both
sides identified means to enhance existing areas of collaboration, especially
in the field of maritime security and multilateral cooperation. India and
Singapore also reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the Strategic
Partnership based on mutual trust and understanding, common interests and
shared values of democracy and rule of law.
5. US and India to conduct 2 plus 2 ministerial dialogue: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin would be traveling to India for the
2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with their Indian counterparts in New Delhi. The
dialogue will be held with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense
Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi this month. The dialogue came to existence
from an agreement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald
Trump. It is being conducted every year since 2018 to discuss bilateral
security and geo-strategic issues.
6. PM Modi inaugurated ‘World Food India 2023’ in New
Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has inaugurated the second edition of the Mega food event ‘World
Food India 2023’ at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. On the occasion, the Prime
Minister disbursed Seed Capital Assistance for over one lakh Self Help Groups
SHG members. This support will help SHGs to improve packaging and quality
manufacturing and gain better price realization in the market. The Prime
Minister also inaugurated Food Street, as part of World Food India 2023. It
will feature regional cuisines and royal culinary heritage. Over 200 chefs will
participate and present traditional Indian cuisine, cuisine, making it a unique
culinary experience. The Secretary of the Ministry of Food Processing
Industries Anita Praveen mentioned that over 1200 exhibitors from 23 states and
several countries will participate in the event.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Shami becomes India’s leading wicket taker in World
Cup history: Mohammed Shami created history with his
match-winning five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka at the ODI World Cup. Overtaking
bowling icons Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath, pace ace Shami became
the leading wicket-taker for India at the ODI World Cup. He surpassedJavagal
Srinath and Zaheer Khan's joint record, both of who have 44 wickets to their
names. He has taken 14 wickets so far in just three matches in world cup 2023.
2. Statue of Sachin Tendulkar unveiled at Mumbai’s
Wankhede Stadium: Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has
unveiled his life–size statue at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where
India won the 2011 edition of the ICC World Cup. The statue was made by Pramod
Kamble, who is a painter-sculptor from Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The
statue captures Sachin Tendulkar in the dynamic act of executing a cricket
stroke. The legendary cricketer used this shot frequently to smash over 34,000
runs in both Test and One Day International (ODI) matches. Sachin Tendulkar is
the only batter in the history of cricket to slam 100 centuries. Wankhede
Stadium is Sachin Tendulkar’s home ground where he played his last match in
November 2013.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. RBI launches two key surveys for monetary policy
inputs: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
has announced the introduction of two crucial surveys, namely the
‘Inflation Expectations Survey of Households’ and the ‘Consumer Confidence
Surveynetary’. They’re aimed at gathering essential data for the upcoming
bi-monthly monetary policy. The next monetary policy review is scheduled to
take place from December 6-8.
2. Inflation Expectations Survey of Households: The ‘Inflation Expectations Survey of
Households’ is designed to capture subjective assessments on price movements
and inflation. It will gather data based on individual consumption baskets in
19 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh,
Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai,
Nagpur, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, and Thiruvananthapuram. The survey will solicit
qualitative responses from households regarding anticipated price changes, both
general prices and specific product groups, for the next three months as well
as the one-year period ahead. Additionally, it will collect quantitative
responses on current inflation rates, as well as inflation rates expected in
the next three months and one year.
3. Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated SBI’s branch in
Trincomalee: Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman has inaugurated the State Bank of India’s branch in
Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. Governor of Eastern Province of Sri Lanka Senthil
Thondaman, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay, and SBI
Chairman Dinesh Khara graced the event. Recognizing SBI’s 159-year-long presence,
Mrs. Sitharaman praised its commitment to growth at home and abroad, especially
during the Sri Lankan economic crisis. SBI’s endeavors facilitated the smooth
extension of a Line of Credit worth 1 billion dollars by the Government of
India to Sri Lanka. SBI Sri Lanka has been a pivotal support for international
trade corporations and has actively bolstered remittance activities through a
robust digital platform.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Writer T. Padmanabhan Receives Prestigious Kerala
Jyothi Award: Eminent writer T. Padmanabhan has been
chosen for the Kerala Jyothi Award 2023 instituted by the Kerala
government. He was selected for the highest civilian honour by the
government considering his contributions in the field of Malayalam
literature. The State also announced other ‘Kerala Puraskarngals’, the
highest award given by the government to distinguished personalities who have
made outstanding contributions in various spheres of social life.
2. India-Born Author Nandini Das Wins 2023 British Academy Book Prize: India-born author Nandini Das has been named the winner of the 2023 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, a leading international non-fiction prize, for her book ‘Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire'. The winning book is her debut and has been described by critics as the “true origin story of Britain and India told through England's first diplomatic mission to the Mughal courts”.
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