Daily GK Update- 21st Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Centre to roll back 3 farm laws: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that his government will repeal the three contentious agricultural laws and requested protesting farmers to go back to their fields and homes. The announcement came on the Gurupurab/Prakash Utsav festival, when Sikhism founder Guru Nanak’s birthday is celebrated in the country. The decision comes just ahead of state polls in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh where the farm protests were predicted to dent the BJP’s electoral fortunes.  Last year, in September, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent for the three bills passed by the Parliament.

What’s ahead: Since the three farm bills have already been passed into law, the government will have to formally bring three new bills to repeal them and get them passed in both Houses.

The three contentious bills are:

(1) The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020,

(2) The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and

(3) The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill.

 

2. President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates Adarsh Village ‘Sui’ in Haryana: The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind visited Sui village in the Bhiwani district of Haryana, to inaugurate various public facilities in the village. This village is being developed as Adarsh Gram (Model village) by Mahadevi Parameshwaridas Jindal Charitable Trust under the Swa-Prerit Adarsh Gram Yojana (SPAGY) scheme of the Haryana Government.

About the Sui village:

(1) The President and his wife Savita Kovind planted a peepal tree at Sui village.

(2) The Jindal trust has undertaken developmental works of over Rs 25 crore to transform Sui into an ADARSH VILLAGE.

(3) It must be noted that Bhiwani is the first district in India where two Presidents have visited. (4) Prior to this President APJ Abdul Kalam visited Bhiwani in 2007.

(5) The village is being developed as ‘adarsh gram’ by the Mahadevi Parameshwaridas Jindal Charitable Trust under the Haryana government’s Swa-Prerit Adarsh Gram Yojana (SPAGY).

 

3. Uttar Pradesh’s first Anti-Air Pollution Tower inaugurated in Noida: The Union Minister of Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey has inaugurated the first air pollution control tower of the state of Uttar Pradesh in Noida. The Air Pollution Control Tower (APCT) prototype has been developed by state-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel). The indigenously developed APCT is set up between the DND flyway and the slip road to Noida Expressway. The tower will help to mitigate the rising air pollution problem in the city. The tower will clean the polluted air around it and release purified air. Equipped with intake and exhaust fans, the tower will initially run with the help of electricity. The authority, however, plans to run the tower with the help of solar energy later.

Note: UP Capital: Lucknow; UP Governor: Anandiben Patel; UP Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath.

 

4. BRO received Guinness World Record for world’s highest motorable road: The Border Roads Organisation has received the Guinness World Record for constructing & blacktopping the world highest motorable road passing through the 19,024 feet 0.73 inches (5798.251m) high Umlingla Pass in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The 52-kilometre long Chisumle to Demchok tarmac road was developed under Project HIMANK (93RCC/753 BRTF) of BRO. Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhry, Director General Border Roads, received the Guinness World Records certificate.

 

5. MC Mary Kom appointed brand ambassador of TRIFED Aadi Mahotsav: The Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda inaugurated TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation Ltd) Aadi Mahotsav at Dilli Haat in New Delhi, in the presence of Sukhram Munda, Grandson of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. On the occasion, Olympic medallist and boxer Padma Vibhushan MC Mary Kom was declared as the brand ambassador of the TRIFED Aadi Mahotsav. It is a national tribal festival and a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the TRIFED.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India re-elected to UNESCO Executive Board for 2021-25 term: India has been re-elected to the Executive Board of UNESCO for the term 2021-25. India received 164 votes to get re-elected to a four-year term of office. Apart from India, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Cook Islands and China have also been elected in Group IV Asian and Pacific States category. UNESCO Executive Board consists of 58 member-states each with a four-year term of office.

About the executive board:

(1) The executive board of the UN’s cultural and educational organisation is one of three constitutional organs of the UN agency. The other two are the General Conference and the Secretariat.

(2) The General Conference elects members of the executive board. The executive board consists of 58 member-states, each with a four-year term. It examines the programme of work for the organisation and corresponding budget estimates submitted to it by the director-general, according to the Unesco website.

(3) The board represents exercises the power delegated to it by the General Conference and deals with the questions with which it is entrusted.

 

2. World Fisheries Day: 21st November: World Fisheries Day is celebrated on 21 November every year by fishing communities across the world. It highlights the importance of healthy oceans ecosystems and ensuring sustainable stocks of fisheries in the world. 2021 is the fifth World Fisheries Day. The first World Fisheries Day was celebrated on November 21, 2015. On the same day, it was the grand opening of the International Fisherman’s organization was held in New Delhi.

History of Fisheries Day: A forum for the World Fisheries consortium was established around 1997 and was famously called WFF (World Fisheries Forum). Under this forum, several participants across the world actively took part in it. Around 18 countries signed a global consensus document that marked the standardization of practices. The memories of WFF in 1997 lay etched in the pages of history because it wrote a new form of working pattern of the fisherfolk community.

 

3. World Television Day: 21st November: World Television Day is commemorated on 21 November every year. The day is a reminder of the power of visual media and how it helps in shaping public opinion and influencing world politics. Television has played a significant role in the lives of people for years. It is a medium that provides entertainment, education, news, politics, gossip, etc. and helps in transmitting moving images in two or three dimensions and sound.

History of World Television Day: On 21 November and 22 November 1996, the U.N. held the first World Television Forum. This day provides a platform and allowed the media to discuss the importance of TV in delivering information and also how it participates in the changing world. It is the single largest source of video consumption.

 

4. World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2021: World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is marked every year on Third Sunday in the month of November. In 2021, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims falls on 21 November 2021. World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2021 theme is “ACT for LOW SPEEDS /ACT for LOW-SPEED STREETS”. The purpose of the day is to remember those killed and injured on the roads, together with their families, friends, and others affected. The day was started by the British road crash victim charity, RoadPeace, in 1993 and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Spain’s Garbine Muguruza wins 2021 WTA Finals: In tennis, Garbine Muguruza of Spain beat Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, 6-3, 7-5 in the final to claim her first WTA Final title. Muguruza is also the first Spaniard to win the WTA Finals. Muguruza battled back from a breakdown in the second set, winning the last four games of the match to seal her 10th career title. In doubles, Czech’s Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková defeated Hsieh Su-wei (Chinese Taipei) and Elise Mertens (Belgium) 6–3, 6–4.

 

2. Alexander Zverev won Vienna Tennis Open 2021: Alexander “Sascha” Zverev, a German professional tennis player, won the fifth ATP title of the season (2021) and 18th overall at the Vienna Open 2021 or Erste Bank Open 2021 defeating Frances Tiafoe of the United States of America (USA). At present, Alexander Zverev is ranked 3rd in the ATP World Ranking.

Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal of Colombia have won the doubles competition at Erste Bank Open 2021 defeating Joe Salisbury of the United Kingdom (UK) and Rajeev Ram of the USA.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. SBI signed agreement with Jamshedpur Football Club to promote football: The State Bank of India has signed a strategic agreement with Jamshedpur Football Club, a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, to promote and support football in India. This is the first of its kind of agreement by SBI in the game of football. Through this agreement, the SBI will become one of the principal sponsors of the JFC, thereby having the SBI logo on Jersey.

The JRD Tata Sports Complex was set up in Jharkhand by Tata Steels, to conduct ISL (Indian Super League) and promote the sport of Football in India. The two brands will also actively engage with fans via the first team and also during the broadcast of the Indian Super League (ISL). The interaction with fans will continue on the digital platforms of SBI and JFC as well.

Note: SBI Founded: 1 July 1955; SBI Headquarters: Mumbai; SBI Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Hema Malini, Prasoon Joshi to be awarded Film Personalities of the Year at IFFI: Actor and BJP leader Hema Malini, and lyricist and former CBFC chief Prasoon Joshi will be facilitated with the Indian Film Personality of the Year award at the International Film Festival of India 2021. Their contributions to the field of Indian cinema spread over decades and their body of work has enthralled audiences across generations.

Malini is a two-time Member of Parliament from Mathura, and Joshi was appointed by the government as the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2017. Joshi has previously written a campaign song for Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the BJP leader was announced the party’s PM candidate ahead of the 2014 general elections.

Daily GK Update- 20th Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi launched ‘Ration Aapke Gram’ scheme & ‘Sickle Cell Mission’ in MP: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a series of Tribal Welfare programs on his visit to Madhya Pradesh. PM Modi launched a welfare scheme named ‘Ration Aapke Gram’ scheme & ‘Sickle Cell Mission’ of Madhya Pradesh. He also laid the foundation stone for the construction of 50 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools across India. The Indian Government decided to celebrate 15th November as the ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’ or ‘Tribal Gaurav Diwas’, every year starting from 2021. Modi referred to his long association with the tribal society. He was all praised for the richness of their spiritual and cultural life and said that every cultural aspect of tribal including songs and dances carries a life lesson and they have so much to teach.

Note: Madhya Pradesh Capital: Bhopal; Madhya Pradesh Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel; Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

 

2. Piyush Goyal launched India’s 1st Digital Food Museum in Tamil Nadu: Union Minister, Piyush Goyal virtually launched India’s first Digital Food Museum in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. It is a 1,860-sqft museum co-developed by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museums, Bengaluru (Karnataka) with an estimated outlay of Rs 1.1 crore. The museum is the first one-of-its-kind effort to depict India’s food story from the beginning to India becoming the largest food gain exporter in the country.

About the museum: This museum showcases the Indian food evolution from nomadic hunter-gatherers into settled agriculture producers. The measures of the government will make the country top the list of largest agricultural exporters in the world. The museum will showcase the history of people from being foragers to producers, the story of the first harvest, the rise of villages and the preparation of demand days. The museum will display the grains of India and explain the food culture in different parts of the world.

 

3. India’s first fisheries business incubator launched in Gurugram: The first-of-its-kind, dedicated fisheries business incubator has been inaugurated in Gurugram of Haryana to nurture fisheries start-ups under real market-led conditions. The incubator is known as LINAC- NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre (LlFlC). It was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala.

About the centre: The centre has been established at a cost of Rs. 3.23 crore under the central flagship Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is the implementing agency for the LIFIC. The first batch of ten incubators from four states (Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra) have already been identified.

 

4. Telangana’s Pochampally selected is one of the best tourism villages: Pochampally village in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana, known for its famous hand-woven Ikat saris, was selected as one of the best tourism villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The award will be given at the 24th session of the UNWTO general assembly on December 2, in Madrid. The best tourism villages by the UNWTO pilot initiative aims to award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations and showcase good practices in line with its specified evaluation areas. It also aims to support villages to enhance their rural tourism potential through training and access to opportunities for improvement.

About the Pochampally: Pochampally is about 50 km from Hyderabad and is often referred to as the silk city of India for the exquisite sarees that are woven through a unique style called Ikat. This style, Pochampally Ikat, received a Geographical Indicator (GI status) in 2004 and is also known as Bhoodan Pochampally to commemorate the Bhoodan movement that was launched by Acharya Vinobha Bhave from this village on April 18, 1951.

Note: Telangana Capital: Hyderabad; Telangana Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan; Telangana Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao.

 

5. Centre approves new Rajya Sainik Board for Ladakh: The Centre has approved a new Rajya Sainik Board (RSB) for Ladakh. The Board will be an effective link between the Centre and the Ladakh Administration. Rajya Sainik Board will play an advisory role on the matters relating to the ex-servicemen, war widows, widows and non-combatants, including serving soldiers and their dependents. Zila Sainik welfare offices of Leh and Kargil will function under the newly constituted Rajya Sainik Board. About the board:

(1) The Board provide access to the welfare schemes under the Raksha Mantri Ex-servicemen Welfare Fund and welfare and resettlement of ex-servicemen.

(2) Approximately Sixty thousand retired and serving army personnel would get benefit from the establishment of the Rajya Sainik Board in Ladakh.

(3) Ladakh Scouts Regiment Center will avail maximum benefit from the welfare schemes extended through the Rajya Sainik Board.

 

6. Maharashtra government to appoint Salman Khan as Covid vaccination ambassador: Bollywood actor Salman Khan is to become the Covid-vaccine ambassador of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Public Health Minister According to Rajesh Tope, there is hesitation about receiving anti-coronavirus vaccines in Muslim-majority communities, and the government will enlist the help of Bollywood actor Salman Khan to persuade people to get the vaccine. Maharashtra is leading in terms of the number of vaccine shots administered, but in some areas the pace of vaccination is low.

 

7. National Newborn Week 2021: 15th to 21th November: In India, the National Newborn Week is observed every year from 15 to 21 November. The main purpose of the week is to reinforce the importance of newborn health as a key priority area of the health sector and reduce the infant mortality rate by improving healthcare conditions for babies in the neonatal period. The theme of National Newborn Week 2021 is ‘Safety, quality and nurturing care – the birthright of every newborn’. In 2014, India became the first country to launch the India Newborn Action Plan (INAP), in alignment with the Global Every Newborn Action Plan towards eliminating preventable deaths of newborns and stillbirths.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. 2021 TRACE global Bribery Risk Rankings: India ranked 82nd: India has slipped to 82nd position (drop by 5 slots from 2020) with a risk score of 44 in the global list of 2021 TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix (TRACE Matrix) that measures business bribery risks, which was released by TRACE International. In 2020, India ranked 77 with a score of 45. Denmark has topped the rankings with a score of 2. An anti-bribery standard-setting organisation, known as TRACE, measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.

2021 TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix:

 

Rank	Country
1	Denmark
2	Norway
3	Sweden
82	India
192	Eritrea
193	Turkmenistan
194	North Korea

 

Score is Calculated: Every country’s score is calculated on the basis of four factors – enforcement and anti-bribery deterrence, business interactions with government, government and civil service transparency, and capacity for civil society oversight which includes media’s role.

 

2. World Children’s Day: 20th November: The Universal/World Children’s Day is celebrated on 20 November annually to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare. November 20th is an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. 2021 marks the 32nd anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Universal/World Children’s Day 2021 Theme: A Better Future for Every Child

History of the day: World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year. In 1959, UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. ICC announces host nations of next 10 men’s tournaments: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the 14 host countries of the ICC men’s white-ball events from 2024-2031. India is set to host the 2029 Champions Trophy and co-host the 2026 ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup with Sri Lanka and the 2031 ICC Men’s 50-over World Cup with Bangladesh. The hosts were selected through a competitive bidding process overseen by an ICC Hosting Sub-Committee chaired by Martin Snedden along with Sourav Ganguly, President of Board of Control for Cricket in India and Ricky Skerritt, President of Cricket West Indies.

Hosts of ICC Events:

 

Event	Hosts
2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup	USA & West Indies
2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy	Pakistan
2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup	India & Sri Lanka
2027 ICC Men’s 50 over World Cup	South Africa, Zimbabwe & Namibia
2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup	Australia & New Zealand
2029 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy	India
2030 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup	England, Ireland & Scotland
2031 ICC Men’s 50 over World Cup	India & Bangladesh

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. SIDBI and Google tied-up to Support MSMEs: Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has entered into a collaboration with Google India Pvt Ltd (GIPL) for piloting a social impact lending programme with financial assistance up to Rs 1 crore at subsidized interest rates. The one-of-a-kind programme by SIDBI is launched as a crisis response related to Covid-19 to reinvigorate the MSME sector in India.

Under the partnership:

(1) The collaboration brings a corpus of $15 million (about Rs. 110 crores) to micro-enterprises as a crisis response related to Covid-19 for reinvigoration.

(2) MSMEs having turnover up to 5 crores will get the loan ranging between 25 lakh to 1 crore which is being implemented by SIDBI.

(3) Loans will be disbursed by SIDBI. The programme is completely paperless from onboarding to the disbursal stage.

(4) A business owned by Women and businesses engaged in the production of Covid-19 combating equipment will be prioritised, with suitable interest rate concession.

Note SIDBI Founded: 2 April 1990; SIDBI Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; SIDBI CMD: Sivasubramanian Ramann.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran sports commentator and football pundit Novy Kapadia passes away: Veteran author, football journalist and sports commentator Novy Kapadia has passed away due to health complications. He was often called as ‘the voice of Indian football’. The noted commentator had covered nine FIFA World Cups, as well as Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. As an author, Kapadia had written books like Barefoot To Boots, The Many Lives Of Indian Football among others.

Daily GK Update- 19th Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India’s 1st grass conservatory inaugurated in Ranikhet, Uttarakhand: India’s first ‘grass conservatory’ or ‘germplasm conservation centre’ spread over an area of 2 acres was inaugurated at Ranikhet in Almora district of Uttarakhand. This conservatory is funded under the Central Government’s CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) scheme and is developed by the research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department. To create awareness about the importance of grass species, promote their conservation, and facilitate research in the field.

Note: Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer); Uttarakhand Governor:  Lt Gen Gurmit Singh; Uttarakhand Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami.

 

2. Arunachal Pradesh Govt adopted ‘Pakke Declaration’ on climate change: The government of Arunachal Pradesh approved the ‘Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh’, which aims to promote “climate-resilient development” in the state. The announcement is the first of its kind by any state government in the country. For the first time, the State’s Cabinet meeting was conducted outside the capital Itanagar, at Pakke Tiger Reserve, where the ‘Pakke Declaration’ was adopted. The ‘Pakke Declaration’ focuses on a multi-sectoral approach to low-emission and climate-resilient development based on five broad themes, or Panch Dharas.

Note: Arunachal Pradesh Capital: Itanagar; Arunachal Pradesh Chief minister: Pema Khandu; Arunachal Pradesh Governor: D. Mishra.

 

3. PM Modi to open presiding officers meet in Shimla: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 82nd All India Presiding Officers Conference (AIPOC) in Shimla.  The first Conference was held in Shimla in 1921 and the AIPOC is being held in Shimla for the seventh time. All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) is celebrating its hundred years in 2021. In this conference, various issues will be discussed such as the responsibility of presiding officers towards the Constitution, the House and the people. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has presided over the conference. The Conference attended by the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the presiding officers of all the States and Union Territories added the Lok Sabha speaker. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur also participate in the meeting.

About the Presiding officers:

(1) The Presiding Officers have the responsibility to conduct the proceedings of the House.

(2) The Speaker and the Deputy Speaker are the Presiding Officers of the Lok Sabha.

(3) The vice-President is the Presiding Officers of the Rajya Sabha.

 

4. Three-day ‘Rashtra Raksha Samparpan Parv’ to be held in Jhansi: 3-day Rashtra Raksha Samparpan Parv will be held in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations. 19th of November is the Birth Anniversary of Rani Lakshmi Bai, the epitome of bravery and courage and a great National icon of Rashtra Raksha and India’s Independence struggle. As a part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, Rashtra Raksha Samparpan Parv will be organised from November 17 to November 19, 2021. This event is being organised by the defence ministry in association with the Government of Uttar Pradesh. On November 19, the programme will witness the participation from Defence Minister, Minister of State for Defence, Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath.

 

5. Tamil film Koozhangal selected to be screened at IFFI 2021: Tamil film Koozhangal will be screened at the Indian Panorama segment in the 52 International film festival Goa. Koozhangal is also India’s official entry for Academy Award for Oscars. It is a story about the relationship between an alcoholic, abusive husband and his wife. The story is from the viewpoint of their Child. The 52 International Film Festival of India will be organized from 20 -28 November 2021 in Goa. The International Film Festival of India is one of India’s biggest international film festivals.

 

6. “The Disruptor: How Vishwanath Pratap Singh Shook India” by Debashish Mukerji: A book titled ‘The Disruptor: How Vishwanath Pratap Singh Shook India’ was authored by Debashish Mukerji. The book presents a detailed account on India’s eighth Prime Minister (PM), Vishwanath Pratap Singh (V P Singh), who served as PM between December 1989 to November 1990. He also served as the Defence Minister of India & the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

 

7. Guru Nanak Jayanti is observed on 19 November 2021: Guru Nanak Jayanti is observed every year as the birth anniversary of the Sikh founder, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. This year marks the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, also known as Prakash Utsav or Guru Purab, as it marks an important festival for the Sikh community. Guru Nanak is the first of the ten Sikh gurus who is considered as the one who brought enlightenment to the world. He was born in 1469 in a village named Talwandi, which is currently located in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi virtually delivers keynote address at The Sydney Dialogue: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered the keynote address at The Sydney Dialogue, via video conferencing. PM addressed the event on the theme ‘India’s technology evolution and revolution’. The Sydney Dialogue has been organised from November 17-19, 2021 by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The event will bring together political, business and government leaders to debate, generate new ideas and work towards common understandings of the opportunities and challenges posed by emerging and critical technologies. The Sydney Dialogue is an annual summit of cyber and critical technologies to discuss the fallout of the digital domain on the law and order situation in the world.

 

2. World Toilet Day: 19th November: World Toilet Day is observed as an official United Nations international day across the world on 19th November 2021. The day is observed to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. The day is observed to inform, engage and inspire people to take action toward achieving the goal of improving sanitation and aims to “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. World Toilet Day 2021 theme: “valuing toilets”.

History of the day: The World Toilet Day was firstly observed on 19th November 2012 established by the World Toilet Organization in 2001 also the inaugural World Toilet Summit was held on the same day and Twelve years later, in 2013, the UN General Assembly declared World Toilet Day an official UN day.

Note: World Toilet Organization Headquarters: Singapore; World Toilet Organization Founder and Director: Jack Sim; World Toilet Organization Founded: 19 November 2001.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Sourav Ganguly appointed Chairman of ICC Men’s Cricket Committee: The President of BCCI, Sourav Ganguly has been appointed as the Chairman of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, during the ICC Board Meeting. Ganguly will replace Anil Kumble who assumed the charge in 2012. Kumble stepped down having served a maximum of three separate three-year terms.

The Board also approved that first-class status and list A classification will be applied to women’s cricket to align with the men’s game and applied retrospectively. Going forward the ICC Women’s Committee will be known as the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee and will assume all decision making the responsibility for women’s cricket reporting directly to the CEC. Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies has been appointed to the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Paytm Money launched AI-powered ‘Voice Trading’: Paytm Money, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Paytm, has launched ‘Voice Trading’, powered by artificial intelligence (AI). It will allow users to place a trade or get information about stocks via single voice command. This voice command feature uses neural networks and natural language processing (NLP) to allow instant processing. This service has been launched in line with Paytm Money’sefforts to offer next-gen and AI-driven tech to elevate user experience.

Note: Paytm Money Founded: 20 September 2017; Paytm Money Headquarter: Bengaluru, Karnataka; Paytm Money CEO: Varun Sridhar.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. UBS projects India’s GDP growth forecast at 9.5% for FY22: The Swiss brokerage firm, UBS Securities has revised India’s real GDP growth projection for 2021-22 to 9.5 per cent from 8.5 per cent estimated earlier. The upward revision has been attributed to faster-than-expected recovery, rising consumer confidence and the resultant spending spike.

UBS Securities has made the following GDP growth rate projections for India for various years:

For 2021-22 (FY22)= 9.5%

For 2022-23 (FY23)= 7.7%

For 2023-24 (FY24)= 6.0%

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur confers SAI Institutional Awards: Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Anurag Thakur has presented the first-ever SAI Institutional Awards to 246 athletes and coaches in New Delhi. A total of 162 athletes and 84 coaches have been conferred awards in the Outstanding Award and Best Award category for their performance in national and international competitions, with cash awards amounting to a total of Rs 85.02 Lakhs during the ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

About the awards: The awards have been given for the exceptional performance of the SAI athletes and coaches at national and international competitions from 2016 under the various sports promotion schemes. The inaugural awards have been granted to the deserving candidates for the years of 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.

 

2. KVG Bank bags ASSOCHAM award for Best Digital Financial Services: The Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) got the award for the best ‘Digital Financial Services’, in line with India’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, under the ‘Regional Rural Banks’ (RRBs) category by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Bank chairman P. Gopikrishna received the award from Reserve Bank of India Regional Director R. Gurumurthy in Bengaluru.

Around 40 villages in Karnataka are converted into 100% digital villages by the KVGB bank. These efforts are encouraging villagers to use digital mode for transactions. Those villages have round-the-clock access to Internet banking, mobile banking, micro ATMs, AEPS (Aadhar Enabled Payment Systems), IMPS, and UPI.

Note: Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Founded: 2005; Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Headquarters: Dharwad, Karnataka; Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Chairman: P. Gopikrishna.

Daily GK Update- 18th Nov, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Centre to release over 95 thousand crore rupees as tax devolution to States this month: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the Centre will release 95 thousand 82 crore rupees as tax devolution to States in the current month after including one advance instalment to help them push their capital expenditure. She said States should leverage this opportunity to scale up investments and growth. Also urged states to help India become the fastest growing economy in coming years, through facilitating investment attractiveness and expediting ease of doing business measures.

 

2. Arunachal Pradesh Cabinet adopts declaration on climate change: For the first time, Arunachal Pradesh’s cabinet meeting was held outside the state capital of Itanagar and at the Pakke Tiger Reserve in Pakke Kessang district instead. The state cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, adopted the Pakke Tiger Reserve 2047 Declaration on Climate Change-Resilient and Responsive Arunachal Pradesh. The declaration is aimed at lowering emissions and achieving sustainable development. At the meeting, the chief minister launched the e-Cabinet portal, which aims to make the state’s top decision-making body ‘paperless. The Cabinet also approved the adoption of the rare species of butterfly, ‘Kaiser-e-Hind’ (Teinopalpus imperialis), as the state butterfly.

 

3. PM Modi inaugurates redeveloped Rani Kamlapati Railway Station in Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the Nation various Railway projects in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He dedicated to the nation the redeveloped Rani Kamalapati Railway Station in Bhopal. Rani Kamlapati Railway Station is the first world-class model station in the country and has all the facilities that are available at international airports. It has been developed under a public-private partnership and built by a private company. The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation many other initiatives of the Railways in Madhya Pradesh including Gauge- Converted and Electrified Ujjain-Fatehabad Chandrawatiganj Broad Gauge section, Third line in Bhopal-Barkhera section, Gauge- Converted and Electrified Mathela-Nimar Kheri Broad Gauge section and Electrified Guna-Gwalior section. The Prime Minister also flagged off two new MEMU trains between Ujjain-Indore and Indore-Ujjain.

 

4. Health sector grant of Rs. 8,453 crore released to local bodies of 19 states: The Department of Expenditure under Ministry of Finance has released an amount of over 8,453 crore rupees as health sector grant for rural and urban local bodies of 19 States. The grants have been released as per the recommendations of the Fifteenth Finance Commission. The Fifteenth Finance Commission in its Report for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26 has recommended a total grant of 4,27,911 crore rupees to local governments. The grants recommended by the Commission include health grants of 70,051 crore rupees. Out of this amount, 43,928 crore rupees have been recommended for Rural Local Bodies and 26,123 crore rupees for Urban Local Bodies.

 

5. Tourism ministry signs pact with IRCTC to boost hospitality, tourism industry: Ministry of Tourism in its ongoing effort to strengthen the Hospitality & Tourism Industry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The primary objective of this MOU is to provide extensive visibility to accommodation units, which have self-certified themselves on SAATHI (System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for the Hospitality Industry) on the OTA platform. The MoU also outlines both parties to encourage Units to register on NIDHI and thereby on SAATHI and encourage local tourism Industry with appropriate safeguards for curbing spread of COVID-19.

 

6. Naturopathy Day: 18th November: The National Naturopathy Day is observed in India on 18 November every year, to promote positive mental and physical health through a drugless system of medicine, called as Naturopathy. The day was declared by the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), Government of India, on November 18, 2018. It was on this day in 1945, when Mahatma Gandhi became lifetime Chairman of the All India Nature Cure Foundation Trust and signed the deed with the object of making the benefits of Nature Cure available to all classes of people.

Note: Minister of AYUSH: Sarbananda Sonowal; Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of AYUSH: Munjapara Mahendrabhai.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. UN Secretary-General appointed Shombi Sharp as UN Resident Coordinator in India: The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has appointed Shombi Sharp of the United States (US), a sustainable development expert, as the UN Resident Coordinator in India. He will lead the UN team in India, and work towards India’s Covid-19 response plans to recover better for the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to this, he served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Armenia.

Note: United Nations Founded: 24 October 1945; United Nations Headquarters: New York, New York, United States; United Nations Secretary general: António Guterres.

 

2. World Philosophy Day 2021: 18th November: World Philosophy Day is celebrated on the Third Thursday of November each year. In 2021, the day falls on 18 November. World Philosophy Day 2021 opens the discussion on the different interactions of human beings with their social, cultural, geographical and political environment, with the underlying objective of better understanding the contribution of philosophy in our contemporary societies and the challenges they face, pandemic in particular.

History of the day: World Philosophy Day was introduced in 2002 by UNESCO. In 2005 the UNESCO General Conference proclaimed that World Philosophy Day would be celebrated every third Thursday of November.

Philosophy: Philosophy is the study of the nature of reality and existence, of what is possible to know, and of right and wrong behaviour. It comes from the Greek word phílosophía, meaning ‘the love of wisdom.’ It is one of the most important fields of human thought as it aspires to get at the very meaning of life.

 

3. World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: 18th to 24th November: World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) is celebrated every year from 18-24 November. The purpose of the week is to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance, encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policymakers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. World Antimicrobial Awareness Week Theme 2021 is Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance. The theme calls on One Health stakeholders, policymakers, health care providers, and the general public to be Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness champions. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been declared as one of the top 10 global health threats by the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Mahela Jayawardena, Shaun Pollock, Janette Brittin inducted into ICC Hall Of Fame: The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced cricket legends Mahela Jayawardena (Sri Lanka), Shaun Pollock (SA), and Janette Brittin (England) were inducted into the hall of fame. The ICC Hall of Fame recognizes the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket’s long and illustrious history. 106 players have been inducted since its launch in 2009.

(1) Jayawardene, who retired as one of Sri Lanka’s greatest ever players, was a key member of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2014 and reached the four other major ICC finals.

(2) Pollock, on the other hand, was one of the finest all-rounders South Africa has ever produced. He was the first player to achieve the double of 3,000 runs and 300 wickets in both Test and ODI cricket.

(3) Brittin, who died in 2017, was a mainstay of the England Test team for 19 years, helping pave the way for women’s cricket from 1979 to 1998. She was the oldest woman to score a Test hundred (at 39 years and 38 days vs Australia in 1998) and the second-oldest to score an ODI hundred (at 38 years and 161 days vs Pakistan in 1997).

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. HDFC Bank launches the 2nd edition of “Mooh Band Rakho” campaign: HDFC Bank Ltd has launched the second edition of its “Mooh Band Rakho” campaign to raise awareness on fraud prevention in support of International Fraud Awareness Week 2021 (November 14-20, 2021). HDFC Bank aims to increase awareness of its customers on all types of frauds and the importance of keeping your mouth shut to ensure their prevention and taking a pledge and not share confidential banking information with anyone. HDFC Bank will organise 2,000 workshops in the next four months under this campaign.

Note: Headquarters of HDFC Bank: Mumbai, Maharashtra; MD and CEO of HDFC Bank: Sashidhar Jagdishan; The tagline of HDFC Bank: We understand your world.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. WPI in October at five-month high of 12.54%: Ministry of Commerce & Industry released its data on Wholesale Price Index (WPI). As per Ministry’s data, provisional Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation have been accelerated to a five-month high to 12.54% in October 2021 as against 66% recorded in September. This rise was attributed to an increase in fuel and manufacturing prices. The report notes that, benchmark inflation print has remained in double digits for seven consecutive months.

Benchmark inflation Print: The benchmark inflation print for October 2020 was 1.31%. The high rate of inflation in October 2021 is due to an increase in prices of mineral oils, basic metals, crude petroleum & natural gas, food products, chemicals and chemical products etc as compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. World Famous Legendary Author Wilbur Smith Passes Away: Internationally acclaimed Zambia-born South African author, Wilbur Smith has passed away. He was 88. The global bestselling author has authored 49 novels and sold over 140 million copies worldwide in more than 30 languages. He rose to fame in 1964 with his debut novel “When the Lion Feeds” which turned in the movie with 15 sequels. Smith published his autobiography “On Leopard Rock” in 2018.