Today's Current Affairs 16th November 2023

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan-Based Startup She-Guard Wins Top Climate Innovation Competition

• Pakistan-based cleantech startup She-Guard emerged victorious at the ‘ClimateLaunchpad Asia-Pacific’ finals.
• She-Guard faced stiff competition with 172 other teams from six countries in the Asia-Pacific in the finals.
• The event hosted by national partner Centre4 Creativity & Sustainability, and funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland (Irish Aid).
• Mehreen Raza is the founder and CEO of She-Guard.

NATIONAL

9th India International Science Festival to be Held in Faridabad in January 2024

• The 9th edition of the Indian International Science Festival (IISF) is set to be held at the Campus of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) in Faridabad, Haryana from 17th January to 20th January 2024.
• The theme of the present edition of the science fair is ‘Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal’.

 SPORTS

Petroleum Minister Inaugurated 3rd Hockey India Women’s Championship

• Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Hon’ble Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs, inaugurated the 3rd Hockey India Senior Women Inter Department National Championship 2023 at Shivaji Stadium.

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

Popular Video Chat Service Omegle Shuts Down After 14 Years

• Omegle, a once-popular online chat service founded in 2009 by Leif K-Brooks, has recently announced its shutdown after more than 14 years.
• The platform reported a staggering 600,000 incidents of child sexual abuse in 2022, contributing to its reputation as a dangerous online space.

 OBITURY

Freedom Fighter and Communist Leader N Sankaraiah Passed Away At the Age Of 102

• N Sankaraiah, one of the oldest communist leaders in the country, passed away in Chennai.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas 2023: 15th November

• PM Modi marked the celebration of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’ at Birsa College, Khunti, Jharkhand, on 15th November 2023.
• Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, also known as Tribal Pride Day, is celebrated to honor the birth anniversary of the revered tribal freedom fighter, Birsa Munda.
• This occasion also witnessed the release of the 15th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme.
• PM Modi launched the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ from Ulihatu Village in Jharkhand.

National Press Day 2023: 16 November

• National Press Day traces its roots to the establishment of the Press Council of India in 1966.

About Press Council of India:

Headquarters: New Delhi;

Founder: Parliament of India;

Founded: 4 July 1966, India.

Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai is chairman of the council.

International Day for Tolerance 2023 Observed on 16th November

• This day, instituted by UNESCO.
• In 2023, the theme is “Tolerance: A Path to Peace and Reconciliation,”

About UNESCO:

Headquarters: Paris, France;

Founded: 16 November 1945, London, United Kingdom;

Head: Audrey Azoulay; (Director-General).

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Salman Rushdie Honored With First ‘Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award’

• World-renowned author Salman Rushdie, celebrated for groundbreaking works like ‘The Satanic Verses,’ received the inaugural ‘Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award‘ from the Vaclav Havel Center.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

GAIL Completes World’s Inaugural Ship-To-Ship LNG Transfer

• Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), the country’s leading gas firm, has successfully executed the world’s first ship-to-ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) transfer.
• GAIL has secured contracts for 5.8 million tonnes per annum of LNG from the United States.