Today's Current Affairs 1st December 2023

NATIONAL

Amplifi 2.0: Urban Affairs Ministry’s Data Initiative for Indian Cities

• Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in India has embarked on a groundbreaking initiative to centralize and streamline raw data from cities across the country.
• Launched as the Amplifi 2.0 (Assessment and Monitoring Platform for Liveable, Inclusive and Future-ready urban India).

India Bolsters Naval Strength with $5 Billion Aircraft Carrier to Counter China

• A $5 billion aircraft carrier, signaling its strategic response to China’s expanding naval influence in the Indian Ocean region.
• The Defense Acquisition Council, headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

About China:

Capital: Beijing

President: Xi Jinping

Three Anti-Submarine Warfare Ships for Indian Navy Launched at Cochin Shipyard

• The first three ships in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) shallow water crafts commissioned by the Indian Navy. The vessels, names INS Mahe, INS Malva and INS Mangrol.

About Kerala:

Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan 

Founded: 1 November 1956

Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan

Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

PM Inaugurates 10,000th Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS Deoghar

• The Prime Minister, along the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated the 10,000th Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS, Deoghar (Jharkhand).

About Jharkhand:

Founded: 15 November 2000

Chief Minister: Hemant Soren

Capital: Ranchi

 SPORTS

West Indies Shane Dowrich Announces International Retirement

• Shane Dowrich, the seasoned wicketkeeper-batsman, has announced his retirement from international cricket and subsequently withdrawn from the West Indies squad set to face England in the upcoming ODI.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Nagaland Celebrates its 61st Statehood Day

• Nagaland celebrating its 61st Statehood Day on December 1, 2023. This marks a significant milestone in the historical journey of the Nagas, who became the 16th state of the Union of India on December 1, 1963.
• The day’s festivities will commence with Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
• Nagaland Governor La Ganesan has extended warm greetings to the people on this auspicious occasion.

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Top French civilian honour for ISRO scientist VR Lalithambika

• Former Director of the Human Spaceflight Programme at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was honored with the prestigious ‘Légion d’Honneur.’
• The award was conferred upon her by Thierry Mathou, the Ambassador of France to India, in a ceremony held in Bengaluru.

About ISRO:

Headquarters: Bengaluru

Founder: Vikram Sarabhai

Founded: 15 August 1969

NTPC Bongaigaon Secures Double Victory at Greentech Environment Award 2023

• At a ceremony held at Sonmarg, Jammu and Kashmir, NTPC Bongaigaon was honored with two distinct awards.
• The first trophy was bestowed upon the power station in the Environment Protection Category at the 22nd Annual Greentech Environment Award 2023.
• The second accolade came in the Rural Development Category at the 10th Annual Greentech CSR India Awards.

About NTPC:

Founded: 7 November 1975

Headquarters: New Delhi

Owner: Ministry of Power, Government of India

CEO: Gurdeep Singh (28 Jan 2016–)

Founder: Government of India

Formerly: National Thermal Power Corporation

Suganthy Sundararaj Honored With PRSI National Award for Healthcare Contributions

• Suganthy Sundararaj, Regional Head of PR at Apollo Hospitals, was honored with the PRSI National Award for outstanding contributions to the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI).
• This year’s festival theme, ‘G20: Showcasing Indian Values and The Emerging India to the World: Opportunities for Public Relations.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI Fines Bank of America, N.A., HDFC Bank

• The RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs. 10,000 on Bank of America, N.A., for violating the reporting requirements under the liberalized Remittances Scheme of FEMA 1999.

About RBI:

Governor: Shaktikanta Das

Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata

Founder: British Raj

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

About HDFC:

CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan (27 Oct 2020–)

Founded: August 1994, Mumbai

Headquarters: Mumbai