Today's Current Affairs 3rd December 2023

SPORTS

Vaishali Rameshbabu Becomes Grandmaster, Creating History with Brother Praggnanandhaa

• Vaishali Rameshbabu, a 22-year-old chess player from India, has recently earned the title of Grandmaster at the IV El Llobregat Open in Spain.
• This achievement makes her only the third woman from India to become a Grandmaster, following in the footsteps of Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli.

 SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

ISRO Unveils XPoSat: India’s Pioneering X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite

• The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has recently announced its ambitious plan to launch the country’s first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat).
• The primary payload of XPoSat is the Polarimeter Instrument in X-Rays (POLIX), developed by the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, with support from various ISRO centers.
• The XPoSat mission will be launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.

About ISRO:

Headquarters: Bengaluru

Founder: Vikram Sarabhai

Chairman: S. Somanath

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Kanchan Devi Becomes First Woman Director General of ICFRE

• Kanchan Devi, 1991-batch Indian Forest Service Officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Director General (DG) of the Indian Council of Forestry Research Education (ICFRE).
• The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) stands as an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India. With its headquarters in Dehradun.

About ICFRE:

Founded: 1986

 IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023: 3 December

• The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) or World Day of the Handicapped 2023, observed annually on December 3.
• Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992.
• The theme for the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, “United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities.”

World Computer Literacy Day 2023: 2 December

• World Computer Literacy Day 2023, observed annually on December 2, holds significant importance in promoting computer and technologically empowerment. Instituted by the National Institute of Information Technology (N.I.I.T.) in 2001.
• Theme of the World Computer Literacy Day 2023 — A bridge over the digital divide.
• Founded in 1981 by Rajendra Singh Pawar and Vijay K. Thadani, N.I.I.T., the National Institute of Information Technology.

National Pollution Control Day 2023: 2 December

• National Pollution Control Day 2023, observed on December 2, commemorates the tragic Bhopal Gas incident in 1984.
• In 2023, the theme is “Sustainable Development for a Clean and Healthy Planet.”
• On the 2nd and 3rd of December 1984, a devastating incident occurred in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, where a pesticide plant operated by Union Cabinet India Limited (UCIL) released poisonous chemicals, including Methyl Isocyanate (MIC).

 SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Infosys Inks Pact with Shell for Sustainable Data Centres

• Infosys EVP and Global Head of Sustainability, Services, Utilities, Resources and Energy, Ashiss Kumar Dass, emphasizes the shared goal of creating a more sustainable future.
• Data centers currently contribute to approximately 1.5% of global electricity consumption and 1% of global CO2 emissions.

About Infosys:

Founders: N. R. Narayana Murthy, Nandan Nilekani, MORE

Headquarters: Bengaluru

CEO: Salil Parekh (2 Jan 2018–)

Founded: 2 July 1981, Pune

 RANKING

World Malaria Report 2023: Malaria Cases Surge to 249 Million in 2022

• A new WHO report reveals a concerning trend: malaria cases globally rose to 249 million in 2022, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 16 million.
• Catastrophic events, like the 2022 flooding in Pakistan, resulted in a five-fold increase in malaria cases.
• Five million additional malaria cases in 2022, with Pakistan facing the largest increase.
• WHO-certified malaria-free countries in 2022 include Azerbaijan, Belize, and Tajikistan.

 BOOKS & AUTHOR

CM Pushkar Dhami Releases Book Highlighting PM Modi’s Role in Transforming Disaster Management

• Book titled ‘RESILIENT INDIA: How Modi Transformed India’s Disaster Management Paradigm’s was officially released in Dehradun.
• The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, did the honors.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

iVIS Partners with ICICI Bank to Boost Security with Advanced E-Surveillance Services

• iVIS, a subsidiary of Magellanic Cloud, has officially partnered with ICICI Bank.

About ICICI Bank:

CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi (15 Oct 2018–)

Founder: Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India

Founded: 1994, Vadodara

Headquarters: Mumbai