NATIONAL

Delhi government launched ‘Shramik Mitra’ Scheme to ensure benefits reach Construction Workers

• The Government of Delhi launched the ‘Shramik Mitra‘ scheme for construction workers. Under the scheme, 800 ‘Shramik Mitras’ will reach out to construction workers, and spread awareness on the government schemes. Delhi Govt has also increased the Dearness allowance for Unskilled, Semi-skilled workers, to increase their salary by around 1%. Shramik Mitras will inform construction workers registered by the Construction Board at the ward level about assistance schemes of the government.
• The Shramik Mitra scheme is an initiative by the Delhi Government to ensure that the benefits of all government schemes reach construction workers in Delhi. Under the scheme, around 800 Shramik Mitras will go door-to-door of all construction workers in the national capital to make them aware of several government schemes in the interest of the workers.

Odisha launches road safety initiative, to train 30,000 first responders

• The state government of Odisha has launched a first of its kind road safety initiative named Rakshak, to train first responders of road accidents. Under the program, 300 master trainers will train 30,000 local people, staying or working at the eateries and different business establishments located near accident-prone spots. These 30,000 volunteers will be trained as First Responders to road accidents. They will be equipped to administer first aid and pre-hospital trauma care to accident victims within the golden hour.
• The ‘Rakshak’ initiative was organised by the Commerce and Transport Department in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State branch.
• As part of the initiative, the state government will train volunteers from roadside communities such as eateries, small repair shops, gas stations, and also police officers to be first responders to road accident victims.

SpaceX launches Indian-origin astronaut Raja Chari-led Crew 3 mission to ISS

• US Space agency NASA and the Elon Musk-owned private rocket company SpaceX have launched the “Crew 3” mission on November 10, 2021. The “Crew 3” mission consists of Indian-origin NASA astronaut Raja Chari as its mission commander. The other three astronauts are NASA’s Tom Marshburn (pilot); and Kayla Barron (mission specialist); as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer (mission specialist).
• Under this mission, four astronauts have been sent to the International Space Station (ISS) for a six-month science mission until April 2022. The four-member international crew of astronauts lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida onboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule named Endurance fixed to Falcon 9 rocket.

Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar is now India's wealthiest self-made female billionaire

• Falguni Nayar, the CEO and founder of beauty and fashion eCommerce platform Nykaa, has become the richest self-made woman in India. She founded Nykaa in the year 2012. She holds 53.5% stake in Nykaa and has a net worth of USD 7.48 billion.
• This comes after the IPO of FSN E-Commerce Ventures which is Nykaa’s parent entity. This is also the first woman-led unicorn to list on the stock exchange. The issue size of the IPO of FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa) was Rs 5,351.92 crore with face value of Rs 1 per share.

SPORTS

First National Yogasana Championships to be held in Bhubaneswar from Nov 11-13

• India’s first Physical National Yogasana Championships has been organised in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from November 11-13, 2021. The National Yogasana Sports Championships 2021-22 has been organised by the National Yogasana Sports Federation (NYSF) in association with the Odisha state.
• Around 560 young Yogasana Sports athletes from across 30 states would are taking part in the event. The event aims to promote yoga and create a global brand around it, portraying it as a competitive sport with high standards and benchmarks.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Amway India has announced the appointment of Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador

• Amway India, a Direct Selling FMCG company announced the appointment of Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador. It is a time in moment as the two brands have come together to proliferate messages on the significance of holistic health & wellness, women empowerment, and inspiring youth towards entrepreneurship for a progressive India. As a part of the momentous association, he will endorse the brand Amway and all the Nutrilite products by Amway.

OBITUARY

FW de Klerk: South Africa's last apartheid president dies at 85

• FW (Frederik Willem) de Klerk, the former president of South Africa and the last white person to head the country, has passed away due to cancer. He was head of state between September 1989 and May 1994. In 1993, De Klerk and Nelson Mandela jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize for their work towards ending apartheid.
• Klerk effectively announced the beginnings of a new country in one historic speech at the state opening of Parliament in 1990, revealing to a stunned nation that he would free Mandela, legalize anti-apartheid groups, end a national state of emergency and negotiate to end racial inequality in the country.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Public Service Broadcasting Day 2021: 12th November

• Public Service Broadcasting Day is celebrated on 12 November every year. The day is celebrated to commemorate the first and only visit of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947. On 12 November 1947, Mahatma Gandhi addressed the displaced people (a refugee from Pakistan), who had temporarily settled at Kurukshetra in Haryana after partition.
• The day was declared as Public Service Broadcasting Day or (Jan Prasaran Diwas) in 2000, after it was conceptualised by Suhas Borker, Convenor, Jan Prasar. Prasar Bharati has been given the responsibility of public service broadcasting, deepen democratic traditions and provide opportunities to all diverse communities and cultures. Mahatma Gandhi had decided to visit the studio of All India Radio, to convey his message through radio, as he couldn’t visit refugees of Partition stationed at Kurukshetra in Haryana.

World Pneumonia Day observed 2021: 12th November

• World Pneumonia Day is observed across the world on November 12 every year to raise awareness, promote prevention and treatment and produce action to combat the disease. World Pneumonia Day 2021 is an annual event that was first celebrated in the year 2009.
• Raise awareness about pneumonia, the leading killer of young children.
• Strengthen, accelerate and sustain interventions to prevent and treat pneumonia.
• Focus on equitable access to, and delivery of comprehensive pneumonia prevention and control programs.
• Design specific strategies to reach the “harder-to-reach” populations to improve their accessibility to available interventions.
• Conduct research to develop innovative strategies to reduce the burden of pneumonia.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

“Nehru: The Debates that Defined India” by Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain

• A book titled “Nehru: The Debates that Defined India” is co-authored by Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain.
• A new book serves as a revisionist exploration of India’s first and longest-serving prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and investigates the overlooked role of his contemporaries and opponents in shaping his political vision.

INTERNATIONAL

Astronaut Wang Yaping, 41, became the first Chinese woman to walk in space

• China had launched the Shenzhou-13 spaceship on October 16, sending three astronauts on a six-month mission to the under-construction space station which was expected to be ready by next year.
• Wang Yaping became the first Chinese woman astronaut to walk in space as she moved out of the under-construction space station and took part in extravehicular activities for over six hours along with her male colleague Zhai Zhigang. The two moved out of the space station core module called Tianhe and spent 6.5 hours of the spacewalk in the early.

IBM to start campus in Mysore city

• IBM Corp. launched a client innovation centre in Mysuru with support from the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) to attract companies to set up operations in cities beyond Bengaluru.
• This initiative aims at supporting the rapid, high-tech driven economic growth in tier-2 and -3 regions while providing comprehensive hybrid cloud and AI technology consulting capabilities.

NATIONAL

Punjab Cabinet nod for tissue culture-based seed potato rules

• The Punjab Cabinet headed by chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi approved the ‘Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules-2021’ to develop Punjab as a standard potato seed centre. With this decision, Punjab has become the first Indian state to have the facility of tissue culture-based certification, which will develop the Jalandhar-Kapurthala belt of Punjab as the export hub of potatoes. The Cabinet also approved to introduce the ‘Punjab Horticulture Nursery Bill-2021’ by amending ‘Punjab Fruit Nursery Act-1961‘.

Srinagar joined the UNESCO's network of creative cities

• Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is among the 49 cities selected worldwide to join the UNESCO creative cities network (UCCN). Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the inclusion as a “fitting recognition” for the vibrant cultural ethos of the old city. It has been designated as a creative city of craft and folk arts, UNESCO.
• These 49 cities were added to the network of 246 cities following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, in recognition of “their commitment to placing culture and creativity at the heart of their development and to sharing knowledge and good practices”.

SPORTS

Rohit Sharma becomes 3rd cricketer to score 3,000 runs in men’s T20Is

• Indian batter Rohit Sharma has completed 3000 T20I runs and became the third cricketer in the world to achieve this feat. Rohit reached the 3000 run mark in the ICC men’s T20 World Cup match against Namibia. Virat Kohli is at the top of the tally with 3227 runs, which is followed by New Zealand’s Martin Guptill & India’s Rohit Sharma with 3115 and 3008 runs respectively.

Indian Shooters won 5 medals in the inaugural edition of International Shooting Sport Federation

• India finished the inaugural ISSF President’s Cup with five medals, including two Gold, two Silver and one Bronze. The invitation-only tournament was held at the Wroclaw in Poland, featuring the top-12 shooters in each of the shotgun, pistol and rifle categories. India’s Manu Bhaker bagged two gold medals.

Gold

• 25m Rapid Fire pistol Mixed Team competition: Manu Bhaker
• 10m air pistol mixed team competition: Manu Bhaker

Silver

• Women’s 25m pistol silver individual competition: Rahi Sarnobat
• Men’s 10m Air Pistol individual competition: Saurabh Chaudhary

Bronze

• Men’s 10m Air Pistol individual competition: Abhishek Verma

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Union government appointed Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar as the next Chief of Naval Staff

• Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar has been named as the next Chief of the Naval Staff by the Government of India. He is presently posted as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. He will take on the new role with effect from November 30, 2021. He will replace the incumbent Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh, who will complete his tenure on November 30, 2021.

 IHRF appoints Spanish Youth Advocate Daniel del Valle as the High Representative for Youth

• The International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) has appointed the Spaniard Daniel del Valle as the High Representative for Youth due to his achievements in the thematic area of youth empowerment and youth participation for the United Nations. IHRF, a non-governmental and non-profit institution.
• Daniel del Valle brings to the International Human Rights Foundation his ongoing experience of serving as Policy Advisor to the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the United Nations in New York. As a youth representative, he has distinguished himself through his creativity, dedication, energetic advocacy and awareness-raising about the importance of youth empowerment in today’s world, particularly, in developing countries and also in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Education Day 2021: 11^th November

• In India, the National Education Day is celebrated on 11 November every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India. The day was announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on 11 September 2008. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad served as education minister from 15 August 1947 to 2 February 1958.
• On 11 September 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has announced to commemorate the birthday of the great person by recalling the contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the field of education by celebrating 11 November as National Education Day. Since 2008, every year in India, National Education Day is celebrated without declaring it a holiday.

RANKING

India retains slot in top 10 on climate performance index

• India has been placed at 10th spot in the global Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2022 released by Germanwatch on the side-lines of the COP26. In 2020 also India was at 10th position. India has retained its position as the top 10 best-performing countries with higher climate performance for the third year in a row.
• Meanwhile, the top three places in the overall ranking is once again empty as none of the country performed well enough to achieve an overall very high rating in CCPI.
• Moving ahead, Denmark occupied a fourth place as the highest-ranked country in CCPI 2022, followed by Sweden (5th), and Norway (6th) respectively.
• Other countries in the top 10 are the United Kingdom (7th), Morocco (8th) and Chile (9th).

NATIONAL

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat inaugurated14th edition of Cyber security conference 

• Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat will inaugurate the 14th edition of ‘c0c0n’, an annual Hacking and Cyber Security Briefing, which will be held virtually from Nov 10-13. The conference, which is being conducted by Kerala Police in association with two non-profit organisations, Society for the Policing of Cyberspace (POLCYB) and Information Security Research Association (ISRA), would primarily discuss online scams and defences during the lockdown period.
• The theme of this year’s ‘c0c0n’ is Improvise, Adapt and Overcome.
• The conference is being held in such a way that online security is beneficial even to children in the state where many crimes are taking place with the shift to online classes.
• The conference is being held virtually so that people from across the globe can attend the event as the 13th edition of ‘c0c0n’ last year saw more than 6,000 attendees from around the world.

Meghalaya govt approves creation of Eastern West Khasi Hills district

• The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved the proposal of the creation of a new district called Eastern West Khasi Hills district. The new district has been formed by upgrading the Mairang civil sub-division. Mairang will now be a sub-division under the West Khasi Hills district. The new district will be inaugurated on November 10, 2021 by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. This will increase the total number of districts in the state to 12.
• This move will help in ensuring that the administration will remain closer to the people. It will also ensure that the implementation of several schemes is more effective.

SPORTS

18-year-old Sankalp Gupta from Nagpur Becomes India's 71st Grandmaster

• Sankalp Gupta has become India’s 71st Grandmaster by scoring 6.5 points and finishing second in the GM Ask 3 round-robin event in Arandjelovac, Serbia. The Maharashtra player also touched the 2500 Elo rating mark during the tournament. To achieve the GM title, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points.

Pakistan's Asif Ali and Ireland's Laura Delany voted the ICC Players of the Month for October

• Pakistan’s Asif Ali and Ireland’s Laura Delany have been voted the ICC Players of the Month for October. Ali beat Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and Namibia’s David Wiese to the men’s award, and Delany beat teammate Gaby Lewis and Zimbabwe’s Mary-Anne Musonda to the women’s prize.
• Ali scored 52 runs without defeat across three matches for Pakistan in October at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scoring at a strike rate of 273.68. Ireland captain Delany shone in their 3-1 ODI series win over Zimbabwe. The all-rounder flourished with bat and ball, scoring 189 runs at 63, and taking four wickets at 27.
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) presents the ICC Player of the Month to recognise male and female cricketers who have best performed across all forms of international cricket in a particular month.

Srinagar's Tajamul Islam Wins Gold Medal In World Kickboxing Championship

• 13-year-old Tajamul Islam is the first Kashmiri girl to have represented India and won the gold medal in the under-14 age category in World Kickboxing Championship held at Cairo in Egypt.
• Islam defeated Argentina’s Lalina in the final. She was born in Tarkpora, a remote village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. Tajamul is also a brand ambassador of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Rajib Kumar Mishra given charge as PTC India’s CMD

• Rajib Kumar Mishra shall exercise the power of chairman and managing director of PTC India Ltd, subsequent to relieving of Deepak Amitabh. PTC India Ltd. (formerly known as Power Trading Corporation of India Limited), was incorporated in 1999 to undertake to the trade of power to achieve economic efficiency & security of supply & to develop a vibrant power market in the country.
• Mishra joined PTC India in 2011 as executive director and is now a whole-time director since February 2015. Currently, he is director (business development and marketing), in PTC India. Additionally, he is holding the post of managing director of PTC Energy.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Science Day for Peace and Development 2021: 10th November

• World Science Day for Peace and Development is celebrated each year on November 10 every year. This day is celebrated to highlight the important role that science play in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues.
• The year 2021 marks the 20th edition of World Science Day for Peace and Development. With climate change becoming a serious threat to the lives of billions of people and the planet, this year’s celebration will highlight the importance of “Building Climate-Ready Communities”.

International Week of Science and Peace: 9-14 Nov 2021

• International Week of Science and Peace (IWOSP) is a global observance celebrated every year from November 9 to 14. The event is celebrated to encourage people to develop better technology and cultivate peace in their countries. The annual celebration of this event contributes towards the promotion of science, technologies, and peace as well as generating awareness in the general public. The participation and awareness of the events contribute to the right application of science for promoting peace all through the year.
• The International Week of Science and Peace was first observed in 1986 and the event was quite successful. Keeping in view the success and impact of this event, the celebration started to take place continuously by the efforts of the organizers in the successive years. It was proclaimed as an International Week of Science and Peace by the UN General Assembly in the month of December 1988.

RANKING

Global Drug Policy Index 2021: India ranked 18th out of 30 countries

• India ranked 18th out of 30 countries in the 1st edition of the Global Drug Policy Index which was released by the Harm Reduction Consortium in November 2021. The index ranked Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, the United Kingdom (UK), and Australia as the top 5 countries on humane and health-driven drug policies.
• The Global Drug Policy Index, a new tool that offers the first-ever data-driven global analysis of 30 countries’ drug policies and their implementation in a systematic, comprehensive and transparent manner.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

RBI launches its first global hackathon 'HARBINGER 2021' with ‘Smarter Digital Payments’ theme

• The Reserve Bank of India has launched its first global hackathon named “HARBINGER 2021 – Innovation for Transformation”. The theme of HARBINGER 2021 is ‘Smarter Digital Payments’. The Hackathon invites participants to identify and develop solutions that have the potential to make digital payments accessible to the under-served, enhance the ease of payments and user experience while strengthening the security of digital payments and promote customer protection.
• Innovative, easy-to-use, non-mobile digital payment solutions for converting small-ticket cash transactions to digital mode.

INTERNATIONAL

UK unveils commemorative Mahatma Gandhi coin to mark Diwali

•The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) has unveiled a £5 coin to commemorate the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. It is the first time Mahatma Gandhi has been commemorated on an official UK coin. The coin is available in a range of standards, including gold and silver, The special collectors’ coin was designed by Heena Glover.

•Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the UK, chose the final design for the coin. The coin features an image of a lotus, India’s national flower, alongside one of Gandhi’s most famous quotes – ‘My life is my message’.

Guangmu: China launches earth science satellite

•China has launched the world’s first Earth-science satellite, Guangmu or SDGSAT-1 into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern Shanxi Province. The satellite was launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and developed by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS).

•Guangmu was launched by a Long March-6 carrier rocket which is the 395th flight mission. SDGSAT-1 is the first satellite customized according to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which was adopted in 2015 with 17 SDGs for peace and prosperity.

NATIONAL

PM dedicates various National Highway and Road projects to the nation

•Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated various National Highway and Road projects to the nation in the temple town of Pandharpur in Maharashtra, through video conference. These initiatives are aimed at improving connectivity in the region to facilitate the hassle-free and safe movement of devotees.

•PM laid the foundation stone for four laning of five sections of Sreesanth Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi Marg (NH-965) and four laning of three sections of Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi Marg (NH-965G).

•The Sreesanth Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Palkhi Marg will be completed in five phases at estimated costs of more than Rs. 6690 crore while Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi Marg will be completed in three phases at estimated costs of about Rs. 4400 crore.

Tripura develops country's 'first-ever' bamboo made cricket bat

•Bamboo and Cane Development Institute (BCDI) of Tripura along with the North East Centre of Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) claimed to have developed the country’s first-ever bamboo made cricket bat maintaining all the standard protocols used for manufacturing cricket bats. These bats could be used in all forms of cricket. The most preferred wood for the production of cricket bats is willow. The company’s CEO recently gave Biplab Kumar Deb a demonstration of the product.

•For the development of the bats, the hard Boom (local name) bamboo has been utilized. “Kanakaich (a local kind of bamboo)” has also been used to build bamboo wickets, which are almost completely solid.

Third Goa Maritime Conclave to begin on Sunday

•The third edition of Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC) 2021 has been organised by the Indian Navy from November 07 to 09, 2021 at Naval War College, Goa. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh would chair the conclave. The theme for 2021 GMC is “Maritime Security and Emerging Non-Traditional Threats: A Case for Proactive Role for IOR Navies”.

•Chiefs of Navies/ Heads of Maritime Forces from 12 Indian Ocean Region (IOR) countries are participating in the conclave, which includes Bangladesh, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The conclave provides a platform to discuss non-traditional threats in the Indian Ocean Region and other issues.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Legal Services Day 2021: 09th November

•In India, 09 November is celebrated as “National Legal Services Day” every year by all Legal Services Authorities, to commemorate the enactment of the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987. The Day is celebrated to make people aware of the various provisions under the Legal Services Authorities Act and the right of the litigants.

•On 11 October 1987, the Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 was enacted, while the act took effect on 9 November 1995. The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 on 5 December 1995, to provide free Legal Services to the weaker sections of the society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Mountaineer Priyanka Mohite to get Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2020'

•Maharashtra-based, 28-year old mountaineer Priyanka Mohite was selected by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for the prestigious ‘Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2020’ for outstanding contribution in the field of land adventure. She scaled the world’s highest peak Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse and Mt.Makalu. She is the 1st Indian woman to climb Mt Annapurna, the 10th highest mountain peak in the world.

•Priyanka is one among the 7-recipients of the ‘2020 Tenzing Norgay National Award’ & will receive the award from President Ram Nath Kovind in during the 2021 National Sports Award.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book “An Economist at Home and Abroad: A Personal Journey” by Shankar Acharya

•Noted Economist and former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, Dr Shankar Acharya has authored a new book titled “An Economist at Home and Abroad: A Personal Journey”. The book features the professional and personal life of the most accomplished policy economist Dr Shankar Acharya.

Book “The Cinema of Satyajit Ray” authored by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay

•A new book titled ‘The Cinema of Satyajit Ray’ written by the author Bhaskar Chattopadhyay and published by Westland details the life of legendary Indian Filmmaker – ‘Satyajit Ray’. Bhaskar Chattopadhyay also authored novels like “Patang” (2016), “Here Falls the Shadow” (2017), and “The Disappearance of Sally Sequeira” (2018).

Book ‘Not Just Cricket: A Reporters Journey’ by Pradeep Magazine

•A book titled ‘’Not just cricket: A Reporters Journey’’ authored by Pradeep Magazine is going to be released in Dec 2021. It consists of life experiences, social, political, ups and downs of Indian cricket by the journalist Pradeep Magazine. He is the author of the book “Not quite cricket” which exposed the match-fixing scandal.

•Pradeep Magazine is a cricket writer, columnist and former sports editor of The Pioneer, the India Today e-paper and Hindustan Times. He began his journalistic career in 1979 with the Chandigarh edition of The Indian Express and was its cricket editor in 1999-2000. Widely travelled, Magazine has covered international cricket in every Test-playing nation; he is the author of the book Not Quite Cricket that exposed the match-fixing scandal much before it surfaced in 2000.

INTERNATIONAL

Alphabet launches new AI drug discovery startup, Isomorphic Labs

•Google parent company Alphabet Inc. has launched a new company in London called Isomorphic Labs. The company aims to use AI (artificial intelligence) for drug discovery and medicine to find cures for some of humanity’s most devastating diseases. Demis Hassabis will be the CEO of Isomorphic Labs. Hassabis is the CEO and co-founder of DeepMind, another Alphabet subsidiary that used AI to predict the 3D structure of a protein directly from its amino acid sequence.

•The London-based Isomorphic Labs will work on the most important applications of AI — in the field of biological and medical research. The company aims to use AI to accelerate drug discovery, and ultimately, find cures for some of humanity’s most devastating diseases. The new venture also plans to partner with biomedical and pharmaceutical companies, using artificial intelligence to discover new medicinal advancements.

NATIONAL

Union Minister R K Singh virtually inaugurated the diversion of the Marusudar River

•Union Power Minister R K Singh virtually inaugurated the diversion of the Marusudar River of Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project in Kishtwar, J&K. Pakal Dul HE Project (1,000 MW) is being constructed by Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Limited (CVPPPL) and Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation. Marusudar River is a major tributary of the Chenab River.

•Pakal Dul HE Project is a 1000 MW project. It is being constructed by Chenab Valley Power Projects [P] Ltd. It is a joint venture company of JKSPDC (Govt of J&K) and NHPC Ltd (Govt of India Enterprise).

•Pakal Dul H.E. Project will help in fulfilling the target of 450 GW Renewable energy by 2030.

SPORTS

President's Cup: Manu Bhaker, Javad Foroughi Win Air Pistol Mixed Team Gold

•India’s woman pistol star Manu Bhaker and Iranian Olympic champion Javad Foroughi has won the 10m air pistol mixed team gold at the inaugural ISSF President’s Cup at the Wroclaw in Poland. The Indo-Iranian pair beat the French-Russian duo of Mathilde Lamolle and Artem Chernousov 16-8 to clinch the gold medal. A seven-member Indian contingent is participating in the ISSF President’s Cup.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Zubeen Garg Appointed as the brand ambassador of Bandhan Bank for Assam

•Bandhan Bank has announced Popular Assamese & Bollywood singer Zubeen Garg as the brand ambassador for the Bank in Assam. This association is a landmark one for Bandhan Bank as this is the first time ever that the Bank has associated with a brand ambassador since its inception six years back.

•To mark the commencement of this association, Zubeen has released his new music video which showcases diverse elements of Assamese culture and heritage. The song and video have been produced courtesy of Bandhan Bank. Titled ‘Axom Amaar Mone Praane,” the song is a melodious blend of the different kinds of folk music native to Assam.

OBITUARY

Tarak Sinha, the father-figure coach, passes away

•Eminent Cricket Coach and Dronacharya Awardee, Tarak Sinha has passed away after a prolonged illness. He is known for training some of India’s finest cricketers like Manoj Prabhakar, Raman Lamba, Ajay Sharma, Atul Wassan, Surinder Khanna, Sanjiv Sharma, Aakash Chopra, Anjum Chopra, Rumeli Dhar, Ashish Nehra, Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Urbanism Day 2021: 08th  November

•World Urbanism Day, also known as “World Town Planning Day”, is celebrated on 8 November globally, to recognise and promote the role of planning in creating livable communities. World Urbanism Day provides an opportunity to look at planning from a global perspective, in order to draw attention to the environmental impact resulting from the development of cities and territories.

•WUD is organised by the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP). The day was founded in 1949 by the late Professor Carlos Maria della Paolera of the University of Buenos Aires, to advance public and professional interest in planning.

International Day of Radiology 2021: 08th November

•International Day of Radiology is observed globally on 8th November every year. The day is celebrated to promote the awareness of the value that radiology contributes to safe patient care, and improve public understanding of the vital role radiologists and radiographers play in the healthcare continuum. The theme for 2021 is ‘Interventional Radiology – Active care for the patient’.

•Radiology is the medical discipline that uses medical imaging to diagnose and treat diseases within the bodies of animals and humans. A variety of imaging techniques such as X-ray radiography, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine including positron emission tomography (PET), fluoroscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to diagnose or treat diseases. Interventional radiology is the performance of usually minimally invasive medical procedures with the guidance of imaging technologies such as those mentioned above.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar will be posthumously conferred the Basavashree award 2021

•Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar will be posthumously conferred the Basavashree award 2021 by the Bruhanmutt. Fondly called Appu, Puneeth, who was born in Chennai on March 17, 1975, was an actor, playback singer, television presenter, and producer. Puneeth, son of Matinee Idol Rajkumar, was a lead actor in 29 films and as a child and appeared in many films.

•The award honours people for services to society in their respective fields by following the principles of Lord Basaveshwar. It is presented by Chitradurga Bruhanmutt since 1997. The award includes Rs 5 lakh cash and a memento. PT Usha (2009), Malala Yousufzai (2014), P Sainath (2016), Dr K Kasturirangan (2020) are some to win the award in recent times.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

GST Collections Touch Rs 1.30 Lakh Crore In October

•Gross Goods and service tax (GST) collection for the month of October came in at Rs 1,30,127 crore, the second-highest collection since GST was implemented in July 2017. The highest-ever GST collection of Rs. 1.41 lakh crore was recorded in April 2021. Revenues for the month are 24% higher year-on-year.

•Of the gross GST revenue collected in October, Rs 23,861 crore was towards CGST, Rs 30,421 crore was towards SGST and Rs 67,361 crore was towards IGST, and Cess amounted to Rs 8,484 crore. According to the decision taken by the GST Council, back to back the loan of Rs 1.59 lakh crore has been released in advance in lieu of a shortfall in the release of GST compensation during the current fiscal.

INTERNATIONAL

American technology company Yahoo Inc. stops its services in China

•Yahoo Inc. has announced that the company has stopped providing service in mainland China with effect from November 01, 2021, due to the increasingly challenging business and legal environment in the country. With this Yahoo has ended its 22-year presence in the Chinese market.

•This means that services like Yahoo Weather, Yahoo Finance, and other websites run by Yahoo such as AOL.com, TechCrunch and Engadget will not be accessible from within China. Earlier, US tech platform LinkedIn also announced the closure of its localized social media network in China on October 14.

NATIONAL

India's GDP likely to grow at 10-10.5% in FY2022: Brickwork Ratings

•Domestic credit rating agency Brickwork Ratings has estimated the gross domestic product (GDP) of India at 10-10.5 per cent in the current financial year, i.e. in 2021-22 (FY22). Earlier this was estimated at 9 per cent.

•Brickwork Ratings is a SEBI registered Credit Rating Agency with headquarter in Bengaluru. It expects the GDP growth for Q2 FY22 to be at 8.3 per cent (year-on-year), on the back of a 7.4 per cent contraction in Q2FY21. The country’s GDP grew at 20.1 per cent in the first quarter of fiscal 2022.

SPORTS

Rashid Khan Becomes Youngest Bowler to Take 400 T20 Wickets, Joins Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine in Elite List

•Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan became the youngest bowler to take 400 T20 wickets during his team’s crucial Super 12 encounter against New Zealand in Dubai. Martin Guptill became Rashid’s 400th victim in T20 cricket. Rashid joined an elite list of cricketers as he picked up his 400th wicket in ongoing New Zealand vs Afghanistan T20 World Cup game.  He is the 4th bowler to enter the 400 club after Dwayne Bravo (553), Sunil Narine (425) and Imran Tahir (420).

•Earlier, Rashid had become the fastest bowler to register 100 dismissals in Twenty20 Internationals during a T20 World Cup 2021 match against Pakistan. Rashid has 103 wickets for Afghanistan and 93 scalps for Sunrisers Hyderabad while the rest have come for the teams he plays for in different T20 tournaments around the world.

WTT Contender Lasko: Manika Batra, Archana Kamath Clinch Doubles Title

•In Table Tennis, Indian duo Manika Batra and Archana Girish Kamath clinched the women’s doubles title in the WTT Contender tournament in Lasko, Slovenia. The Indian pair defeated the Puerto Rican team of Melanie Diaz and Adriana Diaz, 11-3, 11-8, 12-10 to win the title. Meanwhile, Manika Batra also claimed a bronze medal in the women’s singles title after Wang Yidi of China defeated her by 2-4 (11-7, 7-11, 13-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5).

Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen extended his lead in the 2021 Formula One World Championship

•Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) has won the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) stood second while Sergio Perez (Mexico- Red Bull) came third. Perez became the first Mexican to stand on his home podium at a jubilant Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

RANKING

2022 QS World University Rankings

•QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) has released the 2022 QS World University Rankings. The ranking has been topped by the National University of Singapore (NUS) for the 4th year in a row. It is followed by China’s Peking University at 2nd position and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and the University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong at 3rd.

•Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) (42nd regionally) and IIT Delhi (45th regionally) are the only two Indian institutions among the Top-50. IIT Madras, which was in 50th place last year, has lost four places and now ranks 54th. India features 118 Indian Universities following China with 126 universities.

Books & Authors

Book “The Sage with Two Horns: Unusual Tales from Mythology” authored by Sudha Murty

•The chairperson of the Infosys Foundation and a renowned author, Sudha Murty has published her new book titled “The Sage with Two Horns: Unusual Tales from Mythology”, the 5th and last book of the “Unusual Tales from Mythology” series. The series features the stories of kings and queens, gods and goddesses, sages, and extraordinary men and women of wisdom.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

SBI launches ‘Video Life Certificate’ facility for pensioners

•The State Bank of India has launched a video life certificate service for pensioners. This new facility will allow pensioners to submit their life certificates via video from their homes. This facility is available for pensioners (other than family pensioners). Thus, the spouse of the pensioner receiving a pension from the government will not be able to use this facility.

•As per SBI, the process of video life certificate is paperless and free of cost.

•It is important for pensioners and family pensioners to submit their life certificates before November 30 every year to avoid their pensions getting suspended.

INTERNATIONAL

Bill Introduced In US Congress To Declare Diwali As Federal Holiday

•United States lawmakers led by Congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney from New York, introduced a bill to declare Diwali a national holiday in the country. The lawmaker announced the Deepavali Day Act in the House of Representatives.

•The historic legislation is being supported by a number of lawmakers including Indian-American Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi. Meanwhile, Krishnamoorthi also introduced a resolution in the US Congress to recognise the religious and historical significance of the festival of lights.

NATIONAL

Amit Shah rolls out Ayushman Bharat CAPF healthcare scheme

•Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that the Central government has extended the benefits of the “Ayushman CAPF healthcare scheme” to the personnel of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). The scheme was launched in line with the commitment of the Modi govt to ensure healthcare facilities of CAPF personnel so that they can discharge their duties with full concentration.

•Under this scheme, CAPF personnel & their families would be able to avail cashless in-patient and out-patient healthcare facilities across the hospitals that come under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.

PM Modi's 'One Sun, One World & One Grid' Pitch At COP26 Climate Summit

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris John son jointly launched the ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ (OSOWOG) initiative at the COP 26 Climate Meet in Glasgow. This project is about setting a ‘trans-national electricity grid to supply solar power across the world.

•The vision behind OSOWOG is ‘The Sun Never Sets. It is a constant at some geographical location, across the globe, at any given point of time. This is the most ambitious scheme undertaken by India and is significant in terms of economic benefits. It has been taken up under the technical assistance program of the World Bank. This plan will also leverage the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

PM Modi offers prayers at Kedarnath temple, unveils Adi Shankaracharya statue

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kedarnath in Uttarakhand on November 05, 2021, to inaugurate key infrastructure projects related to the redevelopment of Kedarnath.

•PM inaugurated the reconstructed Shri Adi Shankaracharya Samadhi (final resting place) at the premises of the Kedarnath Temple in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand and unveiled the statue of Shri Adi Shankaracharya at the Samadhi. The Samadhi was damaged in the 2013 Kedarnath flood.

Country's first rooftop drive-in theatre to open in Mumbai today

•The first open-air rooftop drive-in movie theatre in India has been inaugurated at Jio World Drive mall of Reliance Industries in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The drive-in theatre will be operated and managed by the multiplex chain PVR Ltd. The theatre has been launched in partnership with the Reliance Retail and multiplex chain PVR.

•The facility can accommodate around 290 cars. The first movie screened at the theatre was Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi.

SPORTS

Indian boxer Akash Kumar managed to clinch bronze medal at the 2021 AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships

•Indian boxer Akash Kumar managed to clinch the bronze medal at the 2021 AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships on November 05, 2021 at Belgrade in Serbia.

•The 21-year-old Akash lost 0-5 in the 54 kg category to Makhmud Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan. Akash is the seventh Indian male boxer to win a medal at the world championships.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Indian-origin CS Venkatakrishnan takes over as Barclays CEO

•Barclays new CEO is CS Venkatakrishnan, an Indian-American and the first person of color to hold that position. Venkatakrishnan, who was most recently Barclays’ co-president and head of global markets, is stepping in as CEO after Jes Staley resigned over his ties with late financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died by suicide in prison three years ago.

•As chief risk officer, Venkatakrishnan put in place processes that proved instrumental in helping Barclays steer clear of the Archegos Capital Management implosion; more recently, he was put in charge of the bank’s markets division.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict 2021 : 6th November

•The International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict is an international day observed annually on November 6. On 5 November 2001, the UN General Assembly declared 6 November of each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict.

•At the time of war, it affects the ecosystem such as water supply is poisoned, the forest is burnt, animals being killed, etc. Though humanity has always counted its war casualties in terms of dead and wounded soldiers and civilians, destroyed cities and livelihoods, the environment has often remained the unpublicized victim of war. Water wells have been polluted, crops torched, forests cut down, soils poisoned, and animals killed to gain military advantage.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

World Bank And Niti Ayog Ready Electric Vehicles Financing Push

•NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog and the World Bank (WB) are working together to facilitate a program for faster and easier financing of electric vehicles (EVs). NITI Aayog and World Bank are setting up a $300-million ‘first loss risk sharing instrument’, with the State Bank of India (SBI) as its program manager.

•The current rate of interest for electric two-wheelers & electric 3 Wheelers, which is in the range of 20-25 per cent is expected to be reduced to 10-12 per cent.

RBI issues revised Prompt Corrective Action framework for banks

•The RBI has issued a revised Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework for banks to enable supervisory intervention at “appropriate time” and also act as a tool for effective market discipline. Capital, asset quality and leverage will be the key areas for monitoring in the revised framework. The revised PCA framework will be effective from January 1, 2022. The framework was last revised in April 2017.

•The objective of the PCA framework is to enable supervisory intervention at an appropriate time and require the supervised entity to initiate and implement remedial measures in a timely manner, so as to restore its financial health. The central bank also stressed that the PCA framework does not preclude the RBI from taking any other action as it deems fit at any time, in addition to the corrective actions prescribed. 

INTERNATIONAL

Covaxin gets WHO approval for emergency listing

•Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has got WHO approval as the technical advisory team has recommended the India-made vaccine for emergency use listing for 18 years and above. This marks a major victory for India’s journey in vaccination against C-19. Covaxin is a vaccine, completely ‘made in India’, by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research. WHO has so far approved C-19 vaccines of Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio/Serum Institute of India, Johnson 7 Johnson – Janssen, Moderna, and Sinopharm for emergency use.

•The emergency listing got delayed last month as the technical advisory group sought some additional clarification from Bharat Biotech for its final risk assessment. The technical advisory group met to take the final call, and Covaxin has been recommended for emergency use listing. Covaxin has demonstrated 77.8 per cent effectiveness against symptomatic C-19 and 65.2 per cent protection against the new Delta variant.

NATIONAL

Manipur CM inaugurates 29 museums to protect culture of ethnic tribes

•In Manipur, with a vision to preserve and showcase the rich culture, tradition, art and crafts of various tribes of Manipur, twenty nine Tribal Museums constructed at ten different districts of the State were inaugurated.

•Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh virtually inaugurated these museums at a function held at CM Secretariat Imphal. The State government decided to construct a total of 31 tribal museums in the State under the aegis of Manipur State Archaeology. Out of these, six museums were constructed at Chandel, three museums at Tengnoupal, five museums at Kangpokpi, six museums at Churachandpur, four museums at Senapati, three museums at Tamenglong, one museum each at Pherzawl , Ukhrul, Noney and Imphal East.

MP Government to bring law to recover property damages from rioters

•The Madhya Pradesh government on November 2 announced to bring a law to ensure constitution of tribunals having civil court powers to adjudicate the claims for damages to public and private properties and recover them from rioters and protesters involved in such incidents.

•Under the law, city specific tribunals will be constituted for such incidents in the respective areas, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra told reporters.

SPORTS

BCCI appoints rahul dravid as head coach of indian cricket team

•Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the Head Coach of the senior Indian men’s cricket team, the BCCI announced on Wednesday.

•Dravid takes over from Ravi Shastri, whose term ends after the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup. Dravid, among the finest batsmen India has produced, was unanimously appointed by the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising of former international cricketers Sulakshana Naik and R.P. Singh.

•Dravid’s innings will commence with the home series against New Zealand later this month.

Unmukt Chand becomes the first  Indian male cricketer to sign up for BBL

•Unmukt Chand has become the first Indian male cricketer to sign up for the Big Bash League as he is set to feature in the Melbourne Renegades side in the upcoming edition. The 28-year-old, who led India to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2012, has represented India A, apart from featuring in teams like Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. He announced his retirement from Indian cricket in August this year stating that he would explore ‘better opportunities from around the world’.

•Chand has now shifted his base to the United States of America (USA). He was recently named ‘Player of the Tournament as his side, Silicon Valley Strikers, won the Minor League Cricket (MCL) title. The right-handed batter will travel to Australia later this month and be available for the entire duration of the tournament.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Ajaneesh kumar appointed India's ambassador to Estonia

•Ajaneesh Kumar, an IFS official from the 1996 batch, has been named India's next ambassador to Estonia.Kumar is currently the Indian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam.

•According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ajaneesh Kumar (IFS: 1996), the current High Commissioner of India to Brunei Darussalam, has been named the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Estonia.Kumar is anticipated to start working on the project soon.

Partha Satpathy appointed as next Indian Ambassador to Hungary

•India has appointed Sanjay Bhattacharyya as its next Ambassador to Switzerland, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed on Wednesday.

•Currently, Bhattacharyya is serving as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, the official statement added.

•Bhattacharyya -- an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1987 batch -- is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

•Earlier, he had also served as India's Ambassador to Turkey and Egypt.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

World Tsunami Awareness Day 2021: 5th November

•World Tsunami Awareness Day was observed across the world on 5 November. The day is celebrated to spread awareness among people across the world in matters related to the dangers of tsunami. In 2021, World Tsunami Awareness Day promotes “Sendai Seven Campaign,” target (f), which aims to ‘substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation of the present Framework by 2030.’

•World Tsunami Day was first officially observed on 5 November 2016 After the announcement of the UN General assembly on 22 December 2015. The UN General Assembly called all the countries in international bodies to raise awareness about this natural disaster and share product ideas.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Damon Galgut wins 2021 Booker Prize for his novel "The Promise"

•South African playwright and novelist, Damon Galgut has won the 2021 Booker Prize for “The Promise”, his third shortlisted novel which chronicles a family in his homeland from the late apartheid era through to Jacob Zuma’s presidency. Spanning several decades, the book shows the family’s growing disintegration as the country emerges into democracy.

•Mr. Galgut took the prize on his third time as a finalist, for a book the judges called a “tour de force.” He was previously shortlisted for “The Good Doctor” in 2003 and “In a Strange Room” in 2010, but lost both times.

INTERNATIONAL

Ethiopia declares nationwide state of emergency

•Ethiopia declared a nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday and ordered residents of the capital Addis Ababa to prepare to defend their neighbourhoods amid fears that Tigrayan rebels were heading there.

•The measures came after several days of reported advances by the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group, which is locked in a brutal year-long war against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government.

UNEP, European union launch observatory to curb methane emissions

•The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a new methane observatory as it looks to drive action on reducing emissions of the greenhouse gas.

•The International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) was launched at the G20 Summit over the weekend, with support from the European Union.

•“Methane is one of the most dangerous gases for our climate. We urgently need to reduce methane emissions to keep our climate targets in reach,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said.

•“Better satellite monitoring is essential and the EU is proud to support the creation of the International Methane Emissions Observatory.”

SpaceX sets up subsidiary in India, plans to apply for licence

•World’s richest person Elon Musk-owned SpaceX has incorporated its wholly-owned subsidiary in India to start local broadband operations. SpaceX’s satellite broadband arm Starlink aims to start broadband services in India from December 2022, with 2 lakh active terminals subject to permission from the government.

•The company is charging a deposit of USD 99 or Rs 7,350 per customer and claims to deliver data speeds in the range of 50 to 150 megabits per second in the beta stage. The services of the company will compete with that of Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea in broadband and it will be a direct competitor to Bharti Group-backed OneWeb. The company is keen to work in rural areas for providing broadband services.

NATIONAL

Arjun Munda Launched New Tribes India outlets in Patna and Chennai

•The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda launched 4 new Tribes India Outlets virtually today, one in Patna and three at Chennai Metro. With this, Tribes India has expanded its retail network to 147 outlets across the country.

•As India moves ahead with its strategy for India@75 and focuses on converting development into a mass movement, TRIFED is working with its roots in ground realities and emphasizing the welfare both in design and implementation. With the focus on “Vocal for Local” and building an “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, TRIFED is undertaking several path breaking activities, while re-dedicating its efforts towards tribal empowerment.

Union minister Jitendra Singh inaugurates supercomputing facility

•Inauguration of the advanced 650 teraflops supercomputing facility at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) was done online by Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh on Tuesday.

•The facility has come up under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) in collaboration with C-DAC, Pune.

•Established and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) with an approximate cost of Rs 20 crore, this high-end facility will be helpful in the analysis of large-scale genomics, functional genomics and structural genomics data.

•This 650 teraflops supercomputing facility will uniquely cater to the needs of the interdisciplinary cutting-edge research being carried out at the institute in the areas of  Agricultural and Nutritional Biotechnology, according to an official release.

IAF's Mirage 2000 squadron takes part in Blue Flag exercise in Israel

•A total of 84 Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel took part in the international multilateral combat exercise Blue Flag 2021, along with IAF’s Mirage 2000 aircraft squadron at Israel’s Ovda Airbase. The theme of Blue Flag 2021: Integration of fourth and fifth-generation aircraft in complex operational scenarios.

•The exercise involves Air Force missions from 8 countries, to share knowledge and combat experience to improve operational capabilities. The other seven countries that have participated in the exercise include the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Greece, and Israel.

SPORTS

Indian GM Iniyan wins chess tournament in Serbia

•Indian Grandmaster (GM) P Iniyan has won the 5th Rujna Zora chess tournament held at Serbia. International Master (IM) Makarian Rudik of Russia finished 2nd and another Indian Player V S Raaghul finished 3rd and IM S. Nitin placed 4th. P Iniyan is the 16th Indian Grand Master from Erode, Tamil Nadu. His current International Chess Federation (FIDE) ratings is 2556.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Arun Chawla appointed as director-general of Ficci with immediate effect

•Industry chamber Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) named Arun Chawla as its new director-general. He will assume charge with immediate effect. He joined FICCI in 2011 and is currently the deputy secretary-general of the chamber. He joined the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry in 2011 and is currently the deputy secretary-general of the chamber.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Axis Bank signs MoU with Indian Navy for salary accounts

•Axis Bank signed an MoU with the Indian Navy to offer a defence service salary package under ‘’Power Salute’’ at New Delhi. Through the agreement, the bank will provide several benefits to all ranks of Indian Navy veterans and cadets. ICICI Bank also renewed its MoU with the Indian Army to offer enhanced benefits and new features through its ‘Defence Salary Account’ (DSA) to all serving as well as retired Army personnel.

•Major benefits included under “Power Salute” are an accidental cover up to INR 56 lakh, children education grants up to INR 8 lakh, total permanent disability cover up to INR 46 lakh, partial permanent disability cover of up to INR 46 lakh and air accidental cover of INR 1 crore, zero processing fee and 12 EMI (Equated Monthly Installment) waivers on the home loan.

INTERNATIONAL

7th Indian Navy Frigate of P1135.6 class was launched

•The seventh Indian Navy frigate of the P1135.6 class was launched at the Yantar Shipyard at Kaliningrad in Russia. The ship has been formally named as Tushil, a Sanskrit word that means protector shield. Tushil will be commissioned into the Indian Navy in mid-2023 followed by its sister ship by the end of 2023.

•The ship has been developed under the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between India and Russia in 2016 for the construction of four additional P1135.6 class ships for Indian Navy.

•Out of the four ships, two ships of Project 1135.6 ships were to be constructed in Russia and two ships in India at M/s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).

NATIONAL

Haryana CM launched ‘Uttam Beej portal’

•Chief Minister (CM) of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the ‘Uttam Beej portal’ which will benefit the farmers of Haryana by providing quality seeds with transparency. The portal will provide transparency in the seed production programme arranged by both the Government and private seed producing agencies and ensure the quality of certified seeds.

•This seed portal has been linked with Meri Fasal Mera Byora Portal and Family Identity Card ID. Meri Fasal Mera Byora Portal offers particulars to all these farmers who’ve land or who’ve given their land on contract and should promote their crop. Farmers will now get good high-quality seeds, which can improve their manufacturing and revenue. Along with authorities businesses, non-public visa businesses will even should register.

IREDA launches 'whistle blower' portal to check fraud, abuse of power

•The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has launched a ‘Whistle-blower Portal’ as a part of the celebration of ‘Vigilance Awareness Week 2021’. The portal was launched by Shri Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), IREDA on November 02, 2021.

•The Whistle-blower Portal has been developed by the IT Team of the company and will help the IREDA employees to raise concerns related to fraud, corruption, abuse of power among other things. The IREDA is a PSU under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution.

National Tribal Dance Festival 2021

•Chhattisgarh has observed the annual 2nd National Tribal Dance Festival 2021 at Raipur’s Science College ground as a part of the tourism development plan of the state. It was inaugurated by the Chief Minister (CM) of Jharkhand Hemant Soren and CM of Chhattisgarh Bhupesh Baghel. This year’s event was clubbed with Chattisgarh’s Rajyotsava (state foundation day- November 1, 2021).

•The festival will host artists belonging to diverse tribal communities from countries including Uzbekistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Syria, Mali, Palestine, and the Kingdom of Eswatini. The artists from tribal areas of Bastar, Dantewada, Koriya, Korba, Bilaspur, Gariabandh, Mainpur, Dhura, Dhamtari, Surguja and Jashpur in Chhattisgarh will represent their culture and traditions through their dance forms.

SPORTS

J&K team for deaf clinches 1st position in World Deaf Judo Championship

•The Jammu & Kashmir team for deaf clinched 1st position in World Deaf Judo Championship held at Paris Versailles, France. Rakshanda Mehak who is part of the Indian team for the deaf clinched the bronze medal by defeating the South Korean team in the semifinal. The championship was held at Versailles, France. The championship is organised by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf.

Harbhajan Singh, Javagal Srinath get MCC life membership

•The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has released the list of 18 Cricketers who were selected for the MCC awards Honorary Life Membership of the Club. The list witnessed the names of 2 former Indian cricketers – Harbhajan Singh and Javagal Srinath. This year’s list saw the names of 18 players, including 16 Male & 2 Female players (Sarah Taylor & Sara McGlashan).

MCC awards Honorary Life Membership

National Sports Awards 2021

•Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Boxer Lovlina Borgohain and Indian men’s hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, Para Shooter Avani Lekhara, Para Athlete Sumit Antil, Para-Badminton players Pramod Bhagat and Krishna Nagar, Para Shooter Manish Narwal, cricketer Mithali Raj, footballer Sunil Chhetri and Indian men’s hockey team captain Manprit Singh are the 12 sportspersons who will be honoured with the Khel Ratna the National Sports Awards 2021. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2021 on Tuesday. The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan on 13th November, 2021 (Saturday) at 1630 hrs. National Sports Awards are given every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports.

•‘Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award’ is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of previous four years.

OBITUARY

Former Afghan Prime Minister Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai has passed away at the age of 77

•Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai, the former Prime Minister (PM) of Afghanistan and a renowned jihadi leader passed away at the age of 77 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai has served as the acting PM of Afghanistan under President Burhanuddin Rabbani during 1995-1996 prior to the 1996 Taliban Takeover.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book “John Lang: Wanderer of Hindoostan, Slanderer of Hindoostanee, Lawyer for the Ranee” authored by Amit Ranjan

•Amit Ranjan authored a book titled “John Lang: Wanderer of Hindoostan, Slanderer of Hindoostanee, Lawyer for the Ranee”. The book is about John Lang’s life, his exploits, and literary works. He was an Australian journalist and lawyer who settled in India in the 19th century. He fought many cases against the British and also represented Rani Laxmibai in her legal battle against the annexation of her kingdom of Jhansi by the East India Company (EIC).

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

Bandhan Bank now an Agency Bank of RBI, to conduct govt business

•The Reserve Bank of India has now appointed Bandhan Bank as an Agency Bank of the RBI to conduct government business. Bandhan Bank now joins several other private banks that have been empanelled as an Agency Bank of the RBI. Bandhan Bank will now be authorised to handle transactions related to GST, VAT and the collection of state taxes.