Daily Current Affairs and GK | 1 and 2 December 2024

Topic: Defence

1. India and Cambodia inaugurated the Joint tabletop exercise CINBAX in Pune.

• The 1st edition of Joint Table Top Exercise, CINBAX, between the Indian Army and the Cambodian Army commenced at the Foreign Training Node, Pune.
• It will be conducted from 1st to 8th December 2024.
• The Cambodian Army contingent comprising 20 personnel will take part in this exercise with an Indian Army contingent from an Infantry Brigade.
• Joint Counter Terrorism (CT) operations will be part of this exercise.
• The exercise will focus on discussions pertaining to the establishment of a Joint Training Task Force for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance besides planning operations in Counter terrorism environment.
• The exercise will also involve discussion on information operations, cyber warfare, hybrid warfare, logistics and casualty management, HADR operations etc.
• It will be conducted in three phases. Phase I will focus on preparations and orientation of participants for CT operations.
• Phase II will comprise Table Top exercises and Phase III will involve finalization of plans and summing up.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

2. Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users' Conference will held in New Delhi.

• The 14th Asia-Oceania Meteorological Satellite Users' Conference (AOMSUC-14) is scheduled to be held from December 4-6, 2024, in New Delhi.
• The conference will be hosted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• The main aim of the conference is to promote the significance of satellite observations.
• About 150 participants from different countries will participate in this event.
• The first AOMSUC was held in Beijing, China, in 2010.
• The conference has been hosted annually in various locations across the Asia-Oceania.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

3. Maha Kumbh area of Prayagraj declared a new district by the UP government.

• The newly formed district will be known as “Maha Kumbh Mela”.

• This step has been taken to smoothly manage the special event of Kumbh Mela and to conduct the administrative work in a better manner.
• The intention behind this decision was expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during Magh Mela 2024.
• With this district, Uttar Pradesh now has 76 districts.
• The upcoming Maha Kumbh, held once every 12 years, will be held from January 13 to February 26, 2025, in Prayagraj.

Topic: Summit/Conferences/Meeting

4. On 2 December, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s sixteenth Conference of Parties (COP16) began in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

• This is the first time that West Asia is hosting this important environmental conference.
• India will join representatives from 197 countries at this historic event, which is being held to mark the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD.
• The Indian delegation, led by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, participated in a key event at the IUCN Pavilion on the opening day.
• The delegation presented the Aravalli Green Wall Project (AGWP), a comprehensive initiative aimed at restoring 1.15 million hectares of degraded landscape in four states of northwestern India.
• The two-week conference, which runs until December 13, is the largest multilateral event ever hosted by Saudi Arabia.
• It provides a global platform for governments, businesses and civil society to collaborate on sustainable land management solutions, with India's AGWP serving as a potential model for similar initiatives around the world.

Topic: National News

5. India’s First Vertical Lift Rail Bridge, Pamban 2.0, Set to Operate Soon in Rameswaram.

• The new Pamban rail bridge is likely to be operational within a fortnight, after inspection by Southern Circle Railway Safety Commissioner A M Chaudhari on November 13 and 14.
• The first of its kind in India, this vertical lift bridge is inspired by the dynamic rail bridges of Germany and Spain.
• Experts from Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, the construction arm of the Railways, visited the ports of Valencia and Barcelona in Spain and Hamburg in Germany to study similar structures.
• Valencia's rail bridge opens horizontally to allow ferry operations, Barcelona's double bascule bridge opens vertically, and the Port of Hamburg has a vertical lift bridge similar to Pamban's new structure.
• While approving the operation on the newly constructed bridge after rectifying the given improvements, the speed limit on the lift bridge has been fixed at 50 km per hour.
• The new bridge, which will replace the 110-year-old iconic cantilever bridge, has 100 spans of which 99 spans are 18.3 metres long and a 72.5-metre-long navigational span across the sea.
• To be built at an estimated cost of Rs 280 crore, the bridge will rise vertically, allowing even large ships to pass through the Rameswaram coast.

Topic: Banking System

6. A new record of 16.58 billion financial transactions created by UPI in October.

• The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has achieved a milestone in October this year by processing around 16.58 billion financial transactions in a single month, the Finance Ministry has said.
• In October, UPI processed 16.58 billion financial transactions worth around Rs 23.49 lakh crore.
• This represents a year-on-year growth of 45% compared to October last year.
• In 2016, UPI was launched by the National Payments Corporation of India.
• It has revolutionized the country's payment ecosystem by integrating multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application.
• The system enables seamless fund transfers, merchant payments, and peer-to-peer transactions, and provides users flexibility through scheduled payment requests.
• UPI has made financial transactions faster, safer and simpler, and has also empowered individuals, small businesses and merchants, moving the country towards a cashless economy.
• India's payment interface has also gained momentum internationally, as UPI is operational in seven countries, covering key markets.
• These countries are UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France and Mauritius.

Topic: International Appointments

7. Kash Patel’s name as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director has been announced by US President-elect Donald Trump.

• Patel will be the first South Asian and Indian-American to head America's top investigative agency if the US Senate confirms him, which is mandatory.

• The Indian American Republican politician Nikki Haley was appointed by Trump as his first administration’s ambassador to the United Nations.
• Before Kamala Harris was elected vice president in 2020, Haley was the highest-serving Indian American in the US political system, holding a position equivalent to a federal cabinet.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

8. There was no agreement reached by the nations discussing a global pact to reduce plastic pollution.

• While some oil producers were ready to focus solely on plastic waste, more than 100 countries sought to restrict production as well.
• The goal of the fifth meeting of the U.N. Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in Busan, South Korea, was to produce a legally enforceable international treaty.
• But nations could only agree to put important decisions on hold and reopen negotiations (INC-5.2) at a later time.
• Limiting plastic production, controlling plastic products and chemicals of concern, and providing funding to assist developing nations in implementing treaty were the most contentious problems.
• One sticking point has been the desire for nations to set goals to reduce the manufacturing of virgin plastic polymers, which Saudi Arabia and other nations have rejected.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. Government is planning on bringing out a national policy document on female labour force participation.

• The government will bring a national policy document on female labour force participation with a focus on providing an atmosphere like a viable care economy structure.
• A team of Ministries of Skill Development, Labour, Rural Development and Women and Child Development is working on it.
• As per the report, after marriage, female employment rates drop by 12 percentage points.
• The document would focus on building a care-giving infrastructure to boost women’s participation in the labour market.
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing the ‘Palna’ scheme, or the National Programme on Anganwadi-cum-Crèche, which provides daycare facilities for children of working parents.
• Its main objective is to increase the participation of women in the workforce by providing a safe and secure environment for children’s health, nutrition, and cognitive development.
• About 1000 Anganwadi creches have been made operational under this scheme.
• In 2021-2022, the female labour force participation rate in India was higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

Topic: National News

10. Jay Shah became the new Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

• Jay Shah took charge as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
• He is the fifth Indian to become the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
• He has been the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the last five years.
• He has been selected by ICC’s Board of Directors to succeed New Zealand attorney Greg Barclay.
• He is focused on leveraging cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Topic: State News/Kerala

11. Insurance scheme to be launched by Kerala to cover the entire cattle population.

• Kerala Dairy Development and Animal Husbandry Minister J Chinchurani said that preparations are on to launch a comprehensive insurance scheme to benefit all the cattle in the state.
• The minister said the government has launched several schemes to support the dairy sector.
• She said the veterinary ambulance service would be extended to all block panchayats in the state, and Rs 22 crore would also be earmarked for the maintenance of calves.
• Noting that climate change is reaching its peak in the state, the minister said that 550 cows died due to heat in Kerala this year.
• While the government is paying Rs 37,500 per cow to the owner, the rising cost of fodder production is creating a crisis for both Milma and Kerala Feeds Ltd. besides the farmers.
• On this occasion, Chinchurani also launched two schemes: the first, 'Arunodayam,' which aims to nurture heifers into better milk-giving cows.
• The second is 'Snehamitram', which is a life insurance scheme for dairy farmers at a premium of Rs 10 by the Malabar Union of Milma.

Topic: Important Days

12. World AIDS Day 2024: 1 December

• Every year on 1 December, World AIDS Day is celebrated worldwide.
• It is celebrated to raise awareness, and celebrate positive achievements in dealing with AIDS.
• The theme of World AIDS Day 2024 is “Take the Rights Path: My Health, My Right!.”
• The theme is a call for accessible, rights-based healthcare that empowers people affected by HIV/AIDS to lead vibrant and fulfilling lives.
• In 1988, the first World AIDS Day was celebrated.
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) targets the immune system and weakens people’s defence against many infections and some types of cancer.
• Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Arunachal Pradesh

13. ‘Mission Arun Himveer' has been launched by the Arunachal Pradesh government to support agri-horti producers.

• To increase market linkage of agri-horti producers, the Arunachal Pradesh government launched the 'Mission Arun Himveer'.
• Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board (APAMB) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), North East Frontier have signed a MoU regarding it.
• Under this MoU, the state government will supply fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry products to the ITBP from the local farmers, Self Help Groups, Farmer Producer Organisations and farmer cooperatives.
• Under such an initiative, about 400 tons of fruits and vegetables worth Rs 72 lakhs were provided through indigenous farmers to the Indian Army.
• This mission's aim is to provide markets for far-flung villages and circles with low marketable surplus and create a vibrant economy for solving employment issues across the state.

Topic: State News/Gujarat

14. Gujarat's handicraft 'Gharchola' has received a 'Geographical Indication' tag.

• Union government granted a geographical indication (GI) tag to the ‘Gharchola’, a traditional sari worn during weddings.
• In recent years, 27 products from Gujarat have received the GI tags, of which 23 are in the handicrafts sector.
• The GI tag has been presented to Ghar Chola handicrafts at the "GI and Beyond – Virasat Se Vikas Tak" programme in New Delhi.
• This recognition reflects the tireless efforts and dedication of Garvi Gurjari in preserving and promoting Gujarat's cultural legacy.
• The GI recognition for Gharchola demonstrates Gujarat's commitment to guarding its rich artistic heritage.
• GI tag to Gharcholas not only affirms their authenticity and uniqueness but will also be an important tool to promote these cultural treasures globally.