Daily Current Affairs and GK | 10 and 11 November 2024

Topic: International News

1. Canada government decided to end fast-track study visa programme.

• Canada has ended its fast-track study visa programme with immediate effect.
• This decision is likely to impact international students, including from India.
• The processing time under the Student Direct Stream (SDS) was much less and shorter. Its approval rate was high.
• This decision has been taken amid the ongoing diplomatic row between India and Canada.
• Around 4,27,000 Indian students are studying in Canada. India is the largest source country of foreign students for Canada.
• The Student Direct Stream (SDS) was launched in 2018 to provide faster processing for eligible postsecondary students.
• This streamlined process allowed applicants from countries such as India, China, and the Philippines to enter Canada faster.
• By 2027, Canada will accept only 17,400 new non-permanent residents.

Topic: Sports

2. Women’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024 has begun in Rajgir, Bihar.

• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the 10-day event.
• Six teams: China, Japan, Malaysia, Korea, and Thailand will participate in this tournament from 11th-20th November.
• Indian team will led by Salima and Vice-captain Navneet Kaur.
• India will begin its campaign against Malaysia on November 11.
• Director General of Bihar Sports Authority Ravindran Sankaran emphasised that the state government aims to make Bihar a major hub for sports in Eastern India.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Personality in News

3. Renowned Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan passed away at the age of 96.

• Pandit Ram Narayan, the iconic Sarangi maestro, passed away at the age of 96.
• He was a distinguished Hindustani musician who was honoured with several prestigious awards.
• He is also the recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
• He was born near Udaipur, Rajasthan, on Dec 25, 1927. He came from a family with strong roots in music.
• He has given music in films like ‘Pakeezah', ‘Mughal E'Azam', ‘Taj Mahal' and ‘Kashmir Ki Kali.'

Topic: Sports

4. World's highest enduro mountain biking race "Monduro 4.0" started in Tawang.

• The highly anticipated Monduro 4.0, recognized as the world’s highest enduro mountain biking race and part of the Asia Enduro Series (AES), has begun in the picturesque town of Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
• On 9 November, the event was officially flagged off by Tawang MLA Namgay Tsering and Tawang Brigade Commander Brigadier VS Rajput.
• Monduro 4.0 is a challenging race organized by Tawang Cycling Association in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It starts at an altitude of 14,400 feet and end to 8,000 feet, making it one of the toughest races in the world.
• In 2024, participants are taking part from across India and eight countries from abroad.
• To help the riders acclimatise, the organisers have organised practice races on November 10 and 11 before the final races on November 13 and 14.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Day

5. National Education Day 2024: 11 November

• National Education Day is observed every year on November 11 across India.

• This day has been celebrated every year since 2008 to mark the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the first education minister of independent India.
• He served as the education minister from August 15, 1947 to February 2, 1958.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad established the first Indian Institute of Technology – IIT Kharagpur.
• Maulana Azad was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1992.
• The 86th Amendment of the Constitution reinforced the introduction of free elementary education through Article 21-A.
• It guarantees free and compulsory education as a fundamental right for children between the ages of six and fourteen.
• The Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009 which came into force on April 1, 2010, ensures that every child receives quality elementary education in a formal school that meets the prescribed criteria.
• A record Rs 73,498 crore was allocated to the Department of School Education and Literacy in the Budget for FY 2024-25 to expand access to quality education and create a robust learning environment.

Topic: National Appointment

6. Harsh Vardhan Aggarwal will take over as the new President of FICCI.

• Harsh Vardhan Aggarwal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Emami Limited, has been elected President of FICCI for 2024-25.
• Presently, Aggarwal serves as the Senior Vice President of FICCI.
• He will replace Anish Shah, Group CEO and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra, at the conclusion of FICCI's 97th Annual General Meeting on November 21.
• Aggarwal is the second-generation leader at the Emami Group, a diversified business conglomerate with revenues of US$3.1 billion.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI):
• It is the largest, oldest and apex business non-governmental trade association in India.
• It was established in 1927. It is headquartered in New Delhi.

Topic: National Appointment

7. Justice Sanjiv Khanna sworn in as the 51st Chief Justice of India.

• On November 11, Justice Sanjiv Khanna formally took over as the Chief Justice of India (CJI), with his swearing-in ceremony taking place at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• The swearing-in ceremony presided over by President Draupadi Murmu, who administered the oath of office to Justice Khanna.
• Justice Khanna replaced Justice Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud, who retired on November 10 after a distinguished tenure.
• The appointment of the Justice Khanna as the 51st Chief Justice was confirmed through a formal notification by the Government of India.
• He will serve a term of six months as Chief Justice.
• In 1983, Justice Khanna started his legal journey as an advocate with the Delhi Bar Council.
• In 2005, Justice Khanna was appointed as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court and became a permanent judge by 2006.
• He was elevated to the Supreme Court in January 2019, where he served until his appointment as Chief Justice.
• H. J. Kania was the first Chief Justice of India. He served as the Chief Justice of India from 1950 to 1951.

(Source: DD News)

Topic: Indian Economy

8. In October, India's steel exports recorded double-digit growth.

• According to data compiled by the Steel Ministry, India's steel exports recorded a double-digit growth of 11% in October as compared to previous month, indicating better prospects for the sector.
• The country's steel exports increased from 4 lakh tonnes in September to 44 lakh tonnes in October.
• Meanwhile, imports declined, which will help domestic steel companies get better prices for their products in the third quarter.
• For the first time in the current fiscal year, imports slowed following government-imposed restrictions on imports of inferior quality steel from countries such as Vietnam.
• As a result, according to official data, steel imports declined by 4% to 9.8 lakh tonnes in September from 11 lakh tonnes.
• In 2024-25, India's steel output is expected to reach 152 million tonnes, with an annual growth of 8%, driven by government spending on big infrastructure projects such as highways, ports and railways.

Topic: Important Days

9. World Immunization Day: 10 November

• World Immunization Day is celebrated every year on 10 November.
• It play a critical role in promoting the vital importance of immunization and in advocating for universal access to life-saving vaccines.
• World Immunization Day was first introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2012 as part of the Global Vaccine Safety Initiative.
• Its main aim is to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination in preventing deadly infectious diseases, protecting children, and reducing health inequalities globally.
• Vaccines have helped to eradicate or reduce the prevalence of diseases that once caused widespread suffering and death, including smallpox and polio.
• Immunization against diseases like measles, polio, tetanus, hepatitis B, and diphtheria has prevented millions of deaths each year.

Topic: State News/Assam

10. Assam government and IIT Guwahati launched platforms for healthcare innovation.

• IIT Guwahati, in association with the Assam government, hosted a groundbreaking symposium through the Assam Advanced Healthcare Innovation Institute (AAHII).
• It will bring together esteemed doctors and scientists to explore cutting-edge healthcare technologies.
• This event emphasised the government's dedication to strengthening India's healthcare ecosystem through advanced, self-reliant innovations.
• The Government of Assam and IIT Guwahati are collaborating on a state-of-the-art AAHII campus to reduce import dependency on health care.
• The upcoming AAHII campus will have six centres of excellence dedicated to stem cell research, digital health, therapeutics, precision medicine, robotics, and affordable diagnostics.

Topic: Miscellaneous

11. 50^th foundation day of NTPC celebrated by NML.

• The 50th Foundation Day of NTPC was celebrated on 8 November with great enthusiasm and enthusiasm by NTPC Mining Limited (NML) Headquarters, Ranchi.
• On this occasion, Chief Guest, NML CEO and Regional Executive Director (Coal Mining) Animesh Jain hoisted the NTPC flag.
• NTPC started its journey in the power sector on November 7, 1975 and over the last 50 years, it has grown through the dedication, hard work and contribution of its employees and associates.
• NTPC, India's largest power utility company, achieved impressive growth with an installed capacity of 76,475.68 MW, and record generation of 422 BUs in FY24, up 6%.
• During the occasion, CMD NTPC virtually launched hydrogen-fuelled buses. This service is about to start in Leh.
• Hydrogen buses are a significant step towards ensuring NTPC’s commitment to pursue clean and green technologies.
• NTPC Limited is India's largest integrated power utility company, meeting one-fourth of the country's power requirements.

Topic: Sports

12. Afghanistan's legendary Mohammad Nabi will retire from ODI after Champions Trophy.

• After the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, Afghanistan legend Mohammad Nabi will be stepping away from the ODI format.
• Nabi is considered one of Afghanistan's greatest players and made his debut during the country's first ever match in 2009.
• Nabi has been part of Afghanistan's first team in Test and T20 Internationals and also captained them from 2013–15.
• In 165 matches for Afghanistan, Nabi has scored 3549 runs including 2 centuries and 17 half-centuries and taken 171 wickets.
• In 2019, Nabi had retired from the Test format.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

13. “Scheme for Strengthening the Medical Device Industry " has been launched by the government.

• Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri JP Nadda has launched the "Scheme for Strengthening the Medical Device Industry".
• This scheme will give a boost to the medical devices industry.
• It is a comprehensive scheme which targets critical areas of the medical device industry, covering manufacturing of key components and accessories, skill development, support for clinical studies, etc.
• The medical device industry is an essential pillar of healthcare delivery.
• India’s medical device market is expected to grow to $30 billion by 2030.
• This new scheme has a total outlay of 500 Crores. It consists of five sub-schemes which are as follows:
  • Common Facilities for Medical Devices Clusters
  • Marginal Investment Scheme for Reducing Import Dependence
  • Capacity Building and Skill Development for Medical Devices
  • Medical Device Clinical Studies Support Scheme
  • Medical Device Promotion Scheme

Topic: State News/Uttarakhand

14. Uttarakhand celebrated its 25th Foundation Day.

• Uttarakhand celebrated its 25th foundation day on 9 November. The silver jubilee year of Uttarakhand has started.

• On this occasion, the Prime Minister urged the people of the state to preserve the culture and nature of the state.
• On this occasion, the Uttarakhand Ratna Award has been presented in various fields.
• Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, announced to connect villages with fifty and above population in the state with roads by the year 2030.
• Uttarakhand was formed on the 9th of November 2000 as the 27th State of India.
• The demand to make Uttarakhand a separate state was first raised at a special session of the Indian National Congress held in Srinagar in 1938.