Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12, 13 and 14 November 2023

Topic: National News

1. India International Trade Fair-2023 started on 14 November 2023 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

• Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel inaugurated the India International Trade Fair-2023.  
• India International Trade Fair-2023 is the 42nd edition of India International Trade Fair. It will continue till 27th November 2023.
• The theme of the India International Trade Fair-2023 is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
• The theme emphasizes the significance of interconnectedness and cooperation in trade for achieving sustainable growth and well-being.
• More than 3,000 exhibitors from both India and abroad will take part in the fair.
• Representatives from 13 countries will be taking part in the event from overseas.
• The countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Oman, Egypt, Nepal, Thailand, Turkiye, Vietnam, Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Iran and UAE.
• The First five days of the Trade Fair are reserved for the business category. 
• The Fair will be open to the general public from 19th November.
• Bihar and Kerala are the Partner States. Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh are the Focus States.

Topic: State News/Manipur

2. Home Ministry has declared nine Meitei extremist groups as unlawful associations for five years.

• These organisations mostly operate in Manipur.
• In a notification, Home Ministry said these Meiti Extremist Organisations have been engaged in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.
• Home Ministry also said these Meiti Extremist Organisations have been engaged in attacking and killing the security forces, the police and civilians in Manipur.
• The names of banned organisations are given below.
  • Peoples’ Liberation Army and its political wing
  • Revolutionary Peoples’ Front (RPF)
  • United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed wing
  • Manipur Peoples’ Army (MPA)
  • People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its armed wing
  • Kangleipak Communist Party and its armed wing
  • Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL)
  • Coordination Committee (CorCom)
  • Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK)

Topic: State News/ Uttarakhand

3. Uttarakhand will become the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code.

• The Uttarakhand government is likely to convene a special session of the legislative assembly.
• The Uniform Civil Code bill is likely to pass in this special session and after that, it will get the legal status.
• The drafting of the UCC for Uttarakhand has been completed and will be submitted to the state government soon.
• The Uniform Civil Code is mentioned in Article 44 of the Constitution.
• The Uniform Civil Code are set of laws that deals with marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption, among other personal matters which apply to all citizens equally regardless of their religion.
• In the Shah Bano case in 1985, the Supreme Court ruled that “Parliament should outline the contours of a common civil code as it is an instrument that facilitates national harmony and equality before the law.”
• Gujarat is also planning to implement the Uniform Civil Code before the 2024 Lok Sabha.

Topic: Geography

4. After 800 earthquakes in 14 hours, Iceland declared an emergency.

• Iceland has declared a state of emergency after a series of earthquakes.
• Thousands of tremors have been recorded near Fagradalsfjall volcano.
• Around 1,400 earthquakes were measured in the 24 hours. Blue Lagoon landmarks were closed after the seismic activity.
• As per the Icelandic Met Office (IMO), the possible volcanic eruptions in Iceland could take place "in several days".
• Iceland is one of the most active seismic regions in the world. Around 30 active volcanic sites are present in Iceland, which is the highest in Europe.
• Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, it is the longest mountain range in the world.
• The ridge separates the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

5. Ayodhya sets a new Guinness world record by lighting 22 lakh diyas.

• The Uttar Pradesh government set a new world record by lighting up more than 22 lakh diyas in Ayodhya.
• The Deepotav festival began in Ayodhya in 2017. The government lit up around 51,000 diyas in 2017.
• More than 17 lakh diyas were lit up across the Ram ki Pairi ghats in 2022.
• The Uttar Pradesh government had deployed 25,000 employees to implement the entire event.
• On the eve of Diwali, eighteen tableaux, themed on the Ramayana, the Ramcharitmanas and various social issues were part of the procession taken on Deepotsav.
• The Ram Mandir is scheduled to be inaugurated on January 22, 2024.

Topic: Indian Economy

6. Retail inflation reached 4.87% in October.

• Retail inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), has eased to a four-month low of 4.87 % in October.
• As per the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), food inflation remained at 6.6 %.
• The Cereals inflation stood at 10.65 % in October and the Vegetable inflation stood at 2.7 % in October.
• Core inflation — non-food, non-fuel segment — eased marginally to 4.4 % in October from 4.6 %.
• As per the statistics released, rural areas witnessed a higher inflation rate of 5.12 % while in urban areas it was 4.62 %.
• The Consumer Food Price Index for October remains at 6.61%, slightly lower than September.
• The retail inflation is within RBI's upper tolerance limit of 6 %.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

7. PM PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) Development Mission will be launched by PM Modi on 15 November 2023.

• According to the sources, the government will announce a 24,000 crore rupee scheme for holistic development of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas. 
• In the budget of this year, the government announced the launch of the Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission to improve the socio-economic conditions of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
• The number of PVTGs is 75 in 18 States and Union Territories. They are living in 22 thousand 544 villages having a population of around 28 lakhs.
• As part of the mission, the government plans to saturate PVTG families and habitations with basic facilities like electricity, road and telecom connectivity, clean drinking water and sanitation, safe housing, improved access to education, health and nutrition and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
• Government will implement the Mission through the convergence of 11 interventions of nine Ministries.
• Further, the government will ensure saturation for schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna, Sickle Cell Disease Elimination, TB Elimination, 100 % immunisation, PM Surakshit Matritva Yojana, PM Matru Vandana Yojana, PM Poshan, and PM Jan Dhan Yojana.
• In 1975, the Government of India initiated the identification of the most vulnerable tribal groups as a separate category called PVTGs.

Topic: International Appointments

8. Former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron has been appointed U.K. Foreign Secretary.

• Former (outgoing) Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has replaced Suella Braverman as U.K. Home Secretary.
• Mr. Cameron was made ‘Lord Cameron‘, a life peer (member of the House of Lords) on 13 November 2023.
• Members of the British government are usually also members of one of the U.K. Houses of Parliament.
• Cameron had recently criticized PM Sunak’s decision to cancel the remaining High-Speed Rail 2 project in the North of England.
• Cameron’s tenure as PM between 2010 and 2016 was notable for the Brexit referendum which resulted in the U.K. leaving the EU.
• Mr Sunak appointed former Financial Secretary Victoria Atkins as Health Secretary.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. 33rd Conference of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Regional Commission for Asia and Pacific started in New Delhi.

• Delegates from 36 countries are participating in the conference.
• Senior officers from regional and international organizations and representatives from the private sector and private veterinary organizations are participating in the conference.
• It is scheduled to be organized from November 13 to 16, 2023.
• Union Minister Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan chaired the inaugural session of the conference.
• As per the World Organisation for Animal Health, 69 % of the human infections originate from the animals.
• This has increased demand in the fields of food safety, public health, animal welfare and antimicrobial resistance.
• The government is establishing mobile veterinary units to provide high-quality veterinary services to farmers.
• The Government of India is also implementing a livestock health and disease control programme under the One Health Approach.

Topic: Important Days

10. World Kindness Day: 13 November

• The World Kindness Day is observed every year on 13 November.
• It is observed to promote and celebrate the acts of kindness.
• This day reminds us of the importance of empathy, understanding, and cooperation in creating a more harmonious and caring world.
• World Kindness Day was started by the World Kindness Movement in 1998.
• Representatives from various countries took part in a conference held in Tokyo in 1997 and they discussed different ways to promote kindness and compassion in society.
• The theme for World Kindness Day 2023 is "Be Kind Wherever Possible".
• The theme highlights the importance of kindness and how it should be adopted in every part of our lives.

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

11. The export of the first trial consignment of bananas to Europe has been facilitated by APEDA.

• India is the world’s largest producer of bananas. APEDA facilitated the first trial shipment of bananas to the Netherlands via sea.
• The first export consignment of one container of bananas to the Netherlands has been flagged off from Baramati, Maharashtra.
• The trial shipment of bananas was sent out by the APEDA-registered 'InI Farms'.
• The export of bananas to the Netherlands would increase the income of farmers.
• After this trial shipment, India is expected to export bananas worth more than USD one billion in the next five years.
• It would increase the income of 25000 farmers and indirectly provide employment to 50,000 people on farms.
• Indian bananas are mainly exported to Iran, Iraq, UAE, Oman, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and the Maldives.
• India is looking for export opportunities of bananas to the USA, Russia, Japan, Germany, China, the Netherlands, the UK, and France.
• Banana is a major horticultural crop in India. Andhra Pradesh is the largest banana-producing state in India.
• Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh are also the leading producers of bananas in India.

Topic: Personality in News

12. Veteran Telugu actor Chandra Mohan passed away on 11 November.

• Telugu actor Chandra Mohan passed away at the age of 82.
• He passed away at a private Hospital in Hyderabad.
• He acted in more than 900 films and played lead roles in more than 150 films.
• He was born in the Krishna district in 1943 as Mallampalli Chandrasekhar Rao.
• He acted in ‘Rangula Ratnam’ in 1966, for which he won the state government’s Nandi Award for best actor.
• His first Tamil film was Naalai Namadhe (1975). He won one Filmfare Award South.

Topic: National News

13. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways proposed the installation of an inbuilt collision warning system in four vehicles.

• To reduce collisions with pedestrians and cyclists, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed to install an inbuilt 'Moving off information system' (MOIS) in certain categories of four vehicles.
• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in its draft proposal specified the automotive industry standard for 'moving off information system'.
• ‘Moving off Information System’ (MOIS) will detect pedestrians and cyclists in close proximity and will inform the driver. It will warn the driver of a potential collision.
• An adult or child pedestrian or an adult or child cyclist are considered as Vulnerable Road User (VRU).
• VRU safety has been increased by increasing the number of mirrors for better visibility of the area in front of the vehicle.
• The road ministry has set a target to reduce the number of accidents and the resulting deaths by half by 2024.

Topic: Indian Economy

14. India's Forex reserves surged by 4.672 billion US Dollars: RBI

• As of 3 November, India's Forex reserves increased by 4.672 billion US Dollars and reached 590.783 billion US Dollars.
• India’s forex reserves cover of imports was at 9.6 months at the end of March 2023.
• The import cover increased in sync with the increase in forex reserves.
• The forex reserves stood at $595.051 billion as of June-end 2023 against $578.449 billion as of March-end 2023.
• Import cover is a trade-based indicator of the adequacy of reserves.
• According to RBI’s Half Yearly Report on Management of Foreign Exchange Reserves: April - September 2023, RBI’s gold holding increased to 800.79 tonnes of gold as at end-September 2023.
• At March-end 2023, RBI’s gold holding stood at 794.64 tonnes as at March-end 2023.
• The gold holding includes gold deposits of 39.89 tonnes.
• The ratio of short-term debt (original maturity) to reserves decreased to 20.8% at the end of June 2023. It was 22.2% at end-March 2023.
• The ratio of volatile capital flows to reserves remained at 70.3% between the end of March 2023 and end-June 2023. This includes cumulative portfolio inflows and outstanding short-term debt.