Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 November 2022

Topic: State News/ Jharkhand

1. Jharkhand government approved four schemes for students and Youths.

• The Jharkhand Cabinet has approved Mukhya Mantri Shiksha Prothsahan Yojana (MMSPY), Eklavya Prasikshan Yojana (EPY) and Guruji Student Credit Card Yojana (GSCCY), and Mukhya Mantri Sarathi Yojana (MMSY).
• These schemes will be officially launched by President Droupadi Murmu on Jharkhand's Foundation Day on November 15.
• The state cabinet has also approved 34 other agendas and allocated Rs 461 crore for the construction of a 3.5-km high-level bridge over the Swarnreka river.
• Mukhya Mantri Shiksha Prothsahan Yojana (MMSPY):
  • Under this scheme, class 10 pass students will be provided free coaching at Jharkhand-based institutions for different entrance examinations of engineering, medical, law, etc.
  • The government will also give Rs 2,500 scholarship per month for lodging and other expenses of students.
  • The only eligibility condition for this scheme is that students’ parents should not come under the income tax criteria.
• Eklavya Prasikshan Yojana (EPY):
  • Under this scheme, job-oriented free coaching will be provided to students for different competitive examinations like bank PO, bank clerk, SSC, UPSC, JPSC, etc.
• Guruji Student Credit Card Yojana (GSCCY):
  • GSCCY will provide financial assistance to students, who would be selected for higher education, engineering, medicine and others.
  • A credit card with a maximum limit of Rs 15 lakh will be given to students. Students can spend 30 percent of Rs 15 lakh for non-institutional expenses such as lodging, food, books, laptops, etc.
• Mukhya Mantri Sarathi Yojana:
  • It is part of the Jharkhand Skill Mission. It will take the skill mission to block level. At present, skill training programmes are mostly restricted to district headquarters.

Topic: International News

2. Pakistan will implement an interest-free banking system by 2027.

• Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dhar announced this recently.
• Pakistan government has decided to withdraw appeals against the Federal Shariat Court’s April decision of eliminating interest from the country in five years.
• According to the Federal Shariat Court (FSC), the prevailing interest-based banking system in Pakistan is against the Sharia law.
• In its decision, the FSC specified 31 December 2027 as the day on which riba (interest) would be completely removed from Pakistan.

Topic: Defence

3. A single window facility for welfare and grievance redressal of veer naris has been launched by the Indian Army.

• The facility is named the “Veerangana Sewa Kendra” (VSK).
• President Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) inaugurated the project on 10 November 2022 at the premises of the Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV) located at Delhi Cantt.
• Veerangana Sewa Kendra (VSK) will be available as a service to the Indian Army Veterans Portal. Veer naris are employed as VSK staff.
• Veernaris / Next of Kin will be able to approach the VSK through telephone, SMS, WhatsApp, Post, e-mail and walk-ins to seek assistance.

Topic: State News/Tamil Nadu

4. Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary has been notified by Tamil Nadu as its 17^th wildlife sanctuary.

• The sanctuary covers reserved forest areas in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts.
• It is home to 35 species of mammals and 238 species of birds.
• It is also home to Leith’s soft-shelled turtles, smooth-coated otters, marsh crocodiles and four-horned antelopes.
• Grizzled giant squirrels and Lesser Fish Eagle are also found here.
• The sanctuary has been notified under Section 26-A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• It will connect the Cauvery North Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu with the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in neighbouring Karnataka.
• This maintains continuity to the Nilgiri Biosphere through Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Billigiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and Erode District.
• The forested areas of the new sanctuary can help in the conservation of tigers, leopards and other large carnivores.
• Nandimangalam-Ulibanda Corridor and the Kovaipallam-Anebiddahalla Corridor fall in this area. They are important and large elephant corridors.
• There will be reduced siltation in Stanely reservoir due to habitat protection and less soil erosion.
• The government has already notified the following.
  • Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Villupuram and Cuddalore districts
  • Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary in Tiruppur district
  • Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary in Karur and Dindigul districts
  • Dugong Conservation Reserve in Palk Bay

Topic: Sports

5. Indian women's boxers won four gold and one silver medal Asian Elite Boxing Championships on 12 November.

• Parveen defeated Japan's Kito Mai while Lovlina defeated Uzbekistan's Rozmatova Sokhiba in the finals in Jordan.
• Sweety defeated Gulsaya Yerzehan of Kazakhstan.
• Alfia Pathan got a gold medal due to the disqualification of Islam Hussely.
• Earlier, Meenakshi secured a silver medal. She fought hard but lost the gold medal bout 1-4 to Japan's Kinoshita Rinka.
• With this, Indian women's boxers won a total of seven medals, including four gold, one silver, and two bronze, performing brilliantly in the competition.
• A total of 267 boxers from 27 countries participated in this event.
• Asian Boxing Championships was held from October 30 to November 12.

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

6. India's first hydrogen fuel cell catamaran vessel will be built by Cochin Shipyard in Varanasi.

• An MoU has been signed by the Cochin Shipyard and Inland Waterways Authority of India regarding this.
• Another MoU has been also signed by the Shipyard for the construction of six electric catamaran vessels for Uttar Pradesh and two such vessels for Guwahati.
• According to the Cochin Shipyard, the air-conditioned hydrogen fuel cell catamaran vessel will have a seating capacity of 100 passengers.
• It will be deployed in Varanasi after trial and testing in Kochi.
• The air-conditioned electric hybrid vessels are designed for short-distance travel in riverine waters. It will have a seating capacity of 50 passengers.
• The vessels will contribute significantly to reducing the pollution levels in the national waterways.

Topic: Important Days

7. Public Service Broadcasting Day: 12 November

• Public Service Broadcasting Day is being observed on 12 November.
• It is celebrated every year to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s only visit to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947.
• He addressed the displaced people, who had temporarily settled at Kurukshetra in Haryana after partition.
• Mahatma Gandhi was scheduled to travel to Kurukshetra on November 12, 1947 and address the 2.5 lakh Indian refugees who were camped there.
• But because of certain unforeseen circumstances, he was unable to travel to Kurukskhetra.
• So, an arrangement was made for Gandhiji’s live broadcast from All India Radio for them.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

8. FSSAI has awarded ‘Eat Right Station’ certification with a 4-star rating to Bhopal Railway Station.

• Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai), Mumbai Central Railway Station (Mumbai), Vadodara Railway Station and Chandigarh Railway Station are other railway stations with this certification.
• FSSAI awards ‘Eat Right Station’ certification to railway stations that set benchmarks in providing safe and wholesome food to passengers.
• The 4-star rating means full compliance by the station to make sure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers.
• ‘Eat Right Station’ certification is part of the 'Eat Right India' movement.
• 'Eat Right India' movement:
  • 'Eat Right India' movement is a large-scale effort by FSSAI.
  • It aims to transform the country's food system to make sure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians.
  • It was launched by FSSAI on 10 July, 2018.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. Union Minister of Power & New and Renewable Energy launched the Green Energy Open Access portal.

• This portal will allow consumers to access green power through transparent, simplified, uniform and streamlined procedures.
• Consumers can get approval for Green Energy Open Access in a time-bound manner within15 days.
• Any consumer with a connected load of 100 kW or above can get Renewable Energy through open access from any Renewable Energy generating plant set up by himself or by any developer.
• On 6th June 2022, the government notified the Electricity (Promoting Renewable Energy through Green Energy Open Access) Rules.
• The main aim of these rules is the promotion of the generation, purchase and consumption of green energy.
• The portal can be accessed at https://greenopenaccess.in/ for processing applications related to green energy open access by the stakeholders.
• The Green Energy Open Access rules support India’s vision of a transition to clean energy.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Defence

10. Indian Army organized Walong Mela as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Battle of Walong.

• Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Battle of Walong are being observed to remember the bravery and sacrifice of the Indian Army.
• Dao Division of Spear Corps organized a Mela at Walong Circle of Arunachal Pradesh on 09 Nov 22.
• The aim of the Mela is to familiarise the public with the Indian Army and to encourage a sense of belonging & togetherness.
• The mela also highlighted the contribution of the public to the security forces.
• Stalls of delicious dishes are the main attraction in the fair.
• Battle of Walong:
  • It was fought between Indian and Chinese soldiers in 1962.
  • The Indian troops held the Chinese back at Walong — India’s easternmost town, for almost 20 days.
  • The Battle of Walong was the only Indian counterattack during the 1962 war.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Karnataka

11. Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport inaugurated by PM Modi in Bengaluru on 11 November.

• The airport has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore.
• With its inauguration, the passenger capacity at Kempegowda International Airport is expected to increase to around five-six crore annually. It is currently 2.5 crores per year.
• He also unveiled the 'Statue of Prosperity', a 108-feet tall bronze statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda in Bengaluru on November 11.
• The Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express and Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan trains have also been flagged off by Mr. Modi at KSR Railway Station.
• Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana from 11 to 12 November to launch a series of development projects.
• 36^th Convocation Ceremony of Gandhigram Rural Institute was also attended by PM at Dindigul in Tamil Nadu on 11 November.
• on 12 November, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Personality in News

12. Birth anniversary of J B Kripalani and Maulana Azad: 11 November

• On November 11, PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to J B Kripalani and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on their birth anniversary.
• They were the freedom fighters and had also served as Congress President.
• Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani (J B Kripalani):
  • He was a Gandhian socialist, environmentalist and statesman of India's freedom struggle.
  • He was born in Hyderabad, Sindh in 1888. He is popularly known as Acharya Kripalani.
  • He was the President of the Indian National Congress in 1947, when India got independence.
  • Kripalani became a member of the All India Congress Committee, and in 1928–29 he became its general secretary.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad:
  • He was born on 11 November 1888 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
  • He came to Calcutta with his family in 1890.
  • Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was the first education minister of independent India who served the country from 1947 to 1958.
  • National Education Day is celebrated every year on his birthday to remember his ideals of nation-building and the most important contribution to shaping the education system.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

13. National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) was conferred “India Agribusiness Awards 2022” for best Agribusiness Award under fisheries sector.

• As part of “AgroWorld 2022” event, NFDB was awarded “India Agribusiness Awards 2022” for the best Agribusiness Award under Fisheries Sector for the exemplary work done in fisheries sector.
• AgroWorld 2022 is an Indian International Agro Trade and Technology Fair that was organised from 9-11 November at IARI, Pusa Campus, New Delhi.
• It was organised by Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (IFCA) which an Indian government body on technical collaborations with various national and international associations.
• NFDB was formed in 2006 as an autonomous body under the Department of Fisheries to increase fish production and productivity in India. Its headquarters is in Hyderabad. Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is the ex-officio chairman of the governing body for the NFDB.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

14. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said at the COP27 meeting that there should be zero tolerance for net-zero greenwashing.

• He said this during the launch of a report titled “Integrity Matters: Net Zero Commitments by Businesses, Financial Institutions, Cities and Regions”.
• What is greenwashing?
  • Environmentalist Jay Westerveld coined the term in 1986.
  • It refers to misleading the general public into a belief that companies, states and civic administrators are doing more for the environment that they actually are.
  • It includes showing a product or policy as more environmentally friendly or less damaging that it is in reality.
  • It has emerged as the consumers and regulators have become more aware and conscious regarding the environment and opt for recyclable, sustainable green products.
  • Greenwashing is mainly done for a company to either show itself as an environmental friendly company or for profit maximisation.
• Financial services providers now expect increased scrutiny of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) credentials of company from regulators, shareholders and other stakeholders. In May 2022, SEBI constituted an advisory committee to look into ESG related matters.
• As per the report, coal, gas and oil are responsible for 75% of GHG emissions, therefore, if non-financial sector continues to invest in fossil fuels, then net zero pledge cannot be claimed by them.
• The report recommends that the companies should work towards reducing emissions across the entire value chain and they should stop investing in harnessing fossil fuels, engage in deforestation or any other non-environment friendly activities.
• The committee recommends a transition from voluntary disclosures to regulatory norms.