Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 and 14 November 2022

Topic: Defense

1. Indian Navy conducted the ‘Prasthan’ exercise near Mumbai on 12 November.

• ‘Prasthan’ is an offshore security exercise off Mumbai.
• Its main aim is to evaluate effectiveness in protecting offshore assets off Mumbai on an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) platform.
• ‘Prasthan’ is conducted twice a year under the aegis of Western Naval Command.
• It helps in assessing various measures and protocols to address security threats and other contingencies.
• During the exercise, situations related to bomb threats, fire, blow out and medical evacuations were simulated.
• Indian Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, ONGC, Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA), etc also took part in this exercise.

Topic: International Appointment

2. Greg Barclay re-elected as chairman of the International Cricket Council.

• New Zealand’s Greg Barclay has been re-elected unopposed as chairman of the International Cricket Council.
• He succeeded Shashank Manohar in 2020 and served for two years. He is now re-elected to the post.
• He was previously the Chair of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and was a director of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2015.
• Jay Shah has been elected as the head of ICC's all-powerful Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee. The F&CA committee is always headed by an ICC Board member.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

3. 3^rd Ministerial Conference will be organized on tackling the problem of terror financing.

• The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, will organise the 3rd Ministerial 'No Money for Terror' conference in New Delhi on the 18th and 19th of November.  
• The conference aims to take forward the discussions related to combating the financing of terrorism in the previous two conferences held by the international community in Paris (2018) and Melbourne (2019).
• The convening of this conference reflects the importance of the issue of international terrorism, along with its zero-tolerance policy against this menace and willingness to discuss the issue with the international community.
• Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the conference and explain India's commitment to fighting terrorism.
• The conference is being organized to give an opportunity for the representatives of 75 countries and international bodies to interact together.
• To combat terrorist financing, India hosted two global events in October, "the annual General Assembly of the Interpol" in Delhi and "a special session of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee" in Mumbai and Delhi.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Important Days

4. World Diabetes Day 2022: 14 November

• Every year on 14 November, World Diabetes Day is celebrated.
• The day raises awareness of diabetes as a global public health issue.
• The theme of World Diabetes Day 2022 is “Access to Diabetes Education.”
• It is also observed to mark the birth anniversary of Sir Frederick Banting.
• He discovered the insulin hormone along with Charles Herbert Best in 1922.
• In 1991, World Diabetes Day was first celebrated by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization to raise awareness about diabetes.
• In 2006, the United Nations officially recognized World Diabetes Day.
• Diabetes:
  • It is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin.
  • This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood.
  • Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood glucose.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

5. India signed four MoUs with Cambodia in the fields of culture, wildlife, and health on 12 November.

• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia on the sidelines of the ongoing ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh.
• A wide range of bilateral relations, including human resource, de-mining, and development projects, were discussed during the meeting.
• The first agreement in the field of health and medicine was signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India and the Ministry of Health of Cambodia.
• An agreement was signed between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India and the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia regarding the reintroduction of tigers in Cambodia.
• This will enhance cooperation between the two countries in biodiversity conservation and sustainable wildlife management.
• MoU was signed between IIT Jodhpur and Cambodia's Institute of Technology in the field of research, development and application of technology for digital documentation of cultural heritage.
• A funding agreement was signed for the conservation of Wat Raja Bo Pagoda paintings in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Topic: Sports

6. Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu launched Toofan and Toofani, the mascots of the Fit India School Week.

• The 4th Fit India School Week will start on 15th November 2022.
• Various schools across India will organize various forms of fitness and sports for 4 to 6 days during a month.
• In 2019, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the “Fit India campaign”.
• The same year in December, the annual program 'Fit India School Week', was launched.
• It was launched to encourage schools to inculcate fitness habits and increase students' awareness about fitness and sports.
• To make this initiative more popular among the younger generation, this time the flagship event has been joined by two mascots named "Toofan and Toofaani", both of whom represent India's fittest superheroes and superwomen.
• Various activities will be organized in schools during Fit India School Week, including - Annual Sports Day.

Topic: Sports

7. England won the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.

• England defeated Pakistan by five wickets at Melbourne Cricket ground.
• This is their second ICC Men's T20 World Cup title. Earlier, England won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. 
• Sam Curran was named Player of the Match as well as Player of the Series.
• Pakistan was the first team to reach the final, after defeating New Zealand by seven wickets in the first semi-final.
• In the second semi-final, England defeated India by ten wickets and reached the final.
• 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup:
  • It was the eighth ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.
  • It was played in Australia from 16 October to 13 November 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

8. 41st India International Trade Fair (IITF) started on 14 November at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.

• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the Trade Fair.
• The Trade Fair will continue till 27th of November. This year its theme is Vocal For Local, Local to Global.
• Twenty-nine States and Union Territories are participating in the Trade Fair.
• Bihar, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra are Partner States.
• Uttar Pradesh and Kerala are participating as Focus States in the fair.
• 14 foreign countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Iran, Nepal, Thailand, Turkey, and UAE are participating in the fair.
• The first five days of the Trade Fair are exclusively reserved as business days.
• The Trade Fair will open to the general public from the 19th of November.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. Fifth edition of the Paris Peace Forum was held from 11-12 November 2022 at the Palais Brongniart.

• The fifth edition of the Paris Peace Forum was organized under the theme of "Riding out the multicrisis".
• The forum was focused on overcoming the socioeconomic impact of multiple crises, developing international cooperation on major issues, and improving global cooperation mechanisms.
• The heads of international organizations, NGOs, multinational companies and financial institutions exchanged their views on global governance.
• The participants discussed many issues including climate and environmental solutions, multiple crises on people, globalization, etc.
• The Paris Peace Forum was started by French President Emmanuel Macron to promote multilateral cooperation and address challenges. Its first edition was held in 2018.
• Paris Peace Forum is an annual international event focused on reviving and improving global governance.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

10. WHO released the first data on the global vaccine market after COVID-19.

• WHO has released the Global Vaccine Market Report 2022. It shows the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
• This is the first report to capture the implications of COVID-19 for vaccine markets.
• It has shown that poorer countries struggled to access vaccines. Limited vaccine supply and unequal distribution has driven global disparities.
• According to WHO, affordability is also an obstacle to vaccine access.
• Around 16 billion vaccine doses worth US$ 141 billion were supplied in 2021.
• As per the report, the manufacturing capacity of vaccines has increased worldwide but it remains highly concentrated.
• Ten manufacturers provided 70% of vaccine doses. In 2021, the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions were dependent on foreign manufacturers for 90 per cent of vaccines.
• Intellectual property monopolies and limited technology transfer were the main constraints for local manufacturing.
• WHO has called for urgent changes in the global vaccine market to prevent future crises.

Topic: National News

11. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways allocated work for the first Multi Modal Logistics Park in the country.

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) along with 16 Union Ministries initiated work to improve multi-modal connectivity and last mile connectivity across the country.
• It has been started in line with the vision of the Prime Minister under the “PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP)” launched in Oct 2021.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is setting up 35 Multi Modal Logistics Parks (MMLP) in the country, out of which 15 will be set up in the next three years.
• Further, the National Logistics Policy (NLP) was launched in 2022 to make the industry more efficient and resilient.
• It focuses on these two key areas i.e., Effective integration between different agencies in the logistics ecosystem and deploying and embracing newer technologies to smoothen the process flow.
• An MMLP is being set up in an area of 184.27 acres at Mappedu, Chennai and the work of this first MMLP has been allotted to M/s Reliance Industries Limited.
• The foundation stone was also laid for the development of state-of-the-art infrastructure on a large scale in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode in the country.
• The Central Government and the State Government jointly formed a Government SPV consisting of National Highways Logistics Management Limited, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, Chennai Port Authority and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation.
• The estimated cost of this project is Rs 1424 crore. The construction and maintenance period of this project will be 45 years.
• Under this SPV, a 5.4 km long four-lane national highway will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 104 crore and a new 10.5 km long MMLP will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 217 crore.
• The Chennai-based MMLP will be built at a distance of 52 km from Chennai Port, 80 km from Ennore Port and 87 km from Katupally Airport and will be a vital logistics point in the southern region of the country.
• It is estimated to transport 7.17 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of goods over its 45-year period.

Topic: Personality in News

12. RL Kashyap, a Mathematician and Padma Shri awardee, passed away at the age of 85.

• PM Narendra Modi has expressed deep sorrow over the demise of RL Kashyap on 11 November.
• He was the founder of the Sakshi Sanstha.
• He had translated 25 thousand mantras into the English language and authored over 50 books.
• He received Padma Shri in 2021 for his remarkable service in the field of study of Vedas.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Sports

13. Keneth Kiprop Renju has been banned for five years for doping.

• Kenyan runner Renju has been banned for the “presence/use of a prohibited substance (Methasterone)”.
• This has taken the number of Kenyan athletes banned for doping to 54.
• Kenya is third on the list (by Athletics Integrity Unit) of most athlete suspensions due to doping.
• Russia and India stand at first and second place with suspensions of 87 and 62 athletes, respectively.
• Renju was winner of the Prague half-marathon in April. All his results since March 20 have been annulled.
• Athletics Integrity Unit was founded in April 2017 to combat doping in the sport of athletics.

Topic: Reports and Indices

14. There is no sign of CO2 decrease in the atmosphere as per the Global Carbon Budget 2022 report.

• It is projected that the world will release 40.6 billion tonnes of CO₂ (GtCO₂) into the atmosphere in 2022.
• There is no sign of CO₂ decrease that is urgently required to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• The Global Carbon Budget 2022 report has been released on 11 November 2022.
• It is a report by a group of scientists who track emissions and publish in peer- reviewed scientific journals.
• The projection of 40.6 GtCO₂ total emissions in 2022 is very near to the highest-ever annual total of 40.9 GtCO₂ in 2019.
• As per the report, there is a 50% chance that warming of 1.5 degree Celsius will be exceeded in nine years if current emission levels persist.
• The global surface temperature has risen by nearly 1.1 degree Celsius in comparison to the average in the pre-industrial (1850-1900) levels.
• China (31%), US (14%) and European Union (8%) were the sources of over half of the world’s CO₂ emissions in 2021.
• According to the report, India accounted for 7% of global CO₂ emissions.
• Emissions will decrease in China (0.9%) and in the European Union (0.8%).
• Emissions will increase in the US (1.5%), India (6%) and the rest of the world (1.7%).
• Emissions in India in 2022 are projected to increase by 6%. This will be mainly due to a 5% increase in coal emissions.   
• Emissions from natural gas in India are projected to decline by 4%.
• As per the data released by United Nations Environment Programme last month, India's per capita greenhouse gas emissions at 2.4 tCO2e were below the world average of 6.3 tCO2e (tonne carbon dioxide equivalent) in 2020.