Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 November 2024

Topic: Awards and Prizes

1. Winners of the 2024 SaMaPa awards have been announced.

• Nityanand Haldipur, Shashi Vyas, Kamalini Dutt, Harish Tiwari and Bashir Aarif will be honoured at the upcoming edition of SaMaPa Awards.
• They will be honoured during the 20th SaMaPa Sangeet Sammelan.
• It will be organized from November 22 to 24 at the Kamani Auditorium.
• The SaMaPa Awards are given every year to musicians and individuals who have contributed towards art and culture of India.
• Shashi Vyas will be honoured with the ‘Kala Vardhan’ Samman for his contribution to the field of art and culture.
• Harish Tiwari received the ‘Sangeet Tejasvi’ Samman for his contribution to Hindustani classical music.
• Haldipur has been honoured with the 'SaMaPa Vitasta' Samman for his lifelong contribution to Hindustani classical music.

Topic: Sports

2. Arshdeep Singh became India's second-highest wicket-taker in men's T20Is.

• Arshdeep Singh became India's second-highest wicket-taker in men's T20Is with 92 wickets in 59 innings at an economy of 8.34.
• He is just short of four wickets Yuzvendra Chahal, who is the leading wicket-taker in the shortest format.
• In the third T20I match of the series against South Africa, Arshdeep Singh surpassed Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to achieve the milestone.
• Bumrah has 89 wickets in T20Is from 69 innings at an economy rate of 6.27.

Topic: State News/ Jammu and Kashmir

3. On November 14, the ten-day annual Jhiri Mela began in Jammu and Kashmir.

• Jhiri Mela is celebrated in Jhiri village on the outskirts of Jammu city.
• The Mela is associated with the supreme sacrifice of the 16th-century Dogra hero and revolutionary and honest farmer Baba Jitto.
• He fought against injustice and sacrificed his life for justice and religion after being cheated by the landlord of the area.
• Pilgrims visit Jhiri village to pay homage to Baba Jitto.
• This fair promotes unity, honesty, truth, courage and innocence in the society and symbolizes the rich culture of the region.
• Around 20 lakh visitors are expected to attend the fair, providing an opportunity for government departments to actively promote schemes and programmes benefiting the rural population.
• The event is a platform to promote local craftsmen and highlight the traditional arts to visitors from outside Jammu and Kashmir.

Topic: Art and Culture

4. The first Bodoland Mahotsav inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 15 in New Delhi.

• The two-day Mahotsav is a mega event on language, literature and culture to maintain peace and build a vibrant Bodo society.
• Mahotsav aims to integrate the indigenous Bodo people living not only in Bodoland but also in Assam, West Bengal, Nepal and other international border areas of the Northeast.
• 'Peace and Harmony for Prosperous Bharat' is the theme of the Mahotsav, which focuses on the rich culture, language and education of the Bodo community along with other communities of the Bodoland Territorial Region.
• It aims to leverage the richness of cultural and linguistic heritage, ecological biodiversity and tourism potential of Bodoland.
• The Mahotsav is also about celebrating the remarkable journey of recovery and resilience since the signing of the Bodo Peace Accord in 2020 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• This peace accord resolved decades of conflict and violence in Bodoland and also gave impetus to other peace accords.

Topic: MoUs/Agreement

5. An MoU signed by India and Russia to cooperate on Pantsir air defence systems.

• An agreement have been signed between Russia's leading arms exporter and an Indian state-owned defence company to cooperate on jointly developed versions of the Pantsir air defence missile and gun system.
• The move is aimed at strengthening the country's air defence capabilities.
• It is designed to defend small military, administrative and industrial facilities against aircraft and cruise missiles.
• Leading state-owned defence company Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) had signed anMoU with Russia's leading arms export agency Rosoboronexport for cooperation on the Pantsir variants.
• The MoU was signed by BDL Chairman and Managing Director Commodore (Retd) A. Madhavrao and Deputy Director General of the Naval Department of Rosoboronexport German Kovalenko.
• The MoU was signed at the 5th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission (IRIGC) Subgroup meeting in Goa.
• The objective of this agreement is to jointly develop new variants of the Pantsir system that are better suited to India's needs.
• Pantsir missile gun system:
• It is a versatile and mobile platform designed to protect military installations and critical infrastructure from air attack.
• The system is armed with 12 short to medium range surface to air missiles.
• It is fitted with dual 30 mm automatic cannons which provide defence at multiple levels.
• The system is equipped with advanced radar system which can detect and attack targets up to 36 km away and up to 15 km high.
• The Pantsir missile has a range of 1 to 12 km. While the 30 mm guns can hit targets between 0.2 to 4 km.

Topic: Important Days

6. Guru Nanak Jayanti 2024: 30 November

• Guru Nanak Jayanti, or Gurupurab, was celebrated with religious fervour in India and across the world on November 15.
• It marks the birth of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, who laid the foundation of Sikhism.
• This year country celebrated the 555th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
• He gave the mantra of ‘Ek Onkar’ to his followers, which means to treat all human beings equally without any discrimination. He has also given the message of ‘Naam Japo, Kirat Karo and Vand Chhako’.
• Guru Nanak:
  • He was born on Puranmashi of Kartik in 1469 at Talwandi.
  • He is the first Sikh guru and founder of Sikhism.
  • His birth anniversary is celebrated as Guru Nanak Jayanti.
  • Guru Granth Sahib is the holy book of Sikhism.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Corporates/Companies

7. Reliance Industries has successfully merged its media assets with the India division of the international media conglomerate Walt Disney.

• This has been done to create a new joint venture valued at Rs 70,352 crore.
• In the JV, Reliance Industries has invested Rs 11,500 crore (USD 1.4 billion) for its growth.
• Nita Ambani will serve as the chairperson of the joint venture.
• The JV is worth Rs 70,352 crore (USD 8.5 billion) according to the transaction.
• RIL has control over the JV at the conclusion of the transactions.
• Disney owns 36.84 percent of the joint venture, Viacom18 owns 46.82 percent, and Reliance Industries owns 16.34 percent.
• Mr. Uday Shankar will be the Vice Chairperson of JV.
• The joint venture would rank among India's biggest media and entertainment firms.

Topic: State News/Manipur

8. Jurisdiction of six police stations in Manipur has been declared as “disturbed areas” by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

• These areas have been brought under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA, 1958.
• Earlier, areas under jurisdiction of 19 police stations were excluded from AFSPA.
• Six of the 19 police stations excluded earlier were being covered under AFSPA.
• The move comes against the backdrop of fresh attacks on civilians.
• In Manipur, 230 people have died in clashes that started around 18 months ago.
• AFSPA has been reimposed in the areas under the police stations of Sekmai and Lamshang in Imphal West district, Lamlai in Imphal East, Jiribam in Jiribam district, Leimakhong in Kangpokpi district, and Moirang in Bishnupur district.
• The order imposing AFSPA will remain in force till 31 March 2025.
• Under the AFSPA, armed forces personnel have special powers to search, arrest etc to maintain law and order in areas classified as “disturbed areas”.

Topic: Science and Technology

9. Eco-friendly bio-derived foam has been developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

• Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed an innovative eco-friendly bio-derived foam.
• It will offer a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic foams.
• Around 2.3 million tonnes of plastic foam are produced worldwide.
• A team from IISc’s Department of Materials Engineering has created a biodegradable foam suitable for packaging for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
• This foam is made from bio-based epoxy resins, non-edible oils approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and hardeners derived from tea leaves.
• This reduced reliance on fossil fuels and non-recyclable materials while maintaining the foam’s excellent compressive strength.
• The Indian foam market was valued at USD 7.9 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to USD 11.1 billion by 2032.
• The production of 10,000 traditional plastic foam cups resulted in approximately 308 kg of greenhouse gas emissions.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

10. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan signed an Energy System Integration Agreement.

• During the sidelines of COP29, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan have signed an Energy System Integration Agreement.
• This agreement has been signed on the sidelines of the World Leaders Climate Action Summit.
• This will open new opportunities for integrating the countries' energy systems and creating reliable corridors to supply green energy to the European and other markets.
• The wind and solar energy that will be transmitted would help mitigate the impact on the climate.
• Energy ministers of the three countries and Saudi Arabia also agreed to cooperate in green energy development and transfer.

Topic: Important Days

11. World Diabetes Day 2024: 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 2024 is ‘Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps.’
• 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.
• According to the Indian Council of Medical Research – India Diabetes (ICMR INDIAB) study published in 2023, 10.1 crore people in India are suffering from diabetes.
• In India, several proactive measures have been initiated by the Government to combat diabetes as a part of the comprehensive National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) under the National Health Mission (NHM).
• 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: Awards and Prizes

12. Dominica announced to give its highest national honor to Prime Minister Modi.

• The Commonwealth of Dominica has announced that it will confer its highest national award, the Dominica Award of Honour, on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The award will be given for his contribution to the nation, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, and his role in strengthening ties between India and Dominica.
• Sylvie Berton, President of the Commonwealth of Dominica, will present the award to Prime Minister Modi during the India-CARICOM Summit to be held in Georgetown, Guyana from 19 to 21 November 2024.
• In February 2021, India provided 70,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Dominica.
• This not only aided the island’s vaccination efforts but also provided Dominica with an opportunity to provide assistance to its Caribbean neighbours in times of crisis.
• The Dominica Award of Honour also recognises India's continued assistance to Dominica in various sectors, including healthcare, education and information technology, under the leadership of Modi.     

Topic: Important Days

13. Janjatiya Gaurav Divas: 15 November

• 15th November is observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in the memory of tribal freedom fighters.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jamui in Bihar to commemorate Janjatiya Gaurav Divas.
• It also marked the start of the 150th Birth Anniversary Year celebrations of Dharti Aaba Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
• He also unveiled a commemorative coin and postal stamp in honour of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
• PM Modi also inaugurated multiple development projects worth over 6,640 crore rupees for the upliftment of tribal communities and improving infrastructure in rural and remote areas of the region.
• Sri Birsa Munda is revered as Bhagwan by tribal communities across the country.
• Birsa Munda fought bravely against the exploitative system of the British colonial system and led the movement against British oppression.

Topic: MoUs /Agreements

14. Mines Ministry signed an MoU with IEA to cooperate on critical minerals.

• The Ministry of Mines inked an agreement with the International Energy Agency (IEA) on cooperation in the area of critical minerals.
• It will provide India with access to reliable data, analysis, and policy recommendations in the critical minerals sector and ensure strategic resource management.
• The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an international organization within the framework of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
• The MoU with the IEA would also facilitate capacity building and knowledge exchange between India and the IEA member countries.
• The joint research projects, workshops, and training programs carried out under this MoU would foster collaboration and innovation in technology development and extraction techniques.

(Source: PIB)