Daily Current Affairs and GK | 16 November 2022

Topic: Sports

1. George Russell won the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo.

• Russell gave Mercedes its first win of the 2022 campaign at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
• Lewis Hamilton ended the race in the second position.
• Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc ended the race in third and fourth positions respectively.
• Formula One is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars.
• Brazilian Grand Prix:
  • It is a Formula One championship race which is held under the name São Paulo Grand Prix.
  • Brazilian Grand Prix was first held in 1972.

Topic: Defence

2. 3D-printed permanent defences have been set up by the Indian Army in Eastern Ladakh.

• They have been set up at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. They can withstand tank fire.
• They can be erected within 36-48 hours and can be relocated from one place to another.
• Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers has for the first time constructed 3D-printed permanent defences in the desert sector.
• As per an Indian Army press release, a 3D-printed shelter for Officers and Junior Commissioned Officers has been constructed in the desert sector
• As per the press release, four more such double-storey shelters are also being constructed in the Eastern Theatre at Zuluk.
• The press release further says that each shelter can accommodate 64 personnel and construction will take just 25 days.

Topic: Art and Culture 

3. Kashi Tamil Sangamam will start in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh from 17 November 2022.

• Central government is organizing the month-long Kashi Tamil Sangamam as a part of “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
• Sangamam is scheduled from 17 November, 2022 to 16 December, 2022.
• The program is being organized by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
• Banaras Hindu University is the host institution for the program.
• Delegates from 12 different categories will visit Kashi from Tamil Nadu during this one-month period. They will interact with their counterparts.
• Nodal officer for the samgamam, Amit Kumar Gupta said that the twenty kinds of South Indian delicacies will be served to delegates.
• They will also get the opportunity to taste the speciality of Kashi like malaiyyo, kachori and banarasi paan.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Personality in News

4. Telugu actor G Shivarama Krishnamurthy passed away recently.

• He was popularly known as Krishna. He first acted in Tenemanasulu in 1964.
• He acted in about 350 films in lead roles. His son Mahesh Babu is a well-known actor in the Telugu film industry.
• He is hailed for his iconic portrayal of Alluri Seetharama Raju.
• He also produced and directed the first 70mm film in Telugu, Simhasanam.
• His admirers refer to him as the James Bond of Telugu films.

Topic: Important Days

5. National Press Day 2022: 16 November

• Every year on 16 November, National Press Day is celebrated.
• It is celebrated to recognize the importance of a free and responsible press in a democratic society.
• It is celebrated to mark the establishment of the Press Council of India.
• The Council has celebrated the day in an important manner through seminars with relevant themes since the year 1997.
• In 1956, the First 5Press Commission planned to form a Press Council to protect the freedom of the press in India.
• The Press Council of India is a statutory and quasi-judicial body that acts as a watchdog to oversee the conduct of the print media. It works under the Press Council Act 1978.
• It was formed on the recommendations of the First Press Commission in 1966 to protect the freedom of the press and maintain the standards of the press in India.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. India and Sweden hosted the LEED-IT Summit.

• On 15 November, India and Sweden hosted the LEED-IT Summit on the sidelines of COP 27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
• Aiming to lead industrial transformation, the LEED-IT initiative is focused on the goal of a low-carbon transition.
• Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav said co-development can only meet the goals the world has set for itself and without it the low carbon transition could be delayed by decades.
• He said that the low-carbon transition of the industrial sector will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also have many other benefits.
• The summit concluded with the adoption of the Summit Statement by the LEAD-IT members.
• It stresses the commitment to continue the low-carbon transition.
• Existing members are also committed to providing technical assistance to new members and emerging economies.
• After the summit, the LEED-IT Summit Statement was publicly released at the India Pavilion at COP 27.
• LeadIT: It was launched by the governments of Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019 and is supported by the World Economic Forum.

Topic: State News/Madhya Pradesh

7. The Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act has been implemented by Madhya Pradesh government.

• The aim of the PESA Act is to preserve the tribal population from exploitation with an active involvement of the Gram Sabhas.
• It gives special powers to the Gram Sabhas in Scheduled Areas especially for the management of natural resources.
• President Droupadi Murmu made a formal announcement at a function organised by Madhya Pradesh government on the occasion of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ in Shahdol district.
• Janjatiya Gaurav Divas marks the birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.
• PESA 1996:
  • Parliament enacted it to extend Part IX of the Constitution to the Fifth Schedule areas of ten States.
  • These ten states are Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana.
  • Six States namely; Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana have notified their State PESA Rules as of February 2022.

Topic: Banking System 

8. RBI has imposed monetary penalties on 9 cooperative banks.

• RBI has imposed penalties on account of various contraventions or non-compliances of laid down guidelines.
• The monetary penalties slapped on these banks range from ₹25,000 to 3.1 lakh rupees. The names of banks are given below.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

9. India moved up two spots on Climate Change Performance Index.

• India is in the 8th place out of 63 countries in the Climate Change Performance Index 2023 (CCPI).
• India was at 10th place in the 2022 and 2021 rankings.
• India earnned a high rating in the GHG Emissions and Energy Use categories. India is on track to meet its 2030 emissions targets.
• India has updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and announced a net-zero target for 2070
• Climate Change Performance Index is published by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action Network.
• It tracks the climate performance of the European Union and 59 countries.
• CCPI aim is to enhance transparency in international climate politics. It was first published in 2005 and is presented at the UN Climate Change Conference annually.
• Denmark, Sweden, and Chile are in 4th, 5th and 6th places respectively.
• The UK has been ranked 11, Germany 16, while China and the United States are placed at 51st and 52nd ranks, respectively.
• China has dropped 13 places in the ratings this year. The United States has risen three ranks.

Topic: Indian Economy

10. India’s merchandise export declined by 17% to $29.78 bn in October.

• The merchandise trade deficit has widened to $26.91 billion from $25.71 billion in October.
• From April to October this year, exports witnessed a growth of 12.55% to $263.35 billion.
• During this period, $ 436.81 billion was imported, which is 33.12 percent more than the same period of 2021-22.
• Gems and jewellery, engineering, petroleum products, and ready-made garments textiles sectors have recorded negative growth during October.
• As per the government data, India’s exports to major destinations such as the US, UAE, China, Bangladesh, UK and Saudi Arabia recorded negative growth in October.
• Global inflation, the Russia-Ukraine war, the simmering China-Taiwan crisis, and supply disruptions are the main causes of slow economic growth worldwide.
• The decline in exports and increase in imports has widened the trade deficit. It has put pressure on the value of the domestic currency.
• According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), global trade is expected to grow by 3.5 percent this year, while in 2023 its growth rate will come down to just one percent.

Topic: Reports and Indices/ Rankings

11. According to the UN, the global population reached 8 billion on November 15.

• It doubled in 48 years since reaching the 4 billion mark in 1974.
• The UN said the figure came due to longer life spans and the rapid development of some countries in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
• According to the United Nations' most recent estimates, the world's population may reach 8.5 billion people in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.4 billion in 2100.
• According to the annual World Population Prospects report, the global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen to less than one percent in 2020.
• While it took 12 years for the global population to grow from 7 to 8 billion, it would take about 15 years (by 2037) to reach 9 billion, indicating a slowing growth rate.
• The two most populous regions in the world in 2022 were both in Asia: Central and Southern Asia had 2.1 billion people, while Eastern and South-Eastern Asia had 2.3 billion.
• With over 1.4 billion each, China and India account for the majority of the population in these two regions.
• India is anticipated to surpass China as the world's most populous nation in 2023, according to the World Population Prospect 2022 report.
• The population of just eight nations—Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tanzania—will increase by more than half by the year 2050.
• In 2019, the average life expectancy in the world was 72.8 years, an increase of over 9 years since 1990.
• The average lifespan worldwide is anticipated to reach 77.2 years in 2050.

Topic: National news

12. Grid Controller of India Limited will be the new name of Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO).

• India’s National Grid Operator, POSOCO, announced this on 14 November.
• The name change has been made to reflect the critical role of grid operators in ensuring the integrity, reliability, economy, resilience, and continuous operation of the Indian electricity grid.
• The change of name from "Grid Controller of India Limited" is a welcome initiative as it has a unique presence at the heart of India's energy system, connecting people to the energy they use.
• The "Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA)" along with the National Load Despatch Center (NLDC) and operates five (5) Regional Load Despatch Centers (RLDCs).
• Grid-India has also been designated as the nodal agency for major reforms in the power sector.
• Its major functions include the implementation and operation of a Green Energy Open Access Portal, Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Mechanism, Distribution Pricing, Short Term Open Access in Transmission, Deviation Settlement Mechanism, Power System Development Fund (PSDF), etc.
• It was founded on March 2009. It is headquartered in New Delhi.

Topic: Sports

13. MC Mary Kom, PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu and Gagan Narang have been elected as members of the IOA Athletes Commission.

• They are among the 10 eminent sportspersons elected as members of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Athletes Commission.
• All 10 members (5 men and 5 women) won the election unopposed.
• The other six members of the elected panel are given in the next table. All of them are Olympians.

• Former World and Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra and former hockey captain Sardara Singh will be part of the Athletes Commission as ex-officio members.

Topic: Indian Economy

14. Wholesale Price-based inflation in October eased to 8.39% from 10.70% in September.

• Wholesale Price-based inflation for October eased to its lowest level since March 2021.
• It has declined below the double-digit mark for the first time since March 2021.
• WPI inflation stood at 19-month low level due to decline in the food articles segment. 
• The food articles segment slipped to 8.33% in October.
• Vegetable prices segment decreased from 39.66% in September to 17.61% in October.
• In October, the fuel and power segment decreased from 32.61% to 23.17%.
• Additionally, the manufactured products segment saw a decrease from 6.34% one month earlier to 4.42% in October.