Daily Current Affairs and GK | 17 and 18 November 2024

Topic: Miscellaneous

1. The first overseas campus of Symbiosis International University inaugurated in Dubai by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

• He also presided over the inauguration of Symbiosis International University at Dubai Knowledge Park.
• The ceremony, which marked an important milestone in India-UAE relations, was attended by UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.
• The campus will offer comprehensive programs in management, technology and media, focusing on developing 21st century skills.
• It will also promote cooperation in line with the philosophy of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" - "The world is one family".
• This inauguration represents a significant milestone in India’s educational outreach as envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020, going beyond mere institutional expansion.
• This development further strengthens educational cooperation between the two countries, with over 300,000 students already benefiting through various Indian educational structures in the UAE.
• The initiative fully aligns with Dubai’s ambitious Economic Agenda 33, which aims to transform the emirate’s economy over the next decade by prioritising human capital development and enhancing the education sector.

Topic: International Appointment

2. Tulsi Gabbard appointed US Director of National Intelligence.

• On November 13, the newly-elected President of the United States Donald Trump appointed Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).
• He will require Senate approval to assume the position.
• If she is selected for the role, Gabbard will manage a budget of more than $70 billion (£55 billion) and oversee 18 intelligence agencies.
• In 2002, Tulsi became the youngest woman to be elected to the Hawaii State Legislature at just 21 years of age.
• 43-year-old Tulsi Gabbard is a US Army reservist and four-term Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who in 2012 became the first Hindu to win a seat in the US House of Representatives.
• Gabbard represented Hawaii in Congress from 2013 to 2021 and she became the first Hindu to serve in the House.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

3. RINL won 3 prestigious ‘Gold Awards’ at the International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC-2024) held at Colombo, Sri Lanka.

• Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Quality and Productivity (SLAAQP) organized the International Convention on Quality Control Circles (ICQCC-2024) at Colombo, Sri Lanka in Hybrid mode from 11th to 14th November.
• 3 LQC (Lean Quality Circle) teams from RINL, the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant had presented their case studies (O'Line).
• QC team “ARMOR” of SBM department presented its case study on “Minimizing Power & Free hook (P&F) Chain Downtime by eliminating Structure Damage.”
• QC team “TARANGINI” from Quality Assurance & Technology Development Department presented their case study on “Cyanide determination in water using micro diffusion cells”.
• QC Team “SADHANA” of SMS-1 presented their case study on “Surge Hopper-2 Modification”.
• The above three teams of RINL have won the prestigious “Gold Awards” at ICQCC-2024.
• However, RINL teams have won many such prestigious awards at the international level several times before.

Topic: State News/ Uttarakhand

4. Jauljibi Mela inaugurated by Uttarakhand CM in Pithoragarh.

• On November 14, the famous Jauljibi Mela-2024 was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, calling it an “priceless heritage” for Uttarakhand.
• Jauljibi Fair is an priceless heritage of the state, which has been promoting mutual harmony between India, Tibet, Nepal and border areas for centuries.
• This fair is a great medium to provide a platform to the small traders, farmers and artisans to showcase their products and also plays an important role in promoting various types of medicines.
• On this occasion, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of 18 schemes worth Rs 64.47 crore.
• This includes 13 inaugurations worth Rs 29.65 crore and five foundation stones worth Rs 34.72 crore.
• He also inspected various products being made by women self-help groups.
• The state government has approved the State Millet Mission to promote Mandwa, Jhingoora and other local products to increase the income of farmers.
• He said that 16 mythological temples are being developed in the first phase under the Manaskhand Temple Mala Mission.

Topic: National News

5. Sarai Kale Khan Chowk renamed Bhagwan Birsa Munda Chowk.

• On November 15, Sarai Kale Khan Chowk was renamed as Birsa Munda Chowk by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at an event organized to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of tribal leader Birsa Munda in Bansra.
• He also unveiled a 20-foot-tall statue of Birsa Munda at the entrance of Bansda and lauded the effort put in to restore the 30-acre site, which now serves as a bird sanctuary.
• Shah highlighted that a plan was made in 2015 to build 20 museums across the country to honour tribal leaders, of which three are operational and the rest are planned to be completed by 2026.
• 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.
• 15th November is also observed as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas in the memory of tribal freedom fighters.

Topic: Sports

6. Prajnesh Gunneswaran announced his retirement from professional tennis.

• On 15 November, Asian Games bronze medallist Prajnesh Gunneswaran announced his retirement from professional tennis after 14 years of Career
• Gunneswaran had achieved a career-high ranking of 75, making him the eighth highest-ranked Indian player in the Open Era.
• He won the singles bronze medal at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and also won two ATP Challenger titles.
• He has won 2 ATP Challenger and 8 ITF titles in singles and 1 ITF title in doubles.
• He won only one title in doubles, Egypt F25, Sharm El Sheikh (ITF Futures Tour) in 2018 with his Egyptian partner Issam Haitham Tawil.

Topic: International News

7. US authorities returned 1,440 seized smuggled antiquities to India.

• Manhattan prosecutor Alvin Bragg has returned 1,440 antiquities to India, including sacred temple statues, that had been smuggled into the US.
• The artefacts were returned at a ceremony held at the Consulate General of India, represented by the Consul Manish Kulhary.
• The pieces were recovered during investigations into criminal smuggling networks, including those of antiquities smugglers Subhash Kapoor, convicted in India, and Nancy Weiner, convicted in the United States.
• Some of these artifacts were on display in museums until they were seized by the Manhattan prosecutor's Antiquities Traffic Unit (ATU). They are worth $10 million.
• One of the returned statues depicted a Celestial dancer, which was looted from a temple in Madhya Pradesh in the early 1980s.
• The another idol was of Tanesar Mother Goddess, which was looted from Tanesar-Mahadev village in Rajasthan in the early 1960s.
• These archaeological remains are around 4,000 years old, spanning from 2000 BC to 1900 AD, and originate from various parts of India.

Topic: Summit/Conference/Meeting

8. Bengaluru Tech Summit 2024 to feature more than 2,500 startups.

• The Department of Electronics, IT and Biotechnology of Karnataka will organise the 27th edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) 2024 from November 19 to 21 at Bengaluru Palace.
• According to an official statement from the Karnataka IT and Biotechnology Department, over 2,500 startups will be present at BTS 2024.
• In 2024, the central theme of BTS, 'Breaking Boundaries,' has been taken to the next level with the theme 'Unbound'.
• BTS 2024 promises to be a unique platform, especially for the startup ecosystem, offering a multitude of high-impact programs, insights, and business opportunities.
• The event is being co-organised by Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).
• The BTS 2024 conference will include a three-day Startup Track on the Founder’s Stage, covering areas like AI, Space, Robotics, Quantum Computing, Healthtech, Agritech, and more.
• The Startup Track at BTS 2024 will be held on the third day for founders, leaders, and investors to discuss startup trends and opportunities.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be honoured with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) award by Nigeria.

• He will be the second foreign dignitary to receive this honor, following Queen Elizabeth, who was awarded the GCON in 1969.
• This will be the 17th international award given to Prime Minister Modi by any country.
• On 16 November, Prime Minister Modi arrived in Abuja on a two-day visit to Nigeria.
• This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Nigeria in 17 years.
• The Prime Minister was presented with the ‘Key to the City’ of Abuja.
• The key symbolises the trust and respect reposed in the Prime Minister by the people of Nigeria.

Topic: Important Days

10. International Students' Day 2024: 17 November

• The International Students' Day is observed every year on 17 November.
• It is observed to mark the Nazi invasion of a university in Prague in 1939. The Nazis imprisoned many students and killed and tortured several others.
• It is observed to raise awareness about the challenges faced by students.
• It is observed to celebrate multiculturalism, diversity and cooperation among students across the globe.
• World Students Day is observed on 15 October in India in honour of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

11. At the 38th Leeds International Film Festival, Manoj Bajpayee starrer 'The Fable' won the Best Film award in the UK.

• "The Fable" has won the award at the Constellation Feature Film Competition, which honours the best "new, pioneering cinema" from around the world.
• "The Fable" has been directed by writer-director Ram Reddy.
• The award follows the recent success of The Fable, which included its world premiere at the Berlinale Film Festival 2024.
• In October 2024, 'The Fable' also won the Special Jury Prize at the 2024 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.
• Founded in 1987, the Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) is the largest film festival in England outside London.
• The festival is held annually in November at various venues across Leeds, West Yorkshire, screening a wide range of films.

Topic: MoUs and Agreements

12. 8 MoUs signed between Andhra Pradesh Government and IIT Madras to launch transformational initiatives in various sectors.

• The Andhra Pradesh government signed the MoU as part of its plan to transform the capital Amaravati into an international city.
• These MoUs included the establishment of an international deep-tech innovation hub in Amravati, expansion of digital skills platforms like SWAYAM+ and IITM Pravartak, and launching mentorship programs for students and teachers.
• This also includes plans to develop Kuppam and Puttaparthi as logistics hubs and enhance Visakhapatnam's role as a global internet gateway.
• Other initiatives include marine research, smart sports infrastructure in Amaravati, and integrating artificial intelligence and data science into real-time governance society (RTGS) operations.
• These efforts are aimed at promoting growth and innovation in the state.
• Additionally, IIT Madras has decided to work closely with the State Government to train undergraduate and postgraduate students as per the industry needs, conduct advanced research and engage in socially beneficial activities.

Topic: International News

13. On November 15, 2024, the first trilateral power transaction, from Nepal to Bangladesh via the Indian Grid was inaugurated.

• Through a virtual event, Power Minister Manohar Lal jointly inaugurated power flow from Nepal to Bangladesh.
• Adviser of Bangladesh Ministry of Power, Fouzul Kabir Khan, and Nepal’s Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Dipak Khadka, also attended the inauguration.
• According to the External Affairs Ministry, this historic occasion marks the first trilateral power transaction conducted via the Indian grid.
• Last year, the government announced its decision to conduct the first trilateral power transaction from Nepal to Bangladesh, through the Indian grid with an export of up to 40 MW of power.
• Later, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam, Nepal Electricity Authority and Bangladesh Power Development Board signed a tripartite power sales agreement on 3rd October 2024 in Kathmandu.
• It is anticipated that the beginning of this power flow from Nepal to Bangladesh via India will improve sub-regional power sector connectivity.

Topic: Important Days

14. International Day for Tolerance: 16 November

• International Day for Tolerance is commemorated every year on 16 November.
• To commemorate UNESCO's 50th anniversary, the UN General Assembly established International Day for Tolerance in 1995.
• The Declaration of Principles on Tolerance was adopted by UNESCO in 1995.
• A resolution to celebrate November 16 as the International Day for Tolerance was voted by the UN General Assembly in 1996.
• In 1995, the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize was established to encourage tolerance and nonviolence.
• On the International Day for Tolerance, it is given once every two years.