Daily Current Affairs and GK | 20 November 2021

Topic: Important Days

1. World Children’s Day: 20 November.

• World Children's Day is celebrated every year on 20 November.
• It was first established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day to promote international togetherness awareness among children worldwide and to improve children’s welfare.
• It is celebrated to commemorate the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly.
• The UN General Assembly had adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 20 November 1989.
• This year’s World Children’s Day theme is “A Better Future for Every Child”.
• In India, Children’s day is celebrated on 14 November on the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Topic: Miscellaneous

2. 52^nd International Film Festival of India to kick off in Goa on 20 November.

• The 52^nd edition of the International Film Festival of India is all set to kick off in Goa on 20 November.
• In this year’s IFFI, Martin Scorsese and Istevan Szabo will be honoured with Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.
• The International Film Competition will be adjudged by an international jury with Iranian filmmaker Ms. Rakhshān Banietemad as chairman.
• Actor Puneeth Rajkumar will be awarded along with legendary actors like Dilip Kumar, and filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta.
• It is being held in Goa between the 20th to the 28th of November. It will be organized in hybrid formats.
• Around 55 films will be showcased under the World Panorama Section. Carlos Saura will be the Opening Film and The Power of the Dog will be the Mid Fest Film.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

3. India gets re-elected to UNESCO executive board for 2021-25 term.

• India has been re-elected to UNESCO executive board for the 2021-25 term with 164 votes.
• India has been re-elected to Group IV of Asian and Pacific States. The election of members of the executive board took place on 17 November.
• The board examines the programme of the organization and corresponding budget estimates.
• The executive board of the UN's cultural and educational organization is one of three constitutional organs of the UN agency and it is elected by the General Conference.
• The executive board consists of 58 members and each member has four-year term.

Topic: Important Days

4. National Newborn Week 2021: 15-21 November.

• The National Newborn Week is observed every year from 15 to 21 November.
• ‘Safety, quality and nurturing care – birth right of every newborn’ is the theme of the National Newborn Week 2021.
• The main aim of the week is to raise awareness about the importance of newborn care for child survival and development.
• In India, around 46% of maternal deaths and 40% of neonatal deaths occur in the first 24hours. Prematurity, Complications during birth, and Infections are the main causes of newborn death.
• India is the first country to launch the India Newborn Action Plan (INAP) in alignment with the Global Every Newborn Action Plan.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

5. PM Modi to inaugurate 'InFinity Forum' on 3 December.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 'InFinity Forum' on 3^rd December. It is a two-day leadership Forum on FinTech.
• The event is being hosted by International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) under the aegis of the Government of India in collaboration with GIFT City and Bloomberg.
• Indonesia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom are the partner countries in this edition of this forum.
• It will unite the world on how technology and innovation can be leveraged by the FinTech industry for inclusive growth.
• In this forum, progressive ideas and innovative technologies across the world will be discussed by leaders.
• In the Union Budget Speech 2020-21, Nirmala Sitharaman had announced to provide support to World Class FinTech Hub at GIFT IFSC.

Topic: Sports

6. India clinched seven medals at Asian Archery Championships.

• India bagged seven medals at the Asian Archery Championships 2021 held in Dhaka.
• Indian team ended the tournament with one gold, four silvers, and two bronze medals. India's recurve archery teams won two silver medals and bronze medals.
• The Korean team of Ryoo Su Jung, Oh Yejin, and Lim Haejin defeated the Indian trio of Ankita Bhakat, Ridhi Phor and Madhu Vedwan in the women’s recurve final.
• In the mixed recurve team, Ankita Bhakat and Kapil clinched bronze after defeating Uzbekistan by 6-0.
• Pravin Jadhav, Parth Salunkhe, and Kapil are part of the Asian Archery Championships 2021 team.
• In the 2017 Asian championship, Jyothi Surekha Vennam had clinched the gold medal in the women’s category.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Science and Technology

7. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh launches world's most sophisticated MRI facility at NBRC, Manesar.

• Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh launched the world's most sophisticated MRI facility at National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar in Haryana.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh said that MRI Scanner Prisma from Siemens, Germany, is being used by various international initiatives, such as Brain initiative of the USA, the European human brain project.
• This facility reduces the scanning time for patients by almost a quarter from earlier-generation machines.
• Union Minister asked the Director and senior scientists and officials of NBRC to come out with a Special Intervention Study on Alzheimer's.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ J&K

8. National Health Mission, J&K wins award for Swasthya Nidhi Survey App at fourth Digital Transformation Awards Summit.

• National Health Mission, J&K has won an award for Swasthya Nidhi Survey App in Health Category at the fourth Digital Transformation Awards Summit.
• The fourth Digital Transformation Awards Summit titled as 'Towards Integrated Digital Health Infrastructure' was organized by Governance Now.
• National Health Mission, J&K was appreciated at the national-level for leveraging digital approach to track suspicious COVID-19 patients.
• J&K Mission Director of NHM said that Swasthya Nidhi, a Survey App is an integrated health audit and intensive screening framework.
• It is designed to collect the health data of individuals from households in J&K and to take timely action to track suspicious COVID-19 patients.
• Himachal Pradesh has been declared best in use of digital health approaches for preventing and controlling Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) at 4^th Digital Transformation Awards Summit.
• Diabetes, hypertension, oral cancers, breast cancers and obesity are Non-Communicable Diseases.
• Government of India launched National Health Mission in 2013 by subsuming National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission.

Topic: State News/ Mizoram

9. Mizoram paired with Bihar under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat campaign.

• Under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat campaign, Mizoram has been paired with Bihar.
• Both states have different cultures and languages but people from both states share a loving experience of cultural exchanges.
• Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' campaign was launched to promote cultural unity among various states.
• It aims to strengthen the traditional fabric of emotional unity among the people of the country.
• ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ initiative was launched on 31st October, 2015.

Topic: Personality in News

10. Novy Kapadia, a veteran football commentator, died after a prolonged illness.

• Novy Kapadia, a renowned commentator and former Delhi University professor who was regarded as an authority on Indian football, died after a long illness. He was 67 years old.
• Kapadia, who has covered nine FIFA World Cups and many Olympics, had been on a ventilator for the past month.
• The prominent football expert and author had been afflicted with motor neuron disease. It is a rare disorder in which neurons in the spine and brain gradually lose function.
• Kapadia, who wrote books such as Barefoot To Boots, The Many Lives Of Indian Football, and others, was also a lecturer at Delhi University's SGTB Khalsa College. He was Deputy Proctor of the university from 2003-2010.
• In 2014, he had also authored "The Football Fanatic's Essential Guide Book".

Topic: Awards and Przies

11. Prakash Padukone will receive a lifetime achievement award from BWF.

• The Badminton World Federation (BWF) will honour Badminton legend Prakash Padukone with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award this year.
• The Indian legend has been shortlisted by the BWF Council based on the proposal of the award commission.
• His name has been nominated for the prize by the Badminton Association of India (BAI).
• Padukone, the former World No. 1 and the first-ever Indian medalist at the World Championships, has made a significant contribution to the game. He was also given the BAI's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
• The BWF Council has nominated Devender Singh, president of the Haryana Badminton Association, S.A. Shetty, secretary-general of the Maharashtra Badminton Association, O.D. Sharma, vice-president of the BAI, and former BAI vice-president Manik Saha for the Meritorious Service Award.
• The Women & Gender Equity Award will be given to Alaknanda Ashok, President of the Uttarakhand Badminton Association. For many years, she has been involved in badminton administration.
• The Certificate of Commendation will be presented to Sunrise Sport (India) Pvt Ltd and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd for their continued support of badminton.
• Sunrise Sport, the title sponsor of BAI for the past four years, has been a long-time supporter and key stakeholder in the development of Indian badminton.
• Indian Oil Corporation Ltd has also been a major supporter of the sport in the country and has played an important part in the development of badminton in the country.
• During the India Open, all the awardees will get Certificates and plaques.

Topic: State News/ Haryana

12. President of India paid a visit to Adarsh Village Sui in Bhiwani, Haryana.

• Shri Ram Nath Kovind, the President of India, paid a visit to Sui village in Haryana's Bhiwani district and inaugurated several public facilities there.
• Mahadevi Parameshwaridas Jindal Charitable Trust is developing this village as an 'Adarsh Gram' under the Haryana Government's Swa-Prerit Adarsh Gram Yojana (SPAGY).
• The President spoke on the event, praising Shri SK Jindal and his family for their efforts in transforming Sui village into a model village.
• He expressed optimism that by effectively utilizing the village's school, library, drinking water facilities, and other amenities, the village's children and youth will accomplish outstanding results in the fields of education, health, and sports.
• President stated that rural development is the basis of national development in our rural economy, and he praised the Haryana government for conceptualizing and implementing the Adarsh Gram Yojana.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

13. First air pollution control tower in Uttar Pradesh has been inaugurated.

• In Noida, Uttar Pradesh, the state's first air pollution control tower was inaugurated.
• The state's first air pollution control tower (APCT) has been built near Film City Sector 16 on the DND Expressway's green belt.
• The Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and the Noida Authority have collaborated with each other to build the Tower.
• Union Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey inaugurated the tower in the presence of minister Krishna Pal, Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma, Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, and Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari.
• Noida, like numerous other Delhi and NCR cities, has been dealing with poor air quality since Diwali. From November to January, the air quality index (AQI) deteriorates to a low of 320 to 400.
• The tower has been constructed at a cost of Rs 4 crore by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), it will suck in dirty air and catch particulate matter with filters put at its base.
• The APCT is also equipped with four fans, each with a capacity of 20,000 m³/hr, and three types of air filters, which are:
  • Demister filter (provided at the inlet side before feeding the air into the chamber and considers the ambient temperature and fog during winter)
  • PM 2.5 pleated filter
  • Activated carbon filters for cleaning dust mist and harmful gaseous substances.
• An autonomous pulse jet-type dust cleaning mechanism is also included in the tower, which cleans the PM 2.5 filter at regular intervals.