Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 November 2022

Topic: Personality in News

1. Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta has been elected as a member of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM).

• Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta, Director, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) has been elected in the 27th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) meeting.
• The meeting was held during 15-18, 2022 in Paris, France.
• He is the 7th Indian to get elected to the International Committee for Weight and Measures (CIPM). He is one among 18 members from different countries.
• International Committee for Weight and Measures (CIPM):
  • It is an international committee which works under the authority of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM).
  • It is responsible for the development and implementation of Weight and Measures around the world.
• General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM):
  • It is the highest intergovernmental international organization formed in 1875 under the terms of the Metre Convention.
  • CGPM is represented by 64 member countries and meets every fourth year at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), in France.
  • It advises and recommends amendments, changes, and alterations to the SI for formal adoption.
  • In 2022, CGPM has adopted 7 important resolutions including new SI prefixes ronna (10²⁷), quetta (10³⁰), ronto (10-²⁷) and quecto (10-³⁰).

(Source: PIB)

Topic: National News

2. UP CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurated UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon 2022 at the Gautam Buddha University (GBU) campus in Greater Noida.

• He said that to promote innovation and startups, government is supporting initiatives like Startups, Incubators, Mentorship, Center of Entrepreneurship, and Innovation Hubs. 
• UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon has attracted young minds from 22 countries along with India.
• They will collaborate to conceptualise technology-based innovative solutions for the problems faced by humanity.
• Over 400 students and 60 officials from these countries will unleash their hidden talents on this important platform.
• Education, energy, agriculture, health and hygiene, drinking water and sanitation are the proposed themes of this year’s hackathon.
• As part of the Hackathon, students will engage themselves in coding for 36 hours non-stop to find technology-based solutions for issues.
• Each innovative idea will win a monetary prize.  The awards will be handed over on the last day of the event, November 25.

Topic: National News

3. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced a National Suicide Prevention Strategy with time-bound action plans and multi-sectoral collaborations.

• It will seek to achieve a reduction in suicide mortality by 10% by 2030.
• It will establish effective surveillance mechanisms for suicide within the next 3 years.
• It will also seek to establish psychiatric outpatient departments to provide suicide prevention services through the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) in all districts within the next 5 years
• It will further seek to integrate a mental well-being curriculum in all educational institutions within the next 8 years.
• It envisages the development of guidelines for responsible media reporting of suicides.
• It also envisages developing guidelines for restricting access to means of suicide.
• It is in line with the WHO’s South East-Asia Region Strategy for suicide prevention.
• Sneha Foundation’s founder Lakshmi Vijayakumar is credited with writing the first draft of the strategy.
• Suicide-related facts:
  • In India, over one lakh lives are lost every year to suicide.
  • In the past three years, the suicide rate has increased from 10.2 to 11.3 per 1,00,000 population.
  • Family problems and illnesses are included in the most common reasons for suicide.
  • They respectively account for 34% and 18% of all suicide-related deaths.

Topic: National News

4. India’s first National Centre of Excellence for Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) has been launched.

• It has been launched by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal.
• It is a major initiative by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping towards providing greener solutions.
• The Deendayal Port Authority Kandla, Paradip Port Authority, Paradip, V.O Chidambaranar Port Authority, Thoothukudi and Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi have given their support to the ministry to set up this centre.
• The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is the knowledge and implementation partner for this project.
• The aim of the ports is also to reduce Carbon emissions per ton of cargo handled by 30% by 2030.
• India has been selected as the first country under the IMO Green Voyage 2050 project to conduct a pilot project related to Green Shipping.
• The NCoEGPS will be working under the framework of the Sagarmala programme of the MoPSW.
• NCoEGPS will provide policy and regulatory support to MoPSW for developing regulatory framework and alternate technology adoption roadmap for Green Shipping to foster carbon neutrality.

Topic: Personality in News

5. Great Ahom general Lachit Barphukan's birth anniversary celebration started in New Delhi.

• On November 23, three-day celebrations on the 400th birth anniversary of the great Ahom general Lachit Barphukan started.
• Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju attended the function.
• During the event, a documentary and a coffee-table book on the life and glory of Lachit Barphukan were inaugurated in New Delhi.
• On November 25, PM Narendra Modi will also attend the concluding function at Vigyan Bhavan.
• The Assam government is also organizing a week-long program to mark the birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan.
• In February 2022, former President Ram Nath Kovind had inaugurated the annual celebrations of the 400th birth anniversary of Lachit Barphukan in Guwahati.
• Lachit Borphukan:
  • Lachit Borphukan was a renowned army commander of the Ahom kingdom.
  • The Battle of Alaboi was fought between the Ahoms and the Mughals on August 5, 1669, in which the Ahoms suffered a devastating defeat and hundreds of their troops were killed.
  • After a humiliating defeat at Alaboi, Lachit Borphukan defeated the Mughals in 1671 and took back Assam.
  • He is known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. First India-ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting has been co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh & his Cambodian counterpart.

• The meeting was held on 22 November to celebrate the 30th anniversary of India-ASEAN relations in 2022 at Siem Riep, Cambodia.
• This year is being celebrated as ASEAN-India Friendship Year.
• Singh said that India has a historic, strong, and comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN.
• The event took place ahead of the 9th ASEAN-Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) Plus held on 23 November.
• Shri Singh proposed two major initiatives to further enhance the scope and depth of India-ASEAN defense ties.
• One of the programs proposed by the Defense Minister is the 'India-ASEAN Initiative for Women in UN Peacekeeping Operations.'
• The second program announced by Singh was the 'India-ASEAN Initiative on Marine Plastic Pollution.'
• Rajnath Singh also proposed the setting up of an India-ASEAN Marine Pollution Response Center in Chennai by the Indian Coast Guard to underline and complement regional efforts to combat marine pollution incidents.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

7. 4^th edition of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) started in Delhi on 23rd November 2022.

• 'Operationalising the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative' is the theme of IPRD-2022.
• It will have six professional sessions over a three-day period from 23rd to 25th November 2022.
• There will be Margdarshan session. Addresses from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav would be included in this session.
• 'Operationalising the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative' was articulated by PM Modi in Bangkok at the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) on 04 November 2019.
• The first two editions of IPRD were held in 2018 and 2019 respectively at New Delhi. IPRD 2020 was cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreak.
• The third edition of IPRD was held in 2021 in online mode.
• IPRD is a Track 1.5 event. It involves government and non-government agencies and institutions.
• Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD):
  • It is an apex level international annual conference of the Indian Navy.
  • The National Maritime Foundation is Navy’s knowledge partner and chief organizer of each edition of IPRD.
  • It seeks to promote deliberations and foster exchange of ideas on regionally relevant maritime issues.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

8. Australian parliament has given approval to free trade agreement with India.

• India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind-Aus ECTA) will further strengthen the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal said that duties on 100% tariff lines would be eliminated by Australia under Ind-Aus ECTA.
• He also said that ECTA would boost several sectors of the economy, especially textiles, gems and jewellery and pharmaceuticals.
• Ind-Aus ECTA was signed on 2 April 2022. It is now ready for ratification for its early implementation.
• The Agreement will enter into force shortly, on a mutually convenient date once both parties have finished their domestic processes.
• With this agreement, the total bilateral trade between India and Australia is expected to cross US$ 45-50 bn in 5 years from the existing US$ 31 bn.
• Around 96% of Australia’s exports are raw materials and intermediate products.
• The long-standing issue of Double taxation in relation to IT/ITES has been resolved under this Agreement.

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

9. FSSAI released the new draft for GM food regulations.

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released a new draft of Genetically Modified (GM) Food regulations for public consultation.
• According to the FSSAI, the proposed Food Safety and Standards regulations will be applicable to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) for food.
• The regulations will be also applicable to food ingredients produced from GMOs that contain modified DNA.
• As per the latest guidelines, food items containing 1% or more GM content have to be packed and labelled as “contains genetically modified organisms”.
• As per the draft, “No person shall manufacture, pack, store, sell, market or otherwise distribute or import any food or food ingredient produced from GMOs”.
• The draft of the regulation has been released for public consultations and suggestions on 18 November. The suggestions have to be submitted within 60 days.
• Manufacturers and importers of GM foods and ingredients are required to follow the rules and have to apply for prior clearance to the FSSAI.
• GM-food products in which the modified DNA is not detectable do not require labelling.
• Genetically modified foods (GM foods) are also known as genetically engineered food (GE foods). These are food items produced through the methods of genetic engineering.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

10. India and the EU signed an agreement for cooperation in the field of climate modelling and quantum technologies.

• India and European Union signed “Intent of Cooperation on High-Performance Computing (HPC), Weather Extremes and Climate Modelling and Quantum Technologies" during a virtual ceremony.
• The agreement has been signed by both sides as part of commitments to enhancing technological cooperation on quantum and high-performance computing.
• The main aim of the agreement is to facilitate collaboration on high-performance computing applications by using Indian and European supercomputers.
• The high-performance computing applications will be used in different areas such as bio-molecular medicines, covid-19 therapeutics, mitigating climate change, etc.
• MeitY secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma and Roberto Viola, director general of the Directorate General of Communication, Networks, Content and Technology have signed the agreement.
• High-performance computing (HPC) is the ability to process data and perform complex calculations at high speeds

Topic: National Appointments

11. Vineet Kumar assumed charge as CEO of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

• On November 21, 2022, he has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of KVIC, Mumbai, under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.
• Prior to taking over as the CEO of KVIC, he served as the Chairman of Syama Prasad Mukherjee Port, Kolkata.
• It was during his tenure that the grand celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Kolkata Port were inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 11th January 2020.
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC):
  • It is a statutory body established in April 1957 by the Government of India under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'.
  • It replaced the former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board in April 1957. Its headquarters is located in Mumbai.
  • Its purpose is development of khadi and village industries.
  • Chairman of KVIC: Shri Manoj Kumar

Topic: Awards and Prizes

12. JCB Prize for Literature 2022 has been given to Khalid Jawed’s 'The Paradise of Food'.

• Five judges' Panel has chosen Khalid Jawed’s “The Paradise of Food” for the JCB Prize for Literature 2022.
• This book has been translated from Urdu to English by Baran Farooqi. The book was published by Juggernaut.
• Khalid Jawed has been awarded Rs 25 lakh and, in addition, Baran Farooqui has been awarded Rs 10 lakh for translation.
• Khalid Jawed has also received the prize trophy.
• He wrote this novel in 2014 in Urdu.
• The Paradise of Food is the fourth translated book to win the JCB Prize, and the first in Urdu.
• About JCB Prize:
  • The award is given annually to a distinguished work of fiction by an Indian author.
  • The shortlisted authors receive Rs. 1 lakh and their translators get Rs. 50,000 (if any).
  • The winning author gets a cash prize of Rs.25 lakh and the translator gets Rs. 10 lakh (if any).
  • The JCB Prize for Literature trophy is a sculpture titled ‘Mirror Melting’, made by Delhi artist duo Thukral & Tagra.

Topic: State News/Odisha

13. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced Mukhyamantri Siksha Purashkar Yojna.

• It is an award and scholarship programme to promote healthy competition between different state schools and to recognise excellence in education.
• Under the programme, annual awards of Rs 100 crore per year will be given to school students, educational institutions and principals, teachers, school management committee for achieving excellence in education.
• Alumni will be awarded for their contribution under the programme.
• 50,000 students, 1,500 Principals, school management committees, alumni, Gram Panchayats and district administrations will be given the award.

Topic: National Appointments

14. Centre has appointed 10 Executive Directors (EDs) in various Public Sector Banks (PSBs).

• The appointment of ten EDs in various PSBs has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
• Lalit Tyagi has been appointed as Executive Director (ED) of the Bank of Baroda for three years.
• Binod Kumar has been appointed as ED of Punjab National Bank (PNB) for three years.
• Other appointments are given in the following table.