Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 November 2020

Topic: National News

1. AAI celebrates Aviation Safety Awareness Week 2020.

• Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started the Aviation Safety Awareness Week celebration from 23 November to 27 November 2020 on all airports and ANS locations managed by AAI.
• Aviation Safety Awareness Week has been celebrated to raise awareness of Aviation Safety. On this occasion, many activities will be organized, including Mock exercises, preventive maintenance, and review of documents and facilities.
• Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP-2020-22): It is developed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. It provides a framework for aviation safety.
• Airports Authority of India (AAI):
  • It is under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and is headquartered in New Delhi.
  • Arvind Singh is its current chairman. It is a statutory body.
  • It is responsible for the construction, upgrade, maintenance and management of civil aviation infrastructure.
  • It was established on 1 April 1995.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

2. Tribes India has launched some new products in the market.

• The Tribes India has launched some new products in the market. It includes immunity-boosting products and Organics products.
• Earlier this week, Tribes India has launched the eco-friendly sanitary pads made by the Vasavatribals under the Gram Sangathan Kambodiya in Gujarat.
• All new products will be available on Tribes India Outlet, Tribes India mobile vans, and on online platforms of Tribes India.
• Tribes India E-marketplace:
  • TRIFED has launched The Tribes India E-marketplace on 2 October 2020 to provide an online platform for tribal products.
  • It is India’s largest e-marketplace, which connects about 5 lakh tribal enterprises to national and international markets.

Topic: International News

3. External Affairs Minister has started his six-day trip to Bahrain, UAE and Seychelles.

• EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar is on a six-day trip to Bahrain, UAE and Seychelles from 24 November.
• During this visit, he will meet leaders of these countries and will discuss the bilateral and  international issues with them. He is the first Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Bahrain.
• He will visit UAE on 25^th and 26^th November and will discuss the cooperation between India and UAE in various fields. He will also discuss the issue of Indian workers’ employment in UAE in the post-Covid period.
• He will start his two-day visit to Seychelles on 27^th November. During this visit, he will meet the newly elected President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan and will discuss to strengthen the India-Seychelles bilateral relationship.   
• Dr. S. Jaishankar is the current External Minister of India.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. ATAL Faculty Development Programmes launched by Education Minister.

• Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' has inaugurated 46 online programmes of AICTE Training and Learning (ATAL) Academy Faculty Development Programmes. It has been launched to train faculty of higher education institutions.
• These programmes will be conducted according to the National Education Policy -2020 in 22 states of India.
• It will help in improving the standard of faculties in the field of Engineering, Management, Life Skills, Design and Media.
• Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' is the current Minister of Education.
• AICTE Training and Learning (ATAL) Academy:
  • It was launched by the Ministry of Education.
  • Its main objective is the development of quality technical education and to promote research and entrepreneurship through training in various fields.
  • First AICTE Training and Learning (ATAL) Academy was established in Jaipur.

Topic: Personality in News

5. Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day has been celebrated on 24 November.

• Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 345th Martyrdom Day was celebrated across the country on 24 November. It is observed as Shaheed Diwas every year.
• On this day, he was killed in 1675 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for refusing to convert to Islam. He had sacrificed his life to protect religion, human values, ideals and principles.
• Guru Tegh Bahadur:
  • He was born on 1^st April 1621 at Amritsar in Punjab.
  • He is the Ninth Gurus of the Sikh religion.
  • He was also known as ‘Hind di Chaadar’, which means the ‘Shield of India’.
  • He built the city of Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.
  • He had resisted the forced conversions of non-Muslims to Islam by the Aurangzeb.
  • Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi is the site of the cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

6. India and EU hold 6^th round of meeting on disarmament & non-proliferation.

• India and European Union conducted the sixth round of consultations on disarmament and non-proliferation issue.
• In the sixth round of consultations, various issues were discussed, which includes the field of nuclear, chemical, biological disarmament and non-proliferation, conventional weapons, outer space security issues, etc.
• Its main objective is to increase mutual understanding and cooperation between India and EU on international security issues.
• The 15^th summit between India and the European Union was concluded in July 2020.
• European Union:
  • It is a political and economic union of 27 member states which are mainly located in Europe.
  • It was founded on 1 November 1993. It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
  • European Parliament is a legislative body of the European Union.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/Odisha

7. Odisha legislative assembly passed ‘Odisha Essential Services Amendment Bill 2020’.

• The Legislative assembly of Odisha has passed the Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Amendment Bill 2020.
• It will prohibit the strike by the employees of essential service in the state by amending the existing Odisha Essential Services Act of 1988.
• According to new provisions of the bill, a person may face imprisonment for up to one year or a fine up to five thousand or both for the illegal strike.
• The essential service in the state includes fire service, excise, forest, prison reforms, electronics and Information and Communication departments.
• The trade unions are opposing it because it is taking away their right to protest.
• Odisha:
  • It is a state on the Bay of Bengal in the east of India.
  • It is known for its tribal cultures and many ancient Hindu temples.
  • Its capital is Bhubaneswar.
  • The Chief Minister is Naveen Patnaik and Governor is Ganeshi Lal.

Topic: Geography

8. Cyclone ‘NIVAR’ is likely to hit the coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Nov 25.

• According to the India Meteorological Department, Cyclone Nivar is expected to hit the coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram on 25^th November.
• It might bring heavy rainfall and stormy wind in the region of Villupuram, Cuddalore, Puducherry and Karaikal.
• Government has deployed six teams of the National Disaster Relief Force in these regions.
• It is the first cyclonic storm of this year’s northeast monsoon.
• The name of the Cyclone ‘Nivar’ has been given by Iran.
• Tropical Cyclone:
  • A cyclone is a low-pressure system with very high winds swirling around it.
  • Conditions favourable for formation of tropical cyclones are —
    • Sufficiently warm sea surface,
    • Atmospheric instability,
    • High humidity in low to medium levels of the troposphere,
    • Sufficient Coriolis force to maintain a low pressure center, etc.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

9. Kohima Smart City Development Limited bags best digital initiative award.

• ET Government Global Smart Cities Forum 2020 award will be given to Kohima Smart City Development Limited (KSCDL) under the Best Digital Initiative of the Year (Technology) category for Kohima City Wi-Fi Phase-I Project.
• The project aims to provide internet access in public places at a low cost and quick access to data for emergency services.
• In the first phase of the project, Wi-Fi hotspots in 51 locations have been activated with 2 smart Kiosks.
• Global Smart Cities Forum is a platform to discuss and propose new innovative solutions for the future of smart cities in core areas like planning, implementation, and policy-making.
• ET Government Global Smart Cities Forum Award 2020 has been instituted to recognize the government and private entities’ outstanding work to transform smart cities into citizen-friendly futuristic cities.

Topic: Personality in News

10. Former CM of Assam Tarun Gogoi passed away.

• Former Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi passed away in Guwahati due to post-COVID complications.
• Three days of state mourning has been declared by the state government.
• Mr. Gogoi was born in 1936.
• He served as the Chief Minister of Assam from 2001 to 2016. He was the longest-serving Chief Minister of Assam.
• He had also served six terms as a Lok Sabha MP.
• Current CM of Assam: Sarbananda Sonowal

(Source: News on AIR)