Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 November 2023

Topic: Indian Polity

1. Supreme Court directed the government to form a new delimitation commission.

• To ensure a proportional representation of the communities specified as Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), the Supreme Court directed the central government to set up a fresh delimitation commission.
• This decision was taken by a bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
• SC said that it cannot direct Parliament to amend or make laws for giving proper representation to communities that are part ST group.
• SC was hearing a case seeking a proportionate representation of the Limbu and Tamang tribal communities in the assemblies of Sikkim and West Bengal.
• This plea was moved by the Public Interest Committee for Scheduling Specific Areas (PICSSA) and an NGO, which argued that the Limbu and Tamang communities are not getting proper representations in West Bengal and Sikkim.
• The NGO has claimed that the ST population has increased in Sikkim and West Bengal and no reservations of seats for them is the denial of their constitutional rights.
• The Limbu and Tamang communities' population has increased from 20.6% in 2001 to 33.8 % in 2011 in Sikkim.

Topic: MoUs /Agreements

2. Five financing agreements worth over 1.1 billion have been signed between the World Bank and Bangladesh.

• Financing agreements worth over $1.1 billion will help in the resilient and inclusive growth of Bangladesh.
• Early childhood development, urban primary health, secondary education, riverbank protection and navigability, and gas distribution efficiency are part of the five financing agreements.
• Sharifa Khan, Senior Secretary of the Bangladesh Government and Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan signed the agreement in Dhaka.
• Currently, Bangladesh has the largest ongoing IDA program with 57 projects worth $16.46 billion.
• The maturity period is 30 years with 5-year grace period for IDA concessional loans.
• These projects are aligned with Bangladesh's Eighth Five-Year Plan 2021-2025.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

3. Geert Wilders's party registered victory in the elections of the Netherlands.

• Geert Wilders, the leader of the Netherlands’ far-right, anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) secured a stunning victory in the Dutch election
• Geert Wilder’s Party for Freedom (PVV) has won 37 seats out of 150 in the lower house of parliament.
• In the last election, the Party for Freedom had won only 17 seats.
• After the unexpected and emphatic victory, Geert Wilders is aiming to become Prime Minister.
• He is in favour of a referendum on the Netherlands’ EU membership.
• The GreenLeft-Labour party alliance (GL/PvdA) led by the former EU commissioner Frans Timmermans is in second spot with 25 seats.
• The liberal-conservative Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) got 24 seats.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News / Gujarat

4. Global Professional Accountants Convention inaugurated by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

• This first Global Professional Accountants Convention (GloPAC) is being hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI) from 24 November.
• More than 4,000 delegates from more than 25 countries are participating in the three-day event.
• It will discuss various aspects shaping the future of the accountancy profession globally.
• During the convention, two MoUs will also be signed by ICAI with the International Financial Services Centers Authority (IFSCA) and Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) City.
• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Aniket Sunil Talati, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India – ICAI were also present at the inaugural session.
• The conference will have more than thirty sessions, with several eminent speakers including Gujarat Education Minister Prafulla Pansheria and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India Chairman Debashish Panda.

Topic: State News/ Telangana

5. The world’s first 3D-printed temple has been unveiled by Telangana.

• The world's first 3D-printed temple is a ground-breaking structure located at Burugupally in Siddipet district.
• The innovative construction, achieved through a three-month 3D printing process, is a significant technological milestone.
• Spread over 4,000 square feet and situated at a height of 35.5 feet, this temple has three different parts.
• Especially, the temple consists of three sanctums, each dedicated to a different deity.
• These sanctums include a modak dedicated to Lord Ganesha, a square Shivalay dedicated to Lord Shankar, and a lotus-shaped sanctuary for Goddess Parvati.
• These sacred spaces were carefully designed using locally developed materials and software as well as an in-house system.
• The sanctum sanctorum demonstrates the ingenuity of 3D printing technology, the remaining elements of the temple, such as pillars, slabs, and floors, were created using traditional building techniques.

(Source: DD News)

Topic: Government Scheme and Initiatives

6. Investor Risk Reduction Access platform unveiled by SEBI.

• The Investor Risk Reduction Access (IRRA) platform has been officially launched by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
• This innovative platform is conceptualized and implemented by Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs).
• The platform is set to revolutionize the investor experience by addressing potential risks arising from technical glitches at the trading member level.
• Mitigating risk in the financial markets is an ongoing effort, and the IRRA platform has emerged as a proactive measure by SEBI to protect investors in the event of technical disruptions.
• The soft launch of IRRA took place on October 3, 2023, and on 20 November, it was officially launched.
• The platform is specifically designed to cater to investors using Internet-based trading and security trading via wireless technology, excluding algo trading and institutional clients.        
• However, the IRRA is intended to give an additional layer of protection for investors who engage in Internet-based and wireless technology-driven trading.

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

7. An MoU was signed between the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

• Taking an important step towards combating drug abuse, an MoU was signed between the two in New Delhi on November 23 under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
• The aim of the initiative is to synergize efforts to prevent drug use, especially among the youth, in line with Prime Minister Modi's vision of a substance-free India.
• According to the first comprehensive national survey on the extent and patterns of drug use in India reported by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used by Indians.
• Then there's cannabis and opioids.
• On 15th August 2020, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.
• Currently, it is being implemented in 372 identified most sensitive districts.
• The campaign aims to create awareness about the ill effects of substance abuse among the youth with a special focus on higher education institutions, university campuses, and schools.
• More than 10 crore individuals have been reached under the campaign with a multi-pronged approach through youth organizations including the National Service Scheme and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.
• More than 500 Nasha Mukti Kendra have been geotagged for easy access.

Topic: Personality in News

8. Every year on 24 November, Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Day is observed.

• He is the ninth Guru of the Sikh religion. His martyrdom day 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 taught his followers to protect the weak, even at the cost of lives.
• He taught that to overcome greed one has to follow the path of spirituality.
• Guru Tegh Bahadur:
  • He was born in April 1621 at Amritsar in Punjab. He built the city of Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.
  • He was also known as ‘Hind di Chaadar’, which means the ‘Shield of India’.
  • Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi is the site of the cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

9. State Educational Achievement Survey 2023 by ‘PARAKH’ has been successfully conducted.

• The State Educational Achievement Survey by PARAKH was successfully completed on 3 November 2023.
• It shows the assessment of educational competencies among students at the block level in India at grades 3, 6, and 9.
• This survey covered 80 lakh students from 3 lakh schools at 5917 blocks across the nation.
• The main objective of this survey was to assess the learning competencies of students at the foundational, preparatory, and middle stages with the main focus on Language and Mathematics.
• Except Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal all other States and UTs participated in the survey.
• The tools with scientific procedures were used in the survey to assess students’ competencies.
• The main feature of the State Educational Achievement Survey (SEAS) was to expand the sample size to understand the learning gaps at the block level, a strategic shift from the district.
• This change was driven by the objective of meeting the needs of a larger number of students and effectively understanding performance at a deeper level.
• In addition, this approach also includes professional development programs for teachers at the block level.

Topic: Geography

10. Cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’ is set to take place in the Bay of Bengal basin.

• Cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’ is the fourth storm of this year in the Bay of Bengal and the sixth in the Indian water bodies.
• It is likely to hit parts of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
• According to numerical models, more storms are expected to form due to unfavourable weather conditions.
• Cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’ originated from the Gulf of Thailand.
• Odisha, West Bengal and Bangladesh are more vulnerable to the cyclonic storms.
• The name ‘Michaung’ has been suggested by Myanmar.
• Cyclones usually form in the months between April and December. A pre-monsoon spike in cyclonic conditions occurs in May while a post-monsoon peak takes place in November.

Topic: State News/ Gujarat

11. Gujarat has declared Ghol fish as state fish.

• During a two-day Global Fisheries Conference India 2023, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel declared Ghol fish the state fish of Gujarat in Ahmedabad.
• Ghol fish is one of the largest fish found in India.
• This fish is found in the marine areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
• The fish is valuable and sought after for its meat and air bladder.
• The Ghol fish is used to make beer and wine and its air bladder is used in pharmaceuticals.
• Ghol fish meat and air bladder are sold separately, air bladder is exported from Mumbai.
• The length of the Ghol fish is about one and a half meters.
• The longer the Ghol fish, the higher its price.
• The price of Ghol fish per unit length can be up to Rs 5 lakh.

Topic: International News

12. FutureCoal: Global Alliance for Sustainable Coal will be the new name of the World Coal Association (WCA).

• This has been done with an aim to modernize and create a sustainable pathway for the coal value chain.
• WCA, a global platform for the coal sector, will cease after almost four decades.
• WCA has rebranded itself into a new identity, FutureCoal after a call from coal and allied sectors to modernize.
• The World Coal Association (WCA) is an international non-profit, non-governmental association.
• It was founded in 1985. It is based in London, United Kingdom.
• It was created to represent the global coal industry. Its CEO is Michelle Manook.
• The association was formerly called the World Coal Institute (WCI). It changed its name in November 2010.

Topic: International Appointments

13. Girish Chandra Murmu has been elected as Vice-Chair of the UN Panel of Auditors for 2024.

• CAG Girish Chandra Murmu participated in the sixty-third session of the Panel of External Auditors.
• It was held in New York on 20-21 November 2023.
• The Panel of external auditors comprises heads of 12 Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the world.
• It sees the external audit of the UN Secretariat, funds and programmes, and specialised agencies.
• Various issues including follow-up actions on the Secretary-General's response to the Panel Letter, and addressing critical concerns related to financial and management, climate change, and digital matters were discussed at the meeting.
• In another meeting, Murmu participated in the discussion on critical finances and management.
• Murmu along with panel members exchanged their views in the area of risk management.

Topic: Personality in News

14. Justice Fathima Beevi, first woman judge of the Supreme Court, passed away.

• Justice Fathima Beevi, India's first woman judge of the Supreme Court, died in Kerala's Kollam at the age of 96.
• She will be remembered for her contributions to public service.
• She was the first woman from the Muslim community in the higher judiciary.
• Justice Beevi was born in Kerala's Pathanamthitta in April 1927.
• She enrolled as an advocate in November 1950 and became a district and sessions judge in 1974.
• She became a Supreme Court judge in 1989 and retired in 1992.
• She also served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission from 1993 to 1997.
• She was governor of Tamil Nadu from 1997 to 2001.
• She was a recipient of the Kerala Prabha Award, the second-highest honour given by the Government of Kerala.