Daily Current Affairs and GK | 25 November 2022

Topic: Defence

1. India successfully tested an intermediate range ballistic Agni-3 missile.

• India successfully carried out training launch of the nuclear-capable Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) Agni-3 from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.
• The launch has been carried out under the aegis of the Strategic Forces Command for a predetermined range and validated all operational parameters of the system.
• Agni-3 missile is 16-meter long weighing more than 48 tonnes. It has a range of 3000 kilometres and is capable of carrying a payload of over 1.5 tonnes.
• The flight trajectory of the missile was tracked by various radars, telemetry observation stations, electro-optic instruments and naval ships.
• The two stage solid propellant is part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority and has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The first developmental trial of Agni-3 was conducted in July 2006.

Topic: State News/ Karnataka

2. ‘Kadalekai Parishe’ festival celebrated in Karnataka.

• After a gap of two years, ‘Kadalekai Parishe’, also known as the groundnut festival, has been celebrated in Karnataka.
• Kadalekai Parishe has 500-years-old history. It has been inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.
• This year, 3,000 people from different parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and also Tamil Nadu took part in the festival.
• It is a festival for welcoming the first seasonal yield of the groundnut crop.
• Participating farmers offered groundnuts to the idols of Lords Ganesha and Nandi in the temple.
• Other festivals of Karnataka - Kambala Festival, Hampi Festival, Pattadakal Dance Festival, Vairamundi Festival, etc.

Topic: International Appointments

3. Anwar Ibrahim has been appointed as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia.

• Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah appointed long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister.
• On November 24, the 75-year-old veteran politician sworn in as Prime Minister. 
• In the weekend election, Anwar's Pakatan Harapan (PH) alliance won the most seats, but fell short of the 112-seat legislative majority needed to establish a government.
• Malaysia:
  • It is a country in Southeast Asia.
  • Its capital is Kuala Lumpur. Its currency is Ringgit.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

4. India's Poornima Devi Barman has been awarded the United Nation's highest environmental award- Champions of the Earth.

• She has been awarded the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 2022 Champions of the Earth award in the Entrepreneurial Vision category.
• Champions of the Earth honor the innovative ways used by award winners all across the world to promote nature's incredible capacity for renewal.
• This year alone, UNEP recorded nearly 2,200 nominations from around the world for the prestigious award.
• Purnima Devi Barman is an Indian wildlife biologist who devoted her life to the preservation of the Greater Adjutant Stork, an endangered wetland bird.
• She is the founder of Hargila Sena and is the Senior Project Manager of Avifauna Research and Conservation Division, Aranyak.
• She started a campaign to protect storks in 2007, focusing on villages in Assam's Kamrup district.

Topic: National News

5. AYUSH market has grown from US$ 3 billion to US$ 18 billion.

• On 23 November, Union AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said addressed the 6th Confederation of Indian Industry-CII, AYUSH Conclave 2022 in New Delhi.
• He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi AYUSH market has grown from USD 3 billion to USD 18 billion.
• He said that AYUSH can play an important role in realizing the dream of 'New India' by providing holistic health and medical care to the citizens.
• Shri Sonowal informed that several reforms are underway in research strategies, nature of practice and education, which will lead to growth in this field.
• He urged the new generation to study AYUSH systems in depth.

Topic: Defence

6. 13th edition of the bilateral exercise 'Naseem Al Bahr' (Sea Breeze) was conducted between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO).

• Indian Navy's Guided Missile Stealth Frigate, INS Trikand, Offshore Patrol Vessel, INS Sumitra, and Maritime Patrol Aircraft, (MPA) Dornier took part in the exercise.
• The exercise was conducted off the coast of Oman from 19 to 24 Nov 22.
• The exercise had three phases: harbor phase, sea phase, and debrief.
• During the harbor phase, activities included professional interactions between IN and RNO operations teams, as well as friendly sports matches between the two navies.
• The sea phase consisted of tactical maritime exercises, including surface action, air defense, maritime surveillance, and interdiction/VBSS.
• The debrief phase of the exercise took place on November 23 at the RNO Naval Base in Duqm.
• In 1993, the first IN-RNO exercise was conducted.
• This year marks 30 years of bilateral exercises between IN-RNO.
• INS Trikand is a frontline frigate having a range of weapons and sensors. It is a part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet, based at Mumbai. INS Sumitra is a multirole offshore patrol vessel. It is part of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy, based at Visakhapatnam.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

7. Conference of Parties to CITES has adopted India’s proposal for transferring Leith’s Softshell Turtle from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES.

• India’s proposal has been adopted by the Conference of Parties to CITES in its 19th Meeting at Panama.
• This will make sure that international trade in captive-bred specimens only takes place from registered facilities.
• This will also ensure that illegal trade of the species is heavily penalised.
• Leith’s Softshell Turtle:
  • It is a large fresh water soft-shelled turtle.
  • It is endemic to peninsular India. It inhabits rivers and reservoirs.
  • It is illegally consumed and poached within India. It is also illegally traded abroad for meat.
  • It is estimated that its population have declined by 90% over the past 30 years.
  • It is categorized as ‘Critically Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

8. FICCI honoured Rajendra Singh Pawar with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award 2022’ at the 8th FICCI Higher Education Excellence Awards ceremony.

• 8^th FICCI Higher Education Excellence Awards ceremony was held in New Delhi on November 17, 2022.
• Rajendra Singh Pawar is the Chairman and Founder of NIIT.
• The award recognizes his contribution and work in the field of education and creating IT Training industry.
• Pawar has been awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2011.
• He has also been honoured as the ‘IT man of the Year’ by Dataquest (an IT industry journal) in 1998.
• FICCI Higher Education Excellence Awards were instituted in 2014.
• They were instituted to recognize and felicitate the achievements and excellent work done by the institutions and individuals in the higher education space.
• National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT):
  • It was set up in 1981. It is headquartered in Gurgaon.
  • NIIT has been featured as the only company in Educational Services Industry in the Fortune India 500 list 2020.
  • It was recognised as “Best Education Company to work with” at Indian Education Congress & Awards 2020.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. ‘Third Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance’ held in Oman.

• Union Minister for state for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, participated in the ‘Third Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance’.
• The conference was held in Muscat, Oman on 24th and 25th November.
• ‘The AMR Pandemic: From Policy to One Health Action’ was the theme of the conference.
• Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar also held discussion with policymakers, key global experts, representatives from the private sector, civil society, etc. on antimicrobial resistance.
• This will enhance international cooperation on tackling Antimicrobial Resistance.

• Antimicrobial resistance:
  • It is the ability of microorganisms to persist or grow in the presence of drugs designed to inhibit or kill them.
  • It occurs when microorganisms change when they are exposed to antimicrobial drugs.
  • It is one of the greatest threats to global public health.

Topic: Defence

10. Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise 'Samanvay 2022' to commence on 28 November.

• The Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise 'Samanvay 2022' will be organized at Air Force Station Agra from 28 to 30 November 2022.
• Samanvay 2022 exercise will give an opportunity to exchange domain knowledge, experience and best practices with the participating ASEAN member countries.
• The exercise will comprise a seminar on Disaster Management and a 'Multi Agency Exercise' comprising static and flying displays of various HADR assets and a 'Table Top Exercise'.
• The main aim of the exercise is to assess the efficacy of institutional Disaster Management structures and contingency measures.
• Various national and regional stakeholders involved in Disaster Management including NDMA, NIDM, NDRF, DRDO, BRO, etc. will take part in the exercise.
• The exercise will help in effective communication, interoperability, cooperation and successful conduct of HADR.

Topic: National Appointments

11. AICTE has appointed T G Sitharam as its chairman.

• He will hold the post of chairman in the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for three years or before attaining the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• He succeeded UGC chairman Jagadesh Kumar, who had been acting as interim AICTE chairman since Anil Sahasrabuddhe's retirement on September 1, 2021.
• He was working as Director at IIT Guwahati before joining the AICTE.
• His appointment comes at a time when the education ministry is finalizing a bill that aims to merge the AICTE and the UGC into a super regulator called the Higher Education Commission of India.
• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE):
  • It is a statutory body which was set up in 1945.
  • It works under the Department of Higher Education.
  • It is responsible for the planning and coordination of the technical education and management education systems in India.
  • 10 Statutory Boards of Studies assist AICTE.

Topic: Important Days

12. International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2022: 25 November

• International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is celebrated every year on November 25.
• It is celebrated to increase awareness in respect of violence against women.
• The theme of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2022 is "UNITE! Activism to End Violence against Women & Girls."
• The United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in the year 2000. 
• November 25 was chosen as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to honor the Mirabai Sisters, political activists of the Dominion Republic.

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

13. Krishithon 2022 inaugurated by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on 24 November.

• The 15^th edition of agriculture expo Krishithon 2022 is being held in Nashik after a gap of two years.
• The expo will be organized from 24 to 28 November.
• The expo will focus on new agricultural technology being used around the world, as well as felicitate young farmers and seminars on various issues.
• At the event, over 300 agriculture companies will showcase their innovation and ideas.
• Human Service Foundation has been organizing Krishithon since its inception in 1998.
• Nashik is the wine capital of India and the agricultural capital of Maharashtra.
• Nashik is the largest producer of grapes, onions, fresh vegetables and pomegranates in India.

Topic: International Appointments

14. Lieutenant General Asim Munir has been appointed as new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in Pakistan on 24 November.

• He will succeed outgoing Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who will retire on 29 November after completing six years in office.
• PM Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif has also appointed Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCSC).
• The CJCSC is the highest authority in the armed forces hierarchy.
• However, the COAS has the primary powers over mobilisation of troops, appointment, and transfer decisions, which makes the person holding the post the most powerful in the military.
• The new COAS Lt Gen Munir will be the 17^th Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan since the formation of the country in 1947.
• On November 27, Lt Gen Munir was due to retire.
• However, after his appointment to the post of Army Chief, he will continue to serve the country for the next three years.

(Source: News on AIR)