Daily Current Affairs and GK | 5 and 6 November 2023

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

1. Climate adaptation funding declined by 15% to developing countries: Adaptation Gap Report 2023

• According to the 2023 Adaptation Gap Report, Climate adaptation funding from the World Bank and bilateral sources has declined by 15 per cent to around $21 billion in 2021.
• Climate adaptation funding has declined despite the pledge to double the funding to $40 billion per year by 2025 at the 26th COP of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow.
• In many developing countries, the domestic budget is one of the largest sources of funding for adaptation.
• In low-income countries, neither domestic nor private funding sources could bridge the adaptation finance gaps.
• More than 85% of countries have at least one national-level adaptation planning instrument. 
• The finance needs of developing countries have now become 10-18 times more than international public finance flows.
•  The total cost of adaptation is $215 billion per year for developing countries. The cost of adaptation is for planning and implementing measures for reducing harm from climate change.
• The adaptation costs for Least Developing Countries and Small Island Developed nations are estimated at $25 billion per year (2 per cent of GDP) and $4.7 billion per year (0.7 per cent of GDP), respectively. 

Topic: Sports

2. Bangladesh will host the 24th Asian Archery Championships in 2025.

• It has won the bid by 14-10 votes at the World Archery Asia Congress.
• World Archery Asia Congress was held on 03 November 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand.
• 24 member countries of the Asian continent took part in the congress.
• Bangladesh and China were the two countries that applied for bids as host countries for the 24th Asian Archery Championship.
• The 23rd Asian Archery Championship started on 05 November in Bangkok, Thailand.

Topic: Important Days

3. International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict: 06 November

• International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict is observed every year on 06 November.
• 6 November was declared as International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict by the UN General Assembly on 05 November 2001.
• 6 November was declared as International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict during Kofi Atta Annan's tenure as secretary-general.
• On 27 May 2016, a resolution recognizing the role of healthy ecosystems and sustainably managed resources in reducing the risk of armed conflict was adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly.
• Kofi Atta Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the 7th secretary-general of the United Nations.

Topic: Defence

4. Indian Navy's latest, indigenous, guided missile destroyer, 'Surat' was unveiled at a ceremony held at Surat on 06 November 2023.

• Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel unveiled it in the presence of Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief of the Naval Staff.
• Defense Minister Shri Rajnath Singh had launched it on March 17, 2022 in Mumbai.
• Project 15B involves the construction of four next-generation stealth-guided missile destroyers.
• Out of these, ‘Surat' is the fourth and the last ship. It is at present under construction at the Mazagon Docks Shipbuilders Ltd. Mumbai.
• This is the first warship to be named after any city in Gujarat.
• This is the first time that the unveiling of the crest of a warship is being carried out in the very city after which it has been named.
• The city of Surat was the most important maritime trading center for India and many other countries from the 16th to the 18th century.
• Surat City has also been a prosperous center for shipbuilding operations.

Topic: National News

5. 22 illegal betting platforms banned by the government on the recommendation of the ED.

• Orders to shut down 22 illegal betting apps and websites including Mahadev Book and Reddyannaprestopro issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• This action came after the Enforcement Directorate's investigation against the illegal betting app syndicate and the subsequent raid on Mahadev Book in Chhattisgarh.
• This raid revealed the illegal operation of the app.
• The accused Bhim Singh Yadav holds the post of constable in Chhattisgarh Police Force and another accused Aseem Das, both of them are in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate.
• They have been arrested on charges of money laundering under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002.
• Both these accused have been arrested under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and penal section 4 of PMLA, 2002.
• In September, ED had seized assets worth Rs 417 crore in connection with the Mahadev online betting app.
• The investigating agency had then alleged that the company promoted by Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal was running operations from Dubai.
• They earned Rs 450 crore per month by offering illegal betting through online applications.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. On 6 November, the first meeting of the Australia India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) held at IIT Gandhinagar.

• Australia-India Education and Skills Council was formerly known as Australia-India Education Council (AIEC).
• It is a bi-national body established in 2011 to guide the strategic direction of education, training, and research partnerships between the two countries.
• The scope of work of the Forum was expanded in line with the national priorities of both countries to focus on promoting internationalization, two-way movement, and cooperation in education as well as the skills eco-system.
• This is the first time that education and skills are being brought under a single institutional platform.
• The visit is expected to promote cooperation, partnership, and coordination in important areas of mutual interest in the education and skills sector.
• The meeting was chaired by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education from the Indian side and Jason Claire, Minister of Education and Shri Brendan O'Connor, Minister for Skills and Training from the Australian Government.
• The meeting provided a platform for academic and skills experts to discuss a wide range of mutually agreed priorities, with the ultimate aim of shaping the future of education and skills in both countries.
• The discussion was focused on three key themes: shaping the future workforce, strengthening institutional partnerships in academia, and enhancing research impact through internationalization.

Topic: National News

7. The 7th edition of Ganga Utsav organised by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).

• Ganga Utsav 2023 was organised on 04 November 2023 in New Delhi.
• Debashree Mukherjee, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti inaugurated it in the presence of G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG.
• G. Asok Kumar said almost 37 crores worth of projects have been sanctioned to stop the flow of dirty water into the Ganga River.
• He said nearly 3000 million litres daily treatment capacity has been set up in the Ganga basin.
• The celebration of Ganga Utsav 2023 also marked the release of the 33rd edition of Namami Gange Magazine.
• Ms. Debashree Mukherjee, and Mr. G. Asok Kumar flagged off the 2nd edition of Ganga Pustak Parikrama.
• Ganga Pustak Parikrama will start its 3-month long journey from Gangotri on 7 November 2023.
• It will pass through all cities and towns on the banks of River Ganga and end its journey at Gangasagar on 11 January 2024.
• Ganga Utsav 2023 concluded with the performance of fusion music by Pandit Siddharta Banerjee.
• Ganga was declared as the National River of India in 2008.

Topic: Sports

8. Indian Hockey team won the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy title.

• Indian Hockey team won the title after defeating Japan 4-0 in the final in Ranchi on 05 November 2023.
• Indian women’s team won over the two-time champions Japan through goals from Sangita Kumari, Neha, Laremsiami and Vandana Katariya.
• India won its first Asian Champions Trophy title in 2016 in Singapore.
• Japan won the Asian Champions Trophy title twice, in 2013 and 2021.
• China, the winner of the Asian Games, defeated South Korea 2-1 earlier in the day to take third place.
• Three lakh rupees for each player and 1.50 lakh rupees each for support staff have been announced by Hockey India.
• Salima Tete of Jharkhand was named the Player of the Tournament.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Committees/ Commissions/Taskforces

9. IRDAI formed taskforce to review the existing bancassurance framework.

• A taskforce has been formed by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India to review the existing bancassurance framework.
• This committee will also review the efficiency of the complaints of mis selling/forced selling of policies.
• It will also study the effectiveness of existing bancassurance models and will recommend ways to improve the efficiency.
• It will find out the best practices followed internationally and suggest modifications to be implemented on domestic regulations.
• J Meena Kumari will serve as the Chairperson of the taskforce. Other members will be senior officials from IRDAI.
• The taskforce will submit the recommendations in two months.
• Bancassurance is an insurance distribution model in which insurance companies partner with banks to sell policies.
• The bank gets commission from the insurance company, the insurer benefits from the distribution network of the bank.

Topic: National Appointments

10. Pravin Madhukar Pawar has been appointed as Joint Director of CBI.

• IPS officer Pravin Madhukar Pawar is appointed as Joint Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for five years.
• He will be Joint Director of CBI from the date of assumption of charge until five years or till further orders, whichever is earlier.
• The appointment has been approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
• Earlier, Praveen Sood was appointed as the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for two years.
• The director of CBI is appointed for a fixed tenure of two years by a committee including the prime minister, CJI, and the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha.
• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI):
  • It is an investigating agency in India.
  • It was established on April 1, 1963, through a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • It was established on the recommendation of the Santhanam Committee.
  • It derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
  • Praveen Sood is the current director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Topic: Defence

11. Indian Navy gave a farewell to the IL-38SD long-range maritime patrol aircraft.

• After 46 years of glorious service to the nation, the Indian Navy's Ilyushin-38 Sea Dragon Long Range Maritime Patrol aircraft bid farewell.
• On 31 October, the decommissioning ceremony was held at INS Hansa, Dabolim.
• The IL-38 entered into the service in 1977 and five aircraft were purchased by 1983.
• Over the years, the Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 315-Winged Stallion operated this aircraft.
• The IL-38 SD has proven itself to be a formidable force multiplier over the years with its unique capabilities, amazing maneuverability, and extended reach covering the vast Indian Ocean region.
• This year on Republic Day, the IL-38SD participated in the parade flypast for the first and last time.

Topic: Important Days

12. World Tsunami Awareness Day 2023: 5 November

• Every year on 5 November, World Tsunami Awareness Day is observed.
• It is celebrated to spread awareness about the Tsunami.
• The theme of World Tsunami Awareness Day 2023 is "Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future."
• The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was more dangerous than any disaster in the last 100 years.
• 14 countries were affected by the tsunami and the most affected country was Thailand.
• In 2015, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) had declared 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day.
• On November 5, 2016, the First World Tsunami Awareness Day was celebrated.
• Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning 'harbor wave'. It is a series of huge underwater waves created by a disturbance.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

13. PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana will be extended for the next five years.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana will extended for the next five years.
• He made this announcement while addressing an election rally at Durg in Chhattisgarh.
• This scheme is ending in December 2023.
• The government will spend more than Rs 2 lakh crore in 2023 on food subsidies under NFSA and other welfare schemes.
• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana:
  • It is a food security welfare scheme announced by the government in March 2020.
  • This scheme is implemented by the Department of Food and Public Distribution.
  • Under this, every member of poor families is provided five kg of wheat or rice and one kg of whole gram free every month.

Topic: State News/ Kerala

14. Kerala government decided to launch multi-language microsites to boost religious tourism.

• These microsites will play a key role in promoting pilgrimage tourism in Kerala.
• These microsites have been designed to not only show the rich heritage of the state but it will also reveal the significance of key religious sites.
• One of the microsites will focus on the renowned Sabarimala shrine and will cater for audiences of different languages including Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu.
• Its main objective will be to make the pilgrimage experience smoother and to help visitors.
• The Kerala Tourism Department will spend Rs 61.36 lakh for the development and maintenance of the Sabarimala microsite.
• Another microsite will be focused on the Islamic tradition, festivals, art forms and places of worship of the state.