Daily Current Affairs and GK | 9 November 2023

Topic: Important Days

1. National Legal Services Day: 9 November

• India observed National Legal Services Day on 9 November.
• It also marks the anniversary of the enactment of the Legal Services Authorities Act in 1995.
• It was passed with a vision to provide legal aid to poor and marginalised people.
• The main aim of the day raise awareness about providing free legal aid to the weaker sections of society.
• ‘Access to Justice for All: Empowering the Marginalised through Legal Awareness’ is the theme of the National Legal Services Day 2023.
• The theme emphasizes upon the importance of providing equal access to legal resources and knowledge.
• National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) at the national level provide free legal service to less privileged people of society.
• There are also 37 State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs), 673 District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) and 2,465 Taluk Legal Services Committees (TLSCs) to extend legal support to poor people.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

2. Scientists warn that 2023 is likely to be the hottest year.

• According to the EU’s climate change service, the world is set to be the hottest in 2023 and October was the hottest month on record.
• The average surface temperature was 15.3 degrees Celsius (59.54 degrees Fahrenheit) during October.
• It is 0.85 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average for October and 1.7 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial period of 1850-1900.
• Currently, 2016 is the warmest year ever recorded but 2023 will break the record.
• The 2023 will be the warmest year on record with temperatures 1.43ºC above the preindustrial average.
• Since the Industrial Revolution due to a sharp increase in heat-trapping gases, the average temperature of the earth has increased by 1.2 C.
• Scientists believe that extreme temperature is a result of a powerful mix of greenhouse gas pollution and the return of the natural weather pattern El Nino.
• Extreme heatwaves and droughts caused thousands of deaths, and many people lost their livelihoods.
• At the Paris summit, world leaders had promised to stop the planet heating by 1.5C by the end of the century.
• As per the current rate, the global temperature is set to rise by 2.4C.

Topic: Sports

3. Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj ranked top in the ICC Ranking.

• In the latest ICC rankings released on November 8, Shubman Gill became the world number 1 ODI batsman by surpassing Babar Azam.
• Shubman Gill is now on top with 830 rating points, while Babar Azam has slipped to number 2 with 824 points.
• He also became the second-fastest player to reach the No. 1 ranking in 41 innings.
• MS Dhoni remains the fastest player to reach there in 38 innings.
• In 2023, Shubman is also the batsman who scored the most runs in ODI and international cricket.
• Whereas Mohammad Siraj achieved number 1 ranking among ODI bowlers.
• The other three Indian bowlers in the top 10 of the rankings are Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami.
• Pakistan's fastest bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was the No. 1 bowler, dropped five places to No. 5.

Topic: Sports

4. 37th National Games concluded in Goa on 9 November.

• The closing ceremony was held at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji.
• The National Games started in Goa on 25th of October and concluded on 9 November.
• Maharashtra topped the event, winning 220 medals including 75 gold medals.
• Services Sports Control Board stood second with 64 gold and Haryana stood third with 58 gold.
• The National Games was held in Goa for the first time.
• Over 10,000 athletes participated in over 43 sporting disciplines at 28 venues across the country.
• The 38th National Games will be held in Uttarakhand in October-November 2024.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

5. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, accused of corruption, submitted his resignation to the President on 7 November.

• The Portuguese Prime Minister has resigned after the arrest of his Chief of Staff Vitor Escaria.
• Raids were carried out across the country and Infrastructure Minister João Galamba has also been named as a formal suspect in the investigation.
• Investigators are looking into concessions granted to several enterprises, including lithium mining companies - Lusorecursos and Savannah Resources.
• In Europe, Portugal is the largest producer of lithium, which is used to power electric cars and electronic devices.
• From the beginning, the concessions granted to these companies faced strong opposition from both local communities and environmental activists.
• Another deal being investigated is the construction of a 100 MW hydrogen production station, which was established in 2020 in Sines, southern Portugal.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Rankings

6. Quacquarelli Symonds released the QS Asia University Rankings 2024 on 8 November.

• In the QS Asia University Rankings, two Indian institutions, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi, have been ranked in the top 50 list.
• IIT Bombay has secured the top position in India and 40th position in Asia.
• Similarly, IIT Delhi stood second among Indian institutes and secured 46th overall rank.
• In ranking, China's Peking University topped the Asia ranking list by securing rank 1, followed by the University of Hong Kong at the second position and the National University of Singapore at the third position.
• Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and Tsinghua University, China have secured the fourth position.
• In this year's QS Asia University Rankings, a total of 856 universities in Asia are included.
• The 11 indicators used to compile the QS Asia University Rankings include academic reputation, employer reputation, and faculty/student ratio, etc.

Topic: State News/Maharashtra

7. Maharashtra cabinet approved an export promotion policy to boost exports.

• This is the first export promotion policy of Maharashtra. The policy will be implemented till 2027-28.
• It will generate an investment of about Rs. 25 thousand crores in Maharashtra.
• It will benefit about 5000 industries in the state and help increase the exports of Maharashtra by up to 14%.
• The policy includes the establishment of export centers at the district level by promoting export-oriented industries.
• In the cabinet meeting, a decision was also taken to appoint an empowered committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister to implement the scheme for the upliftment of Dhangar society.
• The cabinet has also taken a decision to establish modern Orange processing centers at 5 places in Vidarbha.
• A decision has also been taken for the establishment of an authority to increase the number of high-yielding milch animals.
• A decision to establish a police dog training center at Mauje Gojubavi in Baramati taluka was also taken during the meeting.

Topic: National News

8. University Grants Commission (UGC) issued regulations for foreign universities to establish and operate campuses in India.

• As per the regulations, foreign universities can collaborate to set up campuses in India, if they meet eligibility criteria individually.
• Foreign universities setting up campuses shall seek prior approval from UGC before starting new courses.
• They should have secured a position within the top 500 in global rankings.
• For setting up more than one campus in India, foreign universities need to make separate applications.
• Foreign university campuses in India will be given the autonomy to recruit faculty and staff as per their recruitment norms.
• Foreign university campuses in India will not be allowed to offer online courses or distance learning.

Topic: Defence

9. Army is looking to phase out the fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters by 2027.

• Around 190 Chetak, Cheetah and Cheetal helicopters are being operated by the Army Aviation Corps.
• Cheetah and Chetak helicopters will be replaced by light utility helicopters.
• The Army will get around 100 light utility helicopters (LUH). Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) will manufacture LUH.
• The Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) will be equipped with autopilot facility and will be ready for delivery by the end of 2024.
• Currently, the Army Aviation Corps has three brigades- two at the northern border, and one on the western border. It is planning to create one more brigade.
• The Army Aviation is also looking forward to introducing Apache Attack Helicopters.
• Army Aviation modernization was started two decades ago with the induction of multi-engine Dhruv helicopters.
• The integration of the HELINA missiles with the Advanced Light Helicopter (Weapon System Integrated) is also ongoing.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

10. Government launched 'Bharat Atta' to provide wheat flour at a subsidised rate.

• The Government is providing 'Bharat Atta' at a subsidized price of Rs 27.50 per kg under this scheme.
• The main objective of the scheme is to provide affordable wheat flour to the poor and vulnerable sections of the society.
• Bharat Atta is a fortified wheat flour that is made with a blend of wheat, rice, and pulses. It is rich in protein, iron, and other essential nutrients.
• This scheme will be implemented through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
• Bharat Atta will be sold through cooperatives NAFED, NCCF, and Kendriya Bhandar.
• An extensive network of 800 mobile vans and 2,000-odd outlets will distribute the subsidized wheat flour.
• Before the Bharat Flour Scheme, a pilot sale of 18,000 tonnes of wheat flour was made at 29.50 rupees per kilogram through central warehouses, NAFED and NCCF under the Price Stabilization Fund Scheme.
• Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal flagged off 100 mobile vans of 'Bharat Atta'.
• Nafed and NCCF would each receive one lakh tonnes and Kendriya Bhandar would get 50,000 tonnes wheat flour for distribution.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Defence

11. Myanmar-Russia Maritime Security Exercise (MARUMEX), held for the first time in the Andaman Sea, concluded on 8 November.

• The exercise was focused on “prevention of air, water surface and underwater dangers, and maritime security measures."
• The exercise, which started on November 5, aims to strengthen naval cooperation between the two countries.
• In the first Myanmar-Russia Maritime Security Exercise (MARUMEX), ships and aircraft were involved and were held from 7 to 9 November in the west of Myeik.
• Ahead of the historic event, Myanmar's military leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met Russia's Navy Chief Admiral Nikolai Evmenov to extend support.
• Myanmar share close ties with Russia, which is the top arms supplier to the Southeast Asian nations.
• Since the February 2021 coup, Myanmar and Russia have grown closer.
• Russian officials have also been invited as guests of honor on Myanmar's Armed Forces Day, which takes place every year in March.

Topic: Personality in News

12. On 7 November, Maheshwar Mohanty, a former speaker and minister of Odisha, passed away at the age of 67.

• Mohanty, a five-time MLA from Puri assembly constituency, handled the politics of Puri city for almost three decades.
• In 1995, he became MLA from Puri for the first time on Janata Dal ticket.
• In May 2004, Mohanty was elected as the Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly, a position he held until March 2008.
• In 2012, he became a minister for the first time and remained in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet till May 2019.

Topic: State News/ Bihar

13. 9.4 million Families earned less than ₹6,000 per month in Bihar: Bihar's caste survey report

• The Social, economic and educational data of the caste-based survey report has been tabled in the Bihar Assembly.
• Parliamentary Affairs Department Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary presented the data.
• As per Bihar's caste survey report, 9.4 million families earned less than ₹6,000 per month, which is 34.13% of 27.6 million families in the state.
• 42.93% of scheduled castes (SCs) earned less than ₹6,000 a month. 42.7% of scheduled tribes (ST), 33.58% of extremely backward classes (EBCs), 33.16% of backward castes and 25.09% of general categories are poor.
• In the General Category, poverty is highest among Bhumihars (27.58%).
• Among the total number of Brahmin families, out of which 2,72,576 families are poor.
• Among the OBCs, 2,89,538 Yadavs have government jobs while 1,17,171 Kurmis and  1,12,106 Kushwahas have government jobs.
• In the General Category, Kayasths hold the highest number of government jobs (6.68% of the community).
• As per the report, 14% of the people lives in huts and only 7% are graduate.
• The report showed that 3.5% of the state is working in other states.
• 88.2 million People have been classified as housewives and students.
• 1.59 million Persons are in private jobs in the organized sector while 2.79 million people work in the private unorganized sector.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

14. India's largest cold press facility will be opened by Bharat Botanics.

• Bharat Botanics has announced that its wood-pressed cold oil processing facility will be opened in Rajkot Gujarat.
• It will be spread over 16,000 square feet and will be one of its kind automated facility.
• At this facility, seeds will be crushed by using traditional “Wooden Ghani's" with the cold-pressed technique.
• It will offer a variety of wood-pressed oils, such as Groundnut oil, Coconut (Kopra) Oil, Sesame (Til) Oil, Mustard (Rai) Oil, Castor (Arandia) Oil, Sunflower (Surajmukhi) Oil, etc.
• Manish Popat, Co-Founder of Bharat Botanics said that the company is trying to expand its capacity to meet the demand.
• Bharat Botanics is a wood-pressed edible oil (B2C) company. It is known for its pure, chemical-free, and natural oils.