Daily Current Affairs November 13 & 14 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Kindness Day: 13th November

• World Kindness Day 2022 is observed on the 13th of November 2022.
• World Kindness Day 2022 Theme set up for this year is “Be Kind Whenever Possible”.
• World Kindness Day is celebrated by nearly 27 countries around the world.
• But yet the UN has not officially celebrated this day.
• Some of the countries which celebrate World Kindness Day are India, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Japan, Italy, etc.
• World Kindness day was first celebrated in 1998 at the Tokyo Conference.
• World Kindness Day Movement has been started which helped to bring small Organizations together for the World Kindness day Celebration.
• Now it helped to conduct a mega event to promote Kindness globally.
• Now It turned into a WorldWide Movement which helped to spread Kindness quicker because kindness among people will help to reduce conflict between Nations.

Children’s Day in India: 14th November

• Children’s Day in India is observed on the 14th of November 2022.
• Jawaharlal Nehru was born to a Kashmiri Brahmans Royal family on November 14th, 1889.
• Later he moved to Delhi and completed his Scholarship.
• His father’s name was Motilal Nehru. Jawaharlal was the eldest of four children, two of whom were girls.
• A sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, later became the first woman president of the United Nations General Assembly.
• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was called Chacha Nehru by the children.
• Jawaharlal Nehru believed that Children are the real strength of the nation and the foundation of society.
• After the death of Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964, a resolution was passed in the parliament unanimously to honor him, declaring his birth anniversary as the official date of Children’s Day.

World Diabetes Day: 14th November

• World Diabetes Day 2022 is observed on the 14th of November 2022.
• World Diabetes Day 2022 theme set by WHO is “access to diabetes education”.
• World Diabetes Day became an official UN day in 2006.
• World Diabetes day was established in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation with support from WHO for the growing concerns about the health and economic threat posed by diabetes.
• Diabetes occurs due to insufficient secretion of Insulin by the Pancreas.
• To meet Insulin secretion in the body research took place and finally, Insulin booster Injection was discovered by Sir Frederick G Banting (pictured), Charles H Best, and JJR Macleod at the University of Toronto in 1921 and it was later purified by James B Collip.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Launch of a nationwide campaign for the Digital Life Certificate:

• A nationwide campaign has been launched by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension, Government of India, to promote digital life certificates for Central Government Pensioners.
• Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State, introduced the Face Authentication Technique for submitting a Life Certificate through any Android Mobile Phone in 2021.
• The department is launching a unique, national advertising campaign to promote the life certificate in digital format this year.
• The promotion of the Digital Life Certificate has been ordered by all of the registered Pensioners Associations, Pension Disbursing Banks, Ministries of the Indian government, and CGHS Wellness Centers.
• A central government team will visit the campaign.
• Section officers Deborah Umesh, Andrew Zomawai Karthak, and Tanya Rajput will serve as the team’s leaders.
• All pensioners are welcome to come to the center to submit their life certificates electronically.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Jharkhand Cabinet approves four ambitious schemes for students & youths

• The Jharkhand Cabinet has approved four ambitious schemes to promote education and skill development of students and
• The cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren approved the 4 schemes and 34 other agendas.
• President Droupadi Murmu will officially launch these schemes on Jharkhand’s Foundation day on November 15, 2022.

List of 4 Schemes :

1. Higher and Technical Education department’s Mukhya Mantri Shiksha Prothsahan Yojana (MMSPY)
2. Eklavya Prasikshan Yojana (EPY)
3. Guruji Student Credit Card Yojana (GSCCY)
4. Labour department’s Mukhya Mantri Sarathi Yojana (MMSY).

About MMSPY :

• Under the MMSPY, class 10 pass students will be provided free coaching at Jharkhand-based institutions of national repute for entrance examinations of engineering, medicine, common law admission test, mass communication, fashion designing, hotel management, and chartered accounting.
• Along with free coaching, a provision of Rs 2,500 scholarship per month has also been decided for lodging and other expenses of students.
• The only eligibility condition to qualify for the scheme is that the student’s parents should not come under the income tax criteria.
• The department targets to provide the benefit of the scheme to 8,000 students in a year.

About EPY :

• Under EPY, job-oriented free coaching will be provided for various competitive examinations such as the union public service commission, Jharkhand public service commission, bank PO, bank clerk, railways, and staff selection commission.
• The department has set a target to provide coaching to 2,700 students in a year.

About GSCCY :

Aim :

• To provide financial help to students, who would be selected for higher education, engineering, medical, and others.
• Students will be given a credit card, which has a maximum limit of Rs 15 lakh.
• Students can spend 30% of Rs 15 lakh for non-institutional expenses such as lodging, food, books, laptops, etc.
• This 30% component will go to the student, while the rest of the amount will go to the institution as fees.
• Students will get this credit at an interest rate of 4% and they will get 15 years to repay the loan. 
• The EMI will start one year after completion of the course.
• The cabinet also approved Rs 461 crore for the construction of a 3.5-km high-level bridge over the Swarnrekha river from Sakchi to Mango and Azad Basti.
• Besides, the cabinet sanctioned Rs 4.40 crore for the construction of Palash Mart at Kanke Road in

About Jharkhand :

• Governor: Ramesh Bais
• Chief Minister : Hemant Soren
• Capital: Ranchi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

ICICI Lombard launches a range of health insurance products 

• General Insurance company ICICI Lombard has launched 14 new Insurance solutions across Health, Motor, and Corporate segments.
• The offerings are propelled by the recently introduced “Use and File” framework from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and new types of risks emerging in all sectors be it pandemic, climate change, or data privacy.

Key Highlights :

• In the health segment, products like Golden Shield focus on senior citizens who find it difficult to find health insurance in old age.
• The policy covers expenses related to room rent, intensive care, doctor fees, anesthesia, blood, oxygen, occupational therapy, and medicines, amongst others.
• Other health insurance policies they have introduced include Health AdvantEdge, giving worldwide international cover, and BeFit, which is a cashless outpatient policy that covers common ailments like a cough or cold, and minor injuries that don’t need hospital treatment.
• In the motor segment, Motor floater Insurance allows a single policy with a single renewable date and premium for all motor policies.
• In the Pay-As-You-Use (PAYU) Plan, the premium for the policy is limited only to the extent the vehicle is used or estimated to be used by the customer.
• In the Pay-How-You-Use (PHYU) Plan, a customer with good driving behavior can avail of attractive discounts over the base premium of the policy.
• Voyager Travel Insurance focuses on both domestic and overseas travel for up to one year.

About ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited :

• Founded: 2001
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO: Bhargav Dasgupta

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Adani Power inks pact to sell 100% stake in SPPL to ACX for Rs 1,556 cr

• Adani Power Ltd has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to sell its 100 percent equity stake in its wholly-owned subsidiary Support Properties Private Ltd (SPPL) to AdaniConnex Private  Ltd (ACX),” at an enterprise value of Rs 1,556.5 crore.
• ACX is a 50:50 joint venture between Adani Enterprises Limited, which is a promoter group company, and EdgeConneX.
• It is engaged in the business of developing world-class data centers and providing co-location hosting and ancillary services.
• The proposed transaction falls within the ambit of related party transactions.
• The proposed transaction is done on an arm’s length basis.
• The expected timeline for completion of the sale/disposal is the end of January 2023.

About Adani Power Ltd :

• Founded: August 22, 1996
• Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
• Chairman: Gautam Adani
• MD & CEO : Anil Sardana

Government To Sell Its Entire 1.55% Stake In Axis Bank for Rs 4,000 cr

• The Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI), under the Central Government, will sell up to 1.55% stake or 4.65 crore shares in Axis Bank via an offer for sale (OFS).
• Around 4.65 crore shares of Axis Bank will go on the block on 10 and 11 November, at a floor price of ₹830.63 per share.

Key Highlights :

• As of September 2022, SUUTI held 4,65,34,903 shares representing a 1.55% stake in the bank.
• Shares held in dematerialized form in one or more demat accounts with the relevant depository participant will be offered for sale on November 10, 2022, (‘T day’) for non-retail investors only and on November 11 (T+1 day) for retail and non-retail investors.
• Only mutual funds that are registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and insurance companies under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) shall be allocated more than 25% of the OFS.
• ICICI Securities, Citigroup Global Markets India, and Morgan Stanley India will be acting as brokers on behalf of the seller.
• In May 2021, the government sold a 1.95% stake in Axis Bank held through SUUTI for a consideration of about Rs 4,000 crore.

About Axis Bank :

• Founded : 3 December 1993
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO: Amitabh Chaudhry

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

C Anandharamakrishnan takes over as Director of CSIR-NIIST

• Chemical engineering and food processing technology expert and leading scientist C Anandharamakrishnan has taken over as Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

About C Anandharamakrishnan :

• Anandharamakrishnan served as the Director of the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM-T), formerly known as the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, Thanjavur, since April 2016.
• He served as Senior Principal Scientist at the CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, Karnataka.
• His research areas include the design of engineered nano and micro-scale delivery systems for controlled and targeted release of food bioactive compounds, 3D food printing, engineered human dynamic gastrointestinal system and glycemic index studies, spray drying and spray-freeze-drying of food products and computational modeling of food processing operations.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENSE NEWS

Indian Army launches single window facility ‘Veerangana Sewa Kendra’ for welfare and grievances redressal of Veer Naris

• Indian Army has launched a single window facility – Veerangana Sewa Kendra (VSK) for the welfare and grievances redressal of Veer Naris.
• The project was inaugurated by President Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) on 10 November 2022 at the premises of the Directorate of Indian Army Veterans (DIAV) premises located at Delhi Cantt.
• The project has been driven by DIAV, AG’s Branch and the technology solution has been developed by Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N), Gandhinagar, Gujarat while Hero MotoCorp has supported the project through their Corporate & Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
• Veer naris is employed as VSK staff to maintain inherent connection and empathy with the beneficiaries.

About VSK :

• Veerangana Sewa Kendra (VSK) will be available as a service to the Indian Army Veterans Portal at www.indianarmyveterans.gov.in.
• The system caters to registering grievances with tracking, monitoring, and regular feedback to the applicant.
• Veernaris / Next of Kin will have multiple means for approaching the VSK through telephone, SMS, WhatsApp, Post, e-mail, and walk-ins to seek assistance. 
• Stakeholders can monitor the status of grievances through Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and the applicant will receive regular status updates through SMS and email
• The project leverages digital technology in the seamless coupling of various stakeholders i.e. Record Offices, Officers Record Office, ECHS, AWWA, Canteen Services Directorate, Colonels Veteran, Liaison Officers at PCDA (O), and PCDA (P) on a common digital platform.
• Non-military stakeholders like Rashtriya Sainik Board (RSB), Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) & Zilla Sainik Board (ZSB) are being linked through email.
• The postal address of the facility is DIAV, 104 Cavalry Road, Maude Lines Delhi Cantt 110010.
• Registration of welfare-related grievances can be done on the portal by veer naris through the respective Record Offices, Col Veterans, and

About MoD :

• Union Minister: Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary: Dr. Ajay Kumar

About the Indian Army :

• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS): General Anil Chauhan
• Chief of the Army Staff (COAS): General Manoj Pande

India’s Ministry of Defence is the world’s biggest employer with a 29.2 lakh workforce

• The report titled The World’s Biggest Employers’ (2022 or latest available) conducted by Statista has revealed that the Indian Ministry of Defence is the world’s largest employer, with a total of 2.92 million members who work under it.
• The research has found that under its aegis are active-duty personnel, reservists, and civilian staff.
• The Indian Ministry of Defence is followed by the US Department of Defence, which comes a close second with 2.91 million members. 
• The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which does not include civilian positions, employs around 2.5 million people.

Key Highlights :

• Globally, the firm with the largest number of employees is Walmart, with3 million people.
• Amazon comes second with 1.6 million employees.
• Findings on military expenditure by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) announced that the five largest spenders in 2021 were the United States, China, India, the United Kingdom, and Russia accounting for 62% of expenditure in 2021.
• US navy spending amounted to USD 801 billion in 2021 whereas China, the world’s second-largest spender, allotted an estimated USD 293 billion to its navy.
• Meanwhile, the SIPRI report says India’s navy spending of USD 76.6 billion ranked third highest on the earth.

About Statista :

• Founded: 2007
• Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany
• CEO : Friedrich Schwandt
• Statista is a German company specializing in market and consumer data.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA’S ‘Psyche’ Mission To Explore Metal-Rich Asteroid 

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the launch of its next mission Psyche on October 10, 2023, to reveal more about a massive golden asteroid between Mars and Jupiter.
• 16 Psyche is a 226-kilometer (140 miles) wide asteroid between Mars and Jupiter that could contain iron, nickel, and gold worth an estimated $10,000 quadrillion which is more than the global economy.
• The Psyche mission is part of NASA’s Discovery Program of low-cost robotic space missions. 
• “NASA’s Psyche spacecraft was set to launch in August 2022 and arrive at the asteroid in 2026.

About NASA :

• Founded: July 29, 1958
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C, United States
• Administrator: Bill Nelson

ISRO delivered Flight Termination System (FTS) packages to Agnikul

• Agnikul Cosmos, a space technology startup based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu received its first flight termination system (FTS) from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), with the support of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe).
• The FTS is a system meant to destroy a rocket if it goes off-course and might fall into a place where people live.
• This also marks the first time that a system that has been used for ISRO’s vehicles is being supplied for supporting a private launch vehicle built in
• The package will be used for their fully controlled sub-orbital launcher, scheduled to launch from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

About ISRO :

• Founded: 15 August 1969
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Chairman: S Somanath
• ISRO is the national space agency of India, it operates under the Department of Space (DOS).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Bihari Puraskar to renowned authors Dr. Madhav Hada and Madhu Kankaria:

• The 31st and 32nd Bihari Puraskars were given to renowned authors Madhu Kankariya and Dr. Madhav Hada, respectively.
• Hada received the Puraskar for his 2015 book of literary critique, “Pachrang Chola Pahar Sakhi Ri,” while Kankariya received it for her 2018 book, “Hum Yahan The.” Indravardhan Trivedi, the vice-chancellor of Mohan Lal Sukhadia University in Udaipur, presented the awards to the writers during a program on the campus.
• Hada received the Bihari Puraskar 2022 for his extensive work in literature, media, culture, and history.
• He is a literary critic and academic.
• He has also served on the Hindi Advisory Board and the Sahitya Akademi’s general council.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

Under DAY-NRLM, MoRD signs an agreement with the Veddis Foundation:

• To aid in the development of efficient governance frameworks for the DAY-NRLM, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and Veddis Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission is referred to as DAY-NRLM.
• The three-year collaboration with MoRD and Veddis Foundation is non-financial.
• The MoU was signed by the Veddis Foundation in Gurugram and the MoRD.
• Joint Secretary for Rural Livelihoods, Ms. Nita Kejrewal from the MoRD, and Mr. Murugan Vasudevan, CEO of the Veddis Foundation, all signed the MoU.
• Shri Nagendra Sinha, Secretary for Rural Development, presided over the meeting.
• According to Ms. Nita Kejrewal, Joint Secretary for Rural Livelihoods, engaging with different stakeholders toward a common goal will allow MoRD to advance.
• According to the MoU, the Veddis Foundation will set up a PMU in the Ministry of Rural Development’s Rural Livelihood (RL) Division over the subsequent five years.
• PMUs have been implemented by the Veddis Foundation in the State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) programs of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Manipur.

JBIC and NIIFL signed a contract to increase Japanese investment in India:

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIFL) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has been signed to advance and strengthen Japanese investment in India.
• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) sets a framework for collaboration between NIIFL and JBIC, which is proposing the creation of a bilateral India-Japan Fund (IJF).
• The India-Japan Fund, which will make equity investments in environmental protection and low-carbon emission solutions, will receive funding from JBIC and the Government of India.
• By supporting business collaboration across a variety of sectors in India and investing in strategic alliances between Japanese and Indian companies, the fund will also improve ties between the two nations.
• Through its investments in Ayana Renewable Power, IntelliSmart Infrastructure, Ather Energy, and the Green Growth Equity Fund, NIIFL actively supports green technologies and solutions.
• In addition, the India-Japan Fund will help NIIFL have a bigger effect in this area.

Daily CA on November 13 & 14:

• World Kindness Day 2022 is observed on the 13th of November 2022.
• Children’s Day in India is observed on the 14th of November 2022.
• World Diabetes Day 2022 is observed on the 14th of November 2022.
• A nationwide campaign has been launched by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension, Government of India, to promote digital life certificates for Central Government Pensioners.
• The 31st and 32nd Bihari Puraskars were given to renowned authors Madhu Kankariya and Dr. Madhav Hada, respectively.
• To aid in the development of efficient governance frameworks for the DAY-NRLM, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and Veddis Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission is referred to as DAY-NRLM.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIFL) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has been signed to advance and strengthen Japanese investment in India
• The Jharkhand Cabinet has approved four ambitious schemes to promote education and skill development of students and
• General Insurance company ICICI Lombard has launched 14 new Insurance solutions across Health, Motor, and Corporate segments.
• Adani Power Ltd has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to sell its 100 percent equity stake in its wholly-owned subsidiary Support Properties Private Ltd (SPPL) to AdaniConnex Private  Ltd (ACX),” at an enterprise value of Rs 1,556.5 crore.
• The Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI), under the Central Government, will sell up to 1.55% stake or 4.65 crore shares in Axis Bank via an offer for sale (OFS).
• Chemical engineering and food processing technology expert and leading scientist C Anandharamakrishnan has taken over as Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• Indian Army has launched a single window facility – Veerangana Sewa Kendra (VSK) for the welfare and grievances redressal of Veer Naris.
• The report titled The World’s Biggest Employers’ (2022 or latest available) conducted by Statista has revealed that the Indian Ministry of Defence is the world’s largest employer, with a total of 2.92 million members who work under it.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced the launch of its next mission Psyche on October 10, 2023, to reveal more about a massive golden asteroid between Mars and Jupiter.   
• Agnikul Cosmos, a space technology startup based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu received its first flight termination system (FTS) from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), with the support of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe).