Daily Current Affairs November 18 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

National Commission for Women (NCW) launches the fourth phase of the Digital Shakti Campaign

• The fourth phase of the National Commission for Women’s (NCW) Digital Shakti Campaign to empower and educate girls and women online has begun.
• The goal of Digital Shakti 4.0 is to empower women with the digital skills and knowledge they need to confront any inappropriate or illegal online behaviour.
• Together with Meta and the CyberPeace Foundation, NCW started the campaign.
• This new stage will prove to be significant in establishing safe online environments for women.
• By teaching them how to utilise technology effectively and to stay safe online, Digital Shakti has increased the engagement of women and girls online.
• In order to help women across the country increase their level of understanding about the digital world, develop resilience, and combat cybercrime in the most efficient methods, Digital Shakti was started in June 2018.
• Through this project, nearly 3 Lakh women in India have learned how to stay safe online, how to report and address issues, how to protect their personal information, and how to use technology to their advantage.

About National Commission for Women:

• The National Commission for Women (NCW) is the statutory body of the Government of India, generally concerned with advising the government on all policy matters affecting women.
• Headquarters: New Delhi

First Virtual Global Skill Summit Co-Chaired by Dharmendra Pradhan and Piyush Goyal to Promote Overseas Mobility

• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Ministry of Education (MoE), and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organised the inaugural Virtual Global Skill Summit to promote the movement of skilled workers abroad.
• The conference was co-chaired by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, and Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.
• The Virtual Global Skill Summit (VGSS) focused on qualification benchmarking, capacity building, information exchange, and skill harmonisation in order to enhance global mobility, employment and readiness for the youth to join the global workforce.
• The primary aim of the summit was to institutionalise a mechanism for the exchange of information on the skill requirements of countries and the skill availability in India.
• This becomes a good opportunity to provide overseas employment opportunities to the Indian youth in countries facing a shortage of workforce

4th Edition of Indian Chemicals Council Sustainability Conclave inaugurated in New Delhi

• Arun Baroka, the secretary for chemicals and petrochemicals, officially inaugurated the fourth edition of theIndian Chemicals Council Sustainability Conclave in New Delhi.
• “Boardrooms to Community-ESG, Carbon Neutrality, Operational Safety, Greener Solutions” is the theme of the two-day conference.
• The Conclave seeks to advance sustainability in the management of chemicals throughout their full life cycle.
• With the assistance of the Ministries of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change, it is being organised in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program and the International Council of Chemical Associations.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Jammu and Kashmir Admin introduces scheme to promote sheep farming – ISDS

• The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration has introduced an integrated sheep development scheme (ISDS) for promoting the sheep farming sector.
• Various reforms & initiatives like ISDS were introduced for modernisation and promotion of the sheep farming sector and strengthening of commercial activities and output of the sector which provides the means of livelihood to about 12 lakh families in the UT.

Aim :

• To promote the establishment of sheep and goat units in the union territory.

About ISDS :

• ISDS is one of the schemes of Sheep Husbandry Department.
• Under this scheme, financial assistance from the banks has been made available along with other incentives and subsidies.

Who are eligible to apply for the scheme ?

• Any individual /group of individuals/self-help group/cooperative society/farmers producer organization.
• The scheme also has the provision of Procurement of Shearing units (Comprising of one shearing machine, one Genset and shearing accessories/spares), 50% of the unit cost as total eligible subsidy with a ceiling of Rs 75,000/unit whichever is less.
• High genetic potential breeds of sheep, exotic breeds for crossbreeding, marketing facilities and preventive mechanism of endemic disease problems is bringing overall improvement in sheep rearing sector and improving socio-economic status of a vast majority of livestock producers.

About J&K :

• Lieutenant Governor : Manoj Sinha
• Capital : Srinagar, Jammu
• National Park : Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Kazinag National Park, Dachigam National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
• Dance forms : Hafiza Dance, Bacha Nagma

Assam ties up with IIM Bangalore to train pvt professionals to work in districts

• The Assam government inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Karnataka to train working professionals in Assam.
• The agreement was signed by Chief Minister Sarma; Rishikesha T Krishnan, director of IIM-Bangalore and the state’s pricipalsecetary Samir Sinha at the state capital Guwahati Assam.
• The training programme aims to prepare professionals with a postgraduate degree to work at the district level.

Key Highlights :

• The government joined hands with the premier B-school with an aim to bring transformative changes in health, education, women, and child development in Assam.
• The programme will be a mix of academic and district work and will also feature an off-campus training programme, to be conducted over 40 days, in Guwahati.
• The training programme will span 2 years and on completion of the course, the candidates will receive certificates in public policy and management from IIM, Bangalore.

About Assam :

• Governor : Jagdish Mukh
• Chief Minister : HimantaBiswaSarma
• Capital : Dispur
• Dam : Karbi Langpi Dam, Umrong Dam
• Forts : Badarpur Fort, Cachari Fort
• National Parks : Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Nameri National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Nameri National Park, Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary, Amsang Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

North Korea Fires “Unidentified Ballistic Missile” into the Sea of Japan

• A short-range ballistic missile was fired by North Koreatowards the Sea of Japanjust hours after it promised “fiercer” military retaliation against the United States for stepping up its security cooperation with allies South Korea and Japan.
• It was the most recent in North Korea’s string of tests in recent months and its first ballistic missile launch in eight days.
• The North Korean missile launched flew about 240 kilometers (150 miles) at a maximum altitude of 47 kilometers (29 miles)

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI Introduces Regulatory Framework To Facilitate Online Bond Platform Providers

• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a regulatory framework to facilitate providers of online bond platforms that are selling listed debt securities.
• The move will also enhance the confidence among investors, particularly non-institutional investors, as the platforms would be provided by SEBI-regulated intermediaries.

Key Highlights :

• To this effect, SEBI has amended NCS (Issue and Listing of Non-Convertible Securities) Regulations.
• A person acting as an online bond platform-provider without registration certificate prior to the date of this regulation coming into force can continue to do so for a period of three months.
• Under the new rules, no person would act as an online bond platform-provider without obtaining registration certificate as a stockbroker from SEBI.
• The regulator has defined online bond platform as any electronic system, other than a recognised stock exchange or an electronic book-provider platform, on which the debt securities which are listed or proposed to be listed, are offered and transacted.
• Further, online bond platform-provider means any person operating or providing such a platform.

About SEBI :

• Established : 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
• SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity market in India under the ownership of Ministry of Finance, GoI.

KVG Bank renews bancassurance pact with LIC

• Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB), a Dharwad-headquartered regional rural bank and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India have renewed their agreement through a memorandum of understanding for bancassurance (for selling life Insurance products through the branches of KVGB) tie-up.
• The bank will market LIC’s products through its 639 branches in Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.
• The bank is renewing the pact with LIC mainly to increase insurance penetration in rural areas and to provide better deal to customers on service and premium.

About KVG Bank :

• Founded : September 12, 2005
• Headquarters : Dharwad, Karnataka, India
• Chairman : Puttaganti Gopi Krishna

About LIC :

• Founded : 1 September 1956
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairman : M R Kumar
• Managing directors : B C Patnaik, Smt. Ipe Mini, Siddharth Mohanty, Rajkumar

SEBI tweaks takeover code to facilitate disinvestment of PSUs

• The market regulator SEBI has amended its Takeover Code to facilitate transactions involving change in control of State-owned enterprises or Public Sector Undertakings (PSus).
• Through the latest changes, the earlier requirement of calculating 60 days volume weighted average market price (VWAMP) for determination of open offer price in case of disinvestment of PSU Companies, wherein it results in its change in control, has been dispensed with.
• Separately, SEBI notified rules reducing the minimum holding requirement of real estate investment trust (REITs) units by sponsors to 15% from 25% at present, a move aimed at encouraging more companies to float REITs.
• The REIT for a period of at least three years from the date of listing of such units pursuant to initial offer on a post-issue basis
• However, any holding of the sponsor and sponsor group exceeding the minimum holding, would be held for at least one year from the date of listing of such units.
• In another notification, the regulator has discontinued a separate regulatory framework for unlisted infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) & this would come into force from 1 January 2023.

State Bank of India signs €150 million solar loan agreement with Germany’s KfW

• The State Bank of India (SBI) has received an additional low-interest loan of €150 million (about ₹1,240 crore) from Germany’s Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) Development Bank to finance solar projects in
• The two banks signed the loan agreement under the Indo-German solar energy partnership.

Key Highlights :

• The loan primarily funds innovative technologies, such as automated dry cleaning of solar modules to reduce water consumption.
• This loan will further contribute to India’s “Panchamrit” goals announced during COP26.
• This is the second loan SBI has received from the German development bank.
• The first loan of €150 million (~$150.66 million) was granted in 2017, to enable the construction of larger solar farms with an output between 50 and 250 MW and the infrastructure to connect them to the electricity grid.
• After securing a Euro 150 million Credit line for solar energy finance from a German financial institution, State Bank of India is in talks with European Investment Bank for about Euro 200 million to fund climate finance.
• In 2015, the Government of India and the Federal Republic of Germany signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster the use of solar energy in India through technical as well as financial cooperation.

About SBI :

• Founded : 1 July 1955
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Dinesh Kumar Khara

IFSCA signs MoU with RBI in the field of regulation, supervision of regulated entities

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) have inked a cooperative agreement for the regulation and supervision of regulated entities in their respective jurisdictions.
• The sharing of information and technical cooperation is made easier by this MoU.
• The agreement intends to improve the security, soundness, and stability of the respective financial ecosystems while assuring favourable business settings and economic growth.
• The MoU creates opportunities for collaboration between the two regulators, increasing the security, soundness, and stability of their respective financial ecologies and fostering settings that are ideal for company development and economic progress, according to the release.

About IFSCA

• IFSCA is a statutory organisation with its headquarters in Gandhinagar’s GIFT City and was founded by the IFSCA Act 2019. Its goal is to create and oversee the financial services, financial institutions, and financial goods in the international financial services centres (IFSCs).

About RBI :

• Established: 1 April 1935
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao,Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

BEL Signs 5 MoUs for Defence establishments and Export markets

• Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with five companies involved in the defence industry, for cooperation in the development and marketing of drones and soft kill aerial anti-drone.

List of 5 Companies :

1. Hindustan Shipyard Limited
2. Yantra India Limited
3. Profense LLC, US
4. SVC Tech ventures LLP
5. Spacefaring Technologies Private Limited

Aim :

• To leveraging the complementary strengths and capabilities of BEL and Aerosense Technologies Pvt Ltd
• Mr Manoj Kumar, Executive Director, BEL, and Mr Raj Nair, Director, India & APAC, Profense LLC, exchanged the MoU signed between BEL and Profense LLC at Defexpo 2022, in the presence of Mr Manoj Jain, Director (R&D), Mr Rudhiramoorthy A, GM (BEL-Navi Mumbai).

Key Highlights :

• The MoU with Spacefaring Technologies Pvt Ltd signed for co-operation in technology development in the field of fabric-based Radome, Shelters, deployable space habitats, aerostat, etc, for Defence and non-Defence applications.
• The MoU with Defence PSU Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) signed to carry out joint development, manufacturing and product upgrades of identified products / systems and to capitalise on the emerging opportunities in the domestic Defence, non-Defence and Export markets.
• The MoU with Yantra India Limited (YIL), a Defence PSU signed for co-operation in the areas of Ammunition Hardware and Military Grade Components to jointly address the requirements of Indian Defence and Export markets.
• The MoU with SVC TECH VENTURES LLP signed for co-operation in the manufacturing and marketing of Heavy Duty Blast Doors.
• The MoU with Profense LLC, US, signed for cooperation in the manufacturing and marketing of light weapons.

About BEL :

• Founded : 1954
• Headquarters : Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Chairman & MD : Dinesh Kumar Batra
• BEL is an Indian Government-owned aerospaceand defence electronics company.
• BEL is one of nine PSUs under the Ministry of Defence of India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS & HONOURS

President of IFCCI Sumeet AnandConferred with the Legion d’Honneur award

• In Mumbai, Sumeet Anand, the founder of IndSight Growth Partners and the president of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry, received the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) from Mr. Emmanuel Lenain, the French Ambassador to India.
• The highest civilian award given by France is in honour of Mr. Sumeet Anand’s excellent achievements in business and industry as well as in fostering links between France and India in the domains of education and business.
• One of India’s top corporate strategy advisors, Sumeet Anand, has been instrumental in the growth of commerce and investment between India and France, particularly with regard to Indo-French cross-investments.
• He plays a significant role in establishing links between French and Indian businesses as well as industry leaders.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Achanta Sharath Kamal becomes first Indian to be elected in ITTF’s Athletes’ Commission

• Achanta Sharath Kamal, a prominent Indian paddler, is the first Indian to be chosen to the International Table Tennis Federation’s Athletes’ Commission (ITTF).
• Eight athletes, including four men and four women, were chosen for the Athletes’ Commission from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. They will serve for four years, from 2022 to 2026.
• Sharath Kamal got 187 votes, the second-highest number, behind Elizabeta Samara of Romania, who received 212 votes.
• Elected Athletes: Elizabeta Samara (ROU), Achanta Sharath Kamal (IND), Daniely Rios (PUR), Omar Assar (EGY), Melissa Tapper (AUS), Stefan Fegerl (AUT), Jon Persson (SWE), and Liu Shiwen (CHN).
• Elected Para-Athletes: IngelaLundback (SWE) and Kelly van Zon (NED).
• Sarath has already been selected for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sports recognition this year.

India’s junior women’s pistol teambags Gold medal in Asian Airgun Championship 2022

• The junior women’s pistol team from India, which included Esha Singh, Shikha Narwal, and Olympian Manu Bhaker, took home the gold medal in the 15th Asian Airgun Championship in Daegu, South Korea.
• They defeated South Korean team of Yang Jiin, Kim Minseo and Kim Juhee in 10 meters Air Pistol Women’s Junior Team event.
• Esha Singh and Palak each brought home a silver and a gold medal, giving the Indian shooting team a total of 34 medals—22 gold, eight silver, and four bronze—to take the lead in the championship medals table.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Mehran Karimi Nasseri, Who Inspired ‘The Terminal,’ Passes away in Paris Airport

• Mehran Karimi Nasseri, the exiled Iranian, who lived for 18 years at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, passed away at the age of 76.

About Mehran Karimi Nasseri :

• Mehran Karimi Nasseri was born in 1945 in Soleiman, Iran.
• He also known as Sir Alfred Mehran.
• He was an Iranian refugee who lived in the departure lounge of Terminal 1 in Charles de Gaulle Airportfrom 26 August 1988 until July 2006.
• He wrote an autobiography titled, The Terminal Man, which was published in 2004.
• Nasseri’s story inspired the 1993 film Lost in Transit.
• He was the inspiration behind American director and producer, Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster film, The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Daily CA on Nov 18 :

• The fourth phase of the National Commission for Women’s (NCW) Digital Shakti Campaign to empower and educate girls and women online has begun.
• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Ministry of Education (MoE), and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organised the inaugural Virtual Global Skill Summit to promote the movement of skilled workers abroad.
• Arun Baroka, the secretary for chemicals and petrochemicals, officially inaugurated the fourth edition of theIndian Chemicals Council Sustainability Conclave in New Delhi.
• A short-range ballistic missile was fired by North Koreatowards the Sea of Japanjust hours after it promised “fiercer” military retaliation against the United States for stepping up its security cooperation with allies South Korea and Japan.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) have inked a cooperative agreement for the regulation and supervision of regulated entities in their respective jurisdictions.
• In Mumbai, Sumeet Anand, the founder of IndSight Growth Partners and the president of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry, received the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) from Mr. Emmanuel Lenain, the French Ambassador to India.
• The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration has introduced an integrated sheep development scheme (ISDS) for promoting the sheep farming sector.
• The Assam government inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Karnataka to train working professionals in Assam.
• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a regulatory framework to facilitate providers of online bond platforms that are selling listed debt securities.
• Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB), a Dharwad-headquartered regional rural bank and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India have renewed their agreement through a memorandum of understanding for bancassurance (for selling life Insurance products through the branches of KVGB) tie-up.
• The market regulator SEBI has amended its Takeover Code to facilitate transactions involving change in control of State-owned enterprises or Public Sector Undertakings (PSus).
• The State Bank of India (SBI) has received an additional low-interest loan of €150 million (about ₹1,240 crore) from Germany’s Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) Development Bank to finance solar projects in
• Achanta Sharath Kamal, a prominent Indian paddler, is the first Indian to be chosen to the International Table Tennis Federation’s Athletes’ Commission (ITTF).
• The junior women’s pistol team from India, which included Esha Singh, Shikha Narwal, and Olympian Manu Bhaker, took home the gold medal in the 15th Asian Airgun Championship in Daegu, South Korea.
• Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with five companies involved in the defence industry, for cooperation in the development and marketing of drones and soft kill aerial anti-drone.
• Mehran Karimi Nasseri, the exiled Iranian, who lived for 18 years at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, passed away at the age of 76.