Daily Current Affairs December 02 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Computer Literacy Day: 2nd December

• World Computer Literacy Day 2022 is observed on the 2nd of December 2022.
• World Computer Literacy Day was launched in 2001 by an Indian company called N.I.I.T. to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
• The Company was founded in 1981 by Rajendra Singh Pawar and Vijay K. Thadani. N.I.I.T stands for National Institute of Information Technology, is a skills and talent development company.
• A study revealed that men formed the majority of computer users in the world.
• As a result, N.I.I.T took up the cause to educate more women and children by equipping them with computer literacy skills.
• Since its starting in 1981, the company has spread to over 30 countries of the world.

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery: 2nd December

• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2022 is observed on the 2nd of December 2022.
• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2022 theme set by the UN this year is “Stories of Courage: Resistance to Slavery and Unity against Racism”.
• The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery focuses on eradicating modern forms of slavery like trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage, and forced recruitment of children into armed conflict.
• The International Labor Organization puts the number of victims of modern slavery at 40 million worldwide.
• From past times to the present, slavery has spanned various nations, civilizations, and religions.
• Similarly, victims of slavery hailed from a wide range of races and religious backgrounds.
• Africans were kidnapped in the 17th and 18th centuries, sold into slavery in the American colonies, and exploited to work as slaves in the production of products such as tobacco and cotton.
• ILO has adopted a legally binding Protocol designed to strengthen global efforts to eliminate forced labour, which entered into force in November 2016.
• N. Working Group on Slavery submitted a report that tendered the date for consideration as the World Day for the Abolition of Slavery in 1985.

National Pollution Control Day: 2nd December

• National Pollution Control Day 2022 is observed on the 2nd of December 2022.
• National Pollution Control Day is observed to create awareness about pollution which is causing harm to our environment and living beings.
• It is nationally observed for the remembrance of an Industrial accident that took place in Bhopa which took thousands of lives in 1984.
• The Bhopal gas tragedy happened on the night of 2nd and 3rd December in the year 1984 because of the unintentional discharge of the poisonous chemical known as Methyl Isocyanate (also called MIC) as well as some other chemicals released from the Union Carbide Chemical Plant positioned in the city.
• Nearly 25000 people died due to the release of Poisonous gas and it is reported as one of the biggest Industrial Pollution disasters that took place in history.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Union Minister R.K Singh launched the ‘Doctor Apke Dwar’ Mobile Health Clinics:

• Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, K. Singh, launched REC’s CSR effort for the procurement, operation, and maintenance of ten ‘Doctor Apke Dwar’ Mobile Health Clinics (MHC) at Sadar Hospital, Aarah, Bhojpur District, Bihar.
• The initiative intends to reduce operational costs for three years to ensure seamless operation.
• The project’s entire cost is Rs. 12.68 crores.
• The goal of 10 Mobile Health Clinics (MHC) is to deliver primary health care to the poor population in all 14 blocks of Bihar’s Bhojpur district.
• MHCs will be outfitted with additional basic equipment and staffed by a four-person team consisting of a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, and a driver/support staff.
• Patients will also receive free generic medications.
• Each MHC will have over 20 camps every month and see 50-70 patients per day.

Animal Quarantine Certification Services Launched in Bengaluru:

• The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying held Animal Quarantine Certification Services in Bengaluru as part of the National Milk Day celebrations.
• The Department of Animal Husbandry, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying commemorated National Milk Day.
• As part of the celebrations in Hasserghata Bengaluru, the Department launched Animal Quarantine Certification Services.
• Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Minister of State in Finance, Fisheries, and Animal Husbandry, Government of India, inaugurated the station on National Milk Day in the presence of the Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• AQCS, Bangalore was established in August 2009, and it operates from the airport satellite office at Alpha 3, Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
• The station’s duty has expanded significantly, and the movement of livestock and livestock products has increased dramatically.
• In the absence of a quarantine facility, the import of live animals such as horses, cattle, sheep, goats, and so on was prohibited in Bengaluru.
• This station will make it easier for regions of the country, particularly the southern states, to import and export animals and livestock goods, thereby increasing trade.

Yak has been approved as a ‘food animal’ by the FSSAI:

• The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has recognized the Himalayan Yak as a “food animal”
• According to an official at the National Research Centre (NRC) on Yak in Dirang, West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh, the move is likely to help stem the decrease of the high-altitude bovine animal population by merging it into the mainstream milk and meat businesses.
• The ‘food animal’ tag will become official once approved by a competent authority and published in the gazette.
• The FSSAI’s designation of the Yak as a food-producing animal will assist farmers in reaping financial benefits from rearing the animal and will open up numerous avenues of economic benefit for both farmers and food processors.
• Yaks have traditionally been raised through a rudimentary, unstructured, and difficult transhumance system.
• It is commonly expected that the FSSAI’s classification of the yak as a food animal will clear the way for commercial rearing and consumption of the yak using the NRC-Yak yak-rearing methodology.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

World’s largest active volcano Hawaii’s Mauna Loa erupts for the first time in nearly 40 years

• The world’s largest active volcano, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, erupted for the first time in nearly 40 years.
• It is the volcano’s first well-documented historical eruption.
• With the eruption of the volcano, the night sky above Hawaii’s largest island glowed a hellish red as bright, hot lava sprang forth at the Volcano’s summit
• Hawaii’s Mauna Loa is the largest (not tallest) volcano in the world.

About Mauna Loa :

• Its name means “long mountain” in Hawaiian.
• The volcano has erupted for the first time in almost 4 decades.
• As per the US Geological Survey, Mauna Loa, which covers half of the island of Hawaii, has erupted 33 times since 1843.
• Mauna Loa rises 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) above the Pacific Ocean, part of the chain of volcanoes that had formed the islands of Hawaii.
• The last time Mauna Loa erupted was in March and April 1984, at that time lava had come to 5 miles (13 kilometres) in the city of Hilo.
• Lava is still coming out at the summit of the volcano & as of now, there is no danger to the local people.
• Volcanic gas, especially sulphur dioxide, is released by this volcano.
• Hawaii is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about 2,000 miles from the S. mainland

Globally one in eight people are migrants: WHO

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Globally one in eight or over one billion people are migrants with 281 million international migrants and many million individuals who are stateless.

Reason :

• Climate change, rising inequality, conflicts, trade, and population growth are accelerating these trends.

Key Highlights :

• To support countries & territories to build professional competence and capacity to adequately address refugee and migrant health issues, WHO is organizing the 3rd edition of its annual Global School on Refugee and Migrant Health in Dhaka, Bangladesh with a focus on capacity-building.

About WHO Global School on Refugee and Migrant Health :

• The WHO Global School on Refugee and Migrant Health is a valuable resource for building the capacity of health workers to better serve refugees and migrants.”
• The yearly Global School on Refugee and Migrant Health is a flagship of the WHO Health and Migration Programme and an opportunity to strengthen the strategic and operational collaboration with Regional and country offices on refugee and migrant health towards the implementation of the Global Action Plan on promoting the health of refugees and migrants 2019-2023 (GAP).

About WHO :

• Founded: 7 April 1948
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Director General : Tedros Adhanom
• The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

Tamilnad Mercantile Bank ink bancassurance pacts with Chola MS General & Max Life

• Old private sector lender Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited (TMBL) has entered into bancassurance partnerships with Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd, part of the Chennai-based Murugappa Group, and Max Life Insurance Company 

Aim : 

• To provide general insurance products and life insurance schemes respectively to TMB’s customers.

About the Partnership :

• Under the tie-up, Tuticorin-based TMB’s 500-plus branches will start retailing the insurance products of both companies.
• The agreement was done for marketing, distribution & selling the general insurance products.

What is bancassurance ?

• Bancassurance is a relationship between a bank and an insurance company.

Aim : 

• To offer insurance products or insurance benefits to the bank’s customers.
• This partnership arrangement can be profitable for both companies.

About TMBL :

• Founded: 11 May 1921
• Headquarters: Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India
• MD & CEO: S.Krishnan
• Tagline: Be a Step ahead of Life
• It was set up at the Nadar Bank limited in 1921, became the scheduled bank under the RBI Act in May 1935 & the name was changed to Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank in
• It offers a wide range of banking and financial services primarily to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), agricultural and retail customers

Star Health launches policy for outpatient expenses with a 1-year term

• Star Health and Allied Insurance Co Ltd, a standalone health insurance company, has launched the Star OutPatient Care Insurance Policy.

Aim :

• To provide complete health and wellness benefits to customers at an affordable cost.
• To bridge the gap between expenses related to in-patient hospitalization, which is catered to by the health insurance industry, and outpatient expenses.

Key Features : 

• Star OutPatient Care Insurance Policy is a standalone cover that provides access to doctors, clinics, and diagnostic centres all over India.
• The policyholder can avail of unlimited virtual teleconsultations, unlimited in-clinic consultation, pharmacy expenses, and diagnostic tests up to the sum insured in any of the networked facilities on a cashless basis.
• The policy is available on an individual or floater basis and can cover up to 6 family members.
• The minimum entry age for adults is between 18 years to 50 years and for dependent children, from 31 days to 25 years.
• The policy has 4 sums insured (SI) options that customers can choose from – a cover of ₹25,000, ₹50,000, ₹75,000, and ₹1 lakh for a policy term of one year.
• The policy will also cover pre-existing diseases after a waiting period of one, two, and four years in the platinum, gold, and silver plans, respectively.

About Star Health and Allied Insurance Co Ltd : 

• Founded: 2006
• Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
• Chairman & CEO: V Jagannathan
• Executive Director: Vikas Sharma

AMFI seeks to raise the TDS limit to ₹50,000 per annum

• The mutual fund industry has urged the government to increase the threshold for withholding tax (TDS) on the dividend to ₹50,000 per annum from the current level of ₹5,000 per annum.
• In a pre-Budget representation, the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) announced the current threshold for TDS on dividends has been causing hardship to retail investors particularly when TDS on banks’ fixed deposits was raised from ₹10,000 to ₹40,000 a couple of years ago.

Capital gains tax :

• Long-term capital gains (LTCG) of listed equity shares and units of equity-oriented MF schemes are taxed at 10% if the LTCG exceeds ₹1 lakh in a financial year.
• The industry has urged the government to remove the restriction on ELSS investment in multiples of ₹500 and permit investments of any amount, subject to a minimum of ₹500.

Debt-linked schemes :

• AMFI has sought permission to launch the Debt Linked Savings Scheme, on the lines of ELSS, to channelize long-term savings of retail investors into highly-rated debt instruments with appropriate tax benefits, which will help in deepening the bond market.
• AMFI has suggested that Fund of Funds schemes that invest in equity schemes should be treated as an equity-oriented scheme for long- and short-term capital gains tax instead of non-equity MF schemes.
• AMFI has proposed a cap of 15% on the surcharge rate on income distribution on units from equity MF schemes for the non-corporate assessee on equity shares.

 About AMFI : 

• Founded: 22 August 1995
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• CEO: N.S.Venkatesh,
• Members: 44
• The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) is the regulatory body for the mutual fund sector in India.
• It is a division of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Ministry of Finance, GoI.

SEBI revises framework for approving changes in control of stock brokers 

• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has put in place a revised framework for seeking its prior approval for changes in control of stock brokers, depository participants, and other market intermediaries which will be effective from December 1, 2022.
• The framework will apply to stock brokers/clearing members, depository participants, investment advisers, research analysts or research entities, registrars to an issue, and share transfer agents and KYC (Know Your Client) Registration Agencies (KRAs).

Key Highlights : 

• Under the provisions, an intermediary should apply online for SEBI’s prior approval and along with the application, the entity concerned has to submit various details.
• The prior approval granted by SEBI shall be valid for six months from the date of such approval.
• The ‘fit and proper person criteria should also be complied with.
• In case the entity is a registered stock broker, clearing member, or depository participant, then NOC (No Objection Certificate) should be obtained from all stock exchanges/clearing corporations/depositories
• In cases involving schemes of arrangements that need National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approval, the application seeking approval for the proposed change in control of the intermediary should be filed with SEBI before applying with NCLT.
• An in-principle approval will be given for 3 months provided all other regulatory compliances are met, as per the circular.
• Within 15 days from the date of the National Company Law Tribunal’s order, the intermediary should submit an online application for SEBI’s final approval.

About SEBI :

• Established: January 30, 1992
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman: Madhabi Puri Buch
• The SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance within the GoI.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

YES Bank acquires 9.9% stake in JC Flower Arc

• YES, Bank has signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) with JC Flowers Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC), purchasing a 9.9% interest in the ARC for Rs 11.43 per share.
• While the bank also plans to acquire the remaining 10% in due course, subject to requisite regulatory approvals.
• As per the guidelines, prior approval of RBI is required to be obtained by a banking company for the acquisition of 10% or more shareholding in an asset reconstruction company (ARC).
• The bank intends to participate as a minority shareholder in the ARC.
• JC Flowers ARC had Rs 595 crore in assets under management as of March 31, 2022, with an annual turnover of Rs 19.9 crore.

About YES Bank : 

• Founded: 2004
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO: Prashant Kumar
• Tagline: Experience Our Expertise

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

Gautam Adani tops Forbes’ list of India’s 100 richest people in 2022:

• The global economy may be faltering, but India’s wealthiest have become considerably wealthier this year.
• The Forbes 2022 list of India’s 100 wealthiest is finally here, and according to it, the combined wealth of India’s 100 wealthiest has increased by $25 billion to a whopping $800 billion.
• The top ten wealthiest Indians are worth a total of $385 billion.
• Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, topped the list with a net worth of $150 billion.
• According to Forbes, the increase was largely attributable to an unprecedented feat by an infrastructure tycoon, who shifted the top pecking order for the first time since 2008.
• Anand Mahindra, with a net worth of $2.2 billion (Rs 17,768.08 crore), is one of the four returnees on the list.
• Returnees on the rich list are Bhadresh Shah (Rs 15,345.16 crore), Anu Aga (Rs 18,010.37 crore), and Joy Alukkas (Rs 25,036.84 crore).
• Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma was a prominent drop-off, with shares of his One97 Communications plummeting during the worldwide tech collapse.
• This year’s threshold for the top 100 was $1.9 billion.

RANK	NAME	NET WORTH (in Rupees)
1	Gautam Adani	Rs 1,211,460.11 crore
2	Mukesh Ambani	Rs 710,723.26 crore
3	Radhakishan Damani	Rs 222,908.66 crore
4	Cyrus Poonawalla	Rs 173,642.62 crore
5	Shiv Nadar	Rs 172,834.97 crore
6	Savitri Jindal	Rs 132,452.97 crore
7	Dilip Shanghvi	Rs 125,184.21 crore
8	Hinduja Brothers	Rs 122,761.29 crore
9	Kumar Birla	Rs 121,146.01 crore
10	Bajaj Family	Rs 117,915.45 crore

Knight Frank’s Global Prime Cities Index ranks Mumbai 22^nd:

• According to Knight Frank, Mumbai was ranked 22nd in a global index that analyzes the annual price appreciation of luxury residential properties.
• According to Knight Frank’s research on the ‘Prime Global Cities Index Q3 (July-September) 2022,‘ all three Indian cities, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi, saw an increase in average yearly prices in the third quarter of 2022.
• The prime global cities index is a valuation-based index that tracks the change of prime home prices in local currency in 45+ cities around the world.
• Mumbai rose to 22nd place in the third quarter of 2022, from 39th place the previous year.
• Bengaluru’s rank increased to 27th from 41st, while New Delhi’s position climbed to 36th from 38th.
• According to the consultant, the price increase is due to strong market sentiment, appropriate affordability, still low lending rates in comparison to 2019, and a lot more stable economic and business environment in comparison to many developed economies.
• According to the survey, Dubai had the fastest gain in prime prices, with an 88.8 per cent increase over 12 months (Q3 2021-Q3 2022), while Wellington had the worst performance, with an 18 per cent fall.
• During the third quarter of 2022, some European cities experienced strong performance in prime prices.
• Despite a decline in sentiment and a slowdown in the Eurozone’s economy, Zurich (10.7%), Edinburgh (9.9%), Berlin (9.4%), Dublin (8.6%), and Madrid (5.6%) have all increased in the ranks in the last year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

BIS signed an agreement with the top six engineering institutes in India:

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s top six engineering colleges to include Indian standards in the curriculum.
• This program aims to institutionalize BIS’s collaboration with notable institutes to ensure the active participation of academia.
• The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on November 28, 2022, with the Indian Institute of Technology BHU, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and National Institute of Technology Trichy.
• The institutes will be encouraged to strive for quality and leadership in teaching, research, and development in the fields of science and other disciplines.
• During the signing ceremony, Shri Pramod Kumar Tiwari, Director General of BIS, stated that the MoU between the elite academic establishments and BIS would improve and increase the standards formulation activity by facilitating R&D projects.
• It will encourage young minds to participate in the standardizing process by organizing seminars, conferences, workshops, symposia or lectures, training, and short-term education programs in collaboration.
• He also underlined the importance of working with start-ups and incubation centres, as well as academic institutions, to develop new standards and ensure compliance with existing ones.
• It is also expected that technological innovation and standards development will be smoothly intertwined to promote the development of technology-oriented products and services.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Govt extends the term of Mr. Vinay Mohan Kwatra as Foreign Secretary

• The government has extended the term of Vinay Mohan Kwatra as Foreign Secretary till April 30, 2024.

Other extensions granted by the government:

• Also, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba’s term was extended until August 2023.
• Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla was also given an extension until August 2023. 
• While ED Director SK Mishra was given his 3rd extension for a year.
• CBI Special Director Praveen Sinha’s term was extended for six months in October 2022.
• Rajya Sabha Secretary-General PC Mody also had an extension this August for two more years

Note : 

• The first Foreign Secretary of India was KPS Menon senior.
• First woman Foreign Secretary: Chokila Iyer (2001-2002)

About Mr. Vinay Mohan Kwatra :

• Mr. Kwatra is a 1988 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
• He was appointed India’s 34th foreign secretary in May 2022, succeeding Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
• He had earlier served as India’s Ambassador to Nepal.
• He also worked in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) as joint secretary from October 2015 till August 2017, after which he served as ambassador to France until 2020.
• He is an expert on India’s relations with the United States, China, and Europe.
• Kwatra headed the Policy Planning & Research Division of the Ministry of External Affairs
• He also served as the head of the Americas Division in the Foreign Ministry.
• Mr. Shringla is now serving as the Chief Coordinator of the upcoming G-20 summit to be held in India in 2023.

Note :

• The next G20 Summit will be held in New Delhi in September 2023.

WHO’s first Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan left the health agency         

• Soumya Swaminathan, the first Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO), will resign from her post after a five-year stint and return to India.

About Soumya Swaminathan :

• Soumya Swaminathan was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
• She is an Indian paediatrician and clinical scientist known for her research on tuberculosis and
• She is the daughter of the “Father of the Green Revolution of India”, M. S. Swaminathan, and Indian educationalist, Mina Swaminathan.
• She served as the Deputy Director General of Programmes (DDP) at the World Health Organization.
• She has been a familiar face at the regular international media briefings held by the WHO to guide on Covid-19 and other global outbreaks including Monkeypox and Ebola.

Sanjeev Bisht elected as the new chairman of the Spices Exporters Forum            

• Sanjeev Bisht has been elected as the chairman of the All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF) for the year 2022-23.
• Bisht is the vice president of Spices and Aqua of the Agri-Business Division of ITC Ltd in Andhra Pradesh.
• He played an instrumental role in setting up the spices business for ITC from its inception.

About AISEF :

• Established: 1987
• It works towards protecting the interests of the spice exporters in the country, creating a sustainable, pro-development business environment for the industry and its stakeholders.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

Annual Joint HADR exercise of Indian Air Force – Samanvay 2022

• Indian Air Force is conducting the Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise “Samanvay 2022” at Air Force Station in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

Aim : 

• To provide a unique platform for the exchange of domain knowledge, experience, and best practices with the participating Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be the chief guest for the capability demonstration events planned during the exercise

Strengthening the institutional mechanism:

• The exercise includes assessing the efficacy of institutional Disaster Management structures and contingency measures. 
• To build a deep understanding of it, a seminar on Disaster Management, a ‘Multi-Agency Exercise’ involving static and flying displays of various HADR assets, and a ‘Tabletop Exercise’ will be held.
• The exercise will promote a synergistic approach by involving various institutions like the Armed Forces, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Civil Administration.

Disaster Management in India:

• In India, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is the apex statutory body for disaster management. 
• It was formally constituted on 27th September 2006, by the Disaster Management Act, 2005 with the Prime Minister as its Chairperson.
• Indian defence forces, under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), have been carrying out HADR operations within the country as well as outside the country.

About MoD :

• Defence Minister:  Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary: Giridhar Aramane

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to co-chair 4th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with French counterpart

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh co-chaired the 4th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu in New Delhi.
• Both leaders discussed military-to-military cooperation and the strengthening of maritime cooperation.

 Key Highlights : 

• Leaders of India and France also discussed many issues, including operational defence ties, counter-terrorism, maritime security in the Indo-Pacific, and industrial and technological partnerships.
• They also discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the bilateral, regional, and multilateral forums, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific region.
• Sebastien Lecornu is on a two-day visit to India.
• He will also meet with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.
• This is the first visit of Sebastien Lecornu as French Minister of Armed Forces to India.
• In 2022, India and France conducted many defence exercises, such as IMEX 22 in March, Varuna in March-April, and Garuda in October-November.
• France is currently chairing the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS).
• In February 2022, India and France agreed on a roadmap for a blue economy and Ocean Governance.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IIT Madras’ students launch India’s first electric formula racing car – RF23

• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) students have launched the first electric formula racing car to have come from the institute.
• The formula vehicle ‘RF23’ which was entirely constructed by 45 students of Team Raftar, is the result of a year-long process in which the team worked on the design, manufacturing, and testing of the vehicle.

Key Highlights : 

• The EV car can go from 0-100 km in four seconds and touch a maximum of 160 km.
• The vehicle, ‘RFR23’ will participate in the Formula Bharat event to be held in January 2023 at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. 
• The students aim to take their car to the Formula Student Germany event to be held in August 2023.
• They also want to make the first autonomous race car by 2025 to compete in the “Driverless” division of the Formula Student contests
• The EV uses the Shakti microprocessor, indigenously developed by Kamakoti and his team.
• The microprocessor controls all the parameters in the car.
• Previously, the Raftar team’s car was the only Indian entrant to the Formula Student event in Germany in 2018, according to Raftar’s website.

Rolls-Royce successfully tests World’s first hydrogen-powered jet engine

• Airline EasyJet and British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce had successfully tested a hydrogen-powered aircraft engine, the world’s first modern aircraft engine for the aviation industry.
• The ground test, using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine, used green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power from the Orkney Islands in Scotland.
• Rolls & easyJet are seeking to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for civil aero engines.

Key Highlights :

• Hydrogen is one of several competing technologies that could help the aviation industry achieve its goal of becoming net zero by 2050.
• A switch to hydrogen-powered engines would require a complete redesign of airframes and infrastructure at airports.
• Other technologies backed by companies such as Rolls-Royce include electric engines, which would be initially suitable for short flights, and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
• Engines that are already in service can use a mixture of SAF and conventional fuels, but it is only currently produced in miniscule levels.
• Planemaker Airbus is working with French-U.S. engine maker CFM International to test hydrogen propulsion technology.
• It planned to fit a specially adapted version of a current generation engine near the back of an A380 superjumbo test plane.
• Green hydrogen is widely seen as better for the environment than jet fuel.

About Rolls-Royce : 

• Headquarters: London, England
• CEO: Warren East
• Chair: Anita Frew

ICRISAT & ADB to develop High-Resolution Spatial Maps to enable cropland mapping for insurance claims

• International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) scientists in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have developed high-resolution spatial maps that enable cropland mapping for insurance claims and agriculture policy decision-making on targeting regenerative agriculture (RA).

Key Highlights :

• The spatial maps cover the whole of South Asia, which is home to 1.9 billion people and 230 million hectares of the net cropped area.
• South Asia accounts constituting almost 25% of the world’s population, 87% of which are smallholder farmers.
• The maps offer a resolution of 30 m, which is handy to get the finer details of cropland for food and water security assessments.
• Currently, these factors are evaluated using coarse-resolution data that ranges from 250 m to 1,000 m.
• The team developed 3 spatial maps for South Asia for the year 2014-15 to support food and water security assessments and management. 
• The 3 distinct spatial maps would assess irrigated versus rainfed croplands, crop types or crop dominance, and cropping intensitye., the number of times a crop is grown on the same plot of land in a year.

About ICRISAT :

• Founded: 1972
• Headquarters:  Hyderabad, Telangana, India
• The ICRISAT is an international organization that conducts agricultural research for rural development.

About ADB : 

• Founded : 19 December 1966
• Headquarters : Mandaluyong, Philippines
• President : Masatsugu Asakawa
• Membership : 68 countries

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice Chairman Vikram Kirloskar passes away

• The vice chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd, Vikram S Kirloskar has passed away at the age of 64.

About Vikram S Kirloskar :

• Vikram S Kirloskar is Known in the industry as a “Passionate Engineer”
• He became the vice chairman of Toyota Kirloskar in 1998.
• He was also the president of Bangalore’s Central Manufacturing Institute.
• He has also served as president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers from 2013-15.
• He also served as the President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2019-20.
• He was also responsible for establishing the auto manufacturing industry in Karnataka.

Awards & Honors :

• He was awarded the “Suvarna Karnataka” award by the Karnataka government.
• He was conferred with the Indian Institute of Metals (IIM) JRD Tata Award 2020 for his excellence in corporate leadership in Metallurgical Industries.

About Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) :

• Founded: 6 October 1997
• Headquarters:  Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• MD : Masakazu Yoshimura
• Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited (TKM) is an Indian joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation (89%) and Kirloskar Group (11%), for the manufacture and sales of Toyota cars in India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Stephanie Frappart will be the first woman referee at the FIFA World Cup in 2022:

• Stephanie Frappart of France will be the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match, according to FIFA.
• She will officiate the Group E match between Germany and Costa Rica on December 2, 2022.
• Frappart is one of three female referees chosen from a field of 36 for the tournament in Qatar, joining Rwandan official Salima Mukansanga and Japanese official Yoshimi Yamashita.
• Three other female officials have been assigned as assistant referees during the World Cup.
• Refereeing her men’s World Cup match is the next stage in the 38-year-old Frappart’s fast journey to the top level in Europe.
• In 2019, she became the first female referee in France’s Ligue 1, the same year she presided over the women’s World Cup final in her native nation.
• Frappart also refereed the 2019 Uefa Super Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea before moving on to the 2020 Champions League and the French Cup final last season.

Daily CA on December 2:

• World Computer Literacy Day 2022 is observed on the 2nd of December 2022.
• International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2022 is observed on the 2nd of December 2022.
• National Pollution Control Day 2022 is observed on the 2nd of December 2022.
• Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, K. Singh, launched REC’s CSR effort for the procurement, operation, and maintenance of ten ‘Doctor Apke Dwar’ Mobile Health Clinics (MHC) at Sadar Hospital, Aarah, Bhojpur District, Bihar.
• The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying held Animal Quarantine Certification Services in Bengaluru as part of the National Milk Day celebrations.
• The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has recognized the Himalayan Yak as a “food animal”
• The global economy may be faltering, but India’s wealthiest have become considerably wealthier this year.
• According to Knight Frank, Mumbai was ranked 22nd in a global index that analyzes the annual price appreciation of luxury residential properties.
• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s top six engineering colleges to include Indian standards in the curriculum.
• Stephanie Frappart of France will be the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match, according to FIFA.

• The world’s largest active volcano, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, erupted for the first time in nearly 40 years.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Globally one in eight or over one billion people are migrants with 281 million international migrants and many million individuals who are stateless.
• Old private sector lender Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited (TMBL) has entered into bancassurance partnerships with Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Ltd, part of the Chennai-based Murugappa Group, and Max Life Insurance Company 
• Star Health and Allied Insurance Co Ltd, a standalone health insurance company, has launched the Star OutPatient Care Insurance Policy.
• The mutual fund industry has urged the government to increase the threshold for withholding tax (TDS) on the dividend to ₹50,000 per annum from the current level of ₹5,000 per annum.
• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has put in place a revised framework for seeking its prior approval for changes in control of stock brokers, depository participants, and other market intermediaries which will be effective from December 1, 2022.
• YES, Bank has signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) with JC Flowers Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC), purchasing a 9.9% interest in the ARC for Rs 11.43 per share.
• The government has extended the term of Mr. Vinay Mohan Kwatra as Foreign Secretary till April 30, 2024.
• Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the first Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO), will resign from her post after a five-year stint and return to India.
• Sanjeev Bisht has been elected as the chairman of the All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF) for the year 2022-23.
• Indian Air Force is conducting the Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise “Samanvay 2022” at Air Force Station in  Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh co-chaired the 4th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with French Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu in New Delhi.
• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) students have launched the first electric formula racing car to have come from the institute.
• Airline EasyJet and British aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce had successfully tested a hydrogen-powered aircraft engine, the world’s first modern aircraft engine for the aviation industry.
• International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) scientists in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have developed high-resolution spatial maps that enable cropland mapping for insurance claims and agriculture policy decision-making on targeting regenerative agriculture (RA).
• The vice chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd, Vikram S Kirloskar has passed away at the age of 64.