PREFACE
It gives us great pleasure to release the monthly edition of the PRAVAHINI - Monthly e-Compendium & Weekly e-Periodicals of Current Affairs. The magazine’s members have shown considerable cooperation as well as devotion. We at successmantra.in work tirelessly to create this magazine and bring it to you with a great sense of gratitude.
The PRAVAHINI October-2021 eBook covers the current events that happened in the month of October. Current Affairs is a crucial component of any competitive exams including CLAT, AILET, DU-LLB, HM, CAT, IAS, PCS, SSC, Banking, MBA and various other competitive examinations.
Current Affairs play the bigger role in many competitive and government exams. It holds the power of making or breaking your chance of success. Therefore, the candidates should cover the Current Affairs thoroughly and smartly.
The PRAVAHINI October-2021 eBook is divided into different sections keeping in mind the need of various exams. The sections covered namely International, National, Economy, Ecology and Environment, Science & Technology, Legal Affairs, Sports, States News Makers and few others.
We would also be pleased to receive any suggestion that could assist us with the upcoming editions.
Success Mantra (GTB Nagar, Delhi)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. National Affairs
2. International Affairs
3. Economic Affairs
4. Appointments
5. Awards And Honors
6. Important Dates & Sports
7. Reports And Indexes
8. Science & Technology
9. Miscellaneous
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
CENTRE TO REPEAL THREE CONTENTIOUS FARM LAWS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government will repeal the three contentious agricultural laws and requested protesting farmers to go back to their fields and homes.
Addressing the nation on the occasion of Gurpurab, PM Modi said the three laws will be repealed in the winter session of Parliament starting later this month.
The announcement came on the Gurupurab/Prakash Utsav festival, when Sikhism founder Guru Nanak’s birthday is celebrated in the country.
The decision comes just ahead of state polls in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh where the farm protests were predicted to dent the BJP’s electoral fortunes. Last year, in September, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent for the three bills passed by the Parliament.
Since the three farm bills have already been passed into law, the government will have to formally bring three new bills to repeal them and get them passed in both Houses.
The three contentious bills are:
• The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020,
• The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and
• The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill.
MAMATA BANERJEE LAUNCHED 'DUARE RATION SCHEME'
Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, launched the "Duare Ration Scheme" on November 16, 2021.
Around 10 crore individuals in the state would benefit from the Duare Ration (ration at doorstep) initiative.
The government has also agreed to increase ration dealers' commission from Rs 75 to Rs 150 per quintal of food grains.
Ten crore individuals would receive their rations at their doorstep on a monthly basis under the plan. Getting rations to each person's door is a difficult task. As a result, one locality will take around a year to finish.
Until then, the government will split a road into four halves to distribute rations to the public. The locals must be notified in advance of the distribution. The working capital for becoming a ration dealer would be reduced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 50,000.
PM NARENDRA MODI LAUNCHED TWO SCHEMES IN MP
In MP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 'Ration Aapke Gram' initiative and the 'Sickle Cell Mission.'
On his visit to Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a range of tribal welfare schemes. PM Modi announced the commencement of Madhya Pradesh's 'Ration Aapke Gram' and 'Sickle Cell Mission.'
He also lays the foundation stone for 50 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools to be built across India.
Beginning in 2021, the Indian government will commemorate the 15th of November as 'Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas,' or 'Tribal Gaurav Diwas.' Modi alluded to his lengthy history with tribal people.
He was complimented for the diversity of their spiritual and cultural lives, and he stated that every component of tribal culture, including songs and dances, has a life lesson, and they have a lot to offer.
CENTRE EXTENDED TENURE OF CBI & ED DIRECTORS
Recently, the President promulgated two ordinances that would allow the Centre to extend the tenures of the directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation & the Enforcement Directorate from two years to up to five years.
The Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act,1946 and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Act, 2003 have been amended to give the government the power to keep the two chiefs in their posts for one year after they have completed their two-year terms.
The chiefs of the Central agencies currently have a fixed two-year tenure, but can now be given three annual extensions.
Amendments in DSPE Act: Provided that the period for which the Director holds the office on his initial appointment may, in public interest, on the recommendation of the Committee (the committee led by the Prime Minister and leader of Opposition and CJI as members) and for the reasons to be recorded in writing, be extended up to one year at a time.
Provided further that no such extension shall be granted after the completion of a period of five years in total including the period mentioned in the initial appointment.
Amendments in CVC Act: Provided that the period for which the Director of Enforcement holds the office on his initial appointment may, in public interest, on the recommendation of the Committee (comprising of CVC chief, Revenue and Home Secretaries among others) and for the reasons to be recorded in writing, be extended up to one year at a time.
Provided further that no such extension shall be granted after the completion of a period of five years in total including the period mentioned in the initial appointment.
PM MODI INAUGURATED PURVANCHAL EXPRESSWAY
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 341-km long Purvanchal Express in Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh.
The expressway links state capital Lucknow with Ghazipur and has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 22,500 crore.
PM Modi landed on the Purvanchal Expressway airstrip in a military transport aircraft. The key feature of the Expressway is the 3.2 km long airstrip to enable landing and take-off of Indian Air Force fighter planes in case of emergency.
About the Purvanchal Expressway: The Purvanchal Expressway starts from village Chaudsarai in the Lucknow district and ends at Haidaria village on National Highway number 31, 18 kilometres east of the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border.
The expressway is 6-lane wide which can be expanded to 8-lane in the future.
This expressway is set to give a boost to the economic development of the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh especially the districts of Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur.
PM MODI TO INAUGURATE KASHI CORRIDOR PROJECT
On December 13, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor project in Varanasi.
The initiative, which will be inaugurated before the state's scheduled Assembly elections, is noteworthy in terms of cultural politics.
Around 400 households were required to leave the region for this project. To make place for this project, several encroachments around the old temple were removed.
The vision of Ahalya Bai Holkar, the Holkar queen of Indore, is embodied in this project. She built a network of temples and vistas leading to the Ganga ghat.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor project
This project links the Kashi Vishwanath temple to the Holy Ganga's ghats. It is made out of a 320-meter-long and 20-meter-wide paved promenade. It also features a museum, a library, a Mumuksha Bhawan (salvation house), and a pilgrim facilitation centre.
The cost of this project is estimated to be Rs 600 crore. It was first released in March of this year. Around Rs 300 crore was spent on land and buildings surrounding the temple complex, as well as compensation.
MP LOCAL AREA DEVELOPMENT (MPLAD) SCHEME
On November 10, 2021, the Union Cabinet reinstated the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD) scheme, citing economic recovery.
This scheme was terminated in April 2020, and the money was merged into the India Consolidated Fund. It has been put on hold for two fiscal years, 2020-21 and 2021-22.
However, as the situation with the covid-19 epidemic has improved and the economy has recovered, the government has announced a partial rollback.
MPs will be paid Rs 2 crore per year until further notice, rather than the allowed Rs 5 crore. The project was first overseen by the Ministry of Rural Development and Planning.
In October of 1994, however, it was transferred to the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation.
MPLAD Scheme: In 1993, the MPLAD program was established. It allows Members of Parliament (MPs) to make recommendations for development projects in their respective areas.
The strategy focuses on the building of long-lasting communal assets based on locally identified needs.
Primary education, drinking water, roads, public health, and sanitation are among the long-term assets of national priorities and community needs.
Several states have introduced Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development Schemes in the same vein as MPLADS (MLALADS). MLAs receive funds under this program.
MPs are allowed to spend Rs 5 crore each year under the MPLADS scheme.
MPLAD money can also be utilised to implement programs such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana, Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), and rainwater harvesting, among others.
ODISHA LAUNCHED ROAD SAFETY INITIATIVE 'RAKSHAK'
The state government of Odisha has launched a first of its kind road safety initiative named Rakshak, to train first responders of road accidents.
Under the program, 300 master trainers will train 30,000 local people, staying or working at the eateries and different business establishments located near accident-prone spots.
These 30,000 volunteers will be trained as First Responders to road accidents. They will be equipped to administer first aid and pre-hospital trauma care to accident victims within the golden hour.
About the initiative: The ‘Rakshak’ initiative was organised by the Commerce and Transport Department in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State branch.
As part of the initiative, the state government will train volunteers from roadside communities such as eateries, small repair shops, gas stations, and also police officers to be first responders to road accident victims.
The training programme for first responders will be conducted in two phases:
In the first phase, 300 master trainers will be trained by experts from the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) in ten locations: Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Balasore, Koraput, Phulbani, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, and Bhawanipatna.
In the second phase, the 300 master trainers will visit accident-prone areas in all districts and train locals to assist road accident victims. The first responders will also educate and inform the public about road safety precautions and the Good Samaritan law.
INDIA LAUNCHED E-AMRIT PORTAL ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES
India on November 10, 2021, launched an electric vehicle awareness web portal called e-Amrit at the ongoing COP26 Summit in Glasgow, UK.
NITI Aayog on November 10, 2021, launched the e-AMRIT (Accelerated e-Mobility Revolution for India’s Transportation) web portal at COP26 Summit in Glasgow.
e-AMRIT web portal has been developed in collaboration between NITI Aayog and the UK Government as part of the India-UK Joint Roadmap 2030.
The e-AMRIT portal aims at creating awareness about electric mobility in India. It has been developed as a ‘one-stop site’ for all the information related to the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in India.
The web portal will be accessible through different devices such as PCs, mobile phones, tablets, screen readers. NITI Aayog is working on adding more features and innovative tools to make the e-AMRIT portal more interactive and user-friendly.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
CHINA'S HISTORIC RESOLUTION TO BOOST XI'S POWERS
China's ruling Communist Party (CCP) passed a rare 'historical resolution' praising the president's pivotal role in the country's regeneration.
President Xi Jinping's hold on power has been strengthened by this decision. In the CCP's 100-year existence, this is the third resolution of its type.
The other two resolutions were passed during the reigns of Mao Zedong, who brought the Communists to power in 1949, and Deng Xiaoping, whose reforms transformed China into an economic powerhouse in the 1980s.
Resolution's Motive: It justifies the victor's journey to power by delivering verdicts to the losers in power battles. It establishes a case for the winner's party's exceptional achievement.
Importance Of Resolution: This is a major resolution for the ruling party since it effectively cements Xi's grip on power.
The President has placed himself at the center of his Party's and modern China's great narratives through this resolution.
PRESIDENT OF CHILE IMPEACHED BY LOWER HOUSE
The lower house of Chile's congress impeached President Sebastian Pinera on November 9, 2021, over claims involving the Pandora Papers.
This impeachment has triggered a trial in Chile's Senate to determine whether or not he should be removed from office due to allegations that he favored the sale of family property while in office.
In the 155-member Chamber of Deputies, the trial received a minimum of 78 votes in favor. Sixty-seven legislators voted against the constitutional charge, including members of the opposition.
After the disclosure of the Pandora Papers, which showed offshore financial dealings of famous personalities around the world, including Sebastian Pinera, the Chilean president has been charged. Chile is in the western part of South America. It is located between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean on a long, narrow strip of land.
RUSSIA DELIVERS S-400 MISSILE SYSTEM TO INDIA
Russia has begun delivering the S-400 missile system to India in order to improve the country's air defence capabilities.
In 2021, Russia began deliveries for deployment on schedule. In 2018, India paid $5 billion for this system.
The contract between India and Russia got problematic as the US threatened to impose penalties on countries that do business with Russia in the defence sector.
India purchased five S-400 systems in 2018 and paid the first $800 million instalment in 2019. The S-400 is widely regarded as the world's most sophisticated air-defense system.
The missile can defend itself against missiles, rockets, cruise missiles, and aeroplanes from within its air defence bubble.
S-400 Triumf: The S-400 Triumf is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system that is transportable. In the 1990s, Almaz Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering created it as an update to the S-300 series.
On August 6, 2007, the first battalion of the newest surface-to-air missile systems reported for service. In 2014, China became the first international customer of the missile.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Belarus, and India have all purchased or showed interest in the system since then. The 30K6E administrative system organises S-400 missile systems. It has a range of 400 kilometres.
INDIA, SINGAPORE & THAILAND MARITIME EXERCISE 'SITMEX-21'
The 3rd edition of the Trilateral Maritime Exercise named SITMEX–21 is being held from 15 to 16 Nov 21 in the Andaman Sea.
The Navies of India, Singapore and Thailand will participate in the event. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk is participating in the 3rd edition from India. It is an indigenously built Missile Corvette.
The event is being hosted by Royal Thai Navy (RTN) in the Andaman Sea with an aim to enhance the cooperation between the participating navies towards augmenting the overall maritime security in the region.
About the SITMEX: SITMEX is being conducted annually since 2019 with an aim to enhance mutual inter-operability and imbibing best practices between the Indian Navy (IN), RSN and RTN.
The maiden edition of SITMEX was hosted by IN off Port Blair in September 2019. RSN hosted the second edition of the exercise in November 2020. The 2021 edition of the exercise is being hosted by RTN in the Andaman Sea.
1ST JOINT NAVAL EXERCISE: US, UAE, ISRAEL & BAHRAIN
Forces from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel and the United States Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) began a multilateral maritime security operations exercise in the Red Sea.
This is the first publicly acknowledged naval exercise between the United States, Israel and the two Gulf countries.
The UAE and Bahrain in 2020 normalised diplomatic relations with Israel under a US-brokered deal known as the Abraham Accords, brought together by shared worries about Iran and hopes of economic gains.
The US 5th Fleet/NAVCENT is based in the Gulf island state of Bahrain and operates in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Since February 2021, Iran and Israel have been accused of engaging in what analysts have called a "shadow war", in which vessels linked to each nation have come under attack in waters around the Gulf in tit-for-tat exchanges.
Negotiations between Iran and major powers (P5+1) on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal will resume in Vienna on 29th November 2021, with failure carrying the risk of a sharp spike in regional tensions.
The five-day exercise in the Red Sea is intended to enhance interoperability between participating forces.
Maritime collaboration helps safeguard freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade, which are essential to regional security and stability.
The exercises include boarding, search and seizure training on the USS Portland, an amphibious transport dock ship.
32ND INDO-THAI COORDINATED PATROL (CORPAT)
Recently, the 32nd edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy was conducted.
India and Thailand have been carrying out CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line twice a year since 2005.
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk, an indigenously built Missile Corvette and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Tayanchon, a Khamrosin Class Anti-submarine Patrol Craft, along with Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies participated in the CORPAT.
The exercise is aimed towards reinforcing maritime links between the two countries and with an aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean safe and secure for international trade.
It facilitates institution of measures to prevent and suppress unlawful activities like Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy.
It further helps enhance the operational synergy by exchange of information for prevention of smuggling, illegal immigration and for conduct of search and rescue (SAR) operations at sea.
INDIA RE-ELECTED TO UNESCO'S EXECUTIVE BOARD
India has been re-elected to the United Nations' cultural and education organisation (UNESCO) Executive Board for a four-year term from 2021-25. India was re-elected to the board with 164 votes.
India has been re-elected to the UNESCO board in Group IV Asian and the Pacific States along with Japan, Vietnam, Philippines, Cook Islands and China.
India had earlier been elected in 2017 for a four-year term till 2021. In Group I, Iceland, Austria and Turkey have been elected.
In Group II East European Group, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Lithuania have been elected. In Group III, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, Grenada and Haiti have been elected.
In Group V(a), Congo, South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Djibouti and the United Republic of Tanzania were elected.
Kuwait, Egypt and Jordan were elected to the UNESCO board in Group V(b).
UNESCO Executive Board
The UNESCO Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of UNESCO. The other two are the General Conference and the Secretariat.
The UNESCO Executive Board is elected by the General Conference. The board mainly examines the programme of work for the organisation and corresponding budget estimates submitted to it by the UNESCO Director-General.
UNESCO Executive Board Members: The board comprises 58 member-states, each with a four-year term of office. UNESCO has a total of 193 member states.
All the newly elected or re-elected member states will serve a four-year term from 2021-2025. The election took place on November 17, 2021 during the ongoing 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference.
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
PM MODI TO LAUNCH TWO RBI INITIATIVES
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch two Reserve Bank of India initiatives on November 12, 2021 through video conferencing.
The two innovative customer-centric initiatives include the RBI Retail Direct Scheme and the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch two innovative customer-centric initiatives of the Reserve Bank of India on 12 November via video conferencing. These initiatives are the RBI Retail Direct Scheme and the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme
RBI Retail Direct Scheme
The RBI Retail Direct facility was announced in February 2021 to improve access to government securities for retail investors. The scheme offers the investors a new avenue to directly invest in government securities.
The retail investors will also have the facility to open and maintain the ‘Retail Direct Gilt Account’ with the RBI, free of cost.
The initiative was first flagged by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, calling it a major structural reform in the February policy review.
The RBI Retail Direct Scheme is a one-stop solution to facilitate investment in Government Securities by individual investors.
The investors will have access to bidding in primary auctions along with the central bank’s trading platform for government securities called Negotiated Dealing System-Order Matching Segment
Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme
The Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme aims to improve the grievance redress mechanism for resolving customer complaints against entities that are regulated by RBI.
The main theme of the scheme is ‘One Nation-One Ombudsman’ with one portal, one address and one email for the customers to lodge their complaints.
GOOGLE & SIDBI COLLABORATION TO SUPPORT MSMES
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Google India Pvt Ltd (GIPL) have teamed together to help micro, small, and medium businesses (MSMEs).
The collaboration will test a social impact loan initiative that would provide MSMEs with up to Rs 1 crore in funding at competitive interest rates.
As a crisis reaction to the Covid-19 outbreak, it will provide a $15 million fund to MSMEs. SIDBI is implementing a lending programme for micro firms (with a revenue of up to Rs 5 crore) as part of the deal. The loans ranged in amount from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore.
The collaboration between SIDBI and GIPL will enhance the efforts in expanding MSEM sector’s access to credit.
It also marks the launch of a paperless journey of SIDBI to its customers, right from on-boarding to the disbursal stage.
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
SIDBI is India's apex regulatory organisation in charge of licencing and regulating micro, small, and medium enterprise financial companies.'
It is under the Ministry of Finance's control. SIDBI is based in Lucknow and has offices around the country.
It was established with the goal of providing banks and financial institutions with refinancing options. SIDBI provides term loans and working capital financing to businesses.
It is also the primary financial institution in the MSME sector. An Act of Parliament formed SIDBI on April 2, 1990
APPOINTMENTS
BIMA PATEL ELECTED TO INTERNATIONAL LAW COMMISSION
Professor Bimal Patel from India has been elected to the International Law Commission for a 5-year-term starting January 1, 2023, by topping the Asia-Pacific group for the election at the United Nations on November 12, 2021.
Patel is a Vice-Chancellor at Rashtriya Raksha University and a Member of the National Security Advisory Board of India.
Patel topped the Asia-Pacific group with 163 votes in the UN General Assembly out of 192 members present and voting.
India’s Bimal Patel elected to International Law Commission during election at the United Nations. Professor Bimal Patel from India topped the Asia-Pacific group with 163 votes in the UN General Assembly out of 192 members present and voting during the election to the International Law Commission.
The term of office of the present 34-members of the International Law Commission will expire at the end of 2022.
The election of the members of the Commission for a five-year term beginning on 1 January 2023 took place at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on 12 November 2021.
Who is Bimal Patel?
Professor Bimal Patel from India has been elected to the International Law Commission for a 5-year-term starting January 1, 2023, by topping the Asia-Pacific group for the election at the United Nations.
During his career over three decades, Parel has worked in several roles such as a member of the 21st Law Commission of India and the Director at the Gujarat National Law University.
Patel has worked for 15 years across different global organizations such as the United Nations of Youth and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the Hague, Netherlands.
International Law Commission
The UN General Assembly established the International Law Commission in 1947 to undertake the mandate of the Assembly to ‘initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification’.
The 34-members of the International Law Commission are elected every five years by the UN General Assembly from a list of candidates nominated by the Governments of States Members of the United Nations based on their expertise and qualifications.
The allocation of seats on the Commission for the five-year term beginning on 1 January 2023 will be as follows:
• 9 nationals from the African States,
• 8 nationals from the Asia-Pacific States,
• 3 nationals from the Eastern European States,
• 6 nationals from Latin American and the Caribbean States,
• 8 nationals from Western European and other States.
SN PRADHAN APPOINTED AS DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NCB
The Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer Satya Narayan Pradhan has been appointed as the Director-General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on a deputation basis.
SN Pradhan has been given the position till the date of his superannuation on August 31, 2024, or until further orders.
SN Pradhan was currently holding additional charge of NCB Chief despite holding the responsibility of Director-General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
Pradhan was given the additional charge of NCB Director-General after Rakesh Asthana was appointed as the Delhi Police Commissioner.
SN Pradhan has been appointed as the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on a full-time basis, after IPS Officer Atul Karwal was appointed as the NDRF Director-General on November 9, 2021.
Who is SN Pradhan?
Satya Narayan Pradhan is an IPS Officer of the 1988 batch from Jharkhand Cadre. SN Pradhan, new Director-General of NCB, is a native of Odisha, he was born in Patna, Bihar. Pradhan had also served as the Senior IPS officer from the Odisha State.
Pradhan is the former Joint Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
National Narcotics Bureau (NCB): NCB is the Indian central law enforcement and intelligence agency. It comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
The central agency has been tasked with combating drug trafficking and the use of illegal substances under the provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
DANIEL BRUHL AS GOODWILL AMBASSADOR OF UN-WFP
Spanish-German Actor Daniel Brühl has been named the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme (UN-WFP).
He has joined the WFP’s mission to reach a world with Zero Hunger. As the goodwill ambassador, he will inform about the main drivers of hunger and showcase the efforts of UN WFP to tackle both immediate needs and root causes of hunger.
In his role as a Goodwill Ambassador, Bruhl will raise awareness for the millions of people going to bed hungry every night and engage his supporters in advocacy for a Zero Hunger world.
The 43-year-old actor will also use his platforms to inform his supporters about the main drivers of hunger and to showcase WFP’s efforts to tackle both immediate needs and root causes of hunger.
• United Nations World Food Programme Founded: 1961.
• United Nations World Food Programme Headquarters: Rome, Italy.
• United Nations World Food Programme Executive Director: David Beasley.
SOURAV GANGULY AS ICC CRICKET COMMITTEE'S CHAIRMAN
The President of BCCI, Sourav Ganguly has been appointed as the Chairman of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, during the ICC Board Meeting.
Ganguly will replace Anil Kumble who assumed the charge in 2012. Kumble stepped down having served a maximum of three separate three-year terms.
The Board also approved that first-class status and list A classification will be applied to women’s cricket to align with the men’s game and applied retrospectively.
Going forward the ICC Women’s Committee will be known as the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee and will assume all decision making the responsibility for women’s cricket reporting directly to the CEC.
Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies has been appointed to the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee.
AWARDS & HONOURS
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS ANNOUNCED PADMA AWARDS
The Ministry of Home Affairs has announced a list of 119 personalities who will be conferred the Padma Awards by President Ram Nath Kovind this year.
These awards cater to various disciplines including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service.
While ‘Padma Shri’ is awarded for distinguished service in any field, ‘Padma Bhushan’ is awarded for distinguished service of a high order.
On the other hand, ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service. Among the 2021 awardees, 29 are women, one is transgender,10 are foreigners/NRIs/OCI and 16 have passed away. There will be no recipient of the Bharat Ratna in 2021.
Film producers Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor, actor-filmmaker Kangana Ranaut, veteran actor Sarita Joshi, playback singer Suresh Wadkar and music composer Adnan Sami were among 61 Padma Shri awardees for the year 2020 who received the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour at a ceremony held in the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
Padma Vibhushan awards List
• Shinzo Abe, Japan
• S P Balasubramaniam (Posthumous), Tamil Nadu
• Belle Monappa Hegde, Karnataka
• Narinder Singh Kapany (Posthumous), USA
• Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Delhi
• B. B. Lal, Delhi
• Sudarshan Sahoo, Odisha
Padma Bhushan Awards List
• Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra, Kerala
• Tarun Gogoi (Posthumous), Assam
• Chandrashekhar Kambara, Karnataka
• Sumitra Mahajan, Madhya Pradesh
• Nripendra Misra, Uttar Pradesh
• Ram Vilas Paswan (Posthumous), Bihar
• Keshubhai Patel (Posthumous), Gujarat
• Kalbe Sadiq (Posthumous), Uttar Pradesh
• Rajnikant Devidas Shroff, Maharashtra
• Tarlochan Singh, Haryana
INDIAN TEENAGE BROTHER WINS INT. CHILDREN'S PEACE PRIZE
Two Indian teenage brothers have won the 2021 KidsRights International Children's Peace Prize for tackling pollution from household waste.
Vihaan (17) and Nav Agarwal (14) have developed the "One Step Greener" initiative segregating recyclables and organising pickups for trash from thousands of homes.
Indian Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi, a children's rights activist who won the 2014 Nobel jointly with Pakistani education campaigner Malala Yousafzai , presented the brothers with the prize run by the Dutch-based KidsRights foundation at a ceremony in The Hague.
About the award:
The International Children’s Peace Prize is given annually by the International children’s rights organization KidsRights based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
It is given to a child who has made a significant contribution to advocating children’s rights and improving the situation of vulnerable children such as orphans, child labourers and children with HIV/AIDS.
SPORTS
WOMEN'S CRICKET IN BIRMINGHAM COMMONWEALTH GAMES
The first matches for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have been announced. Women’s cricket is making its debut at the Commonwealth Games with the T20 format.
The last time cricket was played in the multi-sporting showpiece was in the 1998 edition in Kuala Lumpur.
The women’s cricket T20 competition will be held at the Edgbaston Stadium from the 29 July, with the bronze and gold medal matches taking place on 7 August.
India will face Australia in the opening match when women’s cricket makes its debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on July 29 while the final will be played on August 7.
India in the early session, with Pakistan playing Barbados, who was recently confirmed as the team from the West Indies that will take part in the Commonwealth Games.
Hosts England will be in action for the first time on July 30, when they will take on the winner of a qualifying tournament which is due to take place at the start of 2022.
They will then play South Africa in the early session on August 2, followed by a third match against New Zealand in the evening session on August 4.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
NOVEMBER 15TH TO BE OBSERVED AS JANJATIYA DIWAS
The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi on November 10, 2021, approved the declaration of November 15 as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas to commemorate the brave tribal freedom fighters as part of the year-long celebrations of 75 years of India’s Independence.
The date November 15 also marks the birth anniversary date of Birsa Munda who is revered as God by tribal communities across India. Munda fought for India’s Independence against the exploitative system of British colonial system and spearheaded movement.
The Janjatiya Gaurav Divas will make the coming generations aware of the sacrifices of the tribal freedom fights during India’s freedom struggle.
Munda fought for India’s Independence from the exploitative system of the British colonial system and spearheaded the movement. Birsa Munda was born on November 15, 1875.
He belonged to the Munda tribe. He spearheaded an Indian tribal religious Millenarian movement during the British rule in the late 19th century across the tribal belt of modern-day Jharkhand and Bihar.
NATIONAL EDUCATION DAY OBSERVED ON NOVEMBER 11TH
In India, the National Education Day is celebrated on 11 November every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India.
The day was announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on 11 September 2008.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad served as education minister from 15 August 1947 to 2 February 1958.
History of National Education Day:
On 11 September 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has announced to commemorate the birthday of the great person by recalling the contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the field of education by celebrating 11 November as National Education Day.
Since 2008, every year in India, National Education Day is celebrated without declaring it a holiday.
About Maulana Abul Kalam Azad:
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was born in Mecca, Saudi Arabia in 1888. His mother was an Arab and the daughter of Sheikh Mohammad Zaher Watri and Azad’s father, Maulana Khairuddin, was a Bengali Muslim of Afghan origins who came to Arab during the Sepoy Mutiny and proceeded to Mecca and settled there.
He came back to Calcutta with his family in 1890 when Abul Kalam was two years old. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad’s contributions in the field of education, nation-building, and institution-building are exemplary.
He is the key architect of education in India. He was awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously, India’s highest civilian honour in 1992.
WORLD PNEUMONIA DAY OBSERVED ON NOVEMBER 12TH
World Pneumonia Day is observed across the world on November 12 every year to raise awareness, promote prevention and treatment and produce action to combat the disease.
World Pneumonia Day 2021 is an annual event that was first celebrated in the year 2009.
To end the preventable burden of childhood pneumonia and deaths there is a need to:
• Raise awareness about pneumonia, the leading killer of young children.
• Strengthen, accelerate and sustain interventions to prevent and treat pneumonia.
• Focus on equitable access to, and delivery of comprehensive pneumonia prevention and control programs.
• Design specific strategies to reach the “harder-to-reach” populations to improve their accessibility to available interventions.
• Conduct research to develop innovative strategies to reduce the burden of pneumonia.
World Pneumonia Day history:
The day was celebrated on November 12 in 2009 by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia. Since then the day has provided an annual forum for the world in standing together against the disease.
The day is celebrated all over the world through various events and activities related to Pneumonia.
NATIONAL CHILDREN'S DAY: NOVEMBER 14TH
Children's Day is celebrated across India on November 14, 2021 to commemorate India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru's birthday.
Jawaharlal Nehru also known as 'Chacha Nehru' among children was extremely fond of them and was a strong advocate of their all-rounded education, calling them the real strength of a nation and foundation of the society.
Hence, Children's Day is celebrated in India to raise awareness of the rights, care and education of children. The day is observed by conducting several educational programs across the country.
Children's Day is observed not only as a tribute to India's first Prime Minister, but it also speaks of Children’s rights, care and education.
Nehru is known to have said, “The children of today will make the India of tomorrow. The way we bring them up will determine the future of the country”.
Till 1956, Children's Day in India was celebrated annually on November 20- the day marked by the United Nations. India decided to celebrate Children's Day on November 14 after Jawaharlal Nehru's death to mark his birth anniversary.
Children's Film Society: Jawaharlal Nehru had set up a Children's Film Society India in 1955 so that children could see themselves represented in cinema.
NATIONAL PRESS DAY OBSERVED ON 16TH NOVEMBER
National Press Day is observed annually on 16 November to honour the establishment of the Press Council of India (PCI).
The council acts as a moral watchdog for the Indian press, ensuring that journalists are not motivated by external influences or factors while reporting any story.
The duty of PCI is to regulate, check and monitor all journalistic activities in the country. It ensures that the credibility of journalism remains intact as in India, the press is also considered the fourth pillar of democracy.
The council also examines the quality of reportage of the Indian press. It keeps a check on journalistic activities, monitoring that journalism is not being compromised.
Facts about the Press Council of India:
Justice J R Mudholkar, a Supreme Court judge at the time, became the Chairman of the Press Council of India when it was constituted on 4 July, 1966, as a statutory, quasi-judicial body.
The Council came into effect from 16 November later that year. The Council was formed under the Press Council Act of 1978.
The present chairman of the Press Council of India is Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad, who succeeded Justice Markandey Katju (2011-2014). He became the chairman of the council in 2014 and has been appointed for a second term recently.
History of Press Council of India:
In the year 1956, the First Press Commission decided to form a body with statutory authority which has the responsibility of maintaining the ethics of journalism.
The Commission felt that a managing body was required in order to connect the people of the press and also to arbitrate on any issues that arose.
Hence, ten years later, the PCI was formed on 16 November, 1996 by the Press Commission. The National Press Day of India is since then celebrated on 16 November every year to commemorate the establishment of the council.
WORLD'S CHILDREN'S DAY OBSERVED ON 20TH NOVEMBER
The Universal/World Children’s Day is celebrated on 20 November annually to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.
November 20th is an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. 2021 marks the 32nd anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Universal/World Children’s Day 2021 Theme: A Better Future for Every Child
History of the day: World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year.
In 1959, UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
REPORTS AND INDEXES
2021 TRACE GLOBAL BRIBERY RISK INDEX
India has slipped to 82nd position in 2021, five places down from the 77th rank last year, in a global list that measures business bribery risks.
The list by TRACE, an anti-bribery standard setting organisation, measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions.
According to this year’s data, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Eritrea pose the highest commercial bribery risk, while Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand present the lowest.
In 2020, India ranked 77 with a score of 45 while this year, the country stood at 82nd position with a score of 44, the data showed.
This score is based on four factors – business interactions with the government, anti-bribery deterrence and enforcement, government and civil service transparency, and capacity for civil society oversight which includes the role of the media.
India fared better than its neighbours – Pakistan, China, Nepal and Bangladesh. Bhutan, meanwhile, secured 62nd rank, the data showed.
Vanuatu, Peru, Northare Macedonia and Montenegro also scored 44, the same as that of India, in the matrix.
The TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix measures the likelihood of bribe demands in 194 jurisdictions. It was originally published in 2014 to meet a need in the business community for more reliable and nuanced information about the risks of commercial bribery worldwide.
The TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix aggregates relevant data obtained from leading public interest and international organisations, including the United Nations, World Bank, V-Dem Institute at the University of Gothenburg and World Economic Forum
INDIA RANKED 10TH IN CLIMATE CHANGE PERFORMANCE INDEX
India has been placed at 10th spot in the global Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2022 released by Germanwatch on the side-lines of the COP26.
In 2020 also India was at 10th position. India has retained its position as the top 10 best-performing countries with higher climate performance for the third year in a row.
About the Index:
Meanwhile, the top three places in the overall ranking is once again empty as none of the country performed well enough to achieve an overall very high rating in CCPI.
Moving ahead, Denmark occupied a fourth place as the highest-ranked country in CCPI 2022, followed by Sweden (5th), and Norway (6th) respectively.
Other countries in the top 10 are the United Kingdom (7th), Morocco (8th) and Chile (9th).
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SPACE-X 'CREW-3 MISSION' TO LED BY INDIAN ORIGIN
US Space agency NASA and the Elon Musk-owned private rocket company SpaceX have launched the “Crew 3” mission on November 10, 2021.
The “Crew 3” mission consists of Indian-origin NASA astronaut Raja Chari as its mission commander.
The other three astronauts are NASA’s Tom Marshburn (pilot); and Kayla Barron (mission specialist); as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer (mission specialist).
Under this mission, four astronauts have been sent to the International Space Station (ISS) for a six-month science mission until April 2022.
The four-member international crew of astronauts lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida onboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule named Endurance fixed to Falcon 9 rocket.
MISCELLANEOUS
SRINAGAR AIRPORT DESIGNATED AS 'MAJOR AIRPORT'
On November 6, 2021, the Ministry of Civil Aviation designated "Srinagar International Airport" as a "Major Airport."
By exercising the powers provided by Subsection I of Section 2 of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008, the airport was designated as a major airport.
Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister, had earlier inaugurated international flight operations at Srinagar airport on October 23.
The first direct international flight connecting Srinagar, Sharjah, and the United Arab Emirates was launched (UAE).
The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority will set the tariff for aeronautical services at Srinagar Airport as a result of this decision (AERA).
Under section 13 of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act, 2008, AERA has been tasked with determining tariffs for aeronautical services provided at major airports.
Tariffs at non-major airports are set by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The AAI is a department of the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
HABIBGANJ RLY. STATION RENAMED AS RANI KAMALAPATI
Habibganj railway station has been redeveloped and renamed as Rani Kamalapati station. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the newly revamped Rani Kamalapati railway station, India's first world class railway station to the nation.
Rani Kamalapati station has been renamed after the brave and fearless Queen Kamalapati of the Gond kingdom.
The station has been redeveloped in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode with modern amenities that takes into account ease of mobility for persons with disabilities.
India's first world-class railway station
Rani Kamalapati Station boasts of world class interiors and modern amenities and facilities, similar to those at international airports, to provide unmatched convenience to passengers.
The Rani Kamalapati Railway Station has been redeveloped as a green building with solar led-LED lighting under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
It has been built by a private company named Bansal Group under a public-private partnership.
It boasts of all facilities that are available at the international airports. Its modern amenities take into account ease of mobility for persons with disabilities.
It has also been redeveloped as a hub for integrated multi-modal transport. It will offer direct connectivity to Bhopal Metro through a skywalk. It also has separate entry and exit gates to control the crowd.
INDIA'S 1ST FOOD MUSEUM IN TAMIL NADU
FCI – the Food Corporation of India, as a novel initiative has launched India’s India’s First Food Museum in Tamil Nadu.
The Museum has been set up at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, which is also the cultural capital of the state. The FCI Food Museum has been set-up to digitally exhibit the foodgrain production scenario in India and across the globe also to also highlight the challenges with regards to Food Storage.
The museum has been established by FCI in association with Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM), Bengaluru.
The museum has been set-up at a cost of about ₹1.1 crore. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution System Mr Piyush Goyal, inaugurated the museum through video conference. He was joined by FCI Chairman and Managing Director Atish Chandra for the ceremony.
FCI’s Food Museum set up at Thanjavur showcases several themes and evolution of agricultural food practices in the country. Some of the important themes and points about FCI’s Food Museum are as follows:
History of Foragers: The museum showcases evolution of agricultural systems for human race; right from the time of nomadic hunter gatherers to settled agricultural producers and farmers, which led to the beginning of civilizations.
Food Storage: The Food Museum also showcases different types of food storage methods that have been developed and used over the year, both in India as well as across the world.
It also exhibits the foodgrain production scenario in India and across the globe and the challenges in storage as part of the showcase at the Museum.
Last mile Distribution: Another important aspect that is showcased at the Food Museum includes the journey of the foodgrain from the farm to the consumers’ plate and the role played by FCI in it.
Operations of FCI: Through Digital presentation, the Food Museum also showcases a host of technological features employed by FCI to streamline agricultural production and distribution networks.
The Museum exhibits various technologies such as projection mapping, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), touch screen kiosk, proximity and touch sensors and virtual reality system.
SM Current Affairs NOVEMBER 2021 Set 01, 02, 03 - CLICK HERE
