Important Days
National Milk Day celebrated on 26 November
Every year November 26 is celebrated as National Milk Day in India. The day is being observed since 2014 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Father of India’s White Revolution, Dr Verghese Kurien. He is also nicknamed “Milkman of India”.
To celebrate National Milk Day, the College of Dairy Science & Technology (CODST) and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) is organizing “Milk Adulteration Testing Camp” on 25 and 26 November 2021.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- World Milk Day is observed on 1 June every year by the United Nations.
Indian Constitution Day observed on 26 November
In India, Constitution Day is observed every year on November 26 to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the country. In India, 26 November is celebrated as Constitution Day or Samvidhan Diwas.
On this day in 1949, the constitution was adopted which came into force on January 26, 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of India. The day aims to spread the importance of the constitution and to spread the thoughts and ideas of BR Ambedkar, the father of the Indian constitution.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
The United Nations designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is celebrated worldwide on November 25.
The day is celebrated to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to various forms of violence and the true nature of the issue is often hidden.
This year’s theme for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!”.
In 1981, activists at the Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Encuentros marked November 25 as a day to combat and raise awareness of violence against women more broadly; on December 17, 1999, the date received its official United Nations (UN) resolution.
National News
Railways to start theme-based Bharat Gaurav trains
Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced the launch of Bharat Gaurav, which will be run in theme-based circuits by both the private sector and the IRCTC.
The Indian Railways is in the process of finalising theme-based tourist circuit trains through private and state-owned service providers in a move to display the country’s rich cultural heritage.
To promote the first-of-its-kind theme-based trains, the railways has dedicated more than 3,000 AC and non-AC coaches of various categories to run around 190 tourist circuit trains to various cultural and heritage sites. The first Bharat Gaurav train may begin by January 2022.
PM Modi lays foundation stone of International Airport at Jewar in UP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the Foundation Stone of Noida International Airport at Jewar in Uttar Pradesh. The Jewar airport is the second international aerodrome in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).
It is the fifth international airport in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has now become the state with the highest number of international airports in India.
The airport has been developed by Zurich Airport International AG over 1,330 acres of land area. The airport is expected to be operational by September 2024. Once operational, this airport will be the largest airport in India and the first net-zero emissions airport in the country.
Centre releases new series of Wage Rate Index
The Labour ministry has released a new series of wage rate indexes (WRI) with the base year being 2016. The government periodically revises the base year of WRI for key economic indicators in order to provide a clear picture of economic changes and record the wage pattern of workers. The new series of WRI with base 2016=100 will replace the old series with base 1963-65.
A total of 37 industries have been covered in the new WRI basket (2016=100) as against 21 industries in the 1963-65=100 series.
The New WRI Series with base 2016=100 would be compiled twice a year on a point-to-point half-yearly basis, as on 1st January and 1st July of every year.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- International Labour Organization Director-General: Guy Ryder;
- International Labour Organization Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland;
- International Labour Organization Founded: 1919.
Indore’s Railway Station renamed after Tribal Icon Tantya Bhil
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced the renaming of Indore’s Patalpani railway station after tribal icon Tantya Bhil, who was well known as ‘Indian Robin Hood’ by the tribals.
CM also announced that 2 other landmarks, the Bhanwar Kuan intersection, and MR 10 bus stand, in Indore will also be named after Tantya Bhil. Notably, Bhopal’s Habibganj railway station was recently named after Rani Kamalapati, a tribal queen.
Tantya Bhil is hailed as one of the revolutionaries who waged an armed struggle against British rule for 12 years. It is said that Tantya used to loot the treasuries of the British government and distribute the wealth among the poor.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel.
International
Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Sabah becomes new Prime Minister of Kuwait
Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah has been appointed the new Prime Minister of Kuwait. Sheikh Sabah also served as Kuwait’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Envoy at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) from 1995 to 1998. He has also been awarded the Order of King Abdulaziz of First Class in 1998 by Saudi Arabia.
Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah issued an order on behalf of the emir, appointing Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to form a new government and provide a list of names for approval.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Kuwait Capital: Kuwait City;
- Kuwait Currency: Kuwaiti dinar.
Financial Stability Board: JP Morgan named the world’s most systemic bank
JPMorgan Chase has once again been named the world’s most important bank to the health of the wider financial system, according to the latest annual ranking of top lenders by global regulators.
The Financial Stability Board (FSB), made up of regulators from G20 countries, published its latest table of the world’s 30 most systemic banks. The 30 lenders are divided between four “buckets” in order of how systemic, international, interconnected and complex they are, with JPMorgan now in a higher bucket than its nearest peers.
Being included in the table means having to hold additional capital and undergo more intense supervision to avoid a repeat of taxpayer bailouts in the banking crisis over a decade ago. In practice, the lenders typically hold capital buffers that are already above FSB requirements.
Appointments
India’s candidate elected to the executive committee of Interpol
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special director Praveen Sinha was elected the delegate for Asia in the executive committee of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) following a tough contest involving China. In the election, four contestants were China, Singapore, South Korea and Jordan.
India’s National Central Bureau (NCB-India) reached out to its counterparts around the world to campaign for this election. The elections were held in Istanbul, Turkey during the ongoing 89 INTERPOL General Assembly.
Interpol is the world’s largest international police organization with a National Central Bureau in all 195 member states. It has seven regional bureaus all over the world. It was formed in 1923. Its motto is connecting police for a safer world. It is headquartered in Lyon, France. Kim Jong Yang as its President.
Defence
37th India-Indonesia CORPAT exercise held in the Indian Ocean
The 37th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) is being held in the Indian Ocean region from 23-24 November 2021. CORPAT is held twice a year to ensure safety and security.
It was conducted for the first time in 2002. Indigenously built Indian Naval Ship (INS) Khanjar and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft are participating in the CORPAT. Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Sultan Thaha Saifuddin, (376) is participating from Indonesia.
Other Military Exercises with Indonesia:
- Samudra Shakti: A bilateral maritime exercise.
- Garuda Shakti: A joint military exercise.
India, Maldives & Sri Lanka conducted biennial trilateral exercise ‘Dosti’
The 5-day long, 15th edition of the Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka biennial Trilateral Exercise ‘Dosti’ was conducted in the Maldives from 20-24 November 2021 as part of regional security formation for a peaceful and stable Indian Ocean Region.
The Exercise is conducted biennially among the Coast Guards of the 3 countries. This year marks the 30th year since the initiation of the exercise.
Indian Coast Guard vessels, Integrated Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vajra and Apoorva along with Sri Lanka Coast Guard Ship (SLCGS) Suraksha Participated in the exercise.
The aim of the India-Maldives-Sri Lanka tri-lateral exercise ‘Dosti’ is to further fortify the friendship, enhance the mutual operational capability, and exercise interoperability and build cooperation between the Coast Guards of Maldives, India and Sri Lanka.
Banking
Equitas SFB partnered with HDFC Bank to offer co-branded credit cards
Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) partnered with HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited) Bank to launch its new co-branded credit cards.
Through this partnership, Equitas SFB will utilize the HDFC bank’s reach in the credit card market and also to provide its customers with a better banking ecosystem.
The credit card can be availed in two categories. The first category is the ‘Excite Credit Card’ which offers a credit limit from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh and the second category is the ‘Elegance Credit Card’ which offers a credit of over Rs 2 lakh.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Founded: 2016;
- Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd Headquarters: Chennai, Tamil Nadu;
- Equitas Small Finance Bank Ltd MD & CEO: Vasudevan Pathangi Narasimhan.
RBI revealed a Draft Scheme for amalgamation of PMC Bank
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revealed a draft scheme for amalgamating the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank with the Delhi-based Unity Small Finance Bank Ltd (USFB).
Unity Small Finance Bank is a joint venture between Centrum Group and Bharatpe. It has commenced operations as a small finance bank with effect from November 1, 2021.
According to the draft scheme of amalgamation, the takeover of the assets and liabilities of PMC Bank, including deposits, by Unity will give a greater degree of protection for the depositors.
Summits and Conferences
Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurates the 5th World Congress on Disaster Management
The fifth edition of the World Congress on Disaster Management (WCDM) was virtually inaugurated by the Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh. The event has been organised at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi campus from November 24-27, 2021.
The theme of the 5th WCDM is Technology, Finance and Capacity for Building Resilience to Disasters in the Contexts of Covid-19.
Vice President represents India at 13th ASEM Summit Virtually
The 13th edition of the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit has been organised on November 25 and 26, 2021. The Summit is being hosted by Cambodia as ASEM Chair.
The theme of the two-day ASEM Summit is Strengthening Multilateralism for Shared Growth. The Indian delegation is being led by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu through the virtual platform.
The ASEM Summit will bring together countries in Asia and Europe to exchange views on regional and global issues and strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas.
ASEM grouping has 51 member countries and two regional organisations — the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The 2021 summit marks the 25th anniversary of the ASEM process.
Agreements
ADB approves USD 1.5 bn loan to India for COVID-19 vaccine procurement
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $1.5 billion loan (approx Rs 11,185 crore) to help the Government of India purchase safe and effective vaccines against the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The fund will be used to procure at least 66.7 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses for an estimated 31.7 crore people of the country. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is expected to co-finance an additional USD 500 million for the project.
SBI signed an MoU with Pondicherry Co-op Milk Producers’ Union Ltd
The State bank of India (SBI) has signed an MoU with Pondicherry Co-op. Milk Producers’ Union Ltd (PONLAIT) for financing individual dairy farmers up to Rs 3 Lakh.
The Loan will be made available through the YONO application of the SBI Bank. SBI has introduced a technology product, named ‘SAFAL- Simple And Fast Agriculture Loan’ for financing individual Dairy farmers, who are supplying milk to commercial dairies on a regular basis.
Around 3,500 dairy farmers supplying milk to 98 primary milk societies of PONLAIT would be benefited by the arrangement.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- SBI Chairperson: Dinesh Kumar Khara.
- SBI Headquarters: Mumbai.
- SBI Founded: 1 July 1955.
Ranks and Reports
Shimla tops NITI Aayog’s inaugural SDG Urban Index
NITI Aayog launched the inaugural SDG Urban Index & Dashboard 2021-22, to further strengthen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) localization and institute robust SDG monitoring at the city level.
The index is an SDG progress monitoring tool at the ULB level to highlight the strengths and gaps of ULB-level data, monitoring, and reporting systems. Shimla has topped among the 56 urban areas while Dhanbad in Jharkhand is at the bottom.
Top 5 Urban Areas with the score
- Shimla: 75.50
- Coimbatore: 73.29
- Chandigarh: 72.36
- Thiruvananthapuram: 72.36
- Kochi: 72.29
Bottom 5 Urban Areas with the score
- Dhanbad: 52.43
- Meerut: 54.64
- Itanagar: 55.29
- Guwahati: 55.79
- Patna: 57.29
Science and Technology
NASA launches world’s first DART Mission
The US space agency NASA has launched a first-of-its-kind mission named DART to change the path of an asteroid by intentionally crashing a spacecraft into it. DART stands for Double Asteroid Redirection Test.
The $325 million DART mission was launched into orbit on November 24, 2021, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The mission aims to test asteroid-deflecting technology. The purpose of the mission is to crash a space probe into the asteroid so as to alter its speed and course to prevent it from hitting the Earth.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- NASA administrator: Bill Nelson;
- Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States;
- NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.
Jitendra Singh launched India’s 1st Virtual Science Lab for children
Science and Technology Minister, Jitendra Singh has launched India’s first Virtual Science Lab for Children under the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) Jigyasa Programme.
These labs will connect students with scientists across the country. To provide quality research exposure and innovative pedagogy for school students based on an online interactive medium. The new facility will immensely benefit students from Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Government Schools.
The virtual lab would provide a virtual tour of CSIR laboratories and expose students to research infrastructure. CSIR has also partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay to develop a Virtual Lab platform under the Jigyasa programme.
Awards
S K Sohan Roy 1st Indian to be honoured with Knighthood of Parte Guelfa
Dr S K Sohan Roy from Kerala, CEO, and founder of Aries Group of Companies has become the first Indian to be honoured with the Knighthood of Parte Guelfa for his humanitarian and Environmental protection efforts in business and movies.
The honorary title of “Knight of Parte Guelfa” has been conferred upon him during the conferring ceremony organized during the Investitures of Parte Guelfa of Annus Domini 2021 and was held at the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Palagio di Parte Guelfa in Florence, Italy.
Order of the Guelph Part or Ordo Parte Guelfae which was initially known as Societas Partis Ecclesiae is an order of pontifical foundation established by Pope Clement IV in 1266. The Guelph part is concerned with environmental protection and the knighthood is recognised as the protector of the World Environment.
Sports
Alexander Zverev beats Daniil Medvedev to win ATP Finals title
In Tennis, Alexander Zverev of Germany beat World No.2 Daniil Medvedev of Russia, 6-4, 6-4, in the men’s singles finals to clinch the 2021 ATP Finals title, held at Turin in Italy. This is Zverev’s second Nitto ATP Finals title, after winning the first in 2018.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut of France clinched the men’s double title by defeating Rajeev Ram of the US and Joe Salisbury of the UK.
Books and Authors
Art historian BN Goswamy’s book on Indian arts
Distinguished art historian & Padma Awardee, Brijinder Nath Goswamy has authored a new book on Indian arts, titled “Conversations: India’s Leading Art Historian Engages with 101 themes, and More”.
The book acquired by Penguin Random House India will be published in January 2022. In this book, B.N Goswamy explores a wide range of subjects on or around the arts.
With this book, Goswamy opens a window to a wide range of subjects: on and around the arts. It not only invites those interested and literate in arts but also the general readers who want to take a dive into the field of the arts.
Schemes
Cabinet approves extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana
Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) for another four months.
The Phase V of the PMGKAY scheme will be operational from December 2021 till March 2022. Under the scheme, all the beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) receives food grains @ 5 kg per person per month.
About the schemes:
- The estimated additional food subsidy for Phase V of the scheme is of Rs. 53344.52 Crore
- The total food-grains outgo for PMGKAY Phase V will be about 163 LMT.
Nirmala Sitharaman launched Tejasvini & Hausala schemes
Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman has launched two schemes named ‘Tejasvini & Hausala schemes’ of J&K Bank for girls. Under 18-35 years of age to start their businesses and ‘Shikhar & Shikara’ schemes of Punjab National Bank (PNB) for development of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Tejasvini scheme focuses on providing financial assistance of INR 5 lakh to girls between 18-35 years for starting their business. Shikhar scheme focuses on meeting credit requirements up to INR 2 crore for the hotel, tour & tourism industry. Shikara scheme will prove credit up to INR 15 lakh for purchase/repair of Shikaras is provided in Kashmir valley.
Useful notes for all competitive exams:
- J&K Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha.
Obituaries
Former South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan passed away
The former president of South Korea Chun Doo-hwan passed away at the age of 90 years due to heart failure in Seoul, South Korea. He belonged to the ‘Democratic Justice’ party. He became the 5th President of South Korea. He served as the President of the Democratic Justice Party from 1981 to 1987.
A former military commander, Chun — known as the “Butcher of Gwangju” — presided over the 1980 army massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators in the city, a crime for which he was later convicted and received a commuted death sentence.