Current Affairs

15^th November 2022

Top 20 Daily Current Affairs: National & International News

Here is the Daily Current Affairs of the 15th November 2022 covering the following news headlines: India International Trade Fair, Wangala Festival, Prasar Bharati, Wholesale Price Index, Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.

National News

1.41st India International Trade Fair begins in New Delhi

The 41st edition of the India International Trade Fair (IITF) has started at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the fair.

The fair will continue till the 27th of this month. During the inauguration ceremony, Minister of State for Commerce and Trade Anupriya Patel and Som Parkash were also present. This year the theme of the trade fair is Vocal For Local, Local to Global.

NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr V K Paul inaugurated the Health Pavilion at the 41st India International Trade Fair in New Delhi today. The theme of this year’s pavilion of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is- Heal in India, Heal by India.

International News

2.Natasa Pirc Musar Elected Slovenia’s First Female President

Natasa Pirc Musar, won the second round of Slovenia’s Presidential elections. Natasa Pirc Musar becomes the first female President of the country. She won 58.86 percent of votes in the runoff, while the opposition right-wing politician and the former Foreign Minister Andze Logar won 46.14 percent of votes.

The new President of Slovenia, an EU, and NATO member state will replace the Borut Pahor.

Borut Pahor has been active in politics for 30 years.

Borut Pahor was formerly a fashion model who served two five-year terms and is often referred to in public as the Instagram President for his use of the social network.

Natasa Pirc Musar is the new President, he formerly was a TV representative who became a lawyer and campaigned on human rights rules of law and social welfare issues.

3.ASEAN Agreed to Admit East Timor as 11th member

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed in principle to admit East Timor as the group’s 11th member, the 10 member-bloc said in a statement, more than a decade after the country requested membership.

The half-island nation, officially called Timor Leste, will also be granted observer status at high-level ASEAN meetings, the bloc said after regional leaders met in Phnom Penh for a summit. The country would be the first new member of the regional grouping in more than two decades, since Cambodia was admitted in 1999.

East Timor province remained in Portuguese possession until 1975, when one of the major political parties there, Fretilin (Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor), gained control of much of the territory and in November declared its independence as the Democratic Republic of East Timor.

4.Pakistan and Bangladesh First to Receive G7 ‘Global Shield’ Climate Funding

Pakistan, Ghana and Bangladesh will be among the first recipients of funding from a G7 ‘Global Shield’ initiative to provide funding to countries suffering climate disasters, the programme announced at the COP27 summit in Egypt.

The Global Shield(GS), coordinated by G7 president Germany, aims to provide rapid access for climate-vulnerable countries to insurance and disaster protection funding after floods or drought. It is being developed in collaboration with the ‘V20’ group of 58 climate vulnerable economies. Germany has contributed $175.17 million in funding to Global Shield while other countries including Denmark and Ireland have contributed a little over $41 million.

States News

5.Wangala Festival: 100 Drum Festival of Meghalaya

Wangala Festival of Meghalaya is one of the most popular festivals among the Garos of Meghalaya. Wangala Festival is a harvest festival that is held in honor of Saljong, the Sun-God of fertility.

The celebrations of the Wangala Festival mark the end of a period of toil, which brings good output to the fields. The beginning of the Wangala Festival also denotes the onset of winter.

The Wangala Festival is also known as 100 drum festival.

Wangala Festival is the occasion when the tribals offer sacrifices to please their main deity Saljong (The Sun God).

The festival is celebrated for two days and sometimes continues for weeks.

Appointments News

6.1995-batch Senior IAS officer Gaurav Dwivedi appointed Prasar Bharati CEO

Senior IAS officer, Gaurav Dwivedi was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of public broadcaster Prasar Bharati. A 1995-batch officer of Chhattisgarh cadre, Mr. Dwivedi will have a five-year tenure from the date he assumes charge.

Earlier, Mr. Dwivedi was the Chief Executive Officer of MyGovIndia, the citizen engagement platform of the government. He has been awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for his excellent work in administration. He replaces Shashi Shekhar Vempati.

Shashi Shekhar Vempati was the CEO of Prasar Bharati from 2017 to 2022. After Mr. Vempati completed his five-year tenure, Director General of Doordarshan Mayank Agrawal was given the additional charge of CEO Prasar Bharati in June this year.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Prasar Bharati Founded: 23 November 1997, New Delhi;

Prasar Bharati Headquarters: New Delhi.

Agreements News

7.India and Finland Agrees to Enhance Cooperation in Digital Partnership

India And Finland agree to carry mutual cooperation between the two countries to a new level and enhance partnership in areas such as digital partnership in Future ICT, Future Mobile Technologies and Digital Education.

The decision was taken during a meeting between Finland’s Minister of Education and Culture Petri Honkonen and Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh at North Block in New Delhi.

He was accompanied by a high level delegation which later held a separate meeting with the Indian delegation in the presence of the two Ministers.

Honkonen’s visit comes in the wake of the announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin during a Summit meeting on 16 March last year.

Singh conveyed to the Finland Minister that India is keen to develop research collaborations with Finnish R&D institutions and technology collaboration with Finnish Industry especially focusing on the application of Quantum Computing.

Business News

8.Reliance Industries to make India’s first multimodal logistics park in Chennai

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has been awarded the project to build India’s first multimodal logistics park (MMLP) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. A crucial cog in the Centre’s logistics overhaul, the MMLP will be spread over 184 acres and cost Rs 1,424 crore.

The project will get adequate connecting infrastructure support through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed between central and state agencies. RIL emerged as the winning bidder for the public-private-partnership (PPP) project, with its own investment pegged at Rs 783 crore. The Centre expects the first phase of the project to be completed in two years.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Founded: 8 May 1973;

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Founder: Dhirubhai Ambani;

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra;

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) CMD: Mukesh Ambani;

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Director: Nita Ambani.

Economy News

9.Wholesale Price Index Inflation in October Eases to 8.39 %

Wholesale price-based inflation eased in October to 8.39 per cent year-on-year, compared to 10.70 per cent in September, helped by a fall in commodity prices. Declining for the fifth consecutive month, that Wholesale Price Index (WPI) reading is the lowest since March 2021 and below a double-digit rise for the first time in 18 months.

WPI inflation has been in double digits since April 2021, with the September reading coming in at 10.70 per cent and 13.83 per cent in October 2021. This year the WPI touched a record high of 15.88 per cent in May.

10.Retail Inflation Eases to 6.77% in October

India’s retail inflation, which is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), fell to a three-month low of 6.77% in October, down from 7.41% in September, due to weaker food price rises and a strong year-on-year base.

This is the 10th consecutive time that the CPI print has come above the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper margin of 6%. The RBI’s tolerance band is 2-6%. The Central Government has mandated the RBI to maintain retail inflation at 4% with a margin of 2% on either side for a five-year period ending March 2026.

The CPI tracks the change in retail prices of goods and services which households purchase for their daily consumption. CPI is used as a macroeconomic indicator of inflation, as a tool by the central bank and government for inflation targeting and for inspecting price stability, and as deflator in the national accounts.

Awards News

11.53rd IFFI: Spanish Film Director and writer Carlos Saura to be given Satyajit Ray Lifetime

Achievement Award

Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura, who received the Golden Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for Deprisa Deprisa, along with two Silver Bears for La caza and Peppermint Frappe, a BAFTA for Carmen and three awards at Cannes, among several others, will be honoured with the 53rd IFFI, Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award and an eight-film retrospective at IFFI.

The Austrian film ‘Alma and Oskar’, directed by Dieter Berner, will open the annual festival while Krzysztof Zanussi’s ‘Perfect Number’ is the closing film.

France is the ‘Spotlight’ country and 8 films will be screened under ‘Country Focus’ package.

12.Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced National Sports Awards 2022

Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports announced the National Sports Awards 2022. The awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 30th November, 2022.

Based on the recommendations of the Committee and after due scrutiny, Government has decided to confer awards upon the following sportspersons, coaches and entities.

A large number of nominations were received for these awards this year, which were considered by the Selection Committee headed by Justice A. M. Khanwilkar, Retd. Judge, Supreme Court of India and consisting members from eminent sportspersons, persons having experience in sports journalism and sports administrators.

Ranks and Reports News

13.TRA Ranks Jio as Strongest Telecom Brand in India

Jio ranks as India’s strongest telecom brand in India, ahead of Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea Ltd. The data was unveiled by the brand intelligence and data insights company TRA. TRA, formerly Trust Research Advisory, in its ‘India’s Most Desired Brands 2022’ ranked companies according to their brand strength.

Reliance Jio topped the telecom category, followed by Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea Ltd, and BSNL.

Adidas was the top brand followed by Nike, Raymond, Allen Solly, and Peter England in the apparel category.

The automobile list was topped by BMW followed by Toyota, Hyundai, and Honda.

LIC ranked 1 on the baking and financial services index had State Bank of India at number 2 and ICICI Bank at 3rd.

Summits and Conferences News

14.17th G20 Summit Begins in Bali, Indonesia

World leaders from across the planet, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, have converged in Indonesia, for the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit, taking place in the city of Bali.

The two-day summit is themed “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” and focuses on global economic recovery, global health architecture, digital transformation, sustainable energy transition and climate change, among other topics.

The conference could possibly see Modi-Xi interacting one-on-one since the Galwan border clash in June 2020. In the list of firsts, US President Biden met with his Chinese counterpart for the first time since taking office. Their meeting came amid a time of uncertainty and increased tensions between the superpowers.

Sports News

15.Most Valued Team of 2022 T20 World Cup: Kohli, Suryakumar named in the list

The ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is done, and this was one of the most competitive tournaments, according to ICC. England won the tournament by beating Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. After the tournament, ICC have decided the most valuable team of the tournament.

Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav have been named the Most Valuable Team of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Jos Buttler has been named as captain of T20 World Cup team. Hardik Pandya is named the 12th man.

Most Valuable Team of the T20 World Cup 2022:

Alex Hales (England)

Jos Buttler (c/wk) (England)

Virat Kohli (India)

Suryakumar Yadav (India)

Glenn Phillips (New Zealand)

Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)

Shadab Khan (Pakistan)

Sam Curran (England)

Anrich Nortje (South Africa)

Mark Wood (England)

Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)

Hardik Pandya (India)

16.Kenyan Runner Renju Gets Five Years Doping Ban

Keneth Kiprop Renju, winner of the Prague half-marathon in April, has been banned for five-year as the latest in a long list of Kenyan athletes suspended for suspected doping. Keneth Kiprop Renju, who is 26-year-old has been banned for the “presence/use of a prohibited substance (Methasterone)”.

A total of 54 Kenyan athletes have been banned for doping including Keneth Kiprop Renju.

 The East African country is third on the list by the Athletics Integrity Unit of most athlete suspensions due to doping.

Russia tops the list with 87 athletes, and India is second with 62 suspensions.

Renju’s ban is backdated to May 13 and all his results since March 20 have been annulled. He also won the Lisbon half-marathon on May 8.

Important Days

17.Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas 2022 celebrates the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda

November 15 is celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas or Tribal Pride Day to honour tribal freedom fighter, Birsa Munda. On November 10, 2021, the Union Cabinet declared November 15 as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ marking the birth anniversary of the revered leader and saluting his contributions to India’s freedom movement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated a museum in Ranchi in memory of Birsa Munda also known as Dharti Aaba. PM Modi said that observance of the Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary will serve as an opportunity to celebrate the glorious tribal culture and contribution to national development.

The museum is located at the Old Central Jail in Ranchi where the tribal icon had breathed his last. A 25-feet tall statue of Munda has been installed at the site.

Along with Birsa Munda, the museum also highlights other tribal freedom fighters including Budhu Bhagat, Sidhu-Kanhu, Gaya Munda, Jatra Bhagat, Poto H, Nilambar-Pitambar, Bhagirath Manjhi, Diwa-Kisun, Telanga Khadiya and Ganga Narayan Singh.

18.Day of Eight Billion: United Nations

On 15 November 2022, the world’s population is projected to reach 8 billion people, a milestone in human development. This unprecedented growth is due to the gradual increase in human lifespan owing to improvements in public health, nutrition, personal hygiene and medicine. It is also the result of high and persistent levels of fertility in some countries.

This projection was revealed in the United Nation’s World Population Prospectus 2022. The prospectus was released on World Population Day, which fell on July 11. However, it began garnering widespread attention only recently with the day of 8 billion fast approaching.

While it took the global population 12 years to grow from 7 to 8 billion, it will take approximately 15 years—until 2037— for it to reach 9 billion, a sign that the overall growth rate of the global population is slowing.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA;

Mr Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations;

United Nations Founded: 24 October 1945.

19.Andhra Pradesh Celebrates 55th National Library Week

The 55th National Library Week will be celebrated in all libraries of Andhra Pradesh from 14th November 2022. The 55th National Library Week will be a week-long celebration and will be inaugurated in Tummalapalli Kalakshetram by State Ministers Taneti Vanita, Botcha Satyanarayana, and Jogi Ramesh.

The 55th National Library Week celebrations would also give impetus to the School Education Department’s ‘We Love Reading’ initiative. The inauguration of Library Week also coincides with Children’s Day on November 14.

Obituaries News

20.Mehran Karimi Nasseri who lived in Paris airport for 18 years passes away

An Iranian refugee, Mehran Karimi Nasseri, who lived for 18 years in Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and whose intriguing tale inspired the 2004 Steven Spielberg film “The Terminal,” passed away in that same airport. The cause of death, in Terminal 2F, was a heart attack, a representative for the airport. His exact age was not immediately known, but he was in his late 70s.

His days were punctuated by the rhythm of flights and the presence of travelers, whose numbers swelled in the morning and dwindled at night, leaving him mostly alone to sleep on his preferred curved bench. Airport employees would routinely give him their meal coupons, and flight attendants would give him toiletries left over by first-class passengers. The New York Times Magazine noted in a 2003 profile of Mr. Nasseri that he seemed “both settled — and ready to go.”