Current Affairs

18^th November 2022

Top 23 Daily Current Affairs: National & International News

Here is the Daily Current Affairs of the 18th November 2022 covering the following news headlines: Yudh Abhyas, 242nd Corps of Engineers Day, International Table Tennis Federation, Naturopathy Day, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

National News

1.Govt of India to Abolish National Anti-profiteering Authority

National Anti-profiteering Authority(NAA) is the anti-profiteering watchdog of GST and it is all set to be subsumed into the Competition Commission of India (CCI).

NAA’s role is to make sure that the benefit of tax rate reduction reaches the consumer immediately. This has been the role of NAA primarily because the GST council has been rejigging the rates in the last five years. NAA has little to do when rates go up.

Authorities are still receiving several complaints about the early years of GST, saying that the benefit of the input tax credit has not been fully passed on to consumers. Sectors like eateries, cinemas, real estate, fast-moving consumer goods, etc., have faced NAA’s scrutiny the most. In many cases, the regulator ordered the business to return the allegedly overcharged amounts to the consumer.

International News

2.IPC Suspends Russian, Belarusian Committees with Immediate Effect

The International Paralympic Committee voted to suspend the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of Russia and Belarus with immediate effect, placing their para-athletes’ hopes of competing at the 2024 Paralympics in jeopardy.

Athletes from the two countries had previously been barred from competing in the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics in March over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for which Belarus has been a staging area. Russia’s suspension was passed by 64 votes to 39, with 16 abstentions, at the IPC’s extraordinary General Assembly in Berlin. The suspension of Belarus’ NPC passed 54-45, with 18 abstentions.

State News

3.Uttar Pradesh To Register Maximum Number of New Companies After Maharashtra Post Covid

UP has added the most number of new companies after Maharashtra since the outbreak of Covid-19, beating industrial hubs such as Delhi, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, data combined by the corporate affairs ministry (MCA) show.

Uttar Pradesh is the third ranked state in terms of number of active companies behind Maharashtra and Delhi. Uttar Pradesh is home to 1.08 lakh active companies as of September end while Maharashtra and Delhi have 3 lakh and 2.2 lakh active companies respectively.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are at fourth and fifth with 1.04 lakh and 99,038 active companies respectively.

4.President Sh. Murmu appoints Dr CV Ananda Bose as Governor of West Bengal

President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Dr CV Ananda Bose as the Governor of West Bengal. Bose (71) is a 1977 batch (retired) Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Kerala cadre. He last served as an administrator in the National Museum here before superannuating in 2011. His appointment will take effect on the date he assumes charge of his office.

Bose has worked both in his cadre state Kerala and in the Centre in different positions. He has been the district collector of Quilon district (now Kollam) in Kerala, served as the secretary to the then chief minister of the state and as additional secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, among others, according to his official records.

Important Takeaways For All Competitive Exams:

Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court: Prakash Shrivastava

Chief Minister of West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

5.Uttarakhand High Court to be shifted to Haldwani from Nainital

The Uttarakhand High Court will be shifted from Nainital to Haldwani. This decision was taken in a cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dehradun. Uttarakhand cabinet has also decided to make strict amendments in the conversion law, wherein forced conversion will now be a cognizable offence.

With provision of 10 years of punishment under the new law. For this, a bill will be brought in the assembly. The Centre has handed over a 45-acre area near Haldwani for the high court. On October 27, the Central government handed over 45 acres of HMT land in Ranibag, near Haldwani, to the state government for its possible use to benefit the people of the area.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Uttarakhand Governor: Gurmit Singh;

Uttarakhand Chief minister: Pushkar Singh Dhami;

Uttarakhand Population: 1.01 crores (2012);

Uttarakhand Capitals: Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer).

6.International Gita Mahotsav to be organized at Haryana

International Gita Mahotsav is to be organized in Haryana from November 19 to December 6 at Kurukshetra. President Draupadi Murmu will attend this grand festival of Holy Gita. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal said that the President will participate in the Gita Yagya at Brahma Sarovar.

Renowned International and National scholars of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and researchers from across the country and abroad will present their research papers on ‘world peace and harmony with the inspiration of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita’.

7.UP Government to Build Ramayana, Mahabharata, Buddhist Circuits

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved the New Tourism Policy to foster the state’s religious potential and also establish the state as the hub of religious and spiritual tourism in the country. The state under the policy will develop separate religious circuits.

As per the vision, the places associated with Lord Rama will be developed as the Ramayana Circuit and religious places associated with Lord Krishna as Krishna Circuit.

State Cabinet Minister AK Sharma informed about the new tourism policy and development of new areas informed that Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Bithoor, and other places of significance during the Ramayana period will be included in the Ramayana circuit.

Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Govardhan, Barsana, Nandgaon, and Baldev will be included in the Krishna circuit while the Buddhist circuit will include Kapilvastu, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Kaushambi, Shravasti, Ramgram, and other places.

Appointments News

8.Retired BPCL chairman Arun Kumar Singh to be next chief of ONGC

BPCL’s former chairman Arun Kumar Singh is likely to be the new chairman of India’s top oil and gas producer Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). He retired from BPCL after attaining the superannuation age last month and was already selected to head the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) before the August 27 interviews. The will be first time that a person aged over 60 will be heading a top PSU board-level position.

Eligibility criteria for a board-level position at PSU provide for an internal candidate (applicant from within the PSU) should not be more than 58 years of age on the date of the vacancy. This eligibility for external candidates is the maximum age of 57 years on the date of the vacancy.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

ONGC Headquarters: Vasant Kunj, New Delhi;

ONGC Founded: 14 August 1956.

9.Sandhya Devanathan Appointed as Meta’s New India Head

Facebook-parent Meta has appointed Sandhya Devanathan as its new top executive for the country two weeks after the departure of former India head Ajit Mohan. Devanathan will transition to her new role on 1 January 2023. Devanathan currently serves as vice president of gaming for Meta’s Asia-Pacific (APAC) division.

In her new role, Sandhya Devanathan will report to Dan Neary, vice president of Meta’s overall APAC business.

Devanathan served as the country managing director for Singapore and business head for Vietnam.

Devanathan’s appointment follows high-profile exits from the company’s India ventures.

On 3rd November 2022, Meta announced the departure of erstwhile country head, Ajit Mohan, with immediate effect.

10.Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer Thierry Bolloré Resigns

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover chief executive officer Thierry Bollore announced his resignation from the luxury car company citing personal reasons. He will leave the company on 31st December 2022. Adrian Mardell will take over as Interim. Adrian has been part of Jaguar Land Rover for 32 years and a member of the Executive Board for three years.

The departure of Bolloré comes as Tata Motors continues to report mammoth quarterly losses due to supply-side constraints (mainly semiconductor shortage) at JLR, which has taken a heavy toll on its production capability.

JLR had an order book of 205,000 units and it expects an improvement in volumes in the second half of the financial year ending March 2023 and beyond.

Defence News

11.‘Yudh Abhyas’, India-US joint military exercise to start in Uttrakhand

The Yudh Abhyas is a 15-day-long exercise that will focus on high altitude and extremely cold climate warfare. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and US to exchange best practices, Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures between the two nations’ Armies.

The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.

US Army soldiers of the 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and Indian Army soldiers from the Assam Regiment will be participating in the exercise.

The schedule will include all operations related to peacekeeping and peace enforcement.

The troops from both nations will work together to achieve common objectives.

12.Indian Army celebrates 242nd Corps of Engineers Day on 18 November

Indian Army is celebrating the 242nd Corps of Engineers Day on 18th November. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande have conveyed their best wishes to all ranks of the Corps of Engineers on the occasion.

On the occasion of Corps day, Engineer-in-Chief and Senior Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Engineers Lt Gen Harpal Singh has called upon the Corps to put in bigger efforts to be prepared for the future challenges and rededicate towards being a reliable, versatile and omnipresent arm of the Army.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Indian Army Corps of Engineers HQ: New Delhi, India;

Indian Army Corps of Engineers Branch: Indian Army;

Indian Army Corps of Engineers Colors: Maroon and blue;

Indian Army Corps of Engineers Engineer-in-Chief: Lt Gen Harpal Singh;

Indian Army Corps of Engineers Motto(s): Sarvatra (Ubique, Everywhere).

Business News

13.Wipro the First Indian Company to Set Up European Work Council

IT company Wipro has reached an agreement with employee representatives on setting up a European Works Council, the company said. The creation of Wipro’s EWC is the first to be established by an Indian headquartered company.

Senior vice president & CHRO, Wipro Europe stated: “Setting up the EWC strengthens the already successful cooperation with employee representations in many European countries. Wipro aims to provide the best employee experience and create an inclusive environment that welcomes everyone and nurtures an overall sense of belonging.

The EWC will help us in getting even better as we assimilate employee perspectives on a consistent basis. It also demonstrates that Wipro is applying and adopting European employment standards as a responsible global employer.“

Banking News

14.German Bank ‘KfW’ to Provide 150 million Euro Loan to SBI for Solar Projects

State Bank of India has signed a 150 million euro (Rs 1,240 crore) loan agreement with the German development bank KfW for funding solar projects.

The long-term loan, under the Indo-German solar partnership, will facilitate new and upcoming capacities in the solar sector and further contribute to the country’s goals announced during the COP26.

In 2015, New Delhi and Berlin had signed a memorandum of understanding to foster solar energy through technical as well as financial cooperation. Through this agreement, Germany had expressed its willingness to provide the concessional loans to India in the range of 1 billion euros through KfW.

The successful closure of the phase-1 under the solar partnership- promotion of solar/PV between SBI and KfW, paves the way for the current phase-2 in our partnership with this German lender, Ashwini Tewari, a managing director at SBI said. With this facility, he added, the bank has taken another step towards sustainable financing arrangements for meeting the nation’s renewable capacity goals and upholding environmental and social standards.

Summits and Conferences News

15.Abu Dhabi Set to Host First Global Media Congress

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company is set to host the first edition of the Global Media Congress, in partnership with Emirates News Agency. The congress is scheduled to take place from 15th to 17th November. The conference program will be delivered in multiple languages, appealing to a global audience.

The global media industry will gather in Abu Dhabi to leverage networking opportunities and take part in a conference program sharing ideas and cutting-edge solutions shaping the future of the industry.

The Global Media Congress will offer a platform for journalists, tech firms, content creators, digital marketing professionals, streaming giants, entertainment executives, regulators, and key media stakeholders.

Sports News

16.Gianni Infantino set to get third term as FIFA president

Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) president Gianni Infantino is getting four more years in charge of football’s governing body after no candidate stepped up to challenge him. Infantino won a five-candidate race in 2016 to replace Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019.

He’s now set to stay in the job beyond the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Infantino’s upcoming re-election to the $3 million-per-year job may not be his final term in office. FIFA rules allow him to run again to stay in power for another World Cup cycle until 2031.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

FIFA President: Gianni Infantino;

FIFA Founded: 21 May 1904;

FIFA Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.

17.Paddler Sharath Kamal becomes first Indian player elected to ITTF

Star Indian paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal has become the first player from India to get elected in the Athletes’ Commission of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The online elections took place between 7 to 13 November 2022.

10 athletes were elected for the ITTF Athletes’ Commission for a four-year term from 2022 to 2026. Eight athletes were elected from Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, North America, and Oceania region and two were highest-voted para-athletes.

Amongst all elected players Sharath Kamal got the second highest votes after 2012 table tennis World Cup silver medallist Elizabeta Samara of Romania. Sharath Kamal was also recently elected as the member of the Athletes’ Commission of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Sharath has already been selected for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sports recognition this year. He also received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2019.

18.Switzerland won first Billie Jean King Cup title by defeating Australia

Switzerland won their first Billie Jean King Cup title after Belinda Bencic saw off Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the second match of the finals with a lead of 2-0. Jil Teichmann had earlier prevailed 6-3 4-6 6-3 over Storm Sanders last year.

The teams also clashed in the semi-finals of last year’s event in Prague, where Teichmann overcame Sanders and Bencic defeated Tomljanovic before Switzerland went on to finish runners-up to Russia.

World number 12 Bencic had not dropped a set all week and extended her run against Tomljanovic, delivering a commanding performance to wrap up victory in an hour and 15 minutes.

19.Asian Airgun Championship: Shiva Narwal bagged gold medal

Shiva Narwal won the gold medal in the 10m men’s air pistol competition. India’s gold tally at the Asian Airgun Championship in Daegu, South Korea. The first medal event was the 10-meter Air Pistol Women.

In the gold medal match in the 10-meter Air Pistol Women Junior event, Manu Bhaker beat Esha Singh 17-15.

The Indian men’s senior and junior 10-meter air pistol teams also claimed gold medals in their respective events.

The seniors’ team of Shiva Narwal, Naveen, and Vijayveer Sidhu registered an upset 16-14 victory over a strong South Korean team comprising 2018 world champions Lee Daemyung and Park Daehun along with Mok Jin Mun.

Important Days

20.UNGA designates Nov 18 as World Day for prevention of child sexual abuse

The UN General Assembly  has declared November 18 as the World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Violence.

The new World Day is aimed at bringing global visibility to the trauma of child sexual abuse, with the hope that governments will take action to fight it. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), millions of children experience sexual violence each year.

21.5th Naturopathy Day is celebrated on 18 November 2022

National Naturopathy Day is observed in India every year on November 18th, to promote positive mental and physical health through drug-free therapy. National Naturopathy Day was established on November 18th 2018 by the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), Government of India.

On November 18th 1945, Mahatma Gandhi became the Chairman of the All India Nature Cure Foundation Trust and signed the agreement aimed at making the benefits of Nature Cure available to all classes of people, therefore, this day was chosen to be observed as National Naturopathy Day.

The Theme for this year’s event is “Naturopathy: an Integrative medicine”. In this conference we will learn about developments in the field of naturopathy from eminent researchers and practitioners in relation to education, research, integrative medicine, public health in addition to exploring newer avenues and areas in naturopathy.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Minister of AYUSH: Sarbananda Sonowal;

Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of AYUSH: Munjapara Mahendrabhai.

22.World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: 18-24 November 2022

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) runs from 18 to 24 November every year. It’s an international initiative to increase awareness of the growing problem of resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines.

The purpose of the week is to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance, encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policymakers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

This year, the theme of WAAW is “Preventing Antimicrobial Resistance Together.”

The World Health Organisation launched “World Antibiotic Awareness Week” in 2015 to raise global awareness and promote action to halt the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The campaign was rebranded as “World Antimicrobial Awareness Week” in 2020.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

WHO Founded: 7 April 1948;

WHO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland;

WHO Chief: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Obituaries News

23.Indian Basketball Legend Abbas Moontasir passes away at 80

The former India basketball captain and Arjuna awardee, Gulam Abbas Moontasir, passed away in Mumbai. He was born in Mumbai in 1942. He started playing in Nagpada by the American missionaries, later he started getting inclined towards basketball.

From Nagpada Basketball Association to the International stage, he has always been an aggressive player with a unique physical style on the court.