Here is the Daily Current Affairs of the 23rd November 2022 covering the
following news headlines: 53 hours
Challenge, SARAS AAJEEVIKA MELA 2022, UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon 2022,
Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs &
Sports Anurag Singh Thakur has inaugurated ’53 Hours Challenge’ for ‘75
Creative Minds Tomorrow’.
This is the second edition of 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow and we have
already made a community of 150 strong individuals connected through their
shared love for cinema, creativity and culture.
The competition will challenge the winners of ’75 Creative Minds for
Tomorrow’ to produce a short film on their idea of India@100, all in 53 hours.
This is powered by National Film Development Corporation (NDFC).
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
National Film Development Corporation Founded: 1975, Mumbai;
National Film Development Corporation Headquarters: Mumbai.
Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri Giriraj
inaugurated the “SARAS AAJEEVIKA MELA, 2022” at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Shri
Singh informed that the Ministry of Rural Development has received over 60,000
applications from 3 states for start-up ventures in niche products and crafts
areas.
Shri Singh informed that it was Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who
launched StartUp India from the ramparts of Red Fort in 2015, and now we have
more than 80,000 start-ups from 400 odd start-ups in 2014.
India ranks 3rd in the world in terms of the start-up ecosystem and
there are over 100 unicorns active in the country.
Women of SHG Members will have their start-ups as the proposals are
under active consideration by the ministry.
The Rural Development Minister informed that NRLM has been undertaking
several efforts in supporting businesses run by rural SHG women that are
engaged in producing food products, handicrafts, handloom, etc.
As part of the efforts to connect producers to markets, NRLM and SRLMs
have taken steps to promote curated products from SHGs and SHG member
entrepreneurs through multiple channels such as Saras Gallery, State-specific
retail outlets, e-Commerce platforms like GeM, Flipkart, and Amazon.
Russia has become India’s biggest fertilizer supplier for the first
time. Russian exporters reportedly grabbed a 21% share of the Indian fertilizer
market in the first half of the 2022-23 fiscal year, overtaking China,
previously India’s largest supplier.
Russian exports reportedly surged 371%, to a record 2.15 million tons
from April to October. In monetary terms, India’s imports over this period
increased by 765%, to $1.6 billion. Russia’s share of Indian fertilizer imports
was hovering around 6% during the last fiscal year, while China’s stood at 24%.
In the first half of 2022-23, China’s exports to India halved to 1.78 million
tons amid growing Russian supplies.
Global prices for fertilizers jumped in March after the US, the EU and
allied states introduced sanctions against fertilizer supplies from Russia and
Belarus. While Western countries have since backtracked on the ban, Russia has
found new markets, mostly in Asia, for its exports.
Brampton city in Canada got its first turbaned Sikh deputy mayor with
the appointment of Harkirat Singh. Harkirat Singh, who represents wards 9 and
10, has been appointed deputy mayor from 2022-26.
The deputy mayor presides at council and other committee meetings and
assumes ceremonial and civic event duties on behalf of the mayor if the mayor
is absent or unavailable.
In the present Canadian Parliament there are 18 Sikhs members. Currently
Harjit Sajjan, Bardish Chagger are the two Sikhs who are ministers in the
Justin Trudeau government in Canada. Prior to his role as councillor, he served
a four-year term as school trustee at the Peel District School Board.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
Canada Capital: Ottawa;
Canada Prime minister: Justin Trudeau;
Canada Currency: Canadian Dollar.
The Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) has launched ‘jumbo trails’ at Coimbatore
in Tamil Nadu, a programme aimed to educate visitors to the tiger reserve about
elephants, the flora, and fauna of ATR and the aboriginal tribes who live in
the hills. An initiative by ATR Field Director S. Ramasubramanian and Deputy
Director (Pollachi Division) Bhargava Teja, the first jumbo trail will happen
on November 26.
According to Assistant Conservator of Forests V. Selvam, the jumbo
trails start at ‘Anamalaiyagam’, a newly-established forest interpretation
centre at Sethumadai. The programme is organised by the Advanced Wildlife
Management Training Centre (Attakatti) and implemented by Keelpoonachi Eco
Development Committee.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
Tamil Nadu Capital: Chennai;
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister: M K Stalin;
Tamil Nadu Governor: R N Ravi.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has inaugurated the
UNESCO-India-Africa Hackathon 2022 at the Gautam Buddha University in Greater
Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
The Hackathon has been organized by the Union Ministry of Education and
students from 22 African countries are participating in the Hackathon. The
Unesco India-Africa Hackathon event is seeing the participation of 603 students
who will engage in coding for 36 hours non-stop to find technology-based
solutions for issues prevailing in the field of education, agriculture, health,
energy and drinking water, among others.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945;
UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France;
UNESCO Members: 193 countries;
UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay.
The panel of state finance ministers is likely to recommend a uniform
GST levy of 28 percent on online gaming irrespective of whether it is a game of
skill or a game of chance.
Currently, online gaming attracts 18 percent GST. The tax is levied on
gross gaming revenue, which is the fees charged by online gaming portals.
The Group of Ministers report is almost final and would be submitted to
the GST Council soon for consideration. However, it is likely to suggest a
revised formula for calculating the amount on which the Goods and Services Tax
(GST) would be levied.
CRISIL has revised its forecast for India’s real gross domestic product
(GDP) growth to 7 per cent for the current fiscal (2022-23) from 7.3 per cent
estimated previously. The credit rating agency said this is primarily because
the slowdown in global growth has started to impact India’s exports and
industrial activity.
Crisil downgraded the India growth forecast by 30 bps to 7 per cent
while ICRA pegged the economic expansion at 6.5 per cent for the second quarter
of FY2022-23. This is mainly due to the ripple effect of slowdown in global
growth and mixed crop output.
China (4.5 per cent growth estimated for 2023-25), Indonesia (5.2 per
cent), Turkey (3 per cent) and Brazil (1.6 per cent).
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), cut
its gross domestic growth forecast for India for the current financial year
(FY23) to 6.6 per cent from 6.9 per cent, citing higher medium-term global
uncertainty and slowing domestic economic activity.
The agency said that tighter financial market conditions were weighing
on the demand for capital goods, while the monthly energy and food import bill
kept rising and the current account deficit widened in the July-September
quarter to 2.9 per cent of GDP.
Headline inflation remains above 6 per cent mostly due to the trend
increase in the price of food. Unemployment estimates suggest improving labour
market conditions in both urban and rural areas, but there are few signs of a
wage-inflation spiral,” it said.
National Payments Corporation of India(NPCI), which runs the UPI digital
pipeline, is in talks with the Reserve Bank on implementation of its proposed
deadline for limiting the volume cap of players to 30 percent.
NPCI runs the UPI digital pipeline. Currently, there’s no cap on volume
and Google Pay and PhonePe hold the market share of about 80 per cent.
Back in November 2022, the NPCI had proposed a 30 per cent volume cap
for third-party app providers (TPAP). The proposal was made to avoid
concentration risk. However, the existing TPAPs such as PhonePe and Google Pay
were given two years more to comply with the orders.
Global intellectual property filings- of patents, trademarks, and designs-reached
record levels in 2021 driven largely by increases from Asian countries of
India, China, and South Korea according to the World Intellectual Property
Organisation (WIPO).
Strong growth in local patent filings in India (+5.5 percent), China
(+5.5 percent) and the Republic of Korea (+2.5 per cent) drove the global
growth in patent applications in 2021, propelling the share of Asian filings to
cross the two-thirds threshold, the report said.
Local patenting activity in the U.S. (-1.2 per cent), Japan (-1.7 per
cent) and Germany (-3.9 per cent) declined in 2021.
The WIPO’s World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) report showed
that innovators around the world filed 3.4 million patent applications in 2021,
up 3.6 per cent from the previous year with offices in Asia receiving 67.6 per
cent of all applications worldwide.
Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has bagged the national award from
Pension Fund regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) for significant
enrolment under Atal Pension Yojana (APY). So far, the bank has enrolled
3,34,687 (cumulative) accounts under APY. During 2022-23, the bank enrolled
69,132 accounts against the target of 50,320.
Notably: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority is the
regulatory body under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Finance, Government of
India for overall supervision and regulation of pension in India.
PFRDA has given a target of an average 80 accounts per branch, the bank
has achieved an average of 110 accounts against the target. This achievement is
highest among all other banks in South India. At present, the bank has 629
branches in the nine districts from Vijayapura to Mangaluru.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank founded: September 12, 2005.
Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Headquarters: Dharwad, Karnataka.
Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Chairman: Puttaganti Gopi Krishna.
Private sector lender ICICI Bank has launched two new products – loan
against deposits(LAD) and dollar bonds – for non-resident Indians at its GIFT
City branch in Gujarat. The bank is the first to offer these products in GIFT
City.
Loan against Deposits (LAD): LAD resembles a loan in foreign currency
against a deposit in India (including Rupee NRE FDs).The customers can avail
LAD for their short-term cash requirement without having to prematurely close
their Term Deposits and thereby avoid paying a penalty for breaking the
deposit. They can avail up to 95%* of their deposit value. With a simple
documentation process, customers can get flexible tenure with fixed or floating
interest rates.
Dollar Bonds: It is an alternate investment option for NRIs, where they
can book dollar bonds through ICICI Bank in GIFT City. The Bank offers a cohort
of over 50 marquee issuers / companies for these bonds.
Global Current Account: This is a non-interest bearing account which
does not require any minimum balance. It helps NRIs to deposit money in India
in foreign currencies such as USD, EUR, GBP.
Global Savings Account: NRIs can deposit money for short term and earn
interest in this savings account.
Term Deposits: They are similar to Foreign Currency Non Resident (FCNR)
deposits with minimum lock-in period of seven days compared to one year for
FCNR in India. Customers can deposit in currencies such as USD, EUR, GBP.
Air Fest 2022 showcased maneuvers of planes & helicopters in the
arsenal of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in an annual event organized at Head
Quarters Maintenance Command, Vayusena Nagar in Nagpur. The Air Fest is being
conducted as a part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
The objective of the Air Fest is to showcase various facets of the
Indian Air Force and motivate the youth of Nagpur to choose Indian Air Force
for an exciting career.
During the show team of 4 Sarang – advanced light helicopters showed
heart-throbbing maneuvers like Dolphin lift and crossover.
These helicopters are indigenously manufactured by HAL-Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited. The Surykiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) also displayed
exciting formations in the sky.
The Air Fest 2022 will include various activities such as the display of
the Sarang Helicopters Air Display Team, the Akashganga Team, and the Air
Warrior Drill Team.
German racing driver Sebastian Vettel has retired from Formula One
racing. Vettel won four Formula One World Championships between 2010 and 2013
while competing for Red Bull and previously spent six seasons with Ferrari.
In the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel finished in 10th place, the
last one of his career. Vettel received a guard of honour from his fellow
competitors before the race.
India ended their campaign at the 15th Asian Championships in South
Korea with 25 gold medals. Indian pair Manu Bhaker and Samrat Rana won the
10-meter Junior Air Pistol Mixed Team event.
Bhaker and Rana in the qualification shot 578 shots to finish second
against Uzbekistan pair Nigina Saidkulova and Mukhammad Kamalov.
The Indian duo Sangwan and Vijyaveer Sidhu clinched the yellow metal in
the corresponding senior event.
Sangwan and Vijyaveer completely outshot Kazakhstan duo Valeriy
Rakhimzhan and Irina Yunusmetova.
They have topped the qualification round with a score of 579 with the
Kazakhs finishing second with 577.
India won 25 out of the 28 events in the 15th Asian Championships in
South Korea.
Novak Djokovic won the sixth ATP Finals singles title win beating Casper
Ruud from Norway. Novak Djokovic defeated the opponent by 7-5, 6-3 to walk away
with a historic payday of $4.7m. Novak Djokovic has equaled the record of six
ATP title wins of Roger Federer.
The ATP Finals is the season-ending championship of the ATP Tour. It is
the most significant event in the annual ATP calendar after the four majors as
it features the top-eight singles players and top-eight doubles teams based on
their results throughout the season.
Manika Batra, the Indian Table Tennis player, became the first Indian
woman to win a medal at the Asian Cup Table Tennis Tournament. Manika defeated
World no.6 Hina Hayata of Japan in the Asian Cup 2022 in the women’s singles
bronze medal match in Bangkok, Thailand. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju
appreciated Manika Batra for her performance and spectacular achievement.
Manika Batra defeated Hina Hayata by 4-2 in the medal match.
Manika Batra led the match by 2-1, but Hayata seemed poised to level the
match with a 10-6 lead in the fourth game.
She took 6 points and successfully turned the momentum in her favor.
The founding chairman of the popular drink Rasna, Areez Pirojshaw
Khambatta has passed away. The 85-year-old industrialist, who was suffering
from a prolonged illness.
Decades back, his father Phiroja Khambatta started a modest business
which Areez took to being the largest concentrate manufacturer in the world,
with a presence in over 60 countries.
He created affordable soft drink packs of Rasna in the 1970s as an
alternative to soft drink products sold at high costs. It is sold at 1.8
million retail outlets in the country.
Rasna, which is now the world’s largest gentle drink focus producer,
still enjoys a high recall and the brand’s “I love you Rasna” campaign of the
80s and 90s still resonates in the minds of people.
India’s first dog to be deployed for tracking down poachers, Zorba has
passed away of old age in Guwahati. The 12-year-old male Belgian Malinois was a
member of ‘K9’, the nation’s first dog squad to fight wildlife crime. Zorba was
the first dog of the squad and he was credited with helping law enforcement
authorities nab over 60 poachers. He was given teary farewell by wildlife
activists and was buried.
Zorba retired from service in 2019 and was honoured for his services
with a traditional Assamese ‘gamosa’ and a citation on Independence Day this
year.
He served mostly in the Kaziranga National Park from 2012 till his
retirement, and assisted authorities to nab people involved in rhino poaching.
He was also deployed in other national parks on several occasions.
Babu Mani, who was an integral part of the Indian football team in the
1980s, passed away after a prolonged battle with liver-related issues. He was
59. He represented India in 55 international matches and was a part of the
first Indian team that qualified for the AFC Asian Cup in 1984.
Babu Mani made his India debut against Argentina in Kolkata during the 1984 Nehru Cup and went on to play 55 matches for the country. He was also a part of the first Indian squad to qualify for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in 1984 and went on to play in the tournament in Singapore.
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