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CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOSTER : 1st NOVEMBER 2023
Current Affairs
1st November 2023
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1) 16th
Edition of Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Exhibition 2023 held in
New Delhi, Delhi
The Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs organized 16th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference &
Exhibition 2023 in collaboration with the Institute of Urban Transport (India)
and with the support of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. The event took place
from October 27th to 29th, 2023, at the Manekshaw Centre, Parade Road, Delhi
Cantt, New Delhi, Delhi.
Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Exhibition 2023:
The event saw the participation of around 22 exhibitors from Metro Rail
Companies, public and private sectors.
·
Inaugurated by: Shri Hardeep Singh Puri. (Minister of Housing &
Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural Gas)
·
Theme: Integrated and Resilient Urban Transport
Awards were presented to
state/city authorities for their outstanding urban transport projects in
various categories
About Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs:
Union Minister – Hardeep Singh Puri, (Rajya Sabha Constituency
– Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Kaushal Kishore (Mohanlalganj, Uttar
Pradesh)
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
2) UNCCD’s
Data: India Lost 30.51 Mn Ha of Healthy Land to Degradation From 2015-19
According to the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)’s first data dashboard, around 30.51 million
hectares(Ha) of healthy land in India were degraded from 2015 to 2019.
·
Around 9.45% of India’s
landmass was degraded as of 2019. This was 4.42% in 2015.
·
India’s total degraded land is
equivalent to the size of 43 million football pitches.
·
Accoding to the UNCCD Data,
Between 2015 & 2019, the world lost at least 100 million ha of healthy and
productive land every year.
About UNCCD Data
Dashboard:
The UNCCD’s dashboard, released on 25th October 2023, compiles national
reporting figures from 126 countries, which shows that land degradation is
advancing at an astonishing rate across all regions.
·
The data is compiled in global
and aggregate form “as received” from 126 Parties in their 2022 UNCCD national
reports.
·
The dashboard takes 2019 as
the reporting year for recording data and 2015-2019 as a baseline period.
The comprehensive data from
diverse regions underscores the alarming rate at which land degradation is
spreading.
Data Analysis in India:
i.The data also reflected that 251.71 million Indians, 18.39% of the
Indian population, faced land degradation during 2015-2019.
ii.While 854.4 million Indians, 83.85% of the Indian population, were
exposed to drought during the 2015-2018 period. This is the sum of the reported
area under all drought intensity classes – mild, moderate, severe and extreme.
National Mission for a Green India (GIM):
National Mission for a Green India (GIM), one of the 8 Missions under the
National Action Plan on Climate Change, aims to protect, restore and enhance
the forest cover and respond to climate change.
Target: 10 million ha on forest and non-forest lands for increasing the
forest/tree cover and to improve the quality of existing forest
·
Under this programme, India
has allocated Rs 298.09 crore and utilised Rs 233.43 crore from FY2018 to 2021.
India plans to extend the area
restored from land degradation from 21 million to 26 million hectares between
2020 and 2030.
Regional disparities
Eastern and Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean regions
experience most severe degradatio, around 20% of their total land area were
affected.
Sub-Saharan Africa, Western and Southern Asia, and Latin America and the
Caribbean experienced land degradation at rates faster than the global average.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
3) USISPF
honoured Nita Ambani with 2023 Global Leadership Award for Philanthropy &
CSR
Nita Ambani was honoured with
the ‘2023 Global Leadership Award for Philanthropy and Corporate Social
Responsibility’ by The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF)
in an event held in New Delhi, Delhi.
·
The award was presented by John
Chambers who is the Chairman of USISPF.
·
Nita Ambani received the award
for her contribution towards women empowerment, supporting education, promoting
Indian arts & culture (on a global platform) and developing sports in
India.
Attended
Delegates:
The event also saw the participation of Olympic shooter and gold medalist (in
2008 Summer Olympics) Abhinav Bindra, Badminton player Saina Nehwal,
and theatre director Feroze Abbas Khan.
About Nita Ambani:
i.Nita Ambani is the founder and Chairperson of Reliance
Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).
ii.She is the spouse of Mukesh Ambani.
iii.She is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and children’s
rights.
Achievements:
i.In 2016, She was the first Indian woman to be elected as a member of
the International Olympic Committee(IOC).
·
As a representative of IOC,
she led the Indian delegation that won the bid to host the 141st IOC Session
in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
ii.In 2019, she was the first Indian to be elected an
Honorary Trustee of the Board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.
iii.In 2020, Town and Country magazine recognized her as one of the
world’s top philanthropists in 2020.
About USISPF:
i.The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is a
non-profit organization, which aims to strengthen the India-US bilateral and
strategic partnership.
ii.It provides policy advocacy in the fields of economic growth,
entrepreneurship, employment-creation, and innovation.
President & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Mukesh Aghi
Headquarters- Washington, D.C., United States of America (USA)
Established in- 2017
4) 67th
Ballon d’Or: Argentina’s Lionel Messi Wins the Ballon d’Or Award for 8th time
Argentina’s Lionel Andrés
Messi (Lionel Messi), who plays as a forward for Inter Miami CF has
won the Ballon d’Or award or Golden Ball Award for the record 8th time and
Spain’s Aitana Bonmati has won the Women’s Ballon d’Or award or Ballon
d’Or Féminin Award.
·
The 67th edition of the Ballon
d’Or 2023 was held on 30th October 2023 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris,
France.
·
The Ballon d’Or is annually
presented by the French magazine ‘France Football’, since 1956.It was
awarded based on achievements from the past season.
· This was the fifth edition of the Women’s Ballon d’Or since the first edition was held in 2018.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
5) Professor
Sarang Deo of ISB Appointed to WHO’s Advisory Group for TB
Professor Sarang Deo, Professor of Operations
Management at the Indian School of Business (ISB) has been
appointed as a member of the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG)
for Tuberculosis (TB) by the World Health Organization (WHO).
·
He will be a part of a
15-member expert group responsible for independently evaluating the WHO’s
efforts in eradicating TB.
Note: The 15-member STAG-TB, chaired by Ethel
Leonor Maciel from the Brazilian health ministry, includes other
experts like Dr. Anurag Bhargava, Prof of Medicine from Yenepoya Medical
College, Karnataka.
https://www.who.int/groups/strategic-and-technical-advisory-group-for-tuberculosis/about
About Professor Sarang Deo:
i.He serves as the Deputy Dean of Faculty and Research and the Executive
Director of the Max Institute of Healthcare Management (MIHM) at ISB.
ii.He also serves as a Member of:
·
Digital Health Committee,
National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH);
·
Health Insurance Consultative
Committee, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI);
·
Member (Independent), Board of
Directors, Healthvista India Pvt. Ltd. (Portea)
·
Member, Advisory Board, Indian
Health Outcomes Public Health and Economic Research (IHOPE) Centre;
·
Member, National Operational
Research Committee, Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
Government of India
iii.He is also a member of expert committees
constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the
National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI).
About STAG-TB:
i.STAG-TB aims to play a crucial role in ending the tuberculosis
epidemic and achieving the long-term goal of eradicating the disease globally.
ii.STAG-TB provides cutting-edge scientific and technical guidance to
WHO in its efforts to combat TB. It conducts independent evaluations of WHO’s
strategic, scientific, and technical aspects related to TB.
iii.It also reviews the progress and challenges of WHO’s TB-related core
functions and advises on priority activities for prevention and care.
· WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme serves as the Secretariat for STAG-TB.
6) Author
Chetan Bhagat Named Brand Ambassador of Edtech startup Henry Harvin Education
Renowned Indian Author and
columnist Chetan Bhagat was appointed as the Brand
Ambassador of Henry Harvin Education (HHE), a Global Edtech company
based out of the United States of America and India.
·
HHE is an online platform
providing 800+ programmes for upskilling and reskilling that serves as a career
and competency development organisation.
·
HHE provides training &
advisory services to corporates and colleges across the world.
·
Noted Works of Chetan Bhagat:
Five Point Someone (2004), The 3 Mistakes of My Life (2008), 2 States (2009)
and What Young India Wants(2012).
About HHE:
Founder & CEO- Kounal Gupta
Operational since 2013.
Headquarters- Noida, Uttar Pradesh
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
7) Fincare
SFB to Merge with AU Small Finance Bank in All-share Deal
The board of AU Small
Finance Bank (SFB) Limited and Fincare Small Finance Bank (SFB) Limited
has approved an all stock merger of AU SFB and Fincare SFB under Section 44A
of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. .
·
AU SFB will acquire Fincare
SFB in an all-stock transaction valued at Rs 4,411 crore.
·
This merger aims to expand the
AU SFB’s reach in sourthern part of India and enter micro-finance sector.
About the
Merger:
i.The merger is subject to approval by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI)
and the Competition Commission of India(CCI).
ii.The amalgamation will come into effect from 1st February, 2024 or
such other date as may be fixed mutually by the Transfer or Company and the
Transferee Company and sanctioned by the RBI.
Terms of the Merger:
i.As per the terms of the merger, shareholders of Fincare SFB will
receive 579 shares in AU SFB for every 2,000 shares they hold in Fincare SFB.
ii.Following the transaction, it is expected that existing shareholders
of Fincare SFB will maintain approximately 9.9% ownership in AU SFB.
iii.Fincare Business Services Limited (FBSL) will infuse Rs 700
crore into Fincare SFB prior to the completion of the merger.
·
FBSL is the promoter of
Fincare SFB.
Share exchange ratio:
JM Financial Limited provided a Fairness Opinion to AU SFB on the share
exchange ratio and India Infoline Finance Limited (IIFL) Securities Ltd.
provided a Fairness Opinion to Fincare SFB.
Post Merger:
i.Rajeev Yadav, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Fincare SFB will assume the role of Deputy CEO at AU SFB.
·
He will report to Sanjay
Agarwal, MD & CEO of AU SFB.
·
Yadav will also be an invitee
to board meetings of AU SFB.
ii.Divya Sehgal, a current director on Fincare SFB’s
board, will join AU SFB’s board.
iii.Uttam Tibrewal, Executive Director(ED) at AU SFB, will be promoted
as the ED & deputy CEO of the merged entity.
Financial Advisors:
i.ICICI Securities Limited and Arpwood Capital Pvt Ltd acted as
Financial Advisors to Fincare SFB on the transaction
ii.For AU SFB, the Financial Advisors are Ambit Pvt Ltd and Mirae Asset
Capital Markets(India) Pvt. Ltd.
About AU Small Finance Bank Limited:
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Sanjay
Agarwal
Headquarters – Jaipur, Rajasthan
Established in – 1996
Tagline – Badlaav Humse Hai
About Fincare Small Finance Bank Limited:
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Rajeev Yadav
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Established in – 2017
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
8) China
approves world’s first passenger-carrying flying taxi “Ehang’s
EH216-S”
Chinese drone startup EHang
received the type certificate for Ehang 216-S (EH216-S), its electric
vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, from the Civil Aviation Administration
of China (CAAC), the Chinese civil aviation authority under the Ministry of
Transport.
·
With this, EH216-S becomes the
1st eVTOL vehicle in the world to be cleared for commercial use.
·
The EH216-S air taxis are
electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft capable of carrying two
people or 600 pounds of cargo.
· They are propelled by 16 electric rotors and can fly at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour (mph) and a distance of up to 18 miles.
ENVIRONMENT
9) Candolleomyces
albosquamosus: New Mushroom Species Discovered from Western Ghats, Kerala
Scientists at the Jawaharlal
Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) have
discovered a new species of mushroom, “Candolleomyces albosquamosus” on
the campus of JNTBGRI at Palode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
·
Specimens of the new species
were collected from the forests on the JNTBGRI campus, which forms a part of
the Western Ghats in Kerala.
·
Genus Candolleomyces is a
relatively small genus with just 35 species recognised worldwide.
·
It was published in scientific
journal Phytotaxa by JNTBGRI researchers C. K. Pradeep and P. K. Nayana.
About
Candolleomyces albosquamosus:
i.The mushroom can grow upto a height of 58 millimeters(mm).
ii.The cap is of bell shaped and its diameter will range from 12 mm to
38.5 mm.
iii.It has the white woolly scale-like structures on its honey-yellow
pileus or cap.
iv.The honey-yellow coloured pileus turns brownish-gray or
brownish-beige as they grow old.
v.The’stipe’ which is the the stem or stalk of the mushroom is white in
colour and cylindrical in shape.
vi.They grow on dead logs or bamboo culms in natural forests.
About Genus Candolleomyces:
The genus Candolleomyces was created in 2020 on the basis of multi-gene
molecular studies oft the family Psathyrellaceae.
Saprophytic Fungi:
i.Mushrooms are secondary saprophytic fungi of the forest ecosystem.
ii.Secondary saprophytic fungi gets its energy by decomposing plant
litter and dead organic matters.
Additional Info:
i.Kerala’s Western Ghats is rich in fungi, many of which is considered
as endemic to the region.
ii.Seven species of that were previously classified as Psathyrella are
now classified as Candolleomyces.
SPORTS
10)
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen
Wins F1 Mexico City Grand Prix 2023
Max Verstappen, the Belgian-Dutch driver of
Red Bull won the Formula 1 (F1)Mexico City Grand Prix held at the Autodromo
Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City, Mexico from 27th to 29th October
2023.
·
This marks Verstappen’s third
consecutive win at the Mexico City GP including his win in 2021,2022 and 2023.
·
Mercedes driver Lewis
Hamilton(United Kingdom-UK) secured second place while Ferrari driver Charles
Leclerc(Monaco) secured third place in the Mexico City GP.
Winners of
Mexico City Grand Prix 2023:
|
Position |
Driver |
Team |
|
1 |
Max Verstappen |
Red Bull |
|
2 |
Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes |
|
3 |
Charles Leclerc |
Ferrari |
Max Verstappen’s Records:
i.This win also marks Verstappen’s 16th win out of 19 races of
the 2023 season.
·
Max Verstappen broke his own
record for the most F1 race victories in a single season in 2023 by winning 16
races. His previous record of 15 race victories was set in 2022season.
ii.Max Verstappen leads the F1 World Championship
in 2023 with 491 points in the F1 driver standings.
About Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA):
The F1 Grand Prix races are organised by Federation Internationale de
l’Automobile (FIA).
President – Mohammed Ben Sulayem
Headquarters – Paris, France
Established – 1904
IMPORTANT DAYS
11)
National Unity Day
(Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) 2023- October 31
National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is
annually observed across India on 31 October to commemorate the birth
anniversary of the “Iron Man of India,” Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
(31 October 1875), who was dubbed “Sardar” (chief) for his leadership
skills.
·
He was the first Deputy Prime
Minister and Home Minister of Independent India from 1947 to 1950.
·
31 October 2023 marks the 148th birth anniversary of
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Background:
i.In 2014, the Government of India (GoI) led by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi decided to observe Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary on
October 31 as National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.
·
The day aimed to pay tribute
to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for his great efforts to unite India.
ii.The first National Unity Day was observed on 31 October 2014.
12)
World Cities Day 2023 – October 31
United Nations (UN)’s World
Cities Day (WCD) is annually observed across the globe on October 31
to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push
for global cooperation in sustainable urban development and contribute to
sustainable urban development worldwide.
·
31st October 2023 marks the 10th World Cities Day.
i.The theme of WCD 2023 is “Financing
sustainable urban future for all”
ii.The Global Observance of WCD 2023 was held at the Municipality of
Üsküdar in Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution A/RES/68/239
on 27th December 2013 and proclaimed October 31 of every year as World Cities
Day.
ii.The 1st WCD was observed on 31st October 2014, in Shanghai,
the People’s Republic of China.
About United Nations Human Settlements Programme(UN–Habitat):
Executive Director – Maimunah Mohd Sharif
Headquarters – Nairobi, Kenya
Established in – 1977
13)
World Savings Day 2023 – October
31
World Savings Day (WSD),
also known as World Thrift Day, is annually observed across the globe on 31st
October to raise awareness regarding the importance of saving
and the financial security of individuals.
·
India observes World Savings
Day on 30th October, since 31st October marks the death anniversary of
Indira Gandhi, former(3rd) Prime Minister of India. Indira Gandhi was
assassinated on 31st October 1984.
Theme:
The theme of WSD 2023 is “Conquer your Tomorrow” through various
saving methods.
·
Every year the theme is set by
the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute(WSBI).
Background:
i.World Thrift Day was established on 31 October 1924 by the WSBI
founding fathers.
ii.The first WSD was observed on 31 October 1924.
Significance:
i.World Thrift Day is celebrated to encourage people to move their
savings from home vaults to bank accounts.
·
Through this people get
benefitted from banking services and earn interest on their savings.
ii.The day promotes financial literacy by educating
people about saving, budgeting, and prudent financial decision-making.
iii.The day gained prominence and understanding between 1955 to
1970(after two World Wars).
About the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI):
The World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI) helps savings and retail
banks around the world to thrive.
President- Isidro Fainé
Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium
Establishment in – 1924
Members & Countries- 96 Members & 69 Countries
14)
World Occupational Therapy Day 2023 –
27th October
World Occupational Therapy
(OT) Day is annually observed across
the globe on 27th October to promote the mission and goals of
occupational therapy.Occupational therapy is a client-centered health
profession that promotes health and well-being through work.
The major purpose of occupational therapy is to enable people to engage in
everyday activities.
·
The theme of World OT Day in
2023 is “Unity through Community,” which emphasises our responsibility
in collaborating with others to foster participation and social engagement.
·
The first World OT Day was
celebrated in 2010 by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFTO),
an organisation of national and regional occupational therapy associations.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) observed World OT Day by conducting activities including Awareness Programmes, National Level webinars, National Level Programme, poster making, and interviews on All India Radio at more than 30 places across India.
STATE NEWS
15)
WB Governor Ananda Bose awarded the
inaugural Durga Bharat Samman
West Bengal (WB) Governor
CV Ananda Bose presented the inaugural Durga Bharat Samman (2023)
during the event organised at the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata, WB.
·
During the event, he formally
launched the “Mission Kala Kranti”, an initiative aimed at “promoting
the art and culture of West Bengal and India”.
·
The government of WB has
organised the Durga Puja Carnival, showcasing the iconic idols of
Goddess Durga, on 27th October 2023 in the Red Road, Kolkata, WB.
About West
Bengal Governor’s Durga Bharat Samman:
i.Governor Dr. C V Ananda Bose, in September 2023 announced the
launch of the annual ‘Governor’s Durga Bharat Samman’ to recognise the
contribution of people in different fields from across India.
ii.The awards have been classified into 3 categories:
·
Durga Bharat Param Samman
·
Durga Bharat Samman
(Durga Ratna Awards)
·
Durga Bharat Puraskar
Note: Durga Bharat Param Samman
is the highest award among the three .
Winners:
Durga Bharat Param Samman:
i.Ahead of the Durga Puja Festivals 2023 Durga Bharat Param Samman
awards were presented to:
·
Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty for his outstanding contribution to music;
·
Garden Reach Shipbuilders
& Engineers (GRSE) for its achievements in shipbuilding ;
·
Chandrayaan Team of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
for the success of the Chandrayan Mission;
·
Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan (WB) for its contribution to education.
ii.The award has a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for each of
the recipients.
Durga Ratna Awards:
i.Four Durga puja pandals received the Durga Ratna Awards in in
recognition of the most outstanding puja pandals in 2023.
ii.The 4 pandals are
·
Tala Prattoy – “creative
use of light and shade”
·
Kalyani ITI – “grandeur and
visual delight”,
·
Bandhudal Sporting Club-
“environmental consciousness”
·
Netaji Colony (Low land)
– “innovative theme”,
iii.The cash prize of Rs 5 lakh was shared by the four
winners.
About West Bengal:
Chief Minister– Mamata Banerjee
Governor– C. V. Ananda Bose
Zoological Parks– Alipore Zoological Garden and Bardhaman Zoological
Park
16)
Manipur Celebrates Annual ‘Mera Hou
Chongba’ Festival
On 28th October 2023, People
of Manipur celebrated Mera Hou Chongba, the annual cultural festival of
solidarity in Manipur at the Kangla Palace Compound in Imphal in Manipur. The
event was organised by the Mera Hou Chongba Thoushil Lup.
Manipur Chief Minister(CM) Nongthombam Biren Singh along with the titular king
of Manipur Leishemba Sanajaoba attended the event.
·
The festival marks the oneness
of the growth of nationalism in Manipur and celebrates the bond of brotherhood,
love, and unity.
·
The celebration is intended to
build and strengthen ties between Manipur’s hill tribes and valley people. The
exchanges of gifts between hill tribes and valley people took place during the
festival.
· The festival is being celebrated in Manipur since the period of Nongda Lairen Pakhangba, the god king of Manipur(1st century AD).
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