DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Nov. 12, 2022

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah elected head of ICC Finance and Commercial Affairs

Tags: Sports Person in news

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah who is also the son of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah was elected as the head of the Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Jay Shah is also currently the President of the Asian Cricket Council.

He was elected at the International cricket Council’s (ICC) Board meeting held in Melbourne, Australia on 12 November 2022.

He will succeed Ross McCollum as chair of the committee at its next meeting in March 2023.

The Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee of the ICC is considered to be the second most powerful body of the ICC after the ICC Board .  The ICC F&CA not only decides the ICC budget but also decide the revenue sharing model between the member countries, media and TV rights etc. 

Greg Barclay re-elected as Chairman of ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unanimously re-elected Greg Barclay of New Zealand  as the chairman of the governing body for a second two-year term. Barclay was unopposed after the withdrawal of Zimbabwe’s Tavengwa Mukuhlan.

ICC is an international body which governs the men’s and women’s international cricket.

Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

Shiva Thapa wins silver as India finish with 12 medals at the Asian Boxing Championship 2022

Tags: Sports

Shiva Thapa had to settle for silver medal in the men’s 63.5kg category at ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan. In the final match played on 12 November 2022, he lost to Uzbekistan's boxer Ruslan Abdullaev.

This was Thapa’s 6th medal at the Asian Boxing championship. He won the gold medal in 2013, silver in 2017 and 2021, and bronze in 2015, 2019 and 2022 edition.

India finished the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships with 12 medals, four golds, two silvers and six bronze.

The ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan was held from 30 October -13 November 2022.

Medal Winners for India 

West Midlands in England to host Kabaddi World Cup 2025 edition

Tags: Sports

The West Midlands in England will host the 4th Kabaddi World Cup in the first quarter of 2025. This was announced by the World Kabaddi Federation (WKF) on 12 November 2022. This will be the first time that the Kabaddi World Cup will be held outside Asia.

The first Kabaddi World Cup was held in Melaka, Malaysia from 20-28 July 2019. The men’s and women's title was won by the Indian team.

The 2nd Kabaddi World Cup will be held in 2023 and the 3rd is planned in 2024 but the host of 2023 and 2034 world cup is yet to be announced.

The proposed 4th Kabaddi World Cup 2025 will be organized by England Kabaddi, Scottish Kabaddi, and the British Kabaddi League. 

Kabaddi

Kabaddi is an indigenous sport of India. It was included as demonstration sports in 1951 and again in 1982 Asian games held in New Delhi.

Since the 1990 Beijing Asian Games it has been a part of the Asian Games.

World Kabaddi Federation is an association of around 50 International Kabaddi Association and its President is Ashok Das of England.  

India announces additional contribution of ‘$ 5 million’ to ASEAN-India science and technology fund

Tags: Science and Technology Summits International News

The Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on 12 November 2022 announced an additional contribution of USD 5 million to the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Fund (AISTDF) to enhance cooperation in sectors of public health, renewable energy and smart agriculture.

The announcement came during the three-day visit of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to Cambodia for ASEAN-India and East Asia summits. 

ASEAN India S&T Development Fund (AISTDF) 

ASEAN-India Science & Technology Collaboration formally started in 1996 with the establishment of the ASEAN India S&T working group (AIWGST).

Initially, the collaborative S&T projects and activities between India and ASEAN were supported through ASEAN India Fund (AIF).

In 2008, a dedicated ASEAN India S&T Development Fund (AISTDF) with an equivalent amount of USD 1 million was established jointly by the Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Science and Technology (DST) to support Research and Development projects and associated project development activities.

The AISTDF was enhanced to an equivalent amount of USD 5 million through an announcement by the Prime Minister of India on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Summit in Malaysia in November 2015.

Per capita income rose in real terms by 33.4% since enactment of NFSA: Center inform Supreme Court

Tags: National Government Schemes

The Central government on 11 November 2022, informed the Supreme Court that the per capita income of the population in India has increased in real terms by 33.4 per cent since the enactment of National Food Security Act (NFSA) in 2013.

In an affidavit filed before the top court, the Union government said this rise in per capita income of people has taken a large number of poor households to higher income class.

The affidavit was filed in response to a Supreme Court ordered comprehensive survey of migrant labourers who faced extreme hardship and loss of jobs during corona induced lockdown in 2020. 

Main points of the government response 

• The overall national ceiling under NFSA is 81.4 crore beneficiaries and a few states are yet to reach their state ceiling. 
• Actual national coverage is nearly 79.8 crore as on August 31. Under NFSA ceiling, there is still scope for adding approximately 1.6 crore beneficiaries for Antyodaya Anna Yojana and priority households categories.
• About 4.7 crore ration cards, which is equivalent to about 18-19 crore individuals, have been added in the last 8 years (2013-2021) under NFSA.

National Food Security Act 2013(NFSA)

The Public distribution system in India is covered under the National Food Security Act 2013.  It was implemented on 10 September 2013.

• It covers all the State and Union Territories in India.
• The scheme is administered by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution.
• The Act provides for coverage of up to 75% of the rural population and up to 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds of the population.
• Food Grains are provided to beneficiaries in two categories, Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH).
• The Antodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries get 35 kg of foodgrains per month and the Priority Household gets 5kg per person per month.
• The beneficiary gets rice at Rs 3 per kg, wheat at Rs 2 per kg and coarse cereals at Rs 1 per kg. 

Per capita Income 

It is used to determine the average income of a person of a country. It is calculated by dividing the National income of a country by its population.

The Per capita Income of India in 2021-22(on Net National Income basis) was Rs 91481.

Source National Statistical Office 

World’s highest polling station situated in Himachal Pradesh records over 98% polling

Tags: place in news State News

World’s highest polling station located in the Tashigang village of the Lahaul Spiti constituency recorded a turnout of 98.08% on 12 November 2022. The Tashigang village at an altitude of 15,256 feet, has 52 registered voters and 51 voted.

In an area where temperatures can dip to minus 16 degrees Celsius, a 100 percent turnout had been recorded during the 2019 Mandi Lok Sabha bye-election.

The voting to elect the 14th Himachal Pradesh legislative Assembly was held on 12 November 2022. The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly has 68 seats.

The counting of votes will be taken up on 8 December along with the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and the process will be completed by 10 December 2022.

The election to constitute 15th Gujarat Legislative Assembly will be held on 1st and 5th of December 2022.

Indian Navy conducts an offshore security exercise ‘Prasthan’ off Mumbai coast

Tags: Defence

The Indian Navy’s Western Command conducted an exercise  ‘Prasthan’  on 12 November 2022 to evaluate organizational effectiveness in protecting offshore assets off Mumbai on an Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) platform 150 km into the sea.

The Prasthan’ is conducted twice a year under the Western Naval Command. It aims to assess various measures and protocols conceived to address security threats and other contingencies that may arise in offshore oil production platforms.

The Indian Navy is the lead agency and has been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the oil production platforms off the coasts of India.

Mumbai High and Sagar Samrat 

Mumbai High or earlier known as Bombay High is an offshore oilfield located in the Arabian Sea, approximately 160 km west of the Mumbai coast, Maharashtra.

It is one of the largest oil and gas fields in India. It was discovered in 1974, by the Russian and Indian team from seismic exploration vessel Academic Arkhangelsky while mapping the Gulf of Cambay between 1964 and 1967.

The oil field commenced production in 1976 and is operated by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

Sagar Samrat is India’s first oil rig platform that drilled the first offshore oil well offshore in Mumbai High.

The new One Rupee note issued by the Government of India has the picture of Sagar Samrat on its reserve side. 

Indian Navy 

The Indian Navy was founded on 26 January 1950.

It comes under the Union Ministry of Defence 

President is the supreme commander of the Indian Navy.

Current Chief of Naval Staff: Admiral R. Hari Kumar 

Navy Day: 4 December 

The Headquarters of the Indian Navy is at New Delhi 

Kerala gets the Responsible Tourism Global award at the World Travel Mart held in London

Tags: Awards State News

World Travel Mart (WTM) London Kerala’s sustainable and inclusive tourism project STREET has received the Responsible Tourism Global award the World Travel Mart (WTM) London in recognition of the water conservation initiatives successfully carried out as part of the community-oriented destination development plans.

The state bagged the award for the commendable work it carried out for ‘Conserving Water and Improving Water Security and Supply for Neighbours. ‘The award is for the water conservation initiative taken up under the STREET project, which is a first of its kind initiative in the world.

The STREET (Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic Tourism) focuses on theme-based street development approaches at tourism destinations to reduce over concentration of activities at core centers, and maximize the local community benefit.

‘Water Street’ which has been successfully implemented at Maravanthuruthu Panchayat in Kottayam District near Kumarakom was especially mentioned by the jury for choosing STREET for the award.

Kerala Tourism tagline: God’s own country  

Kerala Governor inaugurates the IBSA Blind Football Women’s Asian/Oceania Championship 2022

Tags: place in news Sports Person in news

Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan on 12 November 2022 inaugurated the IBSA Blind Football Women’s Asian/Oceania Championship 2022 at Kochi, Kerala.

The IBSA Blind Football Women’s Asian/Oceania Championship 2022 is being held at Kochi from 9 -20 November 2022.

International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA)

The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) was set up in 1981 in Paris, France. 

It is the governing body for the Paralympic sports of goalball, judo and blind football.

Headquarters: Bonn, Germany 

Sandro Di Girolamo of Italy is the current IBSA President.

India, Cambodia sign 4 MOUs in the areas of culture, wildlife & health

Tags: International Relations International News

On November 12 India and Cambodia signed 4 MoUs in areas of health, technology, biodiversity conservation and preservation of ancient buildings.

Important facts 

• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar holds a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the sidelines of the ongoing ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on November 12.

• The two had extensive discussions on bilateral relations including human resources, mining and development projects.

• Cambodia also stressed on enhancing cooperation on mine clearance to help Cambodia reach the goal of "a mine-free Cambodia by 2025".

Four memorandum of understanding (MoU)

• MoU between the Institute of Technology of Cambodia and the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur for digitalisation of Cambodian heritage sites.

• MoU regarding reintroduction of tigers in Cambodia between the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India and Ministry of Environment, Cambodia for Cooperation in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Wildlife Management.

• MoU between the Ministry of Health and the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on cooperation in the fields of health and medicine. 

• MoU on Financing Agreement on the Preservation of Wat Raja Bo Pagoda Paintings in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Olympic Double Medalist PV Sindhu Launches Fit India School Week Mascots Toofan & Toofani

Tags: Sports Sports News

Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu launched mascots Toofan and Toofani for Fit India Movement’s Fit India School Week initiative for the year 2022 on 10 November.

Important facts

• The 4th Fit India School Week will commence on 15th November 2022, wherein various schools across India will organise fitness and sports events in various forms for 4 to 6 days during a month.

• The Fit India Movement, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2019, launched its annual 'Fit India School Week' program in December the same year.

• It is dedicated to encourage schools to develop fitness habits in students and to increase awareness about fitness and sports.

• This edition has added two mascots named "Toofan and Toofani" to its flagship, with both representing India's fittest superheroes and superwomen.

• To make the mascots more connected to the sport, they have been given superpowers such as wind sprinting (athletics), car lifting (weightlifting) and concentration skills (chess).

• They connect with people by narrating various stories about sports and fitness thereby motivating, educating and encouraging them.

Fit India Movement

• The Prime Minister on the occasion of National Sports Day on 29 August, 2019 launched the ‘Fit India Movement’ as the People’s Movement & urged people to make fitness their lifestyle.

• National Sports Day is celebrated to honour the legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand Singh.

Cochin Shipyard to build India's first hydrogen fuel cell catamaran vessel in Varanasi

Tags: place in news National National News

The Cochin Shipyard on November 11 signed an MoU with the Inland Waterways Authority of India to build the country's first hydrogen fuel cell catamaran ship for Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.

Important facts

• The shipyard also signed another MoU for construction of six electric catamaran ships for Uttar Pradesh and two ships for Guwahati.

• The MoU was signed in Varanasi in the presence of Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and several other dignitaries.

• The air-conditioned hydrogen fuel cell catamaran vessel will have a seating capacity of 100 passengers. It will be deployed in Varanasi after trial in Kochi.

• The air-conditioned electric hybrid vessels, designed for short-distance travel in riverine waters, will have a seating capacity of 50 passengers.

• These vessels will contribute significantly in reducing the pollution level in the national waterways.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways -Sarbananda Sonowal 

Union Minister for Heavy Industries - Mahendra Nath Pandey

UP Chief Minister - Yogi Adityanath

Country's longest river cruise will run from Varanasi in January 2023

Tags: National National News

The Union Government has proposed to start the world's longest river cruise between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Dibrugarh in Assam by January 2023.

Important facts

• The 50-day cruise will set sail from Varanasi on 10 January and cover 4,000 km, passing through Kolkata and Dhaka before reaching Bogibeel in Dibrugarh district of Assam on 1 March.

• The name of the  cruise is Ganga Vilas, which will sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in a longest river journey of 50 days covering 27 river systems and visit over 50 tourist sites including World Heritage Sites.

• This will be the largest river cruise by a single river ship in the world and will put both India and Bangladesh on the river cruise map of the world.

• Development of coastal and river shipping including cruise services is one of the priorities of the government and more such services will be introduced to tap the vast potential of the country in this sector.

• The cruise is run on a PPP model with an MoU signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Antara Luxury River Cruises and JM Baxi River Cruises.

• River cruises are already operating on National Waterway-1 (NW-1 Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly), National Waterway-2 (Brahmaputra) and National Waterway-3 (West Coast Canal).

Western Air Command Commanders’ Conference held at New Delhi

Tags: Defence National News

Western Air Command Commanders' Conference was held in New Delhi on 10 and 11 November 2022.

Important facts

• The chief guest of the conference was Air Chief Marshal VR Chowdhary, Chief of the Air Staff (CAS).

• VR Choudhary stressed on the need to maintain operational preparedness, ensure serviceability of assets and physical and information security.

• Speaking on the occasion, he directed all the commanders present to ensure operational readiness of all platforms, weapon systems and assets at all times.

Air Command in India

• The Western Command, headquartered at New Delhi, looks after the Ladakh sector, among other areas.

• There is a standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at several points in eastern Ladakh.

• The Air Force has seven commands (Western, Eastern, Southern, Southwestern, Central, Training and Maintenance).

Public Service Broadcasting Day

Tags: Important Days

Public Service Broadcasting Day was observed on 12 November, 2022.

Important facts

• The day is celebrated every year to commemorate the only visit of Mahatma Gandhi to All India Radio in Delhi in 1947.

• The Father of the Nation addressed the displaced people who had temporarily settled in Kurukshetra in Haryana after Partition.

• Gandhiji had said that he saw the medium of radio as a miraculous power of God.

• A special programme is being organised in the premises of All India Radio, New Delhi to mark the occasion.

• In the year 2001, this day was officially declared as Public Service Broadcasting Day.

India to host 'No Money For Terror' Ministerial Conference in Delhi

Tags: National Summits National News

Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India will organize the 3rd Ministerial Conference on 'No Money for Terror' in New Delhi on 18th and 19th November.

Important facts

• Representatives from 75 countries and international bodies will attend the two-day conference for deliberations.

• The purpose of this conference is to take forward the discussions on combating terrorist financing held by the international community in the previous two conferences in Paris (2018) and Melbourne (2019).

• It will also discuss technical, legal and regulatory aspects of all aspects of terrorism financing.

• The conference will discuss diverse topics such as global trends in terrorism and terrorist financing, use of formal and informal channels of funding for terrorism, emerging technologies, international cooperation to address challenges in combating terrorist financing and terrorist financing.

• The participating countries will also deliberate on how to effectively implement the standards mandated by the Financial Action Terror Force (FATF) and UN listing on terrorist groups and terrorists.

• India had hosted two global events in October, 2022 - Interpol's annual general assembly in Delhi and a special session of the United Nations Anti-Terrorism Committee in Mumbai and Delhi.

COP27 presidency launches Sharm-el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda

Tags: Environment International News

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt, the COP27 Presidency launched the Sharm-el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda to enhance resilience for the four billion people living in the most climate-sensitive communities by 2030.

Important facts

• The Sharm-el-Sheikh adaptation agenda represents a significant contribution to elevating global action on adaptation and resilience as a top priority.

• Each outcome presents a global solution that can be adopted locally to respond to local climate contexts, needs and risks

• This will help bring about the necessary changes in mechanisms to protect vulnerable communities from increasing climate hazards, such as extreme heat, drought, floods, or extreme weather.

• Developing countries also demanded that the fund should be easily accessible.

• It aims to reduce the devastating effects of climate change. 

• The presidency sought to raise $140 billion to $300 billion to advance these goals.

• Developing countries, including India, are asking rich countries to agree to a new global climate finance target, also known as the New Collective Quantitative Target on Climate Finance.

• These actions will be carried out in five impact systems – Food and Agriculture, Water and Nature, Coastal and Ocean, Human Settlements, and Infrastructure.

• These actions will include enabling solutions to plan and finance these areas.

Sahitya Akademi organises 8-day Book Fair at Rabindra Bhavan in New Delhi

Tags: Festivals National National News

Sahitya Akademi has organised an 8-day Book Fair at Rabindra Bhawan in New Delhi on 11 November. The book fair will run till 18th November. 

Important facts

• During the Book Fair, the Academy will organise several literary activities like book release, book discussion, children's literature, symposium, cartoon making and creative writing competitions for children.

• 30 eminent authors writing for children will participate in various literary activities during the fair.

About Sahitya Akademi

• The Sahitya Akademi was formally inaugurated by the Government of India on 12 March 1954.

• It actively works for the development of Indian literature and setting high literary standards, promoting and coordinating literary activities in all Indian languages and promoting the overall cultural unity of the country through them.

• The Sahitya Akademi, India's national literary academy, is the central institution for literary dialogue, publication and promotion in the country and the only institution that undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian languages, including English.

• Head Office - Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi

• Secretary - Dr K Srinivasan

World Pneumonia Day

Tags: Important Days

World Pneumonia Day is observed on November 12 every year. 

Important facts

• The day aims to raise awareness about pneumonia and shed light on its symptoms, prevention and treatment.

• According to the World Health Organisation, 170,180 children under the age of 5 died of pneumonia in 2019.

• Pneumonia affects children and families everywhere, but deaths are highest in southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

• The World Pneumonia Day 2022 theme - "Championing the fight to stop pneumonia."

Background of the day

• World Pneumonia Day was first observed on 12 November 2009 under 'Stop Pneumonia', an initiative of the Global Coalition Against Child Pneumonia.

• After that, WHO and UNICEF launched an integrated global action plan to prevent and control pneumonia.

What is Pneumonia?

• Pneumonia is an infection in one or both lungs caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.

• Any infection causes inflammation in the lungs, which is called pneumonia.

• Although most pneumonia is caused by bacterial infection.

• Viral infections like influenza or covid-19 virus can also affect the lungs and cause serious damage to them.

• Symptoms include high fever and chills, cough with phlegm, physical weakness and feeling unwell, shortness of breath and rapid breathing, and rapid pulse.

Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra becomes ‘Friendship Ambassador’ of Switzerland Tourism

Tags: Person in news

Switzerland Tourism has appointed Olympic Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra as the 'Friendship Ambassador’ On 11 November, 2022.

Important facts

• In his new role, Chopra will showcase and promote the adventurous, sporty and great outdoors of Switzerland to Indian travellers.

• As Switzerland Tourism's 'Friendship Ambassador', Chopra will share his experiences in the country to showcase it as the ideal destination for the outdoors and the best for hiking, biking, soft and extreme adventure and snow sports. 

• Switzerland tourism sees great potential in attracting a variety of visitors and the post-COVID outdoor segment is an especially interesting place from India's point of view.

About Switzerland Tourism (ST) 

• Switzerland Tourism (ST) is a federal public corporation.

• Its mission was initiated through a federal resolution dated 16 December 1994.

• Its main objective is to promote Switzerland as a tourism and conference destination at home and abroad.

• The board consists of 13 representatives from the tourism sector and business and political sector.

• It works with many organisations and companies, for example, Swiss International Airlines, Swiss Embassies, Consulates and Business Councils.

• Tourism exports rank fourth in terms of revenue in Switzerland, behind the chemical, metallurgical industries and the luxury watchmaking industry.

About Switzerland

• President : Ignazio Cassis

• Capital : Bern

• Currency : Swiss franc