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By admin: Nov. 19, 2022

Monika Batra become the first Indian women to win a medal at the Asian Cup Table Tennis

Tags: place in news Sports Person in news

Manika Batra became the first Indian women player to win a medal at the Asian cup Table Tennis tournament. She defeated world No. 6 Hina Hayata of Japan in the women’s singles bronze medal match in Bangkok, Thailand on 19 November 2022.

 She became the 2nd Indian player to win a medal at the Asia Cup Table Tennis. Before her, Chetan Baboor won silver in 1997 and bronze in 2000.

The other Indian player Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, India’s top-ranked men’s singles player and India’s national champion Sharath Kamal  were knocked out in the opening round of men’s singles.

The three-day competition (17-19 November) was organised by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) at the Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. 

The Asia Cup Table tennis is an annual tournament which has been organized since 1983. The 2020 and 2021 editions were not held because of Covid-19.

President appoints Arun Goel as the member of the Election Commission of India

Tags: Person in news

President Droupadi Murmu on 19 November appointed retired IAS officer Arun Goel as the Election Commissioner with effect from the date he assumes the office.

A Punjab cadre officer of the 1985 batch, Goel will join Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey in the poll panel.

Terms of Office 

• The Election commission members hold office for six years or up to 65 years of age, whichever is earlier. 
•  Once he joins his new responsibility, Goel would become the Chief Election Commissioner in February 2025.
• Goel will demit office in December 2027 on attaining the age of 65 years.

Election Commission of India 

• The Election Commission of India was constituted by the Government of India on 25 January 1950 under article 324 of the constitution. 25 January is also observed as National Voters Day in India 
• The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India. The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, Legislative Councils  in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country. 

Members of the Election Commission of India 

• The Election Commission of India can be single member or Multi member. 
• Article 324 gives the President power to appoint members to the Election Commission as he desires.
• Initially the Election Commission was a single member body with the Chief Election Commissioner post, but on 16 October 1989 President appointed two new members to the body making it a multi member body for the first time. 
• However the President again issued an order on 1 January 1990 to make it a single member body. 
• It was again made a multi member body on 1 October 1993 as the President appointed 2 new members. 
• Since then the Election Commission of India has been a three member commission.

Other things to Remember 

• The first Chief Election Commissioner of India was Sukumar Sen.
• The first woman Chief Election Commissioner of India was V.S. Rama Devi. She was the 9th Chief Election Commissioner of India and was appointed in 1990.
• The current and the 25th Chief Election Commissioner of India is Rajiv Kumar. 

Hyderabad host Street Circuit Car Racing before the India’s first Formula E grand Prix to be held in February 2023

Tags: place in news Sports

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Indian Racing League (IRL) are jointly organising India’s first ever Street Circuit Car Racing at Hyderabad on 19 and 20 November 2022. 

At least 22 electric racing cars are taking part in the trial run to ensure that the track is fit for the forthcoming Formula E race and all the requirements are met as per the FIA specifications.

HMDA and IRL will hold a first-ever Formula E World Championship race in India at Hyderabad, to be held on 10 and 11 February 2023. 

Formula E race is a single-seater motor racing championship where the drivers compete in single-seater cars built by Italian constructor Wolf Racing using Aprilia engines.

IAF Air Fest 2022 organised at Vayusena Nagar in Nagpur

Tags: place in news Defence

The Indian Air Force annual show, Air Fest 2022 commenced with a visually stunning and breath-taking performances of the Air Force’s planes & helicopters at Headquarters Maintenance Command, Vayusena Nagar in Nagpur on 19 November 2022.

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 the Indian Air Force for an exciting career.

Indian Air Force and its command structure 

It was set up on 8 October 1932.  It comes under the Union Defence Ministry.

President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Air Force.

Every year October 8 is observed as Air Force Day. 

Chief of Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari

Command structure  of  the Indian Air Force

Vice President Dhankhar to attend FIFA men's world cup 2022 opening ceremony in Qatar

Tags: place in news Sports Person in news

According to a release from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar will represent India at the inauguration of the 22nd Men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar on 20 November 2022. Vice President Dhankhar will be visiting Qatar on November 20-21 at the invitation of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar. 

The 60,000-capacity Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor will host the opening ceremony on 20 November 2022 just before the first match between host Qatar and Ecuador. 

According to the MEA, besides attending the inaugural ceremony of the football World Cup, the vice president will also interact with members of the Indian community during his visit.

India Qatar Relations 

• India and Qatar enjoy close and friendly relations with multifaceted partnerships extending to areas of trade, energy, security, defence, health, culture, and education, among others.
•  In the last financial year, bilateral trade crossed USD 15 billion.
• Qatar plays an important partner in India’s energy security and India participates in Qatar’s food security. 
• Next year, both countries will be celebrating 50 years of the establishment of full diplomatic relations.
• People-to-people ties form an important element of the bilateral relationships with over 840,000 Indians in Qatar. 

FIFA men’s World Cup 2022

• The 22nd FIFA men’s world cup will be held in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022. 
• It is the first time that an Arab country will host the tournament.
• It is the second world cup to be held in Asia after the 2002 World cup which was jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea.
• A total of 32 teams will participate in the world cup.
• La'eeb is the official mascot of the Cup. It is inspired by the keffiyeh, a traditional headdress worn by Arab men. 
• The name of the football to be used during the world cup is Al Rihla.  Al Rihla means “Journey” in Arabic.
• It has been made by the German multinational company Adidas.
• It is the 14th successive time that a ball made by Adidas will be used in the FIFA world cup.
• Al-Rihla is the first FIFA World cup ball to be made exclusively with water based inks and glues.

FIFA WORLD CUP 

• It is an international men’s senior football championship organised by FIFA and it is held every four years. No world cup was held in 1942 and 1946 due to the Second World War.
• The first world cup was held in 1930 and the 21st world cup was held in Russia. 
•  The 2026 Men’s world cup will be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
• The current champion is France.
• Brazil is the most successful team in the world having won it 5 times. Italy and Germany have won it 4 times each.

Headquarter of FIFA: Zurich, Switzerland 

FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association)

Government withdraws export duty on steel

Tags: Economy/Finance National News

Government has withdrawn export duty on steel with effect from 19 November, 2022.

Important facts

• According to the notification of the Ministry of Finance, the export duty on iron ore and various steel products has been reduced to zero, which means that now there will be no duty on the export of steel products.

• The Central Government has restored the status quo ante before May 22, 2022.

• Apart from this, export duty on low iron ore lumps and fines (having iron content less than 58 per cent) has also been made zero.

• The following rules will be effective from November 19, 2022 -

• Zero export duty on export of iron ore lumps and fines (58 percent iron content).

• Export of iron ore lumps and fines (58 percent iron content) will attract 30 per cent lower export duty.

• Export duty on export of iron ore pellets will be zero.

• Export duty on export of pig iron and steel products classified under HS 7201, 7208, 7209, 7210, 7213, 7214, 7219, 7222 and 7227 shall be zero.

• Anthracite/PCI and coking coal and ferronickel will attract an import duty of 2.5 per cent.

• Coke and semi coke will attract 5 percent import duty.

What is Export Duty?

• Export duty is a type of indirect tax levied on goods imported into India as well as goods exported from India.

• Export means taking goods out of India to other countries.

21st World Congress of Accountants starts in Mumbai

Tags: place in news Economy/Finance Summits

The Institute of Chartered Accountant of India (ICAI) is hosting the 21st World Congress of Accountants 2022(WCOA) at the Jio World Centre, Mumbai, from November 18-21, 2022 in a Hybrid mode. WCOA 2022 is being held in hybrid mode for the first time ever in the Congress’s history.

The Theme of the 21st World Congress of Accountants 2022 is:  Building Trust Enabling Sustainability”.

The Lok Sabha Speaker OM Birla addressed the Congress on 18 November 2022 and described chartered accountants as "saints of the new economic order". They are the engines and architects of the economic world.

ICAI 

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is a statutory body established under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949.

• It was set up on 1 July 1949.
• The ICAI is the second largest professional body of Chartered Accountants in the world after the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).
• It is the regulator of the Chartered Accountancy profession in India.
• It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.

Headquarters: New Delhi 

President: Dr. Debashish Mitra

BCCI dissolves 4-member national selection committee headed by Chetan Sharma

Tags: Sports Sports News

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has disbanded the selection committee headed by Chetan Sharma on November 19, 2022 after India's dismal performance in Asia Cup 2022 and T20 World Cup.

Important facts

• Apart from chief selector Chetan Sharma, the other members of the selection committee were Sunil Joshi, Harvinder Singh and Devashish Mohanty.

• The BCCI invited fresh applications for national selectors for the senior men's team and the last date for submission of applications is November 28.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was founded on 4 December 1928 at the Roshanara Club in Delhi by a group of players to end the British monopoly in cricket.

• BCCI earlier had 6 regional bodies as its members, currently it has 30 full time members.

• Its head office is located at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• It is affiliated to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and is the richest cricket board in the world.

• It regulates all the tournaments inside and outside India.

• It has the authority to select players, umpires and officials to participate in international events.

• BCCI President - Roger Binny

• BCCI secretary - Jay Shah

Nirmala Sitharaman urges AIIB to scale up its investment in renewable energy in India

Tags: Economy/Finance Person in news

The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in a meeting with the visiting Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Jin Liqun asked the AIIB to scale up investment in renewable energy and smart technologies and also to set up a regional office in India.

The AIIB President Jin Liqun is currently on a visit to India.

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) 

• It is a multilateral development bank which was set up in 2016 with 57 countries as its founding members. India is a founding member of AIIB. 
• In 2020 the Bank has 103 member countries representing approximately 79 percent of the global population and 65 percent of global GDP.
• The United States and Japan are not the members of the bank .

Shareholders of the Bank 

• The bank has an authorized capital of $100 billion.
• China is the majority shareholder of the bank with 29.9% share  and India is the second largest shareholder of the bank with 7.74% stake . 

Area of Operation 

• Its area of operation is in Asia and it provides loans to build Infrastructure of tomorrow -green infrastructure with sustainability, innovation and connectivity at its core.
• It Provides loans to both government as well as private companies.
• AIIB has given maximum loans to India 
• It will set up its first overseas office in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• Urjit Patel of India is one of the five Vice-President of AIIB.

Current President of the Bank: Jin Liqun of China.

Headquarters: Beijing, China 

India launches official website of SCO 2023 with a theme of ‘For a SECURE SCO’

Tags: International News

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has launched the official website of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) with the theme of a SECURE SCO. The website will   highlight the events that will be undertaken under the chairmanship of India next year.

During the 22nd Head of State summit meeting 2022 of the SCO at Samarkand, Uzbekistan in September, India formally received the SCO rotating presidency. India will hold the presidency of the grouping for a year until September 2023.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had floated the concept of SECURE at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China in 2018. Explaining the SECURE concept, the Prime Minister said ‘S’ for security for citizens, ‘E’ for economic development, ‘C’ for connectivity in the region, ‘U’ for unity, ‘R’ for respect of sovereignty and integrity, and ‘E' for environment protection.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a regional  group of 8 countries of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan .

National Integration Day

Tags: Important Days

National Integration Day is observed every year on 19 November to mark the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi, the first woman Prime Minister of India.

Important facts

• The purpose of celebrating this day is to inspire people to maintain unity, peace, love and brotherhood.

• National Integration Day is also known as "Qaumi Ekta Diwas". This day is celebrated all over India to promote mutual harmony.

• The day espouses the message of upholding unity and integrity among the citizens of India, regardless of caste, colour, language, religion and social status.

• National Integration Day 2022 marks the 105th birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi.

• National integration refers to a situation in which people bind themselves as a whole by discarding all distinctions.

About Indira Gandhi

• Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was born on 19 November 1917 in Allahabad to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.

• In 1942, she married Feroze Gandhi, who was a freedom fighter, politician and journalist.

• In 1955, she became a Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and was elected as the President of CWC in 1959.

• As Information Minister, Indira Gandhi joined Lal Bahadur Shastri's cabinet.

• In 1966, she became the first woman Prime Minister of India after the sudden death of Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent, Russia.

• She was a great politician and played an important role in strengthening the Indian democratic structure and tradition.

• Indira Gandhi was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1971.

Government extends the maximum tenure of MD and CEO of the Public Sector Banks to 10 Years

Tags: Economy/Finance

The Government of India has raised the maximum tenure of the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Public Sector Banks (PSB) to 10 years from five years. However there is no change in the retirement age of 60 years.

According to the earlier rules, the MD or the executive director of a public sector undertaking bank was eligible for a maximum tenure of 5 years or until they reach 60, whichever was earlier.

These changes were notified by the government through the Nationalized Banks (Management and Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Scheme, 2022.

The move will help the government retain talents, who rise through the ranks relatively quickly at state-run banks. It will also enable the PSBs to have relatively young leadership teams that will be in a better position to realise a longer-term vision.

However, the Central government retains the right to terminate the term of a whole-time director, including the managing director, any time before the expiry of their tenure, by giving them a notice of not less than three months in writing, or three months’ salary and allowances in lieu of the notice.

Public Sector Banks 

Banks owned by the Government of India are called Public Sector Banks. Currently there are 12 Public Sector Banks in India.

World Toilet Day

Tags: Important Days

Every year on 19 November 'World Toilet Day' is celebrated.

Important facts

• According to the World Health Organization report, currently around 360 crore people around the world are deprived of toilets.

• According to the 2011 census in India, 67 percent of households in villages and 13 percent of households in cities practise open defecation.

• According to the Research Institute of Compassionate Economics, despite 40 percent of the country's households having toilets, one member from each household regularly goes to open defecation.

• To change this thinking of the people and keep cleanliness in mind, 'World Toilet Day' is celebrated every year on 19th November.

• The Government of India also celebrates this day as a part of its Swachh Bharat Mission with an aim to promote awareness about cleanliness.

• The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) is organising ‘Swachhta Run’ across rural India, to mark the World Toilet Day. 

Theme of 2022

• The 2022 theme is ‘Making the Invisible Visible’. 

• The theme explores how inadequate sanitation systems spread human waste into rivers, lakes and soil and polluting underground water resources. 

• The theme focuses on groundwater sanitation.

Background of the day

• It was an initiative started by Singaporean Jack Sim, who founded an NGO called the World Toilet Organization in the year 2001.

• The United Nations also recognized the right to water and sanitation as a fundamental human right in 2010.

• On 24 July 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in its 67th session passed a resolution designating 19 November as World Toilet Day.

• The UNGA resolution titled 'Sanitation for All' encouraged increasing access to public health and sanitation, especially for people from the poorer sections of society.

International Men's Day

Tags: Important Days

International Men's Day is observed on 19 November to remember all the men in the society and their contribution in all aspects of life.

Important facts

• The day aims to remember positive male role models and honour their contributions in all aspects of life.

• This year's International Men's Day theme is "Helping Men and Boys." 

• The theme aims to work towards improving the health and well-being of men globally.

• The day encourages men to teach boys the values, character and responsibilities of being a man in life.

• On this day, express your heartfelt gratitude to the men in your life and wish them 'happiness, success and prosperity'.

Background of the day

• International Men's Day was first celebrated in 1999 by Dr. Jerome Teelaksingh, Professor of History at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, to commemorate the birth anniversary of his father.

• He encouraged everyone to use the day to raise issues related to men and boys.

• However, International Men's Day was inaugurated in 1992 by Thomas Oster.

• The day was revived in 1999 by Dr Jerome Teelaksingh, lecturer in history at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago.

• Dr. Tilak Singh proposed the observance of International Men's Day on 19 November to mark his father's birthday.

• International Men's Day was formally celebrated for the first time on 19 November 2007.

India bags 25 out of 28 golds at 15th Asian Airgun Championships in South Korea

Tags: Sports Sports News

In shooting, India continued to dominate as they wrapped up their campaign at the 15th Asian Airgun Championships in South Korea (Deagu) with 25 gold medals, including two gold medals on the final day on November 18, 2022.

Important facts

• Manu Bhaker and Samrat Rana won the 10m air pistol mixed team junior event, while Rhythm Sangwan and Vijayveer Sidhu won the gold in the senior event.

• India dominated the event winning 25 out of 28 events in eight days.

• Sangwan and Sidhu defeated Valery Rakhimzhan and Irina Yunusmetova of Kazakhstan 17-3 in the final of the air pistol mixed team event.

• He topped the qualification round with a score of 579 while Kazakhstan was second with a score of 577.

• The other Indian pair of Shiva Narwal and Yuvika Tomar finished fourth in qualifying with a score of 573 but lost 6-16 to the Korean pair to miss out on the bronze medal.

• In the junior air pistol mixed team event, Manu and Samrat shot a qualification score of 578 to finish second behind Uzbekistan's Nigina Sadkulova and Mukhamed Kamalov (579).

• In the final, the Indian pair won 17-3 to claim the first position.

• India's other pair of Sagar Dangi and Isha Singh also made it to the bronze medal match out of two in the event but they too lost 14-16 to Korea's Lee Seungjun and Yang Jin.

Results of Air pistol

• Mixed team: 1. India-2 (Rhythm Sangwan, Vijayveer Sidhu) 17 (579); 2. Kazakhstan (Irina Yunusmetova, Valeriy Rakhimzhan) 3 (577); 3. Korea 16 (573), 4. India (Shiva Narwal, Yuvika Tomar) 6 (573); 3. Korea-2 16 (572), 4. Japan 10 (575).

• Junior mixed team: 1. India (Manu Bhaker, Samrat Rana) 17 (578); 2. Uzbekistan (Nigina Saidkulova, Mukhammad Kamalov) 3 (579); 3. Korea (Yang Jiin, Lee Seungjun) 16 (566), 4. India-2 (Sagar Dangi, Esha Singh) 14 (576); 3. Korea-2 17 (574), 4. Uzbekistan-2 5 (566).

MoS for Education Subhash Sarkar confers National Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2021-22

Tags: Awards National News

Minister of State for Education Dr Subhash Sarkar on 19 November, 2022 conferred National Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2021-22 in Akashwani Bhawan, Delhi.

Important facts

• A total of 39 schools have been given this award, including five in the national category and 34 in the overall category.

• The winners of the national category were given Rs 60,000 and the other categories were given Rs 20,000.

• The National Commission Committee has selected these schools for the awards.

• The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar has been instituted by the Ministry of Education to recognize excellence in water, healthcare and sanitation in schools.

• The awards were presented to rural and urban government schools, government aided schools and private schools.

• Drinking water, toilets, handwashing with soap, operation and maintenance, capacity building and COVID-19 (preparedness and response) parameters have been used to measure the performance of schools.

• In 2014, the Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya (SBSV) initiative was launched to ensure that all schools in India have access to separate functional toilets for boys and girls.

About National Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar

• It has been established by the Ministry of Education to recognise, inspire and celebrate excellence in cleanliness and hygiene practices in schools.

• The main objective of the award is to honour those schools which have taken steps to fulfil the requirement of Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan.

• The award is based on IT-enabled assessment of WASH infrastructure, hygienic practices and COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.

• The award is based on IT-enabled assessment of WASH infrastructure, hygienic practices and COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.

Govt to set up 100 academies to promote archery amongst tribal children: Arjun Munda

Tags: Sports

The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda has said the government has decided to set up 100 archery academies in the country to promote talent amongst tribal children.

While speaking at a function organised to give Janjatiya Gaurav Puraskar in New Delhi on 19 November 2022, he said that his Ministry is continuously working for enhancing educational and health facilities and also focusing on generating employment in the tribal areas.

Some of the famous tribal archers who have made India proud are Deepika Kumari, Limba ram