DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Nov. 21, 2024

DRDO organises 11th Asian Fire Protection Inspection Council Meet & Asian Fire Safety Expo

Tags: Defence

DRDO organises 11th Asian Fire Protection Inspection Council Meet & Asian Fire Safety Expo 

Why in the news?

•   The 11th Asia Fire Protection Inspection Council (AFIC) Meet, organised by the Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES), DRDO in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), commenced in New Delhi on Nov 21, 2024.

What is AFIC?

•  The AFIC is the Fire Protection organisation of 11 Asian countries for technical exchange and fostering of knowledge in the field of fire safety for development of Asian Fire Protection Technologies and Standards. 

Important Points:

• Twenty one international delegates from Six Asian countries are participating in the three-day meet from 21 - 23 Nov 2024.
• The event is an ideal platform for the delegates to engage in meaningful exchanges for sharing knowledge, valuable insights, and collaborating on innovative solutions. 
• The event would prove to be a key step towards realizing DRDO’s vision of creating a strong, self-reliant India with world class fire safety technologies, ultimately contributing to national security and global competitiveness.
•   On the sideline of AFIC meet, an International Seminar on “Latest Trends in Fire Safety and Future Perspectives” and the Asian fire Safety Expo (AFSE) 2024 are also being organised by the CFEES.
• More than 100 delegates working in the field of fire safety from state fire services, Army, Navy, Air Force, BSF, DRDO & CAPF are attending the event.

India won Women's Asian Champions Trophy-2024

Tags: Sports News

India won Women's Asian Champions Trophy-2024

Why in the news?

• The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today congratulated the Indian Hockey team on winning the Women's Asian Champions Trophy.

 Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2024:

•   The Women's Asian Champions Trophy was the eighth edition of the Women's Asian Champions Trophy, a biennial field hockey tournament where the six best Asian women's national teams compete.
•  It was organized by the Asian Hockey Federation,in Rajgir, India, from 11 to 20 November 2024.
• The Indian hockey team beat the People's Republic of China 1-0 in the final to win the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2024 at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar on Wednesday.
• Deepika  scored the winning goal for the Indian women's hockey team and finished as the tournament's top goal scorer with a tally of 11.
•  India has won the Asian Champions Trophy thrice, in 2016, 2023 and 2024.
• 
  

Second India-CARICOM Summit

Tags: Summits

Second India-CARICOM Summit

Why in news?

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Grenada, H.E. Mr. Dickon Mitchell, the current CARICOM Chair, chaired the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown on 20 November 2024.

Important Points:

•  The first India-CARICOM Summit was held in 2019 in New York. 
• Expressing his deep solidarity with the people of CARICOM, Prime Minister conveyed his sympathies for the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl.
•  To further build on India’s close development partnership and strong people to people ties with the region, the Prime Minister offered assistance to CARICOM countries in seven key areas.

These areas fit well with the CARICOM acronym and amplify the close bonds of friendship between India and the group. They are:

• C: Capacity Building
• A: Agriculture and Food Security
• R: Renewable Energy and Climate Change
• I: Innovation, Technology and Trade
• C: Cricket and Culture
• O: Ocean Economy and Maritime Security
• M: Medicine and Healthcare

What is CARICOM?

• CARICOM stands for the Caribbean Community, an intergovernmental organization that's a political and economic union of 20 countries in the Caribbean, Americas, and Atlantic Ocean.

Member states:

• 15 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Associate members:

• 5 countries, including Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands .
• The headquartersof the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is located at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana.

WAVES a new OTT Platform launched at IFFI

Tags: National News

WAVES a new OTT Platform launched at IFFI

Why in news?

• Chief Minister of Goa Dr.Pramod Sawant launched ‘WAVES’ the OTT platform of the national public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati at the opening ceremony of 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

Important points:

• Doordarshan, India’s iconic public broadcaster, has ventured into the OTT (Over-The-Top) platform space to cater to the growing demand for digital streaming services. 
• The platform aims to revive nostalgia while embracing modern digital trends by offering a rich mix of classic content and contemporary programming.
•  By leveraging its decades-long legacy and national trust, Doordarshan's OTT platform bridges the gap between traditional television and modern streaming, reaching tech-savvy youth and older generations alike.

Features:

• ‘WAVES’ makes its entry as a large aggregator OTT with Inclusive India stories embracing Indian culture with an international outlook, in 12+ Languages - Hindi, English, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese. It will be spread across 10+ Genres of Infotainment.
•  It will provide Video on demand, free-to-play gaming, Radio streaming, Live TV streaming, 65 live Channels, several App in App integrations for videoand gaming content, and online shopping through Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) supported e-commerce platform. 
• WAVES includes LIVE events like the Prabhu Shriram Lalla Aarti LIVE from Ayodhya and the monthly Mann ki Baat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
•  WAVES will also launch aCyber Security awareness campaign with Daily Video messages in partnership with CDAC, MeitY.

What is OTT?

• OTT stands for "over-the-top" and refers to a method of delivering streaming media content over the internet. 
• OTT content can be accessed on-demand without the need for a cable or satellite provider.  

“Bhu-Neer” Portal

Tags: National News

“Bhu-Neer” Portal 

Why in the news?

• The Hon'ble Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri C.R. Paatil digitally launched the newly developed “Bhu-Neer” portal  during the concluding ceremony of India Water Week 2024.

What is “Bhu-Neer” Portal ?

•  The “Bhu-Neer” is an advanced portal developed by Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA), under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), for improved groundwater regulation across the country.

Features:

•  This portal will serve as a one-stop platform for managing and regulating groundwater resources, aimed at ensuring transparency, efficiency, and sustainability in groundwater usage.
• Its centralized database will allow users to access critical information on groundwater compliance, policies, and sustainable practices.
•  The portal is developed with several user-friendly features to offer streamlined process flow to the project proponents seeking groundwater withdrawal permits.
• “Bhu-Neer” features includes PAN based single ID system and NOC with QR code.
• The “Bhu-Neer” portal, is another step towards promoting the Hon’ble Prime Minister's vision of Ease of Doing Business by making ground water regulation a seamless and faceless exercise.