1. For the first time, six women officers clear Defence Services Staff College examination
Tags: National Defence National News
For the first time in the history of the Indian Army six women officers have cleared the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) examination.
Important facts
Of the 15 women officers who appeared in this year's DSSC exam, six cleared it.
Every year, 1,500-1,600 officers appear for this prestigious exam but only around 300 get selected.
Six women officers will join the prestigious War College in Wellington, a move that comes after the Army granted permanent commission to women officers last year.
They will start their academic session from April 2023.
The DSSC course is run for Major and Lt Col equivalent ranks of the three Services.
After the completion of the DSSC course, officers will be eligible for important staff appointments to higher ranks of the Indian Army as well as for foreign postings.
About Defence Services Staff College (DSSC)
It is one of the oldest military institutions in India. It was set up in India in 1905 as the Army Staff College at Deolali and was relocated to Quetta, now in Pak, in 1907.
It was shifted to Wellington in 1947 after the partition of the subcontinent.
Many army officers have done the DSSC course, including former Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat.
2. IFSCA signs MoU with RBI in the field of regulation, supervision of regulated entities
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration in the field of regulation and supervision of regulated entities on 16 November, 2022.
Important facts
This MoU facilitates technical cooperation and exchange of information.
The objective of the agreement is to strengthen the security, stability and soundness of the respective financial ecosystem, thereby ensuring a conducive environment for optimal business growth and economic growth.
RBI is the central bank and monetary authority of India while International Financial Services Centers Authority is a unified regulator responsible for the development and regulation of financial products, financial services and financial institutions in International Financial Services Centers established across the country.
About International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)
IFSCA was established on April 27, 2020, under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
It is headquartered in GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
It is a unified authority for the development and regulation of financial products, financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Center (IFSC) in India.
It is currently the maiden international financial services centre in India.
Prior to the establishment of IFSCA, trading in IFSC was regulated by the domestic financial regulators, RBI, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
IFSCA Chairperson - Injeti Srinivas
Governor RBI - Shaktikanta Das
3. Government of India to abolish National Anti-profiteering Authority
Tags: National Economy/Finance
Government of India has decided to abolish the National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) from1 December 2022 as its terms come to an end on 30 November 2022. From 1 December 2022 the Goods & Services Tax (GST) anti-profiteering complaints would be dealt with by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) .
The GST Council, in its 45th meeting in September 2021, gave another 1-year extension till November 30, 2022, to NAA and also decided to shift the work to CCI after that.
National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA)
The National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) was set up by the government of India on 30 November 2017 under section 171 of the Goods and Service Tax 2017. The Goods and Service Tax was implemented in India from 1 July 2017.
Function of the NAA
The main function of the NAA is to check the unfair profiteering activities by the registered suppliers under GST law.
It ensures that the benefits of the reduction in GST rates on goods and services done by the GST Council and of the Input tax credit are passed on to the recipients by way of commensurate reduction in the prices by the suppliers.
Who will deal with the anti-profiteering complaint under GST?
From 1st of December 2022, the investigation on complaints of profiteering by the consumers will be done by the Directorate General of Anti-profiteering (DGAP) which will then submit a report to CCI.
Competition Commission of India is the national competition regulator in India. It was set up in March 2009. Sangeeta Varma is the acting Chairperson of CCI.
4. Climate Change Performance Index 2023
Tags: International News
The 18th edition of the Climate Change Performance Index -2023, compiled by German watch and the Climate Action Network, was released on 15 November, 2022.
Important facts
India has improved by two places to rank eighth among 63 countries in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023.
India's two-place jump can be attributed to lower emissions and increased use of renewable energy.
The report track climate performance of the European Union and 59 countries, which together account for over 92 per cent of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the world.
The rankings from Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action Network are based on the efforts countries are making to halve their emissions by 2030.
The report ranked no country for the first three places because "no country performed well enough in all index categories to receive a high overall rating.
Denmark is placed fourth, Sweden fifth and Chile sixth in the ranking.
India earned a high rating in the GHG Emissions and Energy Use categories, while it got a medium rating in Climate Policy and Renewable Energy sections.
China, now the world's biggest polluter, fell 13 places to 51st in this year's ranking and received a very low rating overall because of its coal-fired power plants.
The US rose by three ranks to the 52nd place.
Iran (63rd), Saudi Arabia (62nd) and Kazakhstan (61st) fared the worst.
About Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)
It is developed by not-for-profit organisations German watch and New Climate Institute (Germany) together with the Climate Action Network (CAN International).
It is an important tool for increasing transparency in international climate strategy and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.
5. Indian company ReNew signs an agreement with the Egyptian government to set up Green Hydrogen plant in Egypt
Tags: Environment Economy/Finance International News
The Indian company ReNew Power Private Limited , has signed an agreement with the Egyptian government to set up a green hydrogen manufacturing facility at the Suez Canal Economic Zone in Egypt on 15 November 2022.The company will invest $8 billion in the project in phases.
Green Hydrogen refers to the breaking down of the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable sources of energy.
ReNew Power has partnered with Elsewedy Electric S.A.E. (Elsewedy) for this project. Elsewedy is a leading integrated energy solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa, which will be the local co-developer for the project.
Highlights of the project
According to the agreement, ReNew will set up a plant with a capacity to produce 20,000 tonne green hydrogen a year, which will later be raised to 220,000 tonnes, by relying on renewable energy sources.
The project is scheduled to be implemented in phases, the first of which will be a pilot to produce 20,000 tonne green hydrogen, through a 150 MW electrolyser equipped with 570 MW of renewable energy to produce 100,000 tons of green ammonia annually.
What is Green Hydrogen, Brown Hydrogen, Blue Hydrogen?
Hydrogen is the first and the smallest element in the periodic table.
Depending upon the production method the colour of the hydrogen can be Green, Brown, Blue or Grey.
Green Hydrogen
It refers to the breaking down of the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable sources of energy. Renewable source of energy means which can be used again and again like solar power, hydel, wind energy etc. It contains no carbon which is responsible for global warming.
Grey Hydrogen
Grey hydrogen is created from natural gas, or methane, using steam methane reformation. It produces Hydrogen and Carbon dioxide which is released in the atmosphere.
Blue Hydrogen
Blue hydrogen is produced mainly from natural gas, using a process called steam reforming, which brings together natural gas and heated water in the form of steam. It produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
Black and Brown Hydrogen
When black coal or lignite (brown coal) is used in the hydrogen-making process it is called as black or brown coal.
ReNew Company
ReNew is one of the largest renewable energy independent power producers globally. ReNew develops, builds, owns and operates utility-scale wind energy, solar energy and hydro projects.
As of October 10, 2022, ReNew has a gross total portfolio of 13.4 GW of renewable energy projects across India, including commissioned and committed projects.
The company has also announced investing one lakh crore in renewable energy projects, including battery storage in both Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Founder Chairman and CEO of the Company: Sumant Sinha
6. US imposes $1.4 mn fine on Air India over delay in refunds
Tags: International News
Tata Group-owned Air India has been fined $1.4 million in penalties for delayed refunds amounting to $121.5 million for delayed or cancelled flights, under an order from the US Department of Transportation.
Important facts
Under US law, airlines and ticket agents have a legal obligation to refund consumers in the event of a flight cancellation or a passenger not accepting the option offered.
According to US regulations, it is illegal for an airline to deny refunds and instead provide vouchers to such consumers.
The US Department of Transportation received a large number of complaints from air travellers that airlines had failed to provide timely refunds after cancellations or significant changes to flights.
The US Department of State has fined six airlines over delayed refunds, in what has been called a "historic" enforcement action.
The fine imposed on Air India is the third highest after Denver-based Frontier and TAP Portugal.
Apart from Air India, Frontier, TAP Portugal, Aero Mexico, EI AI and Avianca Airlines have also been fined by the US government.
7. National Commission for Women launched Digital Shakti 4.0
Tags: National National News
The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched the fourth phase of Digital Shakti Campaign, a pan-India project on digitally empowering and skilling women and girls in cyberspace on 15 November.
Important facts
Digital Shakti 4.0 focuses on making women digitally proficient and aware to stand against any illegal/inappropriate activity online.
The National Commission for Women launched it in association with Cyberpeace Foundation and META.
The launch was followed by an interactive panel discussion on "Combating Online Cyber-enabled Human Trafficking and Other Forms of Online Violence".
Third phase of Digital Shakti
The third phase of the program was launched in Leh in March 2021 by the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur and Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal.
In the third phase, a resource center was developed to provide information on all the ways a woman can report when she faces a cybercrime.
About Digital Shakti
Digital Shakti was launched in June 2018 to raise awareness and help women on the digital front across the country.
Through this project, more than 3 lakh women across India have been sensitised regarding cyber security tips and tricks.
It is helping women with reporting and redressal mechanisms, data privacy and use of technology for their benefit.
Chairperson of the National Commission for Women - Rekha Sharma
8. National Commission for Women launched Digital Shakti 4.0
Tags: National National News
The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched the fourth phase of Digital Shakti Campaign, a pan-India project on digitally empowering and skilling women and girls in cyberspace on 15 November.
Important facts
Digital Shakti 4.0 focuses on making women digitally proficient and aware to stand against any illegal/inappropriate activity online.
The National Commission for Women launched it in association with Cyberpeace Foundation and META.
The launch was followed by an interactive panel discussion on "Combating Online Cyber-enabled Human Trafficking and Other Forms of Online Violence".
Third phase of Digital Shakti
The third phase of the program was launched in Leh in March 2021 by the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur and Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal.
In the third phase, a resource center was developed to provide information on all the ways a woman can report when she faces a cybercrime.
About Digital Shakti
Digital Shakti was launched in June 2018 to raise awareness and help women on the digital front across the country.
Through this project, more than 3 lakh women across India have been sensitised regarding cyber security tips and tricks.
It is helping women with reporting and redressal mechanisms, data privacy and use of technology for their benefit.
Chairperson of the National Commission for Women - Rekha Sharma
9. NASA launches its Artemis 1 mission from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida
Tags: Science and Technology International News
The US space agency NASA launched its Artemis 1 mission on 16 November, 2022 from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.
Important facts
About eight minutes after launch, the core stage's engines cut off and the core stage separated from the rest of the rocket.
After this, the Orion spacecraft was propelled by the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS).
NASA also deployed the four solar arrays of the Orion spacecraft.
After completing "translunar injection", Orion separated itself from the ICPS and is now on its way to lunar orbit.
About Artemis 1 mission
For the first time in 50 years since the end of the Apollo program, the launch of Artemis 1 is an ambitious US mission to return astronauts to the surface of the Moon.
The Artemis 1 launch will also be the first flight of NASA's 21st century moon-exploration program.
With Artemis 1 on the surface of the Moon, NASA aims to demonstrate new technologies, business approaches and capabilities that are essential for future explorations, including Mars.
The launch aims to further aid in the study of the Moon, its origin and history.
ISRO’s Moon Exploration Mission
Chandrayaan 1
Chandrayaan-2
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) recently announced India's third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3, which will consist of a lander and a rover.
10. Britain approves three thousand work visas for young Indian professionals
Tags: International Relations International News
On November 16, 2022, the United Kingdom government approved three thousand visas for young professionals from India to work in the country every year.
Important facts
This visa is done under the UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement which was signed in 2021.
India is the first country to benefit from such a scheme.
The UK government has approved the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme which offers 3,000 visas to Indian graduates aged 18-30 years to live and work in the UK for up to two years.
The announcement was made hours after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 17th edition of the G20 Summit in Bali.
UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement
The Union Cabinet approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Migration and Mobility Partnership in 2021 between India and the United Kingdom.
The objective of the agreement is to liberalize the issuance of visas promoting the mobility of students, researchers and skilled professionals and to strengthen cooperation between the two sides on issues related to irregular migration and human trafficking.
About United Kingdom
It is an island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe.
Prime Minister - Rishi Sunak
Capital - London
Currency - British pound
Head of State - King Charles III
