- National:
- The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has approved the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of two hydro projects by SJVN Ltd in Arunachal Pradesh, worth around Rs 40,000 crore.
- The Indian Navy has launched its 4th Anti-Submarine Warfare Craft, named ‘Amini’. This is the fourth in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) projects built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy.
- The two-day International Conference-cum-Exhibition on ‘Aerospace and Aviation in 2047’ was inaugurated in New Delhi on 18th November 2023. The event was organized by the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) to commemorate its 75th anniversary.
- The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has launched a certification initiative called 'Nest’. This is a first-of-its-kind eco-friendly, self-developed framework and certification that aims to bring awareness and drive individual homeowners to build a sustainable home with no or meager additional cost.
- According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are still gaps in measles vaccination in India.
- International:
- On November 7, 2023, Russia formally withdrew from the treaty, citing NATO’s expansion and non-compliance as the main reasons. Russia had already suspended its participation in the treaty in 2007 and stopped implementing it in 2015.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first vaccine to prevent disease caused by the Chikungunya virus. The vaccine, named Ixchiq, is approved for individuals 18 years of age and older who are at increased risk of exposure to the Chikungunya virus.
- The second Voice of Global South summit took place in virtual mode on Friday, November 17, 2023. This is the second time that India hosted the summit since January this year. The first summit was themed as “Energy Security and development: Roadmap to Prosperity” and brought together 125 countries of the Global South.
- Banking:
- The Finance Ministry has asked state-owned banks to review systems and processes related to their digital operation in view of the recent UCO Bank incident. According to sources, the banks have been advised to check their cybersecurity robustness and take measures to strengthen them.
- Economy:
- The Punjab and Haryana High Court has struck down the controversial Haryana law that mandated 75% reservation for residents of the state in private sector jobs, terming it unconstitutional. This decision came as a major setback for the Haryana government.
- The gross Non-Performing Assets (NPA) have seen a substantial decline from 5.6% in FY22 and 5.2% in FY21 to 2.7% in FY23 according to the MFIN’s India Microfinance Review for FY23.
- According to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2023, India’s food security has indeed improved over the past five years. The report, prepared by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), states that India’s food security has increased even as people in 58 countries required urgent food assistance.
- Mous:
- The US and the Philippines have recently signed a deal on November 13, 2023. The objective of the deal is to allow the US to export nuclear technology and materials to the Philippines, which is exploring the use of nuclear power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy independence.
- The 14 partner countries of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) have indeed signed the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement on 13-14th November 2023. The IPEF partners include Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the USA. The objective of this Agreement is to increase the resilience, efficiency, productivity, sustainability, transparency, diversification, security, fairness, and inclusivity of supply chains.
- Important Days:
- The Indian Army celebrated the 243rd Corps of Engineers Day on 18th November 2023. The Corps of Engineers provides combat engineering support, develops infrastructure for armed forces and other defence organisations, and maintains lines of communication along India’s borders. The theme for National Engineers Day 2023 in India is 'Engineering for a Sustainable Future’.
- Appointments:
- Shakuntla L. Bhaya has been appointed as a member of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) by the White House. The ACUS is an independent federal agency that convenes expert representatives from the public and private sectors.
- Pedro Sánchez, the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, has been re-elected as the Prime Minister of Spain. He secured his position for a second term by winning 179 votes out of 350 in the parliament.
- Awards & Honors:
- The Maharashtra government has indeed selected the veteran playback singer and National Award winner, Suresh Ishwar Wadkar, for its prestigious ‘Gansamragini Lata Mangeshkar Award’ for 2023.
- GAIL (Gas Authority of India Limited), India’s natural gas company, has indeed won two prestigious awards at the Asian Oil and Gas Awards 2023.The first award, “the Innovation Award – India”, was given to GAIL for their reduction in LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) shipping cost and the second award, “Midstream Project of the Year – India”, was given for the installation of the first floating Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station at Varanasi.
- Bina Agarwal, a professor at the University of Manchester, and David Barkin, a professor at the Metropolitan University in Mexico City, were jointly awarded the prestigious Kenneth Boulding Award in Ecological Economics for 2023.
- JSW Infrastructure has indeed received an award to develop an all-weather, deep-water, greenfield port at Keni Port in Karnataka. The project, which is estimated to cost Rs 4,119 crore, will be developed on a public-private partnership basis.
- Books:
- Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar released a new book titled ‘Building Partnerships: India and International Cooperation for Maritime Security’ authored by Captain Himadri Das. The book was released at the 2023 edition of the “Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue” at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi on November 15, 2023.
- Obituaries:
- Former Governor of Nagaland, Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, also known as PB Acharya, passed away at his residence in Mumbai. He was 92 years old. He had served as the governor.
Questions:
Q.1 What was the theme for National Engineers Day 2023 in India?a. Engineering for a Healthy Future
b. Engineering for a Sustainable Future
c. Engineering for a Digital Future
d. Engineering for a Green Future
Q.2 Who has been appointed as a member of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS)?
a. Shakuntla L. Bhaya
b. Shakuntla L. Sharma
c. Shakuntla L. Patel
d. Shakuntla L. Singh
