- National:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the virtual G-20 summit on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.The G-20 summit amid diplomatic tensions with Canada, the Gaza conflict, and Russia and China confirming attendance.
- The Uttar Pradesh government has introduced a Safe City Project, enhancing surveillance through CCTV at the entry and exit points of 17 municipal corporations, as well as at government and non-government schools, colleges, madrassas, and universities in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
- Union Minister Piyush Goyal visited San Francisco, United States of America, from 13th to 16th November 2023. He attended various official engagements of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
- The 4th MCA Barge, LSAM 10 (YARD 78), was launched on November 23, 2023 at Guttenadeevi, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, in the presence of Rear Admiral Sandeep Mehta, ACWP&A (Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff for Warship Production and Acquisition).
- The Food Security Campaign was launched by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Government of Meghalaya on November 13, 2023. The campaign aims to sensitize the public about the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 and strive to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 – ‘Zero Hunger.’
- The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog launched the Rapid Innovation and Startup Expansion (RISE) Accelerator on 21st November 2023. This is a purpose-built program designed to support and accelerate Indian and Australian startups.
- The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has unveiled India’s first incubator information platform for startups. This pioneering platform, named ‘Incubators’, is designed to streamline India’s startup journey by providing comprehensive details on over 920+ incubators.
- India is indeed developing sea protocols for fresh fruits and vegetables like bananas, mangoes, pomegranates, and jackfruit. The aim is to promote their exports through ocean routes.
- NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) is an infrared mission designed to study the near-global properties and effects of gravity waves as they propagate into Earth’s atmosphere. The AWE mission is planned to launch in November 2023, attached to the exterior of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station.
- A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar, led by Dr. Resmi Sebastian, has indeed discovered the presence of Tantalum, a rare metal, in the sands of the Sutlej River in Punjab. Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73.
- The University Grants Commission (UGC) National Eligibility Test (NET) syllabus has been revised. The UGC NET exam is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and is a highly competitive exam for individuals aiming to succeed in the academic and research fields in India.
- The Supreme Court permitted Bihar to carry on mining activities through Bihar State Mining Corporation, provided no damage is caused to the environment. The court noted that illegal extraction becomes rampant when mining is banned, leading to clashes between sand mafias and even loss of lives
- International:
- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched the 14th Emissions Gap Report on 20th November 2023. The report focuses on energy transitions in low- and middle-income countries and looks at the role of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in bridging the emissions gap.
- The 59th Session of the International Tropical Timber Council took place from 13–17 November 2023 in Pattaya, Thailand. The International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC) is the governing body of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).
- The India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was held on November 20. The dialogue was held to deepen strategic ties in defence, trade and investment, critical minerals, energy, climate change, space, education, and people-to-people linkages.
- The 9th Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Lithuania took place in New Delhi on 21st November. The Indian delegation was led by Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs, while the Lithuanian delegation was headed by Egidijus Meilunas, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.
- Israel has indeed designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) as a terror organization. This decision was made to mark the 15th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
- Economy:
- Goldman Sachs expects India’s real economic growth to be 6.3% in 2024. This is the highest among large economies in the region, but slightly below the Indian central bank’s target of 6.5% for fiscal 2024.
- The rating agency ICRA has estimated that India’s GDP growth will moderate to 7.0% in Q2 FY2024, down from 7.8% in Q1 FY2024. This estimate exceeds the Monetary Policy Committee’s (MPC) last estimate. The services Gross Value Added (GVA) growth is expected to ease to 8.2% in Q2 from 10.3% in Q1.
- Appointments:
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of five representatives from the Hinduja Group as directors on the board of Reliance Capital, which is currently undergoing insolvency proceedings. The directors are Amar Chintopanth, Shardchandra V Zaregaonkar, Moses Newling Harding John, Bhumika Batra, and Arun Tiwari.
- Awards & Honors:
- Dr. Sujit Roy, the co-founder of BrainAlive, has indeed won the NASA IMPACT Planet Award 2023. This prestigious award was given in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Geospatial AI Foundation Model project.
- On 20 November 2023, Ektaa Kapoor, a prominent figure in the Indian television industry and co-founder of Balaji Telefilms, was honored with the International Emmy Directorate Award.
- Important Days:
- World Heritage Week 2023 was celebrated from November 19 to November 25. This week-long festival aims to promote the conservation of culture and heritage across the globe. It’s a time to spread awareness about the traditions and cultures of different parts of the world. The theme for World Heritage Week 2023 is "Heritage Changes".
- Books:
- The book ‘Do Palkon Ki Chhavn Main’ was indeed released by the famous poet, lyricist, and CBFC Chief, Prasoon Joshi. The book is written by noted academician Dr. Hema Joshi. The book is based on a fictionalized account of Dr. Hema Joshi’s own life.
- Obituaries:
- Dr. S.S. Badrinath, the founder of Sankara Nethralaya, one of India’s largest charitable eye hospitals, passed away on November 21, 2023. He was a visionary and an expert in ophthalmology. His demise is indeed a huge loss to the medical field.
Questions:
Q.1 When was World Heritage Week 2023 celebrated?a. November 1 to November 7
b. November 19 to November 25
c. November 25 to December 1
d. November 12 to November 18
Q.2 Who is the co-founder of BrainAlive who won the NASA IMPACT Planet Award 2023?
a. Dr. Sujit Roy
b. Dr. Ravi Kumar
c. Dr. Anil Sharma
d. Dr. Rajesh Gupta
