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Current Affairs 1 December 2022

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

NITI Aayog releases Study Report on Carbon Capture, Utilisation and StorageNITI Aayog releases study report on ‘Carbon Capture,On November 29, 2022, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog released a study report titled ‘Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) Policy Framework and its Deployment Mechanism in India’.

  • It is prepared by the M. N. Dastur & Company (P) Ltd. which received the financial assistance under the Research Scheme of NITI Aayog.

What is in the report?
It explores the importance of CCUS as an emission reduction strategy to achieve deep decarbonization from the hard-to-abate sectors.
What is CCUS?
i.It is the process of capturing the carbon dioxide (CO2), released due to industrial activities/power generation using fossil fuels, before it is released in the atmosphere. The captured CO2 is then used to make commercially marketable products thus contributing to the circular economy.

  • These products include green urea, food and beverage form application, building materials (concrete and aggregates), chemicals (methanol and ethanol), polymers (including bio-plastics) and enhanced oil recovery (EOR), etc.

ii.Globally there are about 21 CCUS facilities, with a capacity of capturing about 40 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum) of CO2 or only 0.1% of the 40 GTPA (Gigatonne per annum) global annual GHG (Green House Gas) emissions.
iii.The first CCUS projects started in the 1970s and 1980s in Texas, United States (US).
Key Points:
i.India is the 3rd largest emitter of CO2 in the world after China and the US, with estimated annual emissions of about 2.6 GTPA.
ii.The role of CCUS is important for India in achieving its targets including 50% of its total installed capacity from non-fossil-based energy sources, 45% reduction in emission intensity by 2030 and taking steps towards achieving Net Zero by 2070
iii.CCUS can reduce imports and lead to an Atmanirbhar Indian economy.
iv.CCUS projects will also lead to employment generation.

  • It is estimated that about 750 MTPA of carbon capture by 2050 can create employment opportunities of about 8-10 million on full time equivalent (FTE) basis in a phased manner.

53rd Edition of International Film Festival of India hosted in Goa – November 20 – 28, 2022The 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held in Goa from November 20 – 28, 2022.

  • IFFI is an annual film festival, which has been organized with the philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family) at its core.

IFFI is jointly organized by the National Film Development Corporation and the Entertainment Society of Goa.
i.The ‘Silver Peacock’ for ‘Best Director’ was awarded to Nader Saeivar for his work on the Turkish film “No End” (Bi Payan).

  • The film details the manipulations and machinations of Iran’s secret police.

ii.The ‘Silver Peacock’ for ‘Best Actor (Male)’ was awarded to Vahid Mobasseri, the lead actor in the movie ‘No End’.
iii.Daniela Marn Navarro, a 19-year-old debut actor who plays 16-year-old Eva in the Spanish film “I Have Electric Dreams,” was named ‘Best Actor (Female)’.
iv.A Special Jury Award has been given to Filipino director Lav Diaz for “When the Waves Are Gone” (Kapag wala nang mga alon).
About the International Film Festival of India (IFFI):
IFFI is one of the most prominent film festivals in Asia.
Chairperson (Steering Committee IFFI 2022)– Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister, MIB
>> Read Full News

India’s Maternal Mortality Ratio declines to 97 Per Lakh Live Births in 2018-20India's Maternal Mortality Ratio dips to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20i.A Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2018-20 was released by the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. As per it, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined from 130 per lakh live births in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20.
ii.Assam has the highest MMR of 195 while Kerala has the lowest of 19 per lakh live births.
iii.The highest number of maternal deaths nationally i.e. 32% happened in the 20 to 24 year age group followed by 30% in 25-29 years and 20% in 30 to 34 years.
About Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India:
Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India– Dr. Vivek Joshi
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Home Affairs
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

BIS Signs MoU with top 6 engineering institutes to Introducing Indian Standards in Curriculum

On 28th November 2022, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with top six engineering institutes of India for introducing Indian standards as an integral part of the curriculum.

  • The MoU was signed with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) BHU, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) Jaipur, IIT Indore, IIT Patna, IIT Madras and National Institute of Technology (NIT) Trichy for the establishment of ‘BIS Standardization Chair Professor’ at these institutes.

Key highlights:
i.The establishment of ‘BIS Standardization Chair Professor’ will promote excellence and leadership in teaching and research as well as development in the field of Science and various disciplines in the respective institutes.
ii.The MoU will also strengthen and enhance the standards formulation activity by facilitating Research & Development (R&D) projects, encouraging involvement of young minds in the area of standardisation process and jointly organising seminars, conferences, workshops, symposia or lectures, training and short-term education programs.

Government Exempts ISRO from Provisions of Explosives Rule; ICHR Approaches ISRO to Compile India’s Ancient Legacy in S&TGovt exempts ISRO from provisions of explosives ruleThe Central Government has exempted the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from taking its approval for manufacturing, storage, use and transportation of solid propellant for space rockets to promote ease of doing business.

  • A solid propellant is the main fuel used in a category of space rockets.
  • Earlier, ISRO was required to take a licence from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisations (PESO), an arm of the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT).

Note – The PESO (formerly known as the Department of Explosives), is a nodal agency for regulating the safety of hazardous substances, such as explosives, compressed gas and petroleum.
Notification:
The notification from the Central Government says, ‘The Central government hereby exempts Indian Space Research Organisation from the operation of all the provisions of the Explosives rule 2008 for manufacturing, storage, use and transportation of solid propellant for space rockets falling under UN Class I (explosives)’.
Key highlights:
i.Background –ISRO was demanding this exemption, which was in place before 2008. In 2008, some changes were made in the explosives rule, which took away that exemption and now that has been restored
ii.According to the notification,

  • ISRO has to follow the guidelines of the Storage and Transportation of Explosives Committee (STEC) for the construction of buildings for the manufacture, storage, transportation and use of explosives.
  • They also have to carry out a biennial safety audit of the solid propellant manufacturing facilities with the participation of a member from the Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES), under the ministry of defence(MoD).

ICHR Approaches ISRO to Compile India’s Ancient Legacy in S&T
The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) has embarked on a project titled, ‘History of Indian Science and Technology’ to compile India’s history of science and technology (S&T), and economics from the ancient times to the present.

  • ICHR has approached the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the compilation project and has sent a concept note to ISRO chairman, S Somanath.
  • The Ministry of Education (MoE) has sanctioned Rs 25 lakh for the project.

About the compilation:
i.The History of Science and Technology will be compiled in six volumes with two volumes each dedicated to ancient history, medieval history and modern era with an expected cost of Rs 5 crore.
ii.The first volume is expected to be ready in the next 5 months and is aimed to release by 22nd March 2023.
Note – A similar structure would be followed in the compilation of India’s economic history.
Key highlights:
i.The project helps in compiling a comprehensive history of India from the Indian perspective based on a cross-section of sources across different regions and local languages.
ii.Presently, India’s comprehensive history has been influenced by the medieval Islamic period and the colonial rule, while the post-Independence writings have a pronounced Marxist perspective.

Electric Boat Manufacturer Navalt gets its 1st Export Order

Navalt Solar, Kochi (Kerala)-based solar-electric boat manufacturer, and Electric Boats has received its 1st export order. It received the order worth USD 650,000 (nearly Rs 5 crore) from Maldives.

  • The 20 metres long and 7 metres wide ferry will be used by the Maldives for inter-island passenger transport.
  • The company has secured an order for 35 boats worth USD 10 million (Rs 80 crore).
  • The boat’s 40 kW (kilowatts) motor will be powered by a 40kWh (kW-hour) (lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or lithium-titanium-oxide (LTO)) battery, which can be charged either with grid power or, at least partly, with a 20kW solar panel on the roof.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

UNESCO recommended to place Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on ‘in danger’ ListAustralia's Great Barrier Reef should be placed on 'in danger' listi.The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released a report recommending Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) on a list of world heritage sites in danger. It is world’s biggest coral reef ecosystem.
ii.This recommendation has been made as the reef is significantly impacted by climate change and warming of oceans.
iii.The report followed the UNESCO’s 10-day visit to reef in March 2022. It made 22 recommendations, 10 of which must be addressed with utmost urgency.
iv.The report is written by experts from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and UNESCO.
v.GBR is faced with major threats that could have deleterious effects on its inherent characteristics.
About the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
Members– 193 Members & 11 Associate Members
Establishment– 1945 (came into force in 1946)
>> Read Full News

UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport for 2022: Global shipping growth at risk from economic crisisGlobal shipping growth at risk from economic gloom, says UNCTADAccording to the “Review of Maritime Transport – 2022” published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the pace of global shipping activity is set to decrease in 2023 due to the impacts of economic turmoil, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the outlook for trade.

  • The report has estimated that the global maritime trade growth would moderate to 1.4% in 2022 and remain at the same level in 2023.
  • The report also compares the estimated growth of 3.2% in 2021 and overall shipment volume of 11 billion tonnes, versus a 3.8% decline in 2020.

About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
SecretaryGeneral– Rebeca Grynspan
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

WHO renames Monkeypox as ‘mpox’, citing Racism, Discrimination Concerns

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has renamed monkeypox as mpox, citing concerns the original name of the decades-old animal disease could be construed as discriminatory and racist.

  • According to the United Nations (UN) statement, mpox was its new preferred name for monkeypox and that both names would be used for the next year as the previous name is phased out.
  • So far, there have been more than 80,000 cases identified in dozens of countries that had not previously reported the smallpox-related disease.

Note: The 1st human monkeypox case was recorded in 1970. So it will take time to replace a term that has been used for decades.

BANKING & FINANCE

India Extends Financial Assistance Worth USD 100 million to MaldivesIndia extends USD 100 million financial assistance to Maldives to ease economic challengesIndia has provided financial assistance of USD 100 million in the form of Budgetary support to the Maldives government to ease its difficult economic challenges.

  • A symbolic cheque was handed over by the High Commissioner of India, Munu Mahawar to the Maldives’ Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid during the ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Maldives.

Participants:

  • The ceremony was attended by Maldives Minister of Finance Ibrahim Ameer and India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participated via videoconferencing.
  • Members of Parliament, High Commissioners, senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, High Commission of India in Maldives and the State Bank of India (SBI) also attended the ceremony.

Key highlights:
i.The financial support of USD 100 million to the Maldives government will be provided through subscription in Maldives’ Government Domestic Treasury bonds by SBI, Malé,  Maldives.

  • The partnership between the Maldives and India will provide crucial assistance in the progress and development of the Maldives.

ii.This financial assistance is being extended without any conditions and Maldives is free to use it in its economic recovery as it deems fit.
iii.India will continue to stand by the government and people of Maldives and also India’s Neighbourhood first and Maldives’ India first policies work in tandem to safeguard the well-being of the people of both countries.

SEBI hikes debt funds’ limit to 12% in Single Issuer SecuritiesSEBI hikes debt funds’ limit to 12%The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has increased the investment limit of mutual funds (MFs) in debt instruments issued by a single issuer to 12% of the Net Asset Value (NAV) from 10% w.e.f. November 29, 2022 on all new schemes.

  • Existing schemes will be exempt until the maturity of the underlying debt and money market securities.

This circular by SEBI is issued in exercise of its powers conferred under Section 11 (1) of the SEBI Act, 1992, read with the provisions of Regulation 77 of SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996, to  protect  the interests of investors and to promote the development of the securities market.
Key Points:
i.The single-issuer instruments include money market securities and non-money market securities re-rated investment grade by a credit rating agency.
ii.MFs require prior approval of the boards of Trustees and Directors of the Asset Management Company (AMC) for the enhanced limit.
iii.MF schemes cannot invest more than 10% of its  NAV in debt and money market securities rated AAA, and 8% of a scheme’s NAV in securities rated AA.

  • Similarly, it can invest only 6% of NAV in debt rated A and below.

iv.The investment limits can be extended by 2% of the scheme’s NAV with prior approval of the Board of Trustees and AMC board, subject to compliance with the overall 12% limit specified in clause 1 of Seventh Schedule of SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996
v.Exposure to government money market instruments will be treated as exposure to government securities
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1992

SBM Bank & OPEN Partners to Launch Asia’s first end-to-end Embedded Finance PlatformSBM Bank India forms partnership with embedded finance platform ZwitchOn 30th November 2022, SBM Bank India partnered with Open Financial Technologies Private Limited announced a strategic partnership to launch Asia’s first end-to-end Embedded Finance platform, ‘Zwitch’. 
Zwitch will offer a no-code, low-code and full-stack Application Programming Interface (API) solution that enables fintechs to build their own financial products using Zwitch’s technology stack, which comprises drag-drop dashboard, low-code plugins along with 300+ APIs.

  • Zwitch is built and operated by OPEN Financial Technologies Private Limited.

Note – Non-fintechs like, Software as a service (SaaS) platforms, health techs and others can also use this platform to embed financial features into their product or service.
Key highlights:
i.With Zwitch, businesses can embed financial features like savings accounts, credit & debit cards, lending and others in a few weeks and at 10x lesser cost using no-code drag and drop widgets or full stack APIs for developers, and also without compliances.
ii.Zwitch significantly reduces the go-to-market timelines for these businesses, increases revenue streams, creates newer avenues to engage with existing and new users.
iii.Until now, Zwitch platform was available only to select clients in limited beta and over 50 plus businesses have built their fintech features using the platform. With this partnership, Zwitch’s technology and services will be available to the larger business community.
Note – Earlier, Zwitch powered Fedo.ai, a health tech company to launch India’s first health savings account.
About OPEN Financial Technologies Private Limited:
OPEN Financial Technologies Private Limited is a digital banking fintech enterprise that runs Open Money, a Small & Medium Enterprises (SME) neobanking platform; Zwitch, an embedded finance platform and BankingStack, an enterprise digital banking platform for banks.
Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Anish Achuthan
Headquarters – Bangalore, Karnataka
Establishment – 2017

YES Bank Partners with Turtlefin to Launch First Comprehensive Technology Platform,  ‘EasyNsure’YES BANK partners with Turtlefin to launch 'EasyNsure'YES BANK partnered with TurtleFin, India’s leading insurtech platform, to launch ‘EasyNsure’, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive technology platform, that will bring multiple insurance partners onto a common platform.
Key Highlights:
i.This technology platform will allow business tracking across bank hierarchy, simplifying revenue reconciliation.
ii.Benefits – EasyNsure provides benefits including seamless single-point online insurance service, the ability to compare and select a suitable insurance cover based on the customer’s need and also provides facility to compare costs for rationalising purchase decisions.
iii.Presently, the EasyNsure platform consists of around 40 Life and General Insurance plans and has created over 30,000 insurance quotes with more than 6,500 proposals and 5,200 policies being punched.

  • Until now, the platform has recorded a total premium of Rs. 6,050 lakh.

About YES Bank:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Prashant Kumar
Establishment – 2004
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Experience Our Expertise     

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS     

Tata group & Singapore Airlines agrees to merge Air India and Vistara Tata group, Singapore Airlines finalise merger of Air India and VistaraOn 29th November 2022, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Tata Sons (Tata) agreed to merge Air India and Vistara, with SIA also investing Rs 20,585 million (SD 360 million, USD 250 million) in Air India as part of the transaction.

  • As a result, SIA would hold a 25.1% share in an enlarged Air India group that would have a significant presence in all important market segments.
  • SIA and Tata aim to complete the merger by March 2024.

Key Highlights:
i. SIA intends to fully fund this investment with its internal cash resources, which amounted to SD17.5 billion as of September 30, 2022.
ii. The expansion and operations of the larger Air India in FY2022/23 and FY2023/24 will be funded by fresh capital injections from SIA and Tata, if necessary.
iii. SIA’s share of any additional capital infusion, based on its 25.1% post-completion stake, could be up to Rs 50,200 million (SD 880 million, USD 615 million), payable only once the transaction is complete.
iv. The actual amount will depend on factors, including the expansion of Air India’s business plan and its access to other funding options.
v. Currently, SIA and Tata hold a 49% and 51% stake in Vistara respectively.
Air India gets 1st Boeing 777-200LR to fly on International Route 
Air India has received its 1st Boeing 777-200 LR (Long Range) Vihaan, which means “dawn of a new era”, is the name given to the aircraft with registration VT-AEF, as per the induction plan.
Key Points:
i. Vihaan.AI is Air India’s 5-year transformational roadmap with clear milestones.
ii. Along with standard classes, the Boeing aircraft leased from Delta Airlines contains a premium economy class.
iii. Between December 2022 and March 2023, 5 Boeing 777-200LRs are most likely to enter the fleet.    

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

JAXA Uses Steam to Successfully Propel its Moon Spacecraft, EQUULEUSJapan successfully propels steam-powered spacecraftJapan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully used steam (water) to propel its CubeSat EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft (EQUULEUS), that was launched as one of the payloads aboard National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Orion spacecraft.

  • This is the world’s first successful orbit control beyond low-earth orbit (LEO) using a steam (water) propellant propulsion system.

Key highlights:
i.The EQUULEUS has been placed in its planned orbit towards the second Earth-Moon Lagrange point (EML2), a position that is situated beyond the Moon.

  • Lagrangian points are positions in space where gravity and centrifugal force balance each other and this balance of gravitational force allows the spacecraft to remain in place.

ii.EQUULEUS would reach the Lagrange point EML2 in approximately 1.5 years.
Significance:
i.EQUULEUS was developed to demonstrate low-energy trajectory control technologies to reach EML2 and to study some of the phenomena caused by electromagnetic disturbances in the solar wind and measure the plasma in the Earth-Moon system.
ii.The spacecraft will also observe Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) including asteroids, comets, mini-moons and lunar impact flashes.
Features:
i.The spacecraft uses waste heat from a communications kit to heat the water into steam that is squirted out to produce thrust.

  • It used an engine named AQUARIUS (AQUA ResIstojet propUlsion System) that uses water as fuel and requires only less power to operate but it is not very powerful.

ii.It is equipped with an ultra-high-speed camera, a dust sensor and an ultraviolet telescope
iii.It also carries an instrument named DELPHINUS (DEtection camera for Lunar impact PHenomena IN 6U Spacecraft) that is designed to observe Lunar impact flashes and near-Earth asteroids from EML2 along with another instrument to observe Earth’s plasmasphere.

SPORTS

Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2022: Magnus Carlsen Wins finals defeating Jan-Krzysztof DudaCarlsen Wins Champions Chess Tour by defeating Jan-Krzysztof DudaOn 20th November 2022, World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway defeated Poland’s  Jan-Krzysztof Duda in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour (MCCT) finals 2022 held at the SHACK15 venue in San Francisco, United States of America(USA).

  • MCCT 2022 is a series of 9 online chess tournaments that started on 19th February 2022 and ended on 20th Novmber 2022.

In the MCCT 2022 finals, Magnus Carlsen secured first place with a round to spare. He finished the tournament with a 7th staring win.
Prize: 
The total prize fund of the MCCT 2022 is USD 1.6 million.
The total prize fund for the MCCT 2022 finals is USD 210,000. Each win in the round-robin event was worth USD 7,500.
>> Read Full News

OBITUARY

Former President of China Jiang Zemin Passed Away

On 30th November 2022,Jiang Zemin, former President of China who presided over more than a decade of economic growth after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown against pro-democracy protester, passed away at the age of 96 in Shanghai, China.

  •  He died from leukemia and multiple organ failure.

About Jiang Zemin: 
i. Jiang Zemin was born in 1926 in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China.
ii. After the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, Jiang Zemin governed the Communist Party’s divisions while leading China through history-making changes.

  • Market-oriented reforms were revived, Hong Kong gained independence from the British in 1997, and Beijing joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001.
  • He helped pulling in foreign investment after China joined the WTO.

iii. Jiang Zemin served as the head of the Communist Party from 1989 to 2002. He served as the President of China from 1993 to 2003.
iv.He has also served as the  chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2004.

  • In 2002 Jiang Zemin resigned as general secretary of the CCP and the following year stepped down as president after serving the maximum two 5-year terms; Hu Jintao succeeded him in both positions.
  • Jiang Zemin remained in charge of the Central Military Commission until stepping down in favour of Hu Jintao in 2004.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice Chairperson Vikram Kirloskar Passed Away

On 30th November 2022, Vikram S Kirloskar, Vice Chairperson of Toyota Kirloskar Motor passed away at the age of 64 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

  • Vikram Kirloskar, a fourth-generation member of the Kirloskar Group, which was founded in 1888, served as Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor (since 1998) and Chairman and Managing Director (MD) of Kirloskar Systems Ltd.
  • He played an important role in bringing Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp to India in the late 1990s.

He was President of Confederation of Indian Industry during 2019-2020 and was currently the Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Manufacturing Council, CII Trade Fair’s council and Chairman Hydrogen Task force.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare 2022 – November 30Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare - November 30 2022United Nations (UN)’s Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare is annually observed across the globe on November 30 to pay tribute to the the victims who lost their lives or suffered due to chemical warfare.
The day also reaffirms Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)’s  dedication to the cause and aims to achieve the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism.

  • The day aims to encourage efforts for eliminating the use of chemical weapons.

i. The 10th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention held in 2005 endrosed the proposal to declared April 29 of every year as the Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare.

  • 29th April marks the date in 1997 on which the Chemical Weapons Convention came into force.

ii. Since 2005, the UN has officially recognised and observed the Day of Remembrance for all victims of chemical warfare, following the  suggestion by Rogelio Pfirter, Director-General of OPCW.
iii. The Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, at its 20th session (2015), proposed the establaihsment of OPCW day and decided that

  • the 29th April of every year as the International Day for the Foundation of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (“OPCW Day”)
  • The Day of Remembrance for all victims of chemical warfare will be held on 30th  November each year or, when appropriate, on the first day of the regular session of the Conference.
  • Note: These arrangement commenced with effect from 2016.

iv. The 1st Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare was observed on 30th November 2016.
About the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW): 
Director-General- Fernando Arias
Members of Executive Council- 41 Member States
Headquarters- The Hague, Netherlands
>> Read Full News

National Organ Donation Day 2022 – November 27 National Organ Donation Day - November 27 2022The National Organ Donation Day is annually observed across India on 27th November to promote organ donation and to recognise the contribution of organ donors
The day aims to create awareness about the importance of organ donation in saving the lives of people suffering from terminal and irreversible organ failure.

  • 27th November 2022 marks the observance of the 13th National Organ Donation Day. 

Note: World Organ Donation Day is annually observed across the globe on 13th August. 

  • The observance of National Organ Donation Day is led by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), a National level organization under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW).

Organ Donation:
Organ donation is the process of surgically removing an organ or tissue from one person (organ donor) and placing it into another person(recipient), with end-stage organ disease and who needs a transplant.
Transplantation of Human Organs Act: 
i.The Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA), 1994 was enacted in 1994 and has been adopted in all States except the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir(J&K) and Andhra Pradesh.
ii.The Act was amended in 2011 and the Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011, named Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994, came into force in 2014.
iii.Under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act  (THOTA Act), Any commercial dealing of organs shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 5 years extended upto 10 years, liable to fine, not less than Rs 20 lakh extended to Rs 1 crore.

International Jaguar Day 2022 – November 29

International Jaguar Day is annually observed across the globe on November 29 to raise awareness about the increasing threats faced by the Jaguars (Panthera onca) and the vital conservation efforts being made from Mexico to Argentina to ensure their survival.
The day celebrates Jaguars, the Americas’ largest wild cat as,

  • an umbrella species for biodiversity conservation
  • an icon for sustainable development
  • the centuries-old cultural heritage of Central and South America.

Background:
i. International Jaguar Day was initiated by Alan Rabinowitz, co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Scientist for Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization.
ii. In March 2018 at UN Headquarters, representatives from 14 countries in the range gathered for the Jaguar 2030 Forum, which resulted in the Jaguar 2030 statement.

  • On the same occasion, Jaguar Day was proposed and declared November 29 of every years as International Jaguar Day.

About Jaguar (Panthera onca): 
i. The Jaguar (Panthera onca) is the 3rd largest cat species (weigh over 300 pounds) in the world, after Lion and Tiger. It is the only living member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas and an important species of Amazon Rainforest.
ii. The name ‘Jaguar’ originates from the Tupi and Guarani languages of South America from the word yaguareté, meaning “true, fierce beast and he who kills in one leap.”
iii. Jaguars are often mistaken for Leopards(Panthera pardus), but can be differentiated by their to the spots within the rosettes on their coats. They often live near water and are good swimmers.
iv. Jaguar range countries: Only around 50% of the world’s jaguars are found in Brazil; the other half are spread over the other 8 nations that share the Amazon rainforest: Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and French Guiana’s overseas territory.
v. Status: The jaguar is listed as “Near Threatened” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, though its status is in review and may be elevated to “Vulnerable” in the next year.
International Jaguar Day in India:
On 29th November 2022, the National Zoological Park, New Delhi (Delhi), celebrated the International Jaguar Day and organised activities like Zoo Walk and Expert talk on ‘Big Cats and Jaguars’.

  • The activities were attended by students from Little Star Public School (Delhi).

STATE NEWS

Meghalaya Cabinet approves Mental Health and Social Care Policy

On 29th November 2022, Meghalaya Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Conrad Kongkal Sangma, approved the “Meghalaya Mental Health and Social Care Policy to address the issues of mental health and social care through collaborative engagement with communities.
  • With this Meghalaya became the 3rd state in India to have a comprehensive mental health policy. (Kerala and Karnataka are the other 2 states with such policy).
  • On 10th October 2022 (World Mental Health Day), Meghalaya announced the first-ever draft state mental health and social care policy.

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22Meghalaya Cabinet approves Mental Health and Social Care Policy