Current Affairs 17 November 2022

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Dharmendra Pradhan & Piyush Goyal Co-Chair First Virtual Global Skill Summit to Facilitate Overseas MobilityOn 15th November 2022, Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal co-chaired the first Virtual Global Skill Summit (VGSS), organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

• The VGSS was organised to facilitate the overseas mobility of the skilled workforce.

Attendees – Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State(MoS) for Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Electronics and Informational Technology (IT); Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, MoS for Education and External Affairs and V Muraleedharan, MoS for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs were also present in the occasion.

• Indian Ambassadors from ten different countries namely Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates(UAE), and the United Kingdom(UK) were engaged in this summit.

About Virtual Global Skill Summit (VGSS):
i.The VGSS is entrusted with skill harmonisation and benchmarking of qualifications, quality standardisation, capacity building and knowledge exchange to promote global mobility, employability, and readiness for the youth to join the global workforce.

• This shall be achieved by creating world-class training infrastructure in the destination countries, propelling international mobility, and strengthening ties with foreign countries in specific areas to boost job opportunities for the youth.

ii.In addition, the negotiations upon dual degree and joint degree programs will facilitate opening of new opportunities for the Indian youth to work abroad.
Note – According to NSDC International’s recent study on skilled demand in 16 destination countries (2022-2027), the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Germany are the top countries that are in demand for the most skilled workforce in the future.

BEL Signed MoUs With 5 Defence Companies For Military Equipment On 15th November 2022, Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Defence, signed 5 Memoranda of Understanding(MoUs) with five companies involved in the defence industry to meet the requirements of Indian Defence and export markets.
The 5 companies were,

• SVC Tech Ventures LLP
• Profense LLC
• Spacefaring Technologies Private Limited
• Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL)
• Yantra India Limited (YIL) – A defence PSU

About Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL):
Chairman & Managing Director– Bhanu Prakash Srivastava(additional charge)
Established in 1954
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
>> Read Full News

Union Agriculture Minister inaugurates M&M’s 1st Farm Machinery Plant at Pithampur, MPOn 15th November 2022, the Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), inaugurated the first dedicated Greenfield farm machinery plant (non-tractor) of Mahindra & Mahindra Farm Equipment Sector (FES), a part of the Mahindra Group, at Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh(MP).

• This New Farm Machinery Division is of M&M Farm Equipment Sector (FES), part of the Mahindra Group.
• It is a well-planned lay-out and is set up over an area of 23 acres.

Key Points:
i.It is the biggest facility for farm equipment outside Punjab as it can manufacture 1,200 combine harvesters and 3,300 rice transplanters per year and can provide employment to approx. 1,100 persons.
ii.The plant will manufacture affordable and accessible farm machinery equipment under the Mahindra and Swaraj brands.
iii.It will also manufacture products for export to global markets in Asia, Africa, Europe, and America.
iv.It is also capable of manufacturing products that are designed at Mahindra’s global technology Centres of Excellence in Finland, Japan, and Turkey.
v.The plant will help Indian farmers towards mechanizing the farming process.

YUDH ABHYAS 22 – 18th Edition of India-US Joint Military Training Exercise Begins in Uttarakhand

On 16th November 2022 the 18th edition of the Indo-United States (US) joint military training exercise ‘YUDH ABHYAS 22’ begins at Auli in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand for the first-time ever with an objective to exchange the best of technology, tactical skills and manoeuvres between the armies of both the countries.

• This 15-day-long exercise happening between 16th November 2022 and 2nd December 2022 that primarily focuses on high altitude and extreme cold warfare.

Highlights:
i.This exercise will be carried out at the new Foreign Training Node (FTN), built at a high altitude in Uttarakhand’s Auli, amidst the growing Chinese interventions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which is around 100 km away from the LAC.

• This FTN, is the brainchild of Central Army Commander Lt Gen Yogendra Dimri and can house around 350 foreign troops at a time with all facilities.

ii.US soldiers will be the first to use the FTN facility by conducting the 18th edition of ‘Yudh Abhyas’ exercise.
Participants:
i.Troops from the 2nd Brigade, 11th Airborne Division of the US Army and the Assam Regiment with stationed forces of the Indian Army will participate in the exercise.
ii.The exercise will include all operations related to peacekeeping and peace enforcement and also focuses on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.

• The Indian army will display tactics and strategies that can be used in mountain warfare and in high-altitude terrains, the US would showcase its technological prowess that can be used in the mountainous terrain.

Significance:
i.The exercise involves wide exchanges and practices of combat skills including combat engineering, employment of UAS/Counter UAS techniques and information operations of both the countries.
ii.In order to derive full benefit from the professional skills & experiences of both the armies, a Command Post Exercise and Expert Academic Discussions (EAD) on carefully selected topics will be carried out.

• The scope of these field training exercises includes validation of integrated battle groups, force multipliers, establishment and functioning of surveillance grids, validation of operational logistics, mountain warfare skills, casualty evacuation and combat medical aid in adverse terrain and climatic conditions.

Note – The previous edition of the exercise was conducted in October 2021 at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA).

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India climbs to 8^th spot in Climate Change Performance Index 2023; Denmark achieved Best Spot of 4^th i.On November 14, 2022, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2023 released which was published by three environmental non-governmental organizations viz. Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action Network (CAN) International.
ii.In this, India climbed two spots to bag 8th position out of 63 with a score of 67.35, and achieved ‘High’ performance rating.
iii.The CCPI 2023 is topped by Denmark with High rating but overall it is ranked at 4^th position. It is followed by Sweden and Chile at 5^th and 6^th position respectively.
iv.It should be noted that India ranked at top in the grouping of top 10 emitters. It is followed by Germany and Japan at 2^nd and 3^rd positions of this grouping.
About Denmark:
Capital– Copenhagen
Currency– Danish Krone
>> Read Full News

Knight Frank Report (Q3 2022): 3 Indian Cities Among Largest Data Centre Markets in Asia-PacificAccording to the Knight Frank Data Centre Report (Q3 2022), which focuses on the Asia Pacific (APAC) growth markets, Indian cities such Hyderabad (Telangana), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), and New Delhi (Delhi) have evolved as three of the top data centre markets in the APAC region.
Click Here To Read About The Report
Highlights
The market analysis includes the 9 cities in the APAC region: Osaka (Japan), Melbourne (Australia), Jakarta (Indonesia), Manila (The Philippines), Hanoi (Vietnam), Taipei (Taiwan), and the Indian cities of Hyderabad, New Delhi, and Chennai.

• Total supply in these regions increased from just under 700 MW (megawatts) in 2017 to over 3,000 MW in 2022, a phenomenal increase of more than 300%.
• In the first three quarters of 2022, around 600 MW of additional capacity was installed.

Strong market foundations and a sharp trend towards more localized data centre facilities are the main drivers of growth in these regions.
Key Points:
i.The major cities of Hyderabad, New Delhi, and Chennai are also experiencing rapid growth, with 300 MW-400 MW of IT capacity each.
ii.The combined IT supply in Melbourne, Jakarta, and Osaka currently exceeds half a gigawatt in each location.
iii.Melbourne has emerged as a key data centre market, with renewed interest from local and regional operators set to add about 450 MW to the existing live supply.
iv.Jakarta has over 400 MW of committed or under construction capacity.
v.Osaka continues to grow as a data centre market alternative to Tokyo in Japan.

BANKING & FINANCE

ESAF Bank gets top ‘Best in Class’ ESG Ratings from CareEdgeESAF Small Finance Bank (ESAF SFB) awarded with the ‘Best in Class’ rating for Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices from Mumbai (Maharashtra) headquartered CareEdge Ratings. With this recognition, it has become an entity with global ESG standards.

• ESAF is pivoting against the practice of ‘Greenwashing’ or faking ESG credentials.

Key Points:
i. ESAF is the first Indian member bank of the Global Alliance on Banking on Values (GAVB).

• GAVB observed Banking on Values Day on November 10, 2022.

ii.ESFA secured four out of five points for its commitment towards ESG integration. It maintained a well-defined policy towards ESG and effectively implemented it across its business verticals.
What is Greenwashing?
It involves making an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company’s products have a greater positive environmental impact than they actually do.

• Means, a firm spends more time and money on marketing itself to mislead consumers who prefer to buy goods and services from environmentally conscious companies.

About ESAF Small Finance Bank:
MD and CEO– Kadambelil Paul Thomas
Headquarters– Thrissur, Kerala
Establishment– 2017

Nine Special Vostro Accounts Opened for Trade in Rupee After RBI ApprovalThe Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the opening of nine special Vostro accounts with two Indian banks—UCO Bank and IndusInd Bank—to promote overseas trade in Indian rupees (INR).

• In July 2022, RBI released the guidelines for “International Trade Settlement in Indian Rupees (INR)”.

The nine banks that have opened special Vostro accounts are as follows:

• Sberbank and VTB Bank, the top two banks in Russia, opened accounts with their own branch offices in India and became the first foreign lenders to receive the approval.
• Russia’s Gazprombank, which has no branches in India, has also created this account with the state-run UCO Bank (Kolkata).
• Six different Russian banks have also opened accounts with IndusInd Bank.

Key Points:
i.UCO Bank already has a vostro account-based facility in Iran.
ii.Gazprombank, or GPB, is a privately owned Russian bank and the country’s third-largest bank by assets.
About International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)
Chairman of IFSCA – Injeti Srinivas (First Chairperson of IFSCA)
Established – April 27, 2020
Headquarters – GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
>> Read Full News

ICICI Venture Invests 360 Crore in Cello World; KIAL Secures USD 500 Million from ADIA

On 16th November 2022 ICICI Venture Funds Management Company Limited (ICICI Venture), the alternative investment arm of ICICI Bank has invested Rs. 360 crore (around USD 44.3 million), in Cello World, a consumer houseware company marking its first bet from the 5th private equity (PE) fund.
Highlights:
i.This is the 1st private equity raise by Cello World and also ICICI Ventures’ 5th India mid-market focused PE fund (IAF5).
ii.Under ICICI venture’s PE fund, USD 325 million has been raised from the existing investors including large sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, banks, fund of funds, family offices.

• Presently, the ICICI Venture manages a total PE assets under management (AUM) of USD 1.65 billion across 4 funds including, India Advantage Fund (IAF) Series 1, 2,3 and 4. The IAF-4 fundraise was closed at $250 million (around ₹1,900 crore) in September 2017.

iii.It has also invested in over 60 companies across all four funds which includes the recently-listed Go Fashions India, Theobroma Foods, Metropolis Health Services, Home Solutions (a subsidiary of Pantaloons Retail, owned by Aditya Birla Group), Bharat Biotech and Epack Durable Private Limited.
KIAL Secures USD 500 Million from ADIA for a USD 1 billion Real Estate Fund
On 15th November 2022 Kotak Investment Advisors Limited (KIAL), a part of the Kotak Mahindra Group (Kotak) has secured an anchor investment of USD 500 million from a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) for its USD 1 billion, 13th Real Estate (RE) Fund.

• With this new fund, KIAL has raised, managed or advised more than USD 3.3 billion under its real estate fund series.
• The fund will reach Gujarat’s GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City), which will be invested in office assets across India focusing on the top six property markets of Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai.

Key points:
i.KIAL, which was established in 2005, focuses on the Alternate Assets business that has until now raised, managed and advised in aggregate over USD 6.8 billion across different asset classes including real estate, private equity, infrastructure, special situations fund, and investment advisory.
ii.The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), a globally-diversified investment institution was established in 1976, which invests funds on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi.

Max Life Launches Combined Life Insurance Savings Plan – Smart Wealth Advantage GuaranteeMax Life Insurance Company Limited (Max Life) has launched ‘Smart Wealth Advantage Guarantee Plan’, a non-linked, non-participating individual life insurance savings plan that offers guaranteed returns, life insurance cover and financial protection all combined in one product.

• The Smart Wealth Advantage Guarantee Plan offers the receipt of the annual income on a preferred date decided by the policyholder, and not necessarily at the anniversary of the policy issuance.

Features:
i.The policyholders can choose premium payment terms, deferment periods and income duration which enhances flexibility in payments.

• They could receive annual income on their special date of the year including birthday, marriage anniversary and such others through ‘Save the Date’ option and can also withdraw income whenever required.
• The policyholders can get income returns up to 30-40 years with a lump sum at maturity and can also get easy liquidity with income payout as early as the first month.

ii.In case of death of the policyholder, a guaranteed death benefit is paid to the family, while the survival and maturity benefit continue without paying any future premiums.

• Additionally, ‘Accidental Death Benefit’, amounting to 50% of the sum assured, is also added to the policy as soon as the premium payment term is over.

iii.Other tax benefits – Policyholders would get tax free income for life and GST applicable on premium, as per the prevailing tax laws.

• Under select variants, they get a return of 50% of total premiums payable at the age of 85 years (applicable under select variants only) and also an additional 100% return of premium on maturity.

About Max Life Insurance Company Limited (Max Life):
Max Life Insurance Company Limited is a Joint Venture between Max Financial Services Limited and Axis Bank Limited.
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Prashant Tripathy
Establishment – 2000
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

RBI Imposes Rs 12 Lakh Fine on Six Co-Operative Banks, Three Sahakari Banks

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) fined nine entities, including six co-operative banks and three Sahakari banks, a total of Rs 11.60 lakh (~Rs 12 lakh) for violating various banking norms. The details about the entities are as follows:

• Berhampur Cooperative Urban Bank (Odisha) has been fined Rs. 3.10 lakh.
• The Osmanabad Janata Sahakari Bank in Osmanabad (Maharashtra) was fined Rs. 2.5 lakh.
• Santrampur Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd., Santrampur, Mahisagar district (Gujarat), has been fined Rs. 2 lakhs.
• Three banks— Jila Sahakari Kendriya Bank Maryadit, Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh); Jamshedpur Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd, Jamshedpur, (Jharkhand); and Renuka Nagarik Sahakari Bank Maryadit, Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh) —have each been fined Rs. 1 lakh.
• Kendrapara Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd. in Kendrapara, (Odisha), and Krishna Mercantile Co-operative Bank Ltd. in Bhopal, (Madhya Pradesh), were both fined Rs. 50,000.
• The Nawanagar Co-operative Bank Ltd., Jamnagar (Gujarat), is fined Rs. 25,000.

Open Gets RBI Nod for Payment Aggregator Licence

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted in principle approval to Open, a neo-banking fintech, for a Payment Aggregator Gateway (PA/PG) licence.

• The RBI announced the Payment Aggregator (PA) Framework in March 2020, requiring all payment gateways to obtain a licence in order to acquire merchants and provide payment services to merchants.

Open was founded in 2017 as a neo-banking platform. It provides Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with a comprehensive financial platform to automate their finances.

• Anish Achuthan is the co-founder and CEO of Open.

Open raised its Series D round in May 2022, making it the 100th Unicorn from India.

• Open has raised more than USD 190 million in capital from a number of global investors, including IIFL Finance, Temasek, Google, Visa, Tiger Global, Beenext, Recruit Strategic Partners, and 3one4 Capital.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

ReNew Power to Set Green Hydrogen Plant in Egypt with USD 8 Billion Investment

ReNew Power Private Limited (ReNew Power), a subsidiary of ReNew Energy Global Plc (“ReNew”), one of the world’s leading renewable energy firms, has signed the Framework Agreement with the Government of Egypt.

• According to the agreement, a Green Hydrogen plant will be built in the Suez Canal Economic Zone with an investment of USD 8 billion and a target of producing 220,000 tons of green hydrogen annually.

The Framework Agreement follows the July 2022 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Key Points:
i.This project will be carried out in phases, the first of which will be a Pilot Phase to produce 20,000 tons of green hydrogen and its derivatives annually.

• The Pilot Phase project is planned to be commissioned in 2026.

ii.The next phase (Phase I) will entail the production of 200,000 tons of green hydrogen per year, along with derivatives, bringing the project’s total Green Hydrogen production capacity to 220,000 tons per year.
iii.Elsewedy Electric S.A.E. (Elsewedy), a leading provider of integrated energy solutions in the Middle East and Africa, has teamed with ReNew Power and will serve as the project’s local co-developer.
Note: Sumant Sinha is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of ReNew.

Tata Power-DDL Signs MoU with TERI to Create a Sustainable & Low-Carbon FutureTata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power-DDL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) to promote Urja Arpan initiative and to promote the core strengths of both entities for effective utilisation of green energy efficiency.

• The MoU was signed by Ganesh Srinivasan, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Tata Power-DDL, and Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General of TERI at the TERI office in New Delhi, Delhi, in the presence of other senior officials of TERI.

Key highlights:
i.Under the collaboration, both Tata Power-DDL and TERI, which has core value of resource efficiency and energy management will amplify the importance of green energy and sustainable living standards across communities.
ii.Under this partnership, by leveraging the theme of sustainability under “Urja Arpan”, both companies will educate the consumers about the importance of clean energy solutions.
iii.By joining Urja Arpan Program, customers can reduce their power bill, choose from multiple options to reduce their energy consumption and contribute towards ensuring power reliability.
About Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power-DDL): 
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Ganesh Srinivasan
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS     

Sumeet Anand conferred with the Legion d’Honneur by Emmanuel Lenain

On 13th November 2022, Sumeet Anand, Founder of IndSight Growth Partners and President of the Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IFCCI) conferred with the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the National Order of the French Legion of Honour) by Emmanuel Lenain, Ambassador of France to India.
Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the National Order of the French Legion of Honour):
i. The Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the National Order of the French Legion of Honour), instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 
ii. It is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding contribution to the recipient’s field of expertise, regardless of nationality.
iii. The 1st Indian to be awarded the Legion of Honour was Maharaja Pratap Singh of Idar, Gujarat, in 1918. Since then, more than 40 Indians have been honoured with the award.
About Sumeet Anand:
i. Sumeet Anand formed IndSight Growth Partners in 2012 and has emerged as a trusted India strategy advisor to some of the largest French and multinational organisations.
ii. With over 25 years of management consulting and general management expertise, he is well-known for his strategic grasp of business development in India.
iii. Before forming IndSight, Sumeet Anand was a significant member of Pernod Ricard India as Finance Director, and then headed Savencia in India as their youngest Country Manager on a global platform.
iv. As President of the IFCCI, he has led one of France’s most dynamic chambers of commerce internationally.

• He has played a major role in its growth over the last 8 years, supporting its mission of helping over 600 top French and Indian companies in their development.

v. He is the 1st Indian elected to the global Committee of the HEC Paris (École des hautes études commerciales de Paris) Alumni association.   

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS     

Govt appoints Arvind Virmani as Full-Time Member of NITI Aayog On 15th November 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the appointment of Arvind Virmani, Founder & Chairman of Foundation for Economic Growth & Welfare, as Full-Time Member of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog with immediate effect and until further orders.

• He has been appointed on the same terms and conditions as Full Time Member of NITI Aayog.

Note: At present NITI Aayog has 3 members: Prof. Ramesh Chand, Dr VK Saraswat and Dr VK Paul. 
About Arvind Virmani:
i. Arvind Virmani, Senior Economist, served as the Chief Economic Adviser(CEA) in the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, 2007-2009),
ii. From 2009 to 2012, He served as the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC, The United States of America (USA) representing India (as its Ambassador to IMF), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan.
iii. From February 2013 to August 2016, he was a member of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Technical Advisory Committee on Monetary Policy.
iv. He has written several books, including The Sudoku of India’s Growth; From Uni-polar To Tri polar World: Multi-polar Transition Paradox; Propelling India From Socialist Stagnation To Global Power; and Accelerating Growth and Poverty Reduction:  A Policy Framework for India’s Development.
Govt nominates Vivek Joshi as Director on RBI’s central board 
On 15th November 2022, in the exercise of the powers conferred by clause (d) of sub-section (l) of section 8 of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 (2 of 1934) the government nominated Vivek Joshi as a Director on the Central Board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vice Sanjay Malhotra.

• Vivek Joshi is currently serving as the Secretary of the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.
• The nomination of Vivek Joshi is effective from 15th November 2022, until further orders.

About Vivek Joshi:
i. Vivek Joshi, a 1989 batch IAS officer of the Haryana cadre, was the registrar general and census commissioner under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
ii. Since 1st November 2022, Vivek Joshi took charge as the Secretary of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) under the Ministry of Finance (MoF).
iii. Between 2014 and 2017, he served as Joint Secretary of the Department of Expenditure, MoF, GoI.         

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

HAL delivers 16th ALH Mk-III helicopters to ICG, receives LoI for 9 moreOn November 15, 2022, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) handed over the last of the 16 Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) during an event in Bengaluru (Karnataka).

• The ICG had signed a contract with HAL for the supply of 16 ALH Mk-III in March 2017. Now, with the completion of this supply now, ICG again signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for nine more ALH Mk-III choppers.

Key Points:
i.ALH Mk-III is indigenously designed, developed, and produced by HAL. It is equipped with surveillance radar, electro-optic pod, medical intensive care unit, high-intensity searchlight, infrared suppressor, heavy machine gun, and glass cockpit.

• It is powered by two shakti helicopter engines.

ii.So far, HAL has produced more than 330 ALHs while ICG has inducted 15 choppers.
iii.ICG utilizes ALH Mk-III helicopters for maritime surveillance, search and rescue, medical evacuation, logistics support to ships and interdiction.

• They have been deployed at Porbandar (Gujarat), Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), Kochi (Kerala) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

Artemis I: NASA’s SLS Rocket, Orion Spacecraft Launched to the Moon
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched its Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket in the world, and Orion spacecraft to the moon, as a part of the Artemis Program.
SLS carrying uncrewed Orion lifted off its first test debut from the Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States of America(USA).

• Orion is planned to travel approximately 40,000 miles beyond the Moon and return to Earth over the course of 25.5 days.
• The mission, dubbed Artemis I, marks the first flight of NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft together.
• The mission launched almost 50 years after the end of the Apollo programme, aims to put astronauts back on the lunar surface.
• The mission aims to return astronauts to the moon’s surface as early as 2025.

Note: 
i.SLS rocket is built by Boeing Co and the Orion Capsule is built by Lockheed Martin Corp, under contract with NASA.
ii.This was the 3rd attempt by the US Space Agency in launching the rocket.

About Artemis I:
i.This Mission, known as Artemis I, is a critical part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach. It’s an important test for NASA before flying astronauts on the Artemis II mission.
ii.Orion will travel more than 230,000 miles (370,000 kilometres) from Earth to the moon and after coming within 80 miles (130 kilometres) of the moon, the capsule will enter a far-flung orbit stretching about 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometres) beyond.

Key Points:
i.NASA’s moon mission is named after Artemis, the Greek goddess of the Moon and the twin sister of Apollo. She was the goddess of the hunt, the moon, and chastity.
ii.The Orion capsule – named after a constellation of stars – will have just mannequins (the mannequin captain is called Commander Moonikin Campos) and a Snoopy soft toy on board.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for Tolerance 2022 – November 16United Nations (UN)’s International Day for Tolerance is annually observed across the globe on November 16 to raise public awareness of the risks of intolerance, and to respond with fresh commitment and action in support of tolerance promotion and education.
i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/51/95 on 12th December 1996 and proclaimed November 16 of every year as International Day for Tolerance.
ii. The 1st International Day for Tolerance was observed on 16th November 1997.
UN Year of Tolerance – 1995: In 1993, the UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/48/126 and proclaimed the year 1995 as the United Nations Year of Tolerance. 
Why November 16?
International Day for Tolerance was established to mark the adoption of The Declaration of Principles on Tolerance by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its 28th session in Paris, France, on 16th November 1995.
About the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General- Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters- Paris, France
Establishment- 1945 (came into force in 1946)
Members- 193 members and 11 Associate members.
>> Read Full News

National Press Day 2022 – November 16 National Press Day is annually observed across India on 16th November to commemorate the day on which the Press Council of India(PCI) started its function as the moral watchdog to ensure that press maintains the high standards and is not fettered by any form of influence or threats.

• The day is observed as the symbol of an independent and responsible press in India.
• The day also aims to highlight its importance as the 4th pillar of democracy(Media).

The theme of National Press Day 2022 is “The Media’s Role is Nation Building”.
Background:
i.The 1st Press Commission held in 1954 concluded that a  statutory authority body with people connected with the industry should be created to maintain professional ethics in journalism.
ii.Following this, the Press Council of India(PCI) was established on 4th July 1966 under the Press Council Act of 1978. PCI started its functions on 16th November 1966.
About Press Council of India(PCI):
Chairman– Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai,
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

All India Cooperative Week 2022 -November 14 to 20All India Cooperative Week is annually observed across India from November 14 to 20 to highlight the achievements of the Cooperative Sector in various areas and develop future growth strategies based on the dynamics of Cooperative development in each sector.

• 2022 marks the observance of the 69th All India Cooperative Week.
• 69th All India Cooperative Week is organized by the Department of Co-operation along with the Goa State Cooperative Union, Panaji (Goa).

The Main theme of All India Cooperative Week 2022 is “India@75:Growth of Cooperative and Future Ahead”.
Background:
i. The Government of India launched the All India Cooperative Week to be celebrated annually for one week, starting from 14 November to 20 November to honour the Cooperative Sectors in India.
ii. The 1st All India Cooperative Week was observed in 1953.
All India Cooperative Week 2022- Weeklong Programme: 
i. Based on the nomenclature for each day, the Weeklong Programme is organized by the All India Co-operative Institute of India.
ii. The main theme and sub-themes of Cooperative week are approved by the governing council of NCUI.

STATE NEWS

Rajasthan Govt Approves Rs 2.60-Crore Scheme to Protect Camel

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved Rs 2.60 crores budget for the Camel Conservation Scheme, which aims to safeguard camels.

• Rajasthan has allocated Rs. 10 crores for camel conservation and development policy in the 2022–2023 budget.

Under the scheme, the Veterinary Doctor will tag each female camel and calf, and an identity card will be issued.

• The camel rearer would receive Rs 5,000, while the veterinarian will receive Rs 50 honorarium for each identity card, and the rearer will receive another Rs 5,000 instalment after the camel calf has completed one year.
• Both instalments will be deposited into the camel rearer’s bank account.

Arunachal Pradesh Launched World’s First Drone-Mediated Livestock Vaccines Delivery Service

TechEagle, a drone delivery startup, carried out the world’s first vaccine delivery for animal husbandry in Arunachal Pradesh using its indigenously developed Hybrid Drone- the Vertiplane X3, which delivered vaccines 12 times faster than ground transportation.

• The drone flight from Roing to Paglam only took 20 minutes and covered a distance of 29 km, whereas the actual road route is over 120 km and will take about 4 hours to complete.

TechEagle is working with the Animal Husbandry Department of Arunachal Pradesh and EY to boost the animal healthcare ecosystem by enabling timely and safe delivery of healthcare-related materials, starting from Lower Dibang Valley.

• Vikram Singh is the Founder & CEO of TechEagle

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