Current Affairs 2 November 2023

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

PM Narendra Modi Launched ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ Platform for Youths of IndiaOn 31st October 2023, on the occasion of National Unity Day 2023, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched the ‘Mera Yuva Bharat’ (MY Bharat) platform for the youth of India during the program held in Kartavya Path in New Delhi, Delhi.

• The MY Bharat platform encourages youth participation in nation-building efforts, fostering a sense of responsibility and engagement.
• The program marked the culmination of the “Meri Maati Mera Desh” campaign’s Amrit Kalash Yatra.
• It also marked the closing ceremony of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and marks the beginning of Amrit-kaal.

About Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat):
i.MY Bharat is an autonomous body under the Department of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports(MoYAS), Government of India (GoI).
ii.It serves as a comprehensive government platform for the youth of India, aligning with the GoI’s goal to offer equitable opportunities to the nation’s youth.
iii.It will benefit the youth in the age group of 15-29 years as “active drivers”, in line with the definition of ‘Youth’ in the National Youth Policy.
iv.This is a ‘Phygital Platform‘ (physical + digital) which offers physical activity along with an opportunity to connect digitally.
v.MY Bharat will serve as a comprehensive, tech-driven platform for India’s youth, fostering their growth and contribution to ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Note: The official website, mybharat.gov.in, provides diverse options for the youth.
Objective:
To inspire young individuals to become community change agents and nation builders and enable them to act as the ‘Yuva Setu’ between the Government and the citizens, enhancing ‘Youth Led Development.’

• It is a unique effort to integrate the youth power of India in building a developed India.

MoRTH Report Road Accidents in India-2022: States & UTs reported around 4 lakh Road Accidents in 2022According to “Road Accidents in India-2022”, the annual report published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways(MoRTH). The States and Union Territories (UTs) of India reported a total of 4,61,312 road accidents during 2022.

• The accidents occurred during 2022 have claimed around 1,68,491 lives and caused injuries to 4,43,366 persons.
• Compared to 2021, the records show an increase of 11.9% in accidents, 9.4% in fatalities, and 15.3% in injuries.

Tamil Nadu (TN) tops the list of States in Number of Accidents for the 5th consecutive year. TN has reported 64,105 (13.9%) accidents in 2022.
About Ministry of Road Transport and Highways(MoRTH):
Union Minister– Nitin Jairam Gadkari (Constituency- Nagpur, Maharashtra)
Minister of State– General (Retd.) Vijay Kumar Singh (Constituency- Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh)
>> Read Full News

PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation of various Development Projects in Maharashtra and inaugurated 37th National Games in GoaPrime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi inaugurated and dedicated various development projects worth around Rs7500 crore in Shirdi, Maharashtra on 26th October, 2023.

• PM launched “Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana”
• PM Modi Dedicates Left Bank Canal Network of Nilwande Dam
• Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 37th National Games in an official ceremony held at Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, Margao, and Goa on 26th October, 2023.
• Motto: the motto for the 37th National Games of India is “Get Set Goa”.

About: Maharashtra
Chief Minister: Shri Eknath Shinde
Governor: Shri Ramesh Bais
National Park: Tadoba National Park, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Chandoli National Park
Airport: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport(Mumbai, Maharashtra)
Dance Form: Dangari Gaja, Bohada and Lavani
>> Read Full News

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Exercise KAZIND-2023: A Joint Military Exercise between India & Kazakhstan Begins at Otar, Kazakhstan

Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) participates in the Joint Military ‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’ at Otar, Kazakhstan. The 7th edition of the KAZIND, an annual bilateral exercise between India and Kazakhstan, is being held from 30th October till 11th November 2023.
Participants:
i.90 personnel led by a Battalion from the DOGRA Regiment of the Indian Army participated in the exercise
ii.Kazakhstan contingent is represented by personnel from Regional Command South of Kazakh Ground Forces.
iii.The 2023 exercise was upgraded as a Bi-service Exercise with the inclusion of the Air Force along with the Army, about 30 Air Force personnel from both sides will take part in the current edition of the exercise.
About KAZIND-2023:
i.The Indian and Kazakhstan forces conduct Counter Terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under the United Nations(UN) mandate.
ii.The exercise includes rehearsal of various tactical drills including Raid, Search, and Destroy Operations, Small Team Insertion, and Extraction Operations.

• It also includes the conduct of Counter Unmanned Aerial System Operations.

iii. This exercise also develops the necessary skills, resilience, and coordination to conduct joint military operations in Semi-Urban and Urban environments.

• It acts as a forum to learn mutually from each other and strengthen the bond between the two armies.

Background:
i.In 2016, the joint exercise between India and Kazakhstan was instituted as ‘Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK’.

• The Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK was renamed as ‘Exercise KAZIND after the second edition and also upgraded to a company-level exercise.

Note:
The 6th edition of KAZIND was held at Umroi Military Station in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya from 15th December to 28th December 2022.
About Kazakhstan:
Prime Minister(PM)– Alikhan Smailov
Capital– Astana
Currency– Kazakhstani Tenge

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

2 Indian Cities joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network: Kozhikode for Literature & Gwalior for Music
On the occasion of World Cities Day (31 October 2023), 55 cities joined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative Cities Network (UCCN). The list featured 2 Indian Cities namely Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) and Kozhikode (Kerala).

• Gwalior has been designated as the UNESCO ‘City of Music’ and Kozhikode as the UNESCO ‘City of Literature’.
• The newly recognised cities highlight their dedication to integrating culture and creativity into their developmental frameworks.
• The cities demonstrate exceptional proficiency in human-centered urban planning.

About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
Established in– 1945
>> Read Full News

Collins Dictionary Named ‘AI’ as Word of the Year 2023Collins Dictionary, a printed and online English dictionary published by HarperCollins in Glasgow, Scotland, has named “AI” abbreviation for Artificial Intelligence, as the “Word of the Year 2023”. 

• ‘AI’, the uncountable noun, describes ‘the modelling of human mental functions by computer programs’.

Word of the year: 
i.Lexicographers (a person who compiles dictionaries) of Collins Dictionary stated that the use of the term “AI” has increased and dominated the conversations of 2023.
ii.The word of the year is chosen from the spoken material from radio, TV and everyday conversations.
iii.The use of the word is monitored through our Collins Corpus.
2023 Shortlisted Words: 

• Bazball(noun) – test cricket style in which the batting side attempts to gain the initiative through highly aggressive play.
• Deinfluencing (noun)- the use of social media to warn followers to avoid certain products.
• Nepo baby(noun) – a person, whose career is believed to have been advanced by having a famous parent.
• Ultraprocessed (adjective) – food prepared using complex industrial methods from multiple ingredients, (including ingredients with little or no nutritional value).
• Canon event(noun) – an event that is essential to the formation of an individual’s character or identity.
• Debanking (noun) – the act of depriving a person of banking facilities
• Greedflation (noun) – use of inflation as an excuse to raise prices to artificially high levels in order to increase corporate profits.
• Semaglutide (noun) – a medication used to suppress the appetite and control high blood sugar.
• Ulez (countable noun) – Abbreviation of ‘ultra-low emission zone’. This is an area, especially one in a big city, where most vehicles have to pay to enter and vehicles that produce a lot of pollution have to pay more.

Note: 
Previous Collins’ Word of the Year includes “Permacrisis” (2022); “NFT” – Non-Fungible Token (2021); and “Lockdown” (2020).

India-born UK-based Writer Nandini Das won the British Academy Book Prize 2023 for “Courting India”India-born author Nandini Das, based in the United Kingdom(UK), has been named the winner of the 11th British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding (2023), for her debut book titled “Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire”.

• The announcement was made by the Chair of the Book Prize judging panel, Professor Charles Tripp, Fellow of the British Academy (FBA), at an event at the British Academy, London, UK.
• The award carries a cash prize of  25,000 pounds sterling.

About the book:
i.The book is described as the origin story of Britain and India through the story of the arrival of Sir Thomas Roe, first English ambassador in India, in the early 17th century.
ii.This is considered as a true origin story of Britain and India.
About Nandini Das:
i.Nandini Das, Born in Kolkata, West Bengal, is a professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture in the English faculty at the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
ii.She also worked as a Professor of English Literature at the University of Liverpool (UK) until 2019. She then assumed roles as a fellow in English at Exeter College (UK).
iii.She is project director for the “Travel, Transculturality, and Identity in Early Modern England” (TIDE), funded by the European Research Council.
iv.As a BBC New Generation Thinker, she actively presents television and radio programs in England (UK).
Notable work:
“Robert Greene’s Planetomachia” (2007); “Renaissance Romance: The Transformation of English Prose Fiction, 1570-1620” (2011); The Cambridge History of Travel Writing (2019).
2023 British Academy Book Prize:
i.The 2023 British Academy Book Prize event was hosted jointly by the British Academy and the London Review Bookshop.
ii.A total of 6 authors were shortlisted for the prize. The shortlisted books emphasised original, well-researched, and accessible content, which offers a broad readership.
iii.The event was chaired by Rosie Goldsmith, Journalist and Broadcaster, Founder and Director of the European Literature Network.
Click here to know more about Shortlisted authors and books
Note: Each of the shortlisted writers received 1,000 Pound sterling.
About British Academy Book Prize:
i.The British Academy Book Prize, formerly known as the Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize, was established in 2013. This is a leading international non-fiction prize .
ii.The award recognise and celebrate the best works of non-fiction that demonstrate rigour and originality and have contributed to public understanding of other world cultures and their interaction.
Note: The winner in 2022 was “When Women Kill: Four Crimes Retold” by the Chilean writer Alia Trabucco Zerán.
British Academy: The British Academy is the UK’s national Academy, dedicated to humanities and social sciences, and considers diverse subjects like archaeology, history, psychology, and philosophy.

CNS Adm R Hari Kumar Presented Maiden NIB to Cdr M Arun Chakravarthy
Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) has presented the maiden ‘NIB’ (Navy’s Intellectual Beacon) to Commander M Arun Chakravarthy, winner of Indian Navy’s Sardar KM Panikkar ‘NIB’ essay competition.

• He also received the unique badge (NIB), introduced for the winner to wear on his/ her uniform for 1 year duration.

‘NIB’ essay competition was introduced to promote reading, writing, and thinking skills amongst the Naval community.

• The competition is open to all officers below the rank of Captain (Colonel equivalent).

Note: The NIB award was introduced in the memory of Sardar KM Panikkar, a maritime strategic thinker who brought back maritime awakening/ consciousness in India regarding importance of oceans and maritime matters.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Koppu Sadashiv Murthy Appointed as CMD of BHEL; Succeeds Nalin ShinghalKoppu Sadashiv Murthy has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) with effect from 1st November 2023 till the date of his superannuation (28th February 2027) or until further orders.

• Koppu Sadashiv Murthy, Executive Director at BHEL, will succeed Nalin Shinghal, who has been the CMD of BHEL since July 2019.
• Prior to his appointment as CMD, he served as the Executive Director of the Corporate Operations Management group at BHEL.

Note: BHEL is a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) under the Ministry of Heavy Industries(MHI). It is one of the 13 Maharatna CPSEs in India.
Background:
i.In May 2023, the Ministry of Heavy Industries informed that the Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Murthy as CMD of BHEL.
ii.Following this, the board of BHEL approved the appointment of Murthy in October 2023.
About Koppu Sadashiv Murthy: 
i.Koppu Sadashiv Murthy joined BHEL in 1989 at its Jhansi manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh(UP).
ii.He also held additional charge of CMD of Bharat Pumps and Compressors Limited (BPCL).
iii.He has also worked in BHEL’s Corporate Office in New Delhi, Delhi and various manufacturing units such as Hyderabad(Telangana), Bhopal(Madhya Pradesh), Jhansi, and Varanasi(UP).
About Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL):
Chairman & Managing Director(CMD)– Koppu Sadashiv Murthy
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Established in 1964

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

CCI Approved Investment by IBEF-IV of MO Alternates in SK Finance
Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the minority investment by India Business Excellence Fund (IBEF) – IV(Acquirer), a private equity fund of Motilal Oswal Alternates (MO Alternates), in SK Finance Limited (Target), a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) registered with Reserve Bank of India(RBI).

• The investment will be in the form of a subscription to equity shares and the purchase of outstanding equity shares of SK Finance from Rajendra Kumar Setia, the promoter of SK Finance and Baring Private Equity India AIF.
• IBEF – IV is a Category II Alternative Investment Fund(AIF) registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI).
• MO Alternates is a subsidiary of Motilal Oswal Financial Services Limited(MOFSL).

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Central Railway’s Mumbai Division Commissioned BPAC System for Enhancing Rail Safety
The Mumbai Division of Central Railway has commissioned the Block Proving by Axle Counter (BPAC) system to enhance rail safety in the Vashind-Asangaon section of the Thane district in Maharashtra.

• BPAC system counts the number of axles of wheels of train coaches passed in a particular section. Once it gives clearance for no leftover coaches, it allows another train to enter into that particular section. Thus it ensures 100% safety to avoid more than 1 number of trains in a particular section between 2 stop signals.
• The BPAC system is poised to transform train control in the region by strengthening safety measures and speeding up the clearance process for train operations.
• Previously, the BPAC system was exclusively deployed up to Vashind railway station on the Kalyan(Thane district)-Igatpuri(Nashik District ) route in Maharashtra.

ENVIRONMENT

Awaous motla: A New Edible Fish Species Found in Odisha’s Mahanadi RiverResearchers have discovered a new species of edible fish named ‘Awaous motla’ in the Mahanadi River near Sonepur, Subarnapur district and Boudh Bridge, Boudh district in Odisha. The fish was named “motla” by the Fishermen of the Sonepur region

• The new species was discovered as a part of the project undertaken by the Zoology Department of Berhampur University of Odisha and the Zoological Survey of India(ZSI), Gopalpur(Odisha).
• The details on the new species were published in the Journal of Fish Biology, a leading international, peer-reviewed journal, in October 2023.

Genus and Species:
i.The new species Motla belongs to the genus Awaous. This fish species belongs to the family Oxudercidae.
ii.Oxudercidae is a family of gobies, a common name for many species of small to medium-sized ray-finned fish.
iii.The fish belongs to the order Gobiiformes, which includes the gobies and their relatives.
iv.The new species holds high commercial value in its locality and needs special conservation attention for sustainable utilisation.
Research Team and Discovery:
i.Joint research was conducted by:

• Assistant Professor Jaya Kishor Seth, the principal investigator of a project; Sameer Sura and Dilraj Puvala of Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Berhampur University; and
• Subhrendu Sekhar Mishra, Anil Mohapatra, and Sanmitra Roy, Estuarine Biology Regional Centre (EBRC), ZSI, Odisha.

ii.The research project is funded by the Department of Science and Technology of the Odisha government.
iii.Specimens of the fish were collected from the Mahanadi River near Sonepur and Boudh bridge in June 2022.
Features:
i.The new species A.motla has a vibrant yellow-coloured body and a fleshy upper lip and is distinct from its congeners.
ii.It is distinguished by its small eyes, robust snout, and unique cephalic sensory pore system.
iii.Notable characteristics include specific eye and snout dimensions, 13-15 predorsal scales, 55-58 longitudinal scale series, and a distinctive tooth arrangement.
iv.The findings are supported by the species delimitation analysis based on the Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP).

OBITUARY

Bangladeshi-British Climate scientist Saleemul Huq Passes Away at 71Bangladeshi-British Climate scientist Saleemul Huq passed away at the age of 71 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was born in Karachi, Pakistan on 2nd October 1952.

• Saleemul Huq is the Director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) in Bangladesh.

About Saleemul Huq: 
i.Saleemul Huq moved to Britain in the 1970s and received a doctorate in botany in 1978 from Imperial College London in the United Kingdom(UK).

• He works as a Professor at the Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) as well as Associate of the International Institute on Environment and Development (IIED) in UK.

ii.He was the lead author of the third, fourth and fifth assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

• He attended all 27 Conference of the Parties (COP) talks of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• He also advises the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group in the UNFCCC.

iii.One of Saleemul Hug’s main goals was to create a loss and damage programme for developing countries hit hard by climate change, which would be paid for by richer nations that mostly caused the problem with their emissions.
Awards:
i.Queen Elizabeth II bestowed him with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to combating international climate change.
ii.He was awarded the 2020 National Environment Award by the Bangladesh government for his services to environmental improvement.
iii.Huq authored hundreds of scientific and popular articles and was selected one of the world’s top ten scientists by the scientific journal ‘Nature’ in 2022 as a “climate revolutionary”.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Nilavu Kudicha Simhangal: Autobiography of ISRO Chairman S Somnath in Malayalam Sreedhara Panicker Somnath (S. Somnath), Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has written his autobiography in his mother-tongue Malayalam titled ‘Nilavu Kudicha Simhangal‘. The book is published by Kerala-based Lipi Publications.

• The book was inspired by the success of Chandrayaan-3, ISRO’s lunar-exploration mission headed by S Somanath in August 2023.
• Nilavu Kudicha Simhangal’ is loosely translated as “Lions that drank the moonlight”.

About the Book:
i.The book aims to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams, despite life’s challenges, and to address the common issue of a lack of confidence.
ii.The book unfolds the Chairman’s life and professional journey in ISRO till the launch of Chandrayaan-3.
iii.It delves into ISRO’s rocket manufacturing, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, and the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
About S Somanath:
i.S Somanath, an Indian aerospace engineer, hailing from Kerala. He joined Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in 1985
ii.S Somanath took charge as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO in January 2022, succeeding Dr K Sivan.
iii.Previously, he has served as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC); and Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valiamala (Kerala).
iv.He has also served as Deputy Project Director of GSLV Mk-III project.
v.He was the representative of India in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPOUS) at Vienna, International Astronautical Federation (IAF)’s International Program Committees, International Astronautical Congress (IAC) held at various countries.

• He is the Vice President of IAF in charge of the Technical activities.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Vegan Day 2023- November 01 World Vegan Day is annually observed across the globe on 1 November to spread awareness among people about the benefits of a vegan diet on health and well-being.

• The day aims to encourage and motivate people to avoid the utilisation of animal-based products and the killing of animals for selfish motives and to prevent the exploitation of animals.
• The day provides a global platform for vegans and vegan organizations to promote the positive ethical, environmental, and health impacts of the vegan diet.

Background:
i.In 1994, World Vegan Day was established by Louise Wallis, a vegan and animal rights activist and the then-chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom (UK)
ii.World Vegan Day celebration originated as a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vegan Society,  held on 1 November 1994.

• The Vegan Society was formed on 1 November 1944.

iii.The 1st World Vegan Day was observed on 1 November 1994.
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