Current Affairs 21 & 22 November 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 21 & 22 November 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

MSME Minister Narayan Rane Launches SCLCSS for Service Sector

On 19^th November 2021 Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME),  Narayan Tatu Rane launched the Special Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme (SCLCSS) for the Services Sector of the MSME North East Conclave to boost production in the North-eastern region.

• Narayan Tatu Rane also laid the foundation stone of the Flatted Factory complex at Patgaon in Kamrup (Metro) district.

Focus:
i.The scheme will help in meeting the technology-related requirements of enterprises in the service sector.
ii.The scheme provides a 25% capital subsidy for procurement of Plant and Machinery including service equipment through institutional credit to the SC-ST entrepreneurs without any sector-specific restrictions.
Significance of North East MSME Conclave:
i.The Union Government has revised the 2020-2021 budget estimates to outlay Rs 566.42 crore exclusively for the region that comprises Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura.
ii.During Financial Year 2021 (FY21) a total number of 2,437 new units under the Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) were assisted with a subsidy of Rs 62.71 Crore.
Note – MSME sector consists of over 6 crore units employing over 11 crore people in India and contributes over 30 percent Indian GDP and 49 per cent of overall exports from India.
Highlights of North-East MSME Conclave:
i.The North East MSME Conclave encourages entrepreneurship and increases competitiveness of MSME entrepreneurs in India to become a 5 trillion USD economy.
ii.It will help to initiate dialogues among the state governments in the region and eventually in better planning and execution of policies.
iii.As of 18th November 2021, the number of  Udyam registered MSMEs across the North East region were: 1,963 in Arunachal Pradesh; 59,155 in Assam; 1,647 in Meghalaya; 2,466 in Mizoram; 2,340 in Nagaland; 1,158 in Sikkim and 5,337 in Tripura.
About Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME):
-Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise was introduced by the Government of India in agreement with the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development (MSMED) Act, 2006.
-MSME is initiated and managed under the Ministry of MSME (MoMSME).
Union Minister – Narayan Tatu Rane (Constituency – Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma (Constituency – Jalaun,Uttar Pradesh)

Union Minister Jitendra Singh Inaugurates World’s Most Sophisticated MRI facility at NBRCThe Union Minister for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, launched the first of its kind, latest, world’s most sophisticated MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) facility, MRI Scanner Prisma from Siemens, Germany, at the National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar, Haryana.

• The new facility could reduce the scanning time for patients by almost a quarter from earlier-generation machines by running intense scanning modalities very fast.

Key Points:
i.The new MRI Scanner facility is used to develop human cohort data for patients who are suffering from common brain and mental health disorders including Parkinson’s Disease, Alziemer’s Disease, anxiety, depression, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar, anxiety, depression etc.
ii.The machine could detect and quantify highly sensitive receptors and antioxidants from the brain. It is also equipped to detect sodium levels and heavy metal deposition in the brain due to pollution/other factors.
iii.The facility is being used by many international initiatives, like the Brain initiative of the USA, and the European human brain project.
iv.The minister also had a meeting with the Director, senior scientists, and officials of the NBRC, and insisted them to make a Special Intervention Study on Alzheimer.
About National Brain Research Centre (NBRC):

• NBRC is India’s premier institute dedicated to Neuroscience Research and Education. It undertakes basic research to understand brain function in health and disease.
• NBRC is an autonomous institute funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

It was established in 1999 as an autonomous institution under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
Headquarters -Gurugram, Haryana
Director –  Pravat Kumar Mandal

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurates curtain raiser event about Wings India, 2022On November 18, 2021, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) inaugurated a curtain raiser of the 5th edition of Asia’s largest event on Civil Aviation (Commercial, General and Business Aviation) namely ‘Wings India, 2022’.

• This biennial event is scheduled on March 24-27, 2022 at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad on the theme ‘India@75: New Horizon for Aviation Industry’.
• It will be organized by MoCA, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Key Points:
i.India’s aviation industry aims to become the third largest air passenger market by 2024. It expects to have around 220 airports in the next five to seven years.

• In the last seven years, the number of airports has been almost doubled to 136 by adding 62 more aerodromes. Earlier, it was only 74 airports,

iii.For affordable air connectivity, Government of India (GoI) had announced Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- UDAN (UdeDesh Ka Aam Nagrik) in October 2016.

• As on date, 387 routes connecting 62 Airports including 6 Heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been made operational under RCS-UDAN Scheme.

About Wings India 2022:
The event aims to bring together the key stakeholders of the Global Aviation market, International regulators, States Governments and business associations representing airlines, to facilitate direct interaction with various airlines, airport operators, cargo operators and other players.

• It will focus on every segment of the aviation industry including Drones, Aircraft & Helicopter Manufacturers, Space Industry, Airlines, Airline Services & Air Cargo, Aircraft Machinery & Equipment Companies, Airport Infrastructure, Skill development, Aircraft Interior, Aircraft Technologies & Innovation, Air Navigation Equipment Suppliers and Service Providers.

Participants:
Minister of State (MoS), General Vijay Kumar Singh; Secretary, Civil Aviation Rajiv Bansal; and senior officials of MoCA

Enrollment in govt schools rose by 5 percentage points in 2021: ASER Survey 2021i.The latest Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) survey highlighting the transition in the education system in the country was released by Wilima Wadhwa, Director, ASER Centre. As per the report, children enrollment in government schools has increased from 65.8%  in 2020 to 70.3% in 2021. It was 64.3 % in 2018.
ii.The report was prepared based on a phone survey covering 75,234 children aged 5-16 across 581 rural districts in 25 states.
About Annual Status of Education Report (ASER)
It is a nationwide survey of rural education and learning outcomes in terms of reading and arithmetic skills that has been conducted by the NGO Pratham for the last 15 years.

• ASER 2020 is the first ever phone-based ASER survey and it was conducted in September 2020, the sixth month of national school closures.

>>Read Full News

Highlights of 3-day ‘Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv’ held in Jhansi, UPThe 3-day ‘Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv’ was held in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh (UP) from November 17-19, 2021 as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahaotsav’ celebration.

• The event was inaugurated by Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh in Jhansi, UP on November 17, 2021. It was organised along with the Government of UP.

Highlights of Different Initiatives Inaugurated at the event:
i.At the event, in Mahoba, UP, the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi participated and dedicated various developmental projects including the Arjun Sahayak Project, Ratauli Weir Project, Bhaoni Dam Project, and Majhgaon–Chilli Sprinkler Project.
ii.The PM also inaugurated Atal Ekta Park in Jhansi, UP, which is named after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. It was built at a cost of over Rs 11 crore.
iii.During the ‘Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv’, PM handed over the indigenously built Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, to the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari as a part of boosting the nation’s self-reliance in the defence sector.
iv.The PM handed over the Advanced Electronic Warfare suite ‘Shakti’ for the naval warships to the Indian Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh.
v.The PM also referred to the setting up of 100 Sainik schools. Recently, the Cabinet approved the setting up of 100 Sainik Schools throughout India.
vi.The 3-day ‘Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv’ event ended with the 193rd birth anniversary of Rani Lakshmi Bai on November 19, 2021.
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister –  Raj Nath Singh (Constituency – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State – Ajay Bhatt (Constituency – Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
>>Read Full News

Odisha Celebrates ‘Boita Bandana’ FestivalOn 19th November 2021 Karthika Purnima, which is also known as Boita Bandana is celebrated at various water bodies of Odisha.

• People congregated in large numbers at sea beaches, river ghats and near other water bodies despite the restrictions imposed on mass gatherings at public places by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to prevent transmission of COVID-19.
• Devotees were largely seen on the banks of Bindusagar lake, Kuakhai and Daya rivers to perform the boat-sailing ritual.

Background:
The festival is the maritime tradition that is celebrated as a testament to the maritime trade history of Kalinga, tradesmen and mariners known as sadhabas travelled on boitas (boats) to trade with distant island nations that share borders with the Bay of Bengal like Indonesia, Java, Sumatra and Bali.
Significance:
i.Kartik Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day during the month of Karthik for 5 days and the days are Tulsi Vivah, Bhishma Panchaka, Vaikunth Chaturdashi, and Dev Diwali.
ii.The celebrations of Kartik Purnima begin on the day of Prabodhini Ekadashi or Devuthanna Ekadashi which falls on the eleventh day and Purnima is observed on the fifteenth day of Kartika month.
iii.On this day small boats made of the banana stem are floated by people to commemorate the rich maritime glory of the state.
About Odisha
Ports – Gopalpur port, Paradip Port, Dhamra Port
Ramsar sites – Bhitarkanika Mangroves, Chilika Lake
Stadium – Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium (Multipurpose- indoor), East Coast Railway Stadium (cricket – outdoor)

IPF Survey on SMART Policing 2021: Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Tops; Bihar, UP LowestAlmost 7 years after the launch of the SMART policing, a Delhi-based think tank, IPF (Indian Police Foundation) has published a survey named ‘IPF Citizen Satisfaction Survey on SMART Policing, 2021’ to identify the public perception of the police.

• As per the survey, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have the highest ‘SMART policing index’ scores of 8.11 and 8.1 respectively on a scale of 1-10. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar scored the lowest score of 5.81 and 5.74 respectively.
• Background: The SMART Policing idea was introduced in 2014 by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Conference of DGPs (Director General of Police) of State and Central Police Organizations, to transform the Indian Police to be SMART.

IPF Smart Policing Index 2021:

About IPF (Indian Police Foundation):
Establishment – 2015
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
President  – N Ramachandran
>>Read Full News

IRCTC: Rail Minister Inaugurated India’s 1st Pod Hotel at Mumbai Central Railway station

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian Railways have developed India’s first state of the art Pod Hotel (Pod concept retiring room), named ‘Urban Pod’ at Mumbai Central Railway station.
The facility was virtually inaugurated by Raosaheb Dadarao Patil Danve, Minister of State of Railways, Coal and Mines.

• Urban Pod Pvt Ltd has been awarded the contract to Set-up, Operate and Manage the POD hotel for 9 years.

• The facility of approx. 3000 sq. ft consists of a total Pod inventory of 48.

• A capsule hotel or Pod hotel was first developed in Japan.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

French Navy hosts 7th Edition of IONS Conclave of Chiefs at ParisThe 7^th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs is being hosted by the French Navy at Paris from 15 – 16 November 2021.

• Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, is leading a two member Indian Naval delegation for this Conclave.
• The Conclave of Chiefs is being attended by Chiefs of Navies or Heads of Lead Maritime Agencies of IONS nations.

About Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
i.IONS was conceived by the Indian Navy in 2008 as a forum to enhance maritime cooperation among Navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region
ii.The inaugural edition of IONS was held in Feb 2008 at New Delhi, with the Indian Navy as the Chair for two years. The IONS Chair is presently held in France.
iii.The chairmanship of IONS has been held by India (2008-10), UAE (2010-12), South Africa (2012-14), Australia (2014-16), Bangladesh (2016-18) and Islamic Republic of Iran (2018-21).
Note – The 7th edition of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a biennial event, was hosted by the French Navy at La Réunion from 28 June to 01 July 2021.
–IONS Conclave of Chiefs
IONS Conclave of Chiefs (CoC) is the decision-making body at the level of Chiefs of Navies, which meets biennially. The 6th IONS and CoC was conducted by Iran Navy in April 2018 at Tehran
About France
Capital – Paris
President – Emmanuel Macron
Currency – Euro

PM Modi addressed ‘The Sydney Dialogue’ on India’s Technology Evolution and RevolutionOn November 18, 2021 the Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi   addressed the ‘Sydney Dialogue 2021’ through video conferencing.  He discussed the current development based on the theme of “India’s technology evolution and revolution”.
Objective:
To bring together political, business and government leaders to debate, generate new ideas, and work towards common understandings of the opportunities and challenges.
Sydney Dialogue 2021
i.The Sydney Dialogue is an initiative of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
ii.It was organized from 17 to 19 November, 2021 in Sydney, Australia.
iii.It is an annual summit of cyber and critical technologies and  discusses the challenges and development related to digital technologies and cyber law across the world.
About Australia-
Prime Minister– Scott Morrison
Capital- Canberra
Currency– Australian dollar

BANKING & FINANCE

HPCL partners IDFC FIRST Bank for fuel payments using FASTagsOn November 18, 2021, IDFC (Infrastructure Development Finance Company) FIRST Bank partnered Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) enabling bank’s FASTag customers to facilitate fuel payments of passenger vehicles at HPCL’s retail outlets using the bank’s FASTags via HP PAY app.

• Also, IDFC FIRST Bank’s FASTags can be bought, recharged and replaced by passenger vehicle users at select HPCL retail outlets.
• This tie-up will benefit about five million customers by making transit-related payments simpler.
• The agreement for the same was signed in Mumbai (Maharashtra) at an event attended by the senior management of HPCL and IDFC FIRST Bank.

Key Points:
i.In 2020, IDFC FIRST Bank was the first to introduce fuel payments using FASTag balances for commercial vehicles users under its ‘DriveTrack Plus’ program at HPCL retail outlets. Now, it is being extended to personal vehicle users as well.
ii.The FASTag program was jointly launched by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Indian Highways Management Company Ltd (IHMCL) and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) as a medium to accept toll fare across all National Highway plazas.

• In this process, banks act as issuers and acquirers by processing about seven million transactions a day.

About IDFC FIRST Bank:
Establishment– In 2018, by merging erstwhile IDFC Bank and former Capital First.
Managing Director (MD) & CEO (Chief Executive Officer)– V. Vaidyanathan
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
About Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL):
It is a Maharatna Company.
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)– Mukesh Kumar Surana
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

RBI Authorised RBL Bank to Collect Direct Taxes

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) authorised RBL Bank to collect direct taxes on behalf of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) based on recommendation from the Controller General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance and Government of India (GoI).

• Now, the customers of RBL Bank could pay their direct taxes through RBL Bank’s mobile banking or net banking platforms or through branch banking networks.

About Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
Established – 1st April, 1935
Headquarters – Mumba, Maharashtra
Governor – Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, and M.Rajeshwar Rao, T.Rabi Sankar
About RBL Bank Ltd
Incorporated In – 1943
CEO & MD – Vishwavir Ahuja
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Apno Ka Bank

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS  

Prakash Padukone receives Lifetime Achievement Award from BWFThe former Indian badminton player Prakash Padukone will be awarded with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award 2021’ from the Badminton World Federation (BWF).He is a father of well known bollywood actress Deepika Padukone.

• He is the former World No.1 (1980) and first ever Indian World Championship medalist.

 Other awards:
i.The President of Uttarakhand Badminton Association, Alaknanda Ashok, will receive the ‘Women & Gender Equity Award 2021’. She has been associated with badminton administration.
ii.Sunrise Sport (India) Pvt Ltd and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd will be awarded the Certificate of Commendation (CoC) for their continuous support to badminton.

• Sunrise Sport has been the title sponsor of BAI for the last four years.

iii.The certificates and plaques will be given during the India Open 2021 to all the awardees.
Selection process:
Prakash Padukone’s name was submitted by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) and the selection was based on the recommendation of the BWF Council.
About Prakash Padukone:
i.He was  born on 10 June 1955 in Karnataka.
ii.He  won a gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
iii.In 2018, he was honoured with Badminton Association of India (BAI) LifeTime Achievement Award.
National awards & book:

• National awards- He was awarded with the Arjuna award in 1972 and the Padma Shri in 1982.
• Biography- ‘Touch Play’ authored by Dev S. Sukumar, Prakash Padukone’s life story has been chronicled in this book.

ENVIRONMENT

Cryptocarya muthuvariana a New Plant Species Identified from Idukki, Kerala; named after Muthuvar tribe

A group of scientists from the University of Kerala and Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute(JNTBGRI) has identified a new tree species from the Edamalakkudy forests in Idukki District(a part of the Southern Western Ghats), Kerala.

• The new species has been named Cryptocarya muthuvariana, to honour the Muthuvar Tribes of the Edamalakkudy Tribal Settlement in Idukki, who play a major role in conserving the forest.
• This is the first time a plant from Kerala has been given its name in honour of the Adivasis.

The findings of the species are published in the 58th issue of the November 2021 issue of the scientific journal “Annales Botanici Fennici”. 
Research team:
i.Jagadeesan Raveendran and Gangaprasad Appukuttan Nair, from Centre for Biodiversity Conservation, Department of Botany, University of Kerala
ii.Sureshkumar Pandikkattil and Sam Paul Mathew from JNTBGRI.
The new species was discovered during the survey on endemic and threatened species of Western Ghats.
About Cryptocarya muthuvariana: 
i.Cryptocarya muthuvariana is a member of the plant family Lauraceae and genus Cryptocarya.
ii.The species grows to around 10-15m in height.
iii.The Conservation and sustainable utilization of the species is being done under the auspices of the Kerala University Center for Biodiversity Conservation.
Significance:
i.The researchers have found only around 10 individual trees of this species in that locality, which highlights the importance of their conservation.
ii.The research team has stressed the need to study the ecological significance, conservation and medicinal value and sustainable use of the species.
Key Points:
i.Around 9 species of the genus Cryptocarya are found in the Western Ghats.
ii.More than 300 species of Cryptocarya are distributed across South America, South Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Australia and Oceania.

SPORTS

India secures 2nd Position with 7 Medals in 2021 Asian Archery Championship at Dhaka, BangladeshIndia finished 2nd in the overall medal tally at the 22nd Asian Archery Championship 2021 that was held in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka from 13 to 18 November 2021. The Indian contingent has won a total of 7 medals (1 Gold, 4 Silver & 2 Bronze), while South Korea with a total of 15 medals topped the table.
i. Archer, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, won India’s only gold medal in the tournament, in the Compound – Women’s Individual event.

• She defeated Oh Yoohyun (South Korea) in the finals by a close margin of 146-145 score.

ii.In the Compound – Men’s Individual event, India’s Abhishek Verma won Silver medal after getting defeated by Kim Jong Ho (South Korea) in the finals by 148-149 points.
About Archery Association of India:
President – Arjun Munda
Headquarters – New Delhi
About World Archery Federation:
Founded in 1931 
Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
President – Ugur Erdener
>>Read Full News

2025 Asian Youth Para Games to be hosted by TashkentThe 5th edition of Asian Youth Para  Games 2025 will be hosted by Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan and the approval given by  the Asian Paralympic Committee’s (APC) Executive Board.

• For the first time ‘Asian Youth Games 2025’ and ‘Asian Youth Para Games 2025’ will be hosted in the same city & in the same venues.

Key points:

i.Tashkent, a Central Asia country  for the first time, will help promote Para sport in the region.

• The Asian Youth Para Games are scheduled for late September and early October in 2025.

ii.The Uzbekistan National Paralympic Association (UNPA) will be handed the APC
flag by the Bahrain Paralympic Committee (BPC) at the Closing Ceremony of the 4th edition of the Asian Youth Para Games 2021 in Manama, Bahrain .
About Asian Youth Para Games 2021
i.Around 800 participants are expected to compete across nine sports at the 2021 Asian Youth Para Games in Bahrain in December.
Earlier events-

Asian Paralympic Committee (APC)
President- Majid Rashed
CEO -TAREK SOUEI
Headquarters  – Dubai, United Arab
44 member nations categorized as 5 region

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Indian Diplomat Syed Akbaruddin Authored a New Book “India vs UK: The Story of an Unprecedented Diplomatic Win”Senior Indian diplomat Syed Akbaruddin has authored a new book titled “India vs UK: The Story of an Unprecedented Diplomatic Win”.  The book features the behind-the-scenes details on India’s victory against the United Kingdom (UK) in the elections to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2017.

• The book is published by HarperCollins India.

India’s victory against UK in ICJ Election:
i.The ICJ elections require a candidate to secure an absolute majority in the General Assembly and the Security Council.
ii.In November 2017, 4 candidates were declared elected leaving Judge Dalveer Bhandari of India and Judge Christopher Greenwood of the UK  to fill the fifth vacancy for the 2018-2027 term.
iii.Judge Dalveer Bhandari received all 15 votes in the UN Security Council and 183 out of the 193 votes in the UN General Assembly.
About Syed Akbaruddin:
i.Syed Akbaruddin has served as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations(UN) from January 2016 to April 2020.
ii.He has served as an international civil servant at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna from 2006 to 2011.
iii.He served as the Consul General of India, Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2004.
iv.He has served at the Indian Mission to the UN as First Secretary during 1995-98.
v.He was a member of the Advisory Committee on Administrative & Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) during 1997-98.

Nobel Prize-winning Economist Abhijit Banerjee’s Cookbook Titled “Cooking to Save your Life”

Indian-born American economist & Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee has authored a new book(cookbook) titled “Cooking to Save your Life”.  The book illustrated by France based illustrator Cheyenne Oliver is published by Juggernaut Books.

• He won the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel) in 2019 along with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.

Other books: ‘Poor Economics: Rethinking Poverty & The Ways To End It’ and ‘Good Economics for Hard Times: Better Answers to Our Biggest Problems’.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Children’s Day 2021 – November 20The United Nations(UN)’s World Children’s Day is annually observed across the globe on November 20th to advocate, promote and celebrate children’s rights
The day aims to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improve children’s welfare.
The theme of World Children’s Day 2021 is “A Better Future for Every Child”.
Background:
i.World Children’s Day was established as “Universal Children’s Day” in 1954.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/836(IX) on 14th December 1954 and recommended that starting from 1956, all the countries shall observe Universal Children’s day on the date each considers appropriate.
iii.Since 1990, World Children’s day is annually observed across the globe on 20th November to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989.
>>Read Full News

Africa Industrialization Day 2021 – 20 NovemberUnited Nations(UN)’s Africa Industrialization Day is annually observed across the globe on November 20th to highlight the importance of Industrial development for sustained and inclusive economic growth in African countries.
The day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of Africa’s industrialization and the challenges faced by the continent.
Purpose:
To mobilise the commitment of the international community to the industrialization of Africa.
Background:
i.The Africa Industrialization Day was adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity in July 1989, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/44/237 titled “Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa” on 22nd December 1989 and proclaimed the 20th November of every year as the Africa Industrialization Day.

• The resolution also proclaimed the period 1991 – 2000 as “Second Industrial Development Decade for Africa”

Note:
In 2016, UNGA adopted the resolution  A/RES/70/293 and proclaimed 2016-2025 as the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III).

Africa Industrialization Week 2021 (20-24 November):
Since 2018, Africa Industrialization Day has been commemorated with weeklong events.
Africa Industrialization Week (AIW) 2021 will be observed from 20th to 24th November 2021. 
The theme of AIW 2021 is “Industrializing Africa: Renewed Commitment Towards an Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialization and Economic Diversification”.

• The events are organised by United Nations Economic Commission for Africa(UNECA), United Nations Industrial Development Organization(UNIDO) and African Union Development Agency New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).

About United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO):
Director-General– LI Yong
Headquarters– Vienna, Austria
Members– 170
Established on 17th November 1966

PMAY-G 5th anniversary on 20th November 2021 celebrated as ‘Awaas Diwas’The ‘Awaas Diwas’ is celebrated annually on November 20 to commemorate the launch of ‘Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin’ (PMAY-G). It aims to provide ‘Housing for All by 2022’.
About Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana- Gramin (PMAY-G):
Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was Restructured as PMAY-G
i.IAY, a Rural Housing Programme was started as an independent scheme in January 1996.
ii.IAY restructured as PMAY-G with effect from 1st April 2016.
About Ministry  of Rural Development:
Union Minister- Giriraj Singh (Begusarai,Bihar)
Minister of State-Faggansingh Kulaste, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti
>>Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Meghalaya, 1st northeastern state to partner with WFP to strengthen its PDS & Improve Food Security

Meghalaya became the first state in the northeastern region of India to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) for streamlining and strengthening of Public Distribution System (PDS) and improving food security in the state.

• This partnership will enable both sides to work together towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger.
• The state government also signed another agreement with the Common Service Centre (CSC) to improve its PDS system.

Signatories:
The MoU was signed at a programme organised by the State’s Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs Department in Shillong, Meghalaya as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsava. It was signed by state Food and Civil Supplies Secretary Dr P Shakil Ahammed and Eric Kenefick, Deputy Country Director, WFP in India.

• State’s Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department Minister, James Pangsang Kongkal Sangma was also present on the occasion.

What will be done as a part of MoU?
Under this partnership, supply chain optimization of state’s PDS will be undertaken, and innovative solutions and smart technologies based on the Internet of Things (IoT) will be introduced to bring transparency and accountability.

• There will be initiation of alternate storage mechanisms to reduce losses and improve warehouse management, and making supply chains efficient and cost-effective.
• The PDS beneficiaries of the state will get better services with the joint efforts of the state government, WFP and CSC.

Point to be noted:
In line with the Digital India Mission, the state’s Food and Civil Supplies Department implemented the FPS (Fair Price Shop) Automated Project by installing electronic Point of Sale (PoS) devices in over 4,500 FPSs across the state.
About United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP):
It is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Executive Director– David Beasley
Headquarter– Rome, Italy

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