Current Affairs 30 November 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 30 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.

Our Current Affairs November 2021 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2021 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name –  Learn Current Affairs – Free Course – Click Here to Download the APP

We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry)

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Union Secretary of MoHFW Rajesh Bhushan Releases NHA Estimated for India for 2017-18On 29^th November 2021, Union Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Rajesh Bhushan released the findings of the National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates for India for 2017-18.  

• This is the 5th consecutive NHA report produced by National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), designated as National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat (NHATS) in 2014 by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW)

• The Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) as a share of total health expenditure has dropped to 48.8% in 2017-18 from 64.2% in 2013-14.

• The share of primary healthcare in current government health expenditure has increased from 51.1% in 2013-14 to 54.7% in 2017-18.

Key Findings of NHA report:

The Key Findings have shown the increasing trend in the following factors,

About Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW)
Union Minister – Mansukh Mandaviya (Constituency – Gujarat)
Minister of State – Bharati Pravin Pawar (Constituency – Dindori, Maharashtra).
>>Read Full News

Bhagwanth Khuba, MOS of MNRE Inaugurated 1st International Conference on Hydrogen Energy in New Delhi

Bhagwanth Khuba, the Minister of State (MoS) for New and Renewable Energy, Chemicals and Fertilizers inaugurated the 1st International Conference on Hydrogen Energy – Policies, Infrastructure Development and Challenges in Scope Convention Centre, New Delhi, Delhi.

• The event was organised by Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) on 24th -25th November 2021 with the support of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) , Central Electricity Authority, and NTPC (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited).
• The conference was formed to move a step ahead towards achieving the 5 ambitious targets for India, which were set by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which was held in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK).
• Around 200 participants from 60 organizations from India and 3 international experts from Germany, Japan, and Sweden have participated in the Conference.
• The conference has been sponsored by NHPC Ltd., SJVNL (Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam) as Platinum Sponsor and by POWERGRID (Power Grid Corporation of India Limited) and THDC India Ltd. as Silver Sponsors.

About Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE):
Union Minister – Raj Kumar Singh (Constituency – Arrah, Bihar)
Minister of State – Bhagwanth Khuba (Constituency – Bidar, Karnataka)
>>Read Full News

Varanasi (UP), 1^st Indian city to start Ropeway Service as a Mode of Public TransportVaranasi, a city in Uttar Pradesh (UP) is all set to become the first Indian city to start ropeway service as a mode of public transport in order to ease the traffic congestion. The proposed ropeway will be constructed between Cantt Railway Station (Varanasi Junction) to Church Square (Godauliya) covering an aerial distance of 3.45km.

• Its outlay is over Rs 400 crore which is divided between Central Government and State Government at 80:20.
• India will be the third country in the world after Bolivia and Mexico to use a ropeway for public transport.

Key Points:
i.The ropeway will reduce the journey between the two stations to only 15 minutes.
ii.Around 220 trolleys will run at a height of 45 metres, and will move in a gap of 90 seconds to 120 seconds.
iii. It will be based on a public-private partnership (PPP) model with a capacity of 4,500 people.

• Bidding proceedings for this project will be completed by December 11, 2021.
• The project is likely to be completed in 24 months.

iv.It should be noted that Varanasi is the constituency of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
v.Varanasi is known as the Gateway of Eastern India.

Indian Railways: Manipur to Get World’s Tallest Railway Bridge PierThe Indian Railways is constructing the world’s tallest railway bridge pier across river Ijai near Noney Valley crossing at a pier height of 141 metres in Manipur, India as a part of the 111 km long Jiribam-Imphal railway project. The bridge will surpass the record of 139 meters high Mala – Rijeka viaduct on the Belgrade–Bar railway, in Montenegro, Europe.

• The construction of the bridge will be completed by December 2023.
• The total cost of the bridge is estimated at Rs 374 crore.

About the bridge:
i.The 1st phase of the project which extends for 12 km has already been commissioned.
ii.Around 98% of the construction work will be completed in the 2nd phase and the 3rd phase from Khongsang to Tupul will be completed by November 2022.
iii.The 4th and the 5th phase of the bridge which extends from Tupul to Imphal valley will be completed by December 2023.
Key Points:
i.Under the Jiribam-Imphal railway line, Imphal will connect Imphal with the broad gauge network of India. The 111 km project consists of 61% of tunnels.
ii.This will reduce the travel time between Jiribam-Imphal from 10-12 hours to 2 to 2.25 hours.
Note: The distance between Jiribam and Imphal is 220 km, NH-37 is the only route to this place.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

1^st CSC Focused Operation conducted between Maritime Security Agencies of India, Maldives and Sri Lankai.On November 27-28, 2021, the first ‘Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Focused Operation’ was conducted between the trilateral Maritime Security Agencies viz. Indian Navy (IN), Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN).
ii.It saw the participation of ships and aircraft belonging to these forces, in their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in the Southern Arabian Sea.
iii.Its aim is to keep the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) safe and secure for commercial shipping, international trade and conduct of legitimate maritime activities.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Karambir Singh
Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy)– New Delhi
>>Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

Fedo Launches Health Savings Account in Partnership with Asia’s Neo Bank OpenFedo, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven Health – tech company in collaboration with Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd, an Asia’s first neobanking platform for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has launched India’s first-of-its kind ‘Health Savings Account (HSA)’ named Fedo HSA .

• The Fedo HSA offers a combined savings account with a combination of smart savings, insurance, line of credit along with a health Credit or Debit card that carries health benefit features and rewards.

Aim – To provide a systematic way of planning for health needs based on predictable health risks and solve the financial crisis which impacts millions of families each year due to medical emergencies.
Key Highlights:
i.The Fedo HSA will address the needs of consumers, with empathy and also simplifies the financing gap between insurance policy coverage and hospitalization expenses.
ii.This is the mixture of data and machine intelligence
iii.Fedo HSA is an end-to-end solution that addresses healthcare access and affordability
iv.They also transform the experience on the front-end for the customers and streamline operation in the back end.
About Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd. 
Co-Founder & CEO – Anish Achuthan
Established – 2017
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
About Fedo
CEO & Co-founder – Prasanth Madavana
Established – 2018
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka

SBI and CGCL signs MoU to boost MSME LendingCapri Global Capital Limited (CGCL), a leading Non-Banking Financial Corporation (NBFC) which focused on lending to MSMEs, and affordable housing finance segment has entered into a Co-Lending agreement with the State Bank of India (SBI) to offer MSME loans. 

• The agreement is signed under the co-lending guidelines issued by RBI in November 2020.
• Under the MoU, SBI will provide low-cost funds and the operations taken care by the CGCL.

Aim – To disburse MSME loans initially across 100 touchpoints pan-India commencing from December 2021.
Key Points:
i.The agreement provides customized lending solutions at a competitive rate of interest with a reduction in turn-around time.
ii.They also enhance last-mile financial solutions to MSMEs by offering secured loans between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 100 lakh.
iii.It ensures joint contribution of credit to MSME customers in Tier II and Tier III markets.
Significance:
The agreement was exchanged in the presence of Shri Dinesh Khara (Chairman – SBI), Shri C.S. Setty, (MD-Retail and Digital Banking-SBI), Shri S. Salee (DMD-Agri, SME & FI-SBI) and Shri Rajesh Sharma, Managing Director-Capri Global.
About Capri Global Capital Limited (CGCL)
Managing Director (MD) – Rajesh Sharma
Established – 1994
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
About State Bank of India (SBI)
Managing Director (MD) – C S Shetty
Established – 1955
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

PPBL Launched Paytm Transit Card Linked to a User’s Paytm WalletPaytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) launched a physical prepaid card, ‘Paytm Transit card’, which is directly linked to a user’s Paytm wallet to enable the users to handle one single card to take care of all their daily needs of transportation as well as banking needs.

• Users could just top up the wallet to use the card and do not need to create a separate account. The cards could also be used in ATMs to withdraw money.

Key Points:
i.The first phase of the card rollout is being launched in collaboration with Hyderabad Metro Rail, Ahmedabad Metro and the Delhi Airport Express Line. The card is already live in Delhi and Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
ii.The card could be used for travel in metro stations across India, railways, State-owned bus services, toll & parking charges, for payments at offline merchant stores, online shopping, etc.
iii.Benefit: The cards could be created and the recharge and track of all transactions of the card could be done completely digital through the Paytm App itself. The physical card will be delivered to the user or can be purchased at designated sales points.
About Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL):
One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, owns a 49 percent stake in the PPBL.
PPBL reported revenues of Rs 130 crore in Q1FY22. According to RedSeer, PPBL was the largest UPI beneficiary bank with a market share of 17.1 percent in transaction volume (for the Q4FY21).
Establishment – 2017
Headquarters – Noida, Uttar Pradesh
MD & CEO – Satish Kumar Gupta

Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd Launches No Code DIY Embedded Finance Platform – ZwitchNeobanking startup, Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd, has launched an industry-first no-code embedded finance platform named Zwitch, to enable fintechs, brands and enterprises to launch innovative fintech services using a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) drag and drop interface.
Note- Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd. is the Asia’s first neobanking platform for SMEs and startups.
Key Points:
i.Zwitch empowers anyone to embed financial services without any technical knowledge. Apart from the no-code platform, Zwitch also offers low-code and full stack API (Application Programming Interface) competencies.
ii.Embedded finance will support fintechs and non-fintech companies to launch or embed financial services like banking, payments, cards, lending etc into their existing product or service thereby increasing sales, customer engagement, or additional revenues channels.
iii.Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd has already supported 10 startups embed financial services, the latest being the collaboration with Insurtech startup Fedo for support launching India’s 1st Health Savings Account (HSA) Fedo HSA.
iv.Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd offers business banking, payments and expense management services to more than a million small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The startup claims to have onboarded over 2 Million SMEs and processes over $24 billion annually.
About Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd:
Establishment – 2017
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Co-founder and CEO – Anish Achuthan

Bajaj Finserv Launched 2nd Phase of “Savdhaan Rahein. Safe Rahein” Campaign

Bajaj Finserv, one of the largest financial conglomerates in India, has launched the 2nd phase of “Savdhaan Rahein. Safe Rahein”, a public awareness campaign on Life Insurance fraud.

• Aim: To educate its customers and the general public on how to stay safe from life insurance fraud.
• The campaign has a jingle ‘Na Ji Na Ji’ with a character named ‘Gupta Ji’ who spreads awareness messages.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

33rd Hunar Haat receives IITF  2021 Silver Medal for strengthening commitment to “Vocal for Local”The Ministry of Minority Affairs organized the 33rd HUNAR HAAT (14-27 November 2021) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. It   received the ‘India International Trade Fair (IITF), 2021’ Silver Medal for strengthening commitment to “Vocal for Local” and its strong presence at the Trade Fair.
Objective:

• To sell the local products and encourage artisans and craftsmen from across the country.
• It envisages boosting the skills of craftsmen, weavers and artisans who are already engaged in the traditional ancestral work.

Highlights:
i.It witnessed the participation of around  550 artisans and craftsmen from more than 30 States and Union Territories.
ii.Canara Bank had set up a stall in the “Hunar Haat” to provide easy loans to artisans and craftsmen for employment and self-employment.
iii.The next “Hunar Haat ‘‘ will be organised at Surat, Gujarat (11 to 20 December 2021) and at the JLN (Jawar Lal Nehru)Stadium, New Delhi (22 December 2021 to 2 January 2022).
About Hunar Haat:
Hunar Haat is an exhibition of handicrafts and traditional products made by artisans from the minority communities.
Organizer:
These are organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills & Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) scheme.

• The USTTAD scheme aims to promote and preserve the rich heritage of the traditional arts & crafts of the minority communities.

About Ministry of Minority Affairs:
Minister- Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Rajya Sabha)
Minister of State-John Barla (Alipurduars,West Bengal)

Sascan Meditech, Kerala Based Startup won Pharma & Medical Device Startup India Grand Challenge 2021Sascan Meditech Private Limited, a Kerala based startup won the 1st prize at Pharma & Medical Device Startup India Grand Challenge 2021 in the medical device category at the Grand Challenge organized by The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India along with Startup India and Investindia.org.

• Sascan Meditech received a cash grant of Rs 15 lakhs at the Grand Challenge.

About Sascan Meditech:
Sascan Meditech is a startup incubated at the SCTIMST-TIMed the Technology Business Incubator of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for MedicalSciences & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Founder: Dr Subhash Narayanan, a scientist turned biomedical entrepreneur.
Products of Sascan Meditech:
i.A biophotonics technology-based device, OralScan, which is a handheld device for early, accurate, and cost-effective detection of pre-cancerous lesions in the mouth.
ii.CerviScan, a hand-held non-invasive device for cervical cancer screening and early detection of cervical cancer.
About Pharma & Medical Device Startup India Grand Challenge 2021:
i.The Pharma & Medical Device Startup India Grand Challenge 2021 was launched by the  Department of Pharmaceuticals at the ‘India Pharma & India Medical Device 2021’ Conference held on 26th February 2021.
ii.The applications for the program were hosted on the Startup India portal.
Partners:
The government partners of the grand challenge are National Institutes of Pharmaceutical  Education& Research (NIPERs) at Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, Invest India, and Startup India and Enabler Partners are Laurus Labs and Boston Scientific.
Grant:
i.The challenge identified 4 startups as winners and runners in Medical Devices sector and the Pharmaceuticals sector.
ii.The 2 winners get a cash grant of Rs 15 Lakh each, and 2 runners-up will get a grant of Rs 7 Lakh each.
Winners of Pharma & Medical Device Startup India Grand Challenge 2021:
Category Medical Devices:
Winner – Sascan Meditech Private Limited
Runner – Newndra Innovations Private Limited
Category Pharma:
Winner – Oncosimis Biotech Private Limited
Runner – TestRight Nanosystems Private Limited.
Additional Info:
Sascan Meditech also recently selected as the winner of “AnjaniMashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award 2021” from Anjani Mashelkar Foundation, which engages in recognizing, rewarding, encouraging those responsible for creating value for the society in science, technology, and innovation domain by an eminent jury after review of applications from all over India.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Government Appoints Vivek Johri as CBIC ChairmanAppointments Committee of the cabinet headed by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has appointed, a senior bureaucrat Vivek Johri as the Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) by succeeding M Ajit Kumar 

• Vivek Johri is a senior civil servant and currently a member of the CBIC handling GST and tax policy.
• He is a 1985-batch Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes) officer.

About Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)
i.CBIC is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, headed by a chairperson and comprises six members.
ii.It forms policy concerning levy and collection of Customs, Central Excise duties, Central Goods & Services Tax and IGST, prevention of smuggling and administration of matters relating to Customs, Central Excise, Central Goods & Services Tax, IGST and Narcotics to the extent under CBIC ‘s purview.
About Ministry of Finance
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (Constituency – Karnataka)
Minister of state – Bhagwat Krishnarao Karad (Constituency – Maharashtra) Pankaj Choudhary (Constituency – Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh)

Petr Fiala Becomes a New Prime Minister of Czech Republic The President of Czech Republic, Milos Zeman appointed Petr Fiala as the new Prime Minister (PM) of the country. He succeeded incumbent PM Andrej Babis.
i.Petr Fiala was born on 1 September 1964. He is a Czech politician and political scientist.
ii.He belongs to the Civic Democratic Party (CDS)  and previously served as Minister of Education, Youth and Sports from 2012-2013.
iii.In  October 2021,  he won the parliamentary elections by a 108-seat majority and formed the Together coalition, which comprised the CDS, Christian and Democratic Union – Czechoslovak People’s Party and TOP 09 party.

iv.Petr Fiala had written a book ‘Theory of Political Parties’ along with Maxmilián Strmiska.

About Czech Republic:
It is also known by its short-form name Czechia and formerly known as Bohemia. It is a landlocked country in Central Europe.
President– Milos Zeman
Capital-Prague
Currency-Czech koruna

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS        

RBI Approved LIC to Increase its Stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank up to 9.99%Reserve Bank of India (RBI) granted its approval to the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to increase its holding in Kotak Mahindra Bank up to 9.99%. The approval is valid for a period of 1 year.

• As of September 2021, LIC holds a 4.96% stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank. LIC is the 5th largest shareholder in Kotak Mahindra Bank.
• Uday Kotak and family, promoters of the bank, hold a 26% stake in Kotak Mahindra Bank while Canada Pension Plan Investment Board holds 6.37%.

About the approval:
This approval is subjected to compliance with the provisions issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and any other guidelines/regulations and statutes.
Additional info:
i.The RBI has also stated that the promoter can choose to bring down its holding to even below 26%, any time after the lock-in period of 5 years.
ii.On 26th November 2021, RBI accepted a working group’s recommendation to increase promoter stake in private banks till 26% and non-promoter stake to 10%.
About Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC):
Chairperson– M R Kumar
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1956
About Kotak Mahindra Bank:
Kotak Mahindra Bank was India’s 1st non-banking finance company which was later converted into a bank.
Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd was established in 1985, converted into Kotak Mahindra Bank in 2003.
MD & CEO– Uday Kotak
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline– Let’s Make Money Simple

SPORTS

Tennis: Ramkumar Ramanathan Wins Maiden Men’s Singles Title in ATP’s Bahrain Ministry Of Interior Tennis Challenger 2021

Indian tennis player, Ramkumar Ramanathan won maiden singles title on the first edition of Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)’s Bahrain Ministry Of Interior Tennis Challenger 2021 held in Manama, Bahrain. He defeated Evgeny Karlovskiy from Russia.

• The inaugural Bahrain Ministry Of Interior Tennis Challenger 2021, played on hard court, was an ATP80 event.

Key Points:

i.He won his maiden Challenger level singles title after 12 years turning a Pro.
ii.This was Ramkumar’s first ATP Challenger title in men’s singles.
iii. Portuguese Nuno Borges & Francisco Cabral won the doubles title after defeating Austria’s Maximilian Neuchrist & Greece’s Michail Pervolarakis in the finals of Bahrain Ministry Of Interior Tennis Challenger 2021.

Indian Ranking:

i.Ramkumar Ramanathan secured 186th rank. With this victory, he became the highest-ranked Indian on the ATP singles ranking chart.
ii.He succeeded Indian tennis player  Prajnesh Gunneswaran (215) and Sumit Nagal (218).
Top ATP Challenger Singles Ranking 2021
1.Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
2.Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
3.Alexander Zverev (Germany)
About Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP):
Chairman– Andrea Gaudenzi
Chief Executive Officer – Massimo Calvelli
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom

OBITUARY

National Award Winning Choreographer Shiva Shankar Master Passed AwayThe renowned National Award winning choreographer and an actor   K. Shiva Shankar Master passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana at the age of 72 year.

• Shiva Shankar born on 7 December 1948 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was an Indian dance choreographer, worked in South Indian movies.
• He received the National Award for ‘Best Choreographer’ for the movie ‘Magadheera’.
• He also won Tamil Nadu State Film Award for various films such as- Poove Unakkaga, Vishwa Thulasi, Varalaaru and Uliyin Osai.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Narotam Sekhsaria’s New Book ‘The Ambuja Story’ is set to be Released

Narotam Sekhsaria, Former Vice Chairman/Founder/Promoter, Ambuja Cements Ltd, has authored his autobiography titled ‘The Ambuja Story: How a Group of Ordinary Men Created an Extraordinary Company’ which is set to be released in December 2021.

• The book will be published by HarperCollins Publishers India.
• The book features the story of his rise from a small-time cotton trader to setting up one of the largest cement companies in the country, Ambuja cements, one of India’s finest companies.

IMPORTANT DAYS

73rd National Cadet Corps Raising Day – 28th November 2021National Cadet Corps (NCC), the largest uniformed youth organisation in the world, annually celebrates the NCC Raising Day on the 4th Sunday of November. The day is celebrated across India by the NCC cadets with marches, blood donation camps and social development programmes.
The 28th November 2021 marks the observance of the 73rd NCC Raising Day.

• The 72nd NCC Raising day was observed on 22nd November 2020.
• The 74th NCC Raising Day will be observed on 27th November 2022.

About NCC:
Director General– Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh
Motto– “Unity and Discipline”
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
>>Read Full News

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2021 – November 29

The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is annually observed across the globe on 29th November to mark the day on which the resolution for partitioning Palestine into Arab State and a Jewish State was adopted.

• The day aims to reaffirm the commitment to the Palestinian people in their quest to achieve their rights and build a future of peace and dignity for both Palestinians and Israelis.
• The UN annually celebrates the day by undertaking its debate on the questions of Palestine.

Background:
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/32/40 and proclaimed the 29th November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Why November 29?
November 29 was chosen to mark its meaning and significance to the Palestinian people.
On 29th November 1947, UNGA adopted the resolution known as Partition Resolution, which provided for the establishment in Palestine of a “Jewish State” and an “Arab State”, with Jerusalem as a corpus separatum under a special international regime.
>>Read Full News

STATE NEWS

MSDE launches Projects to Revive Namda Craft and Upskill the Artisans and Weavers of J&K

On November 27, 2021, Minister of State (MoS) Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), launched two projects to boost and preserve the traditional Namda craft of Kashmir; and upskill the local weavers and artisans of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to enhance their productivity through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment and certification.
The schemes are:
i.Revival of Namda craft of Kashmir
This scheme is a special pilot project under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0 (2020-2021). It will benefit 2,250 people of 30 Namda Clusters from 6 districts of Kashmir (Srinagar, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Budgam and Anantnag)
What is Namda craft?
It is a rug made of sheep wool through a felting technique instead of a normal weaving process. Due to low availability of raw material, lack of skilled manpower and marketing techniques, the export of this craft has declined almost 100% between 1998 and 2008. Therefore, through this project MSDE designed short-term training curriculum to preserve this endangered craft.

• The project will be implemented in 25 batches in 3 cycles of training. Each training program will be of approximately three and half months.
• It will be an industry-based training program with beneficiaries involved in Namda Crafts Production.

ii.Upskilling of artisans and weavers of J&K
This scheme targets to upskill 10,900 artisans and weavers of J&K under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), a component of PMKVY, to improve the relevant abilities and technical knowledge of the unorganized workforce in the Handicrafts and Carpet Sector. They will be aligned to the standardized NSQF (National Skills Qualifications Framework). The training delivery partners for the upskilling initiative are Mir handicraft, Srinagar Carpet Training and Market Centre and there is special value addition for 10% high performers.

• It will improve the access of existing artisans and weavers to sustainable livelihoods along with enhancing the marketing skills to promote traditional and local crafts as per current demand.
• Training will be provided through Upskilling Bridge Module through Government of India certification.
• Handicrafts and Carpet Sector Skill Council (HCSSC) in close association with MSDE will monitor the day-to-day progress of the overall project.

About Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY):
It is a Skill Certification Scheme of MSDE being implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Its objective is to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training for better livelihood.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma launches Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme 2021

The Chief Minister (CM) of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma launched Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme 2021 from the Collegiate High School playground in Tezpur, Assam.  He inaugurated the first phase of the scheme for those borrowers who have been those making regular payment of microfinance loans. They will be provided one-time incentive upto Rs.25,000/- or outstanding balance, whichever is less.

• In this regard, the CM ceremonially distributed cheques to 5 beneficiaries in the programme.

Key Points:
i.The scheme will benefit a total of 24 lakh women beneficiaries in the State while 59,468 women would receive reliefs amounting from Rs.16,000-Rs.25,000 in Sonitpur district.

• Total 11 lakh women will benefit during first phase of the scheme.

ii.In the second phase, relief would be provided to borrowers whose payments are overdue by 1-89 days and for accounts which are overdue but not NPA (Non-Performing Asset). The State Government will pay the overdue amounts.
iii.In the third phase, borrowers who are stressed, destitute and whose accounts have become NPA will be covered.
iv.State Government will consider providing partial or full relief based on evaluation.
v.The CM also inaugurated a 30-bed Paediatric ICU (PICU), a 30-bed ICU and 24 residential quarters for the professors at Tezpur Medical College and Hospital. It was set up with an investment of Rs. 4.45 crore.
About Assam:
Governor– Prof. Jagadish Mukhi
National Park– Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park; Kaziranga National Park
Wildlife Sanctuary– Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary; Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary

*******

Click Here View – AC Excluded News 2021

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)