10th-11th November, 2022

1. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the lead Centre of ISRO, facilitated the hot test of Agnilet Engine of M/s Agnikul Cosmos Pvt. Ltd. at its Vertical Test Facility, Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram.
2. Social networking platform for Indian farmers, Krishify, has integrated with the Platform of Platforms (PoPs) portal by National Agricultural Market (e-NAM).
3. The Central Government has declared as critical information infrastructure certain databases related to the Census and the National Population Register (NPR) under the Information Technology Act, 2000, (Amended 2008).
4. The 15th edition of the Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo has been organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Kochi, Kerala.
5. Jaipur will host the 11th edition of “India StoneMart”, the international stone industry exhibition.
6. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has launched woman-centric challenges under phase-II of the 2nd edition of the Atal New India Challenge (ANIC).
7. Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Transport 4 All Challenge Stage-2 and Citizen Perception Survey 2022.
8. India’s first national repository for life science data named ‘Indian Biological Data Center’ (IBDC) has been established at Faridabad, Haryana.
9. Odisha Government has signed an MOU with Tata Steel Foundation for implementing the JAGA Mission across five municipal corporations of Odisha.
10. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has prepared a comprehensive strategy to promote the exports of Indian millets across the globe from December 2022.
11. Central govt has designated the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as the implementing agency for setting up of 100 fodder-centric Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) during 2022-23 to address the fodder deficit situation in the country.
12. India, Australia, the USA, and Japan will conduct the 26th edition of the Malabar Naval Exercise in Yokosuka of Japan on December 18.
13. Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) have signed an MOU to promote and boost Japanese investments in India.
14. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) have announced a strategic investment partnership for mobilizing up to $1 billion for the financing of green energy transition and renewable energy projects, in both the public and private sectors.
15. Saudi Arabia would contribute $2.5 billion to the Middle East Green Initiative over the next ten years, and host its headquarters.
16. Pakistan Government is planning to implement an interest-free banking system in the country by 2027 under the Islamic law.
17. QS World University Rankings: Asia 2023 has been released.
18. Amazon India and TVS Motor Company announced a strategic partnership to strengthen electric mobility, electric infrastructure and connected services.
19. SME lending startup, ftcash has received a licence from the Reserve Bank of India to set up a non-banking financial company.
20. Max Life Insurance Company has partnered with TacterialConsulting Private Ltd. (Ditto) to enhance the reach of its life insurance products.
21. Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI), under the union government, plans to sell 1.55% stake in Axis Bank for Rs 4,000 crores.
22. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has received the central government’s approval to partner with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for rolling out 4G services in India.
23. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched BHIM App open-source license model for attaining the goal of ‘Digital Payments for All’.
24. Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs has approved the final Sovereign Green Bonds Framework of India.
25. Central govt has launched the Self-Reliant India (SRI) fund to provide growth capital to MSMEs.
26. Bjørn Gulden has been appointed as CEO of Adidas AG (a German-based sports accessories company).
27. Justice D Y Chandrachud has taken over as the 50th Chief Justice of India in succession to Justice Uday Umesh Lalit.
28. Ramesh Kejriwal has been appointed as the President of the All-India Rubber Industries Association (based in Mumbai).
29. Switzerland Tourism has appointed Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra as its ‘Friendship Ambassador’ to showcase and promote locations in the country to Indian travellers.
30. November 9 – National Legal Services Day (National Legal Services Authority was set up on Nov 9, 1995)
31. November 10 – World Science Day for Peace and Development; Theme – Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development
32. ICC Hall of Fame has included Pakistan legend Abdul Qadir, England trailblazer Charlotte Edwards and West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
33. National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad has won the “India Agribusiness Awards 2022” under Fisheries Sector.
34. According to Statista Infographic’s report titled “The World’s Biggest Employers- Employers with the Most Personnel Worldwide”, Indian Ministry of Defence is the world’s biggest employer with 2.92 million employees.
35. Netherlands’ Stephan Myburgh has announced retirement from international cricket.
36. India has been named as the host country for the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship.
37. Lewis Hamilton (British F1 racer) was awarded honorary Brazilian citizenship.

National News

1. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), the lead Centre of ISRO, facilitated the hot test of Agnilet Engine of M/s Agnikul Cosmos Pvt. Ltd. at its Vertical Test Facility, Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram.
2. Social networking platform for Indian farmers, Krishify, has integrated with the Platform of Platforms (PoPs) portal by National Agricultural Market (e-NAM).
   • e-NAM is a pan-India electronic trading portal that seeks to network existing Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC) to create a unified national market for agrarian commodities for farmers, traders, and other intermediaries.
3. The Central Government has declared as critical information infrastructure certain databases related to the Census and the National Population Register (NPR) under the Information Technology Act, 2000, (Amended 2008).
   • The infrastructure includes Census Monitoring and Management System, Self-Enumeration and Civil Registration System (CRS) web portals, mobile applications for House Listing, Population Enumeration and National Population Register updation being critical information infrastructure (CII) of the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India.
4. The 15th edition of the Urban Mobility India Conference and Expo has been organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Kochi, Kerala.
   • Theme – Azadi @75 — Sustainable Atmanirbhar Urban Mobility
   • 16th edition of the Urban Mobility India will be organized in Delhi in October 2023 on the theme of “Integrated and Resilient Urban Transport”.
5. Jaipur will host the 11th edition of “India StoneMart”, the international stone industry exhibition.
   • Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) is the principal sponsor of this event.
   • Gujarat and Odisha will have their state pavilions. Turkey, Iran, Portugal, China, and Italy will participate.
6. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has launched woman-centric challenges under phase-II of the 2nd edition of the Atal New India Challenge (ANIC).
   • ANIC is an initiative by AIM, NITI Aayog which aims to seek, select, support and nurture technology-based innovations that solve sectoral challenges of national importance and societal relevance.
   • ANIC provides a grant-based mechanism of up to Rs 1 crore.
7. Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Transport 4 All Challenge Stage-2 and Citizen Perception Survey 2022.
   • The Transport4All Challenge is an initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, that aims at developing solutions for enhancing the mobility experience of citizens.
   • The challenge is divided in three stages –
     • PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION (Stage I): Cities, with the support of NGOs, identify key recurring problems that citizens and public transport operators face
     • SOLUTION GENERATION (Stage II): Startups develop prototypes of solutions to improve public transport with inputs from cities and NGOs
     • PILOT TESTING (Stage III): Cities engage Startups for large-scale pilots and refine the solutions based on citizen feedback
   • MoHUA launched the Urban Outcomes Framework 2022 in April 2022 as an initiative to undertake an assessment of cities based on cross-city outcomes across major sectors.
   • The Framework also includes the third round of Ease of Living Index. The Ease of Living Index aims to evaluate cities across India based on the Quality of Life, Economic Ability, and Sustainability.
   • As part of the Ease of Living Index, the Citizen Perception Survey is being conducted (which carries 30% of the marks under the Ease of Living Index).
   • National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is anchoring the program, along with its agency Quality Council of India (QCI).
8. India’s first national repository for life science data named ‘Indian Biological Data Center’ (IBDC) has been established at Faridabad, Haryana.
   • As per the BIOTECH-PRIDE guidelines of the Government of India, IBDC is mandated to archive all life science data generated from publicly-funded research in India.
   • Supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), it has been established at Regional Centre of Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad with a data ‘Disaster Recovery’ site at National Informatics Centre (NIC), Bhubaneshwar.
9. India hosted the second Agriculture Ministerial-level meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in New Delhi.
10. 6th edition of the India-U.S. CEO Forum, chaired jointly by Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles and Ms. Gina Raimondo, US Secretary of Commerce was held virtually.

State News

1. Odisha Government has signed an MOU with Tata Steel Foundation for implementing the JAGA Mission across five municipal corporations of Odisha.
   • Purpose – to transform slums into liveable habitats with civic infrastructure and services at par with developed areas within the municipal corporations of Sambalpur, Rourkela, Berhampur, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar
   • The Tata Steel Foundation will provide technical support for drone surveys, slum mapping, holistic habitat planning and, housing and common spaces design.

Agriculture and Rural Development

1. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has prepared a comprehensive strategy to promote the exports of Indian millets across the globe from December 2022.
   • 2023 – International Year of Millets
   • India exports millets products worth of USD 34.32 million during 2021-22.
   • As per FAO, world production of millets in the year 2020 was 30.464 million metric tonnes (MMT) and India’s share was 12.49 MMT, which accounts for 41% of the total millet production.
   • India recorded 27% growth in millet production in 2021-22 as compared to millet production in the previous year was 15.92 MMT.
   • It is estimated that the millets market is set to grow from its current market value of more than USD 9 billion to over USD 12 billion by 2025.
   • APEDA has also signed an MOU with the Indian Institute of Millet Research (Hyderabad) to boost value-addition and farmers’ income.

• India’s major millet exporting countries are U.A.E, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Oman, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, U.K and U.S.A. The varieties of millets exported by India include Bajra, Ragi, Canary, Jawar, and Buckwheat.
• The major millet importing countries in the world are Indonesia, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Mexico, Italy, the U.S.A, United Kingdom, Brazil and Netherlands.
• There are 16 major varieties of millet, which are produced and exported, including Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi) Minor Millets (Kangani), Proso Millet (Cheena), Kodo Millet (Kodo), Barnyard Millet (Sawa/Sanwa/Jhangora), Little Millet (Kutki), Two Pseudo Millets (BuckWheat/Kuttu), Ameranthus (Chaulai) and Brown Top Millet.
• India’s top five millet-producing states are Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

2. Central govt has designated the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as the implementing agency for setting up of 100 fodder-centric Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) during 2022-23 to address the fodder deficit situation in the country.
   • NDDB has been assigned to form 100 FPOs during 2022-23.
   • The country has a fodder deficit of 12-15%, 25-26%, and 36% when it comes to green fodder, dry fodder and concentrated fodder, respectively.

Defence News

1. India, Australia, the USA, and Japan will conduct the 26th edition of the Malabar Naval Exercise in Yokosuka of Japan on December 18.
   • Indian Naval Ships Shivalik and Kamorta will participate in the exercise.

Memorandum of Understanding

1. Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) have signed an MOU to promote and boost Japanese investments in India.
   • Under the MOU, both entities are planning to create a bilateral India-Japan Fund (IJF) to make equity investments in environmental protection and low-carbon emission projects.

International News

1. Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) have announced a strategic investment partnership for mobilizing up to $1 billion for the financing of green energy transition and renewable energy projects, in both the public and private sectors.

2. Saudi Arabia would contribute $2.5 billion to the Middle East Green Initiative over the next ten years, and host its headquarters.
   • The Middle East Green Initiative was launched by Saudi Arabia in 2021 for reducing carbon emissions from regional hydrocarbon production by more than 60%.
   • It also aims to plant 50 billion trees across the Middle East and restore an area equivalent to 200 million hectares of degraded land. The initiative will reduce global carbon levels by 2.5%.
3. Pakistan Government is planning to implement an interest-free banking system in the country by 2027 under the Islamic law.
   • The banking system where interests are not used. In this system, banks do not offer a fixed rate of return on deposits and do not charge interest on loans.

Reports and Indices

1. QS World University Rankings: Asia 2023 has been released.
   • Top – Beijing-based Peking University (1st), National University of Singapore (2nd), and Beijing-based Tsinghua University (3rd)
   • India – total 19 universities feature in this list
     • IIT-Bombay (40th rank)
     • IIT-Delhi (46th rank)
     • IISc (52nd rank)
     • IIT-Madras (53rd rank)

Banking and Economy

1. Amazon India and TVS Motor Company announced a strategic partnership to strengthen electric mobility, electric infrastructure and connected services.
2. SME lending startup, ftcash has received a licence from the Reserve Bank of India to set up a non-banking financial company.
   • ftcash aims to disburse loans worth ₹100 crores in FY23.
3. Max Life Insurance Company has partnered with TacterialConsulting Private Ltd. (Ditto) to enhance the reach of its life insurance products.
4. Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI), under the union government, plans to sell 1.55% stake in Axis Bank for Rs 4,000 crores.
5. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has received the central government’s approval to partner with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for rolling out 4G services in India.
   • TCS will set up the 4G lines and maintain the network for nine years.
6. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched BHIM App open-source license model for attaining the goal of ‘Digital Payments for All’.
   • Under NPCI’s new model, the source code of BHIM app will be licensed to regulated entities participating in UPI ecosystem, who do not have UPI app of their own, to empower them to launch their own UPI app.
   • Recently, NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) has announced that BHIM UPI is live at NEOPAY terminals, across the UAE, to facilitate remittance flow in India.
7. Central govt has launched the Self-Reliant India (SRI) fund to provide growth capital to
   • The Fund has committed to deploy Rs 5,000 crore, almost 50% of its total corpus, in 38 private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) firms.
   • SBICAP Ventures, owned by the State Bank of India Group, is the investment manager of the fund.
   • SRI fund is a SEBI-registered category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF).
   • SRI has adopted the mother-fund and daughter-fund structure wherein the SRI fund, as a mother fund, invests up to 20% of the overall corpus of the daughter fund (mostly VC and PE funds) and the latter raises the remaining 80% of the capital from outside sources.
   • Almost Rs 300 crore of the SRI fund has already been deployed by the daughter funds in 125 MSMEs and we plan to invest around Rs 1,000-1,200 crore more in the next 12 months.
   • The investment by this fund will get leveraged fivefold, making the total value of the investment capital to MSMEs to Rs.50,000 crore.
8. Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs has approved the final Sovereign Green Bonds Framework of India.
   • Sovereign Green Bonds will be issued for mobilising resources for green projects.
   • It will further strengthen India’s commitment towards its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) targets, adopted under the Paris Agreement.
   • Ministry of Finance has also formed a Green Finance Working Committee, under the chairmanship of Chief Economic Advisor, V. Anantha Nageswaran, which will take key decisions related to the issuance of Green Bonds.
   • This initiative will help in achieving India’s commitments under “Panchamrit”.

9. Central Govt made changes to the Foreign Trade Policy to enable trade settlement in the Indian Rupee for export promotion schemes.
   • With this amendment, invoicing, payment, and settlement of trade can now take place in the Indian currency.
10. Central Government has allowed trade settlement in the Indian currency for export promotion schemes.
    • With the amendment to the Foreign Trade Policy, invoicing, payment, and settlement of trade can now take place in Indian rupee.
    • The Government of India has made suitable amendments in the Foreign Trade Policy and Handbook of Procedures to allow for International Trade Settlement in Indian Rupees (INR) i.e., invoicing, payment, and settlement of exports/imports in Indian Rupees.
11. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) has acquired a 38% stake in Indian Oiltanking, a developer and operator of liquid storage facilities, for Rs 1,050 crores.
12. Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bhupender Yadav launched an online portal for ESIC Maternity benefits claim facilities for insured women in New Delhi.
    • The portal was launched at the 102nd birth anniversary of Dattopant Thengadi, a social reformer and the founder of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, organized by the National Labour Education and Development Board.
13. Reliance Jio Infocom Ltd. has launched 5G services in the southern and tech-savvy cities of Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
    • This comes after beta-launch of Jio True-5G services in six cities, namely, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Varanasi and Nathdwara.

Appointments

1. Bjørn Gulden has been appointed as CEO of Adidas AG (a German-based sports accessories company).
2. Justice D Y Chandrachud has taken over as the 50th Chief Justice of India in succession to Justice Uday Umesh Lalit.
   • He is the only son who will be serving the position his father, former CJI YV Chandrachud, once held.

3. Ramesh Kejriwal has been appointed as the President of the All-India Rubber Industries Association (based in Mumbai).
4. Switzerland Tourism has appointed Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra as its ‘Friendship Ambassador’ to showcase and promote locations in the country to Indian travellers.

Important Days

1. November 9 – National Legal Services Day (National Legal Services Authority was set up on Nov 9, 1995)
2. November 10 – World Science Day for Peace and Development; Theme – Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development
3. November 9-14 – International Week of Science and Peace

Awards

1. ICC Hall of Fame has included Pakistan legend Abdul Qadir, England trailblazer Charlotte Edwards and West Indies great Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
   • Indians in the Hall of Fame – Sunil Gavaskar, Bishan Bedi, Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vinod Mankad
   • International Cricket Council’s Headquarters – Dubai, UAE
2. National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad has won the “India Agribusiness Awards 2022” under Fisheries Sector.
   • Haryana has won the ‘India Agribusiness: Best State Award’.
   • The award was presented during the India International Agro Trade and Technology Fair 2022 at Indian Agriculture Research Institute, Pusa Campus, New Delhi.
3. According to Statista Infographic’s report titled “The World’s Biggest Employers- Employers with the Most Personnel Worldwide”, Indian Ministry of Defence is the world’s biggest employer with 2.92 million employees.
   • The US Department of Defence is the 2^nd biggest employer with 2.91 million employees.

Sports

1. Netherlands’ Stephan Myburgh has announced retirement from international cricket.
2. India has been named as the host country for the 2023 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship.
   • For this, the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) have signed an MOU.
   • IBA HQ – Lausanne, Switzerland
3. Lewis Hamilton (British F1 racer) was awarded honorary Brazilian citizenship.
4. Uttar Pradesh will host the Khelo India National University Games 2023-24 at Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Noida.

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