Current Affairs Quiz 6th November 2023 Quiz

Exp. CBSE to open new administrative Office in UAE

In a significant development for the Indian expatriate community in the United Arab Emirates, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held a meeting with the Principals of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated schools in Dubai.

One of the significant announcements made during the meeting was the acceptance of a long-standing demand by CBSE schools to open a regional administrative office in UAE, recognizing the country’s central role in overseeing CBSE-affiliated schools in the GCC region.

The new office is set to come in the Emirate of Dubai, UAE. This decision is expected to streamline operations and enhance the educational experience for students and teachers in these schools.

The meeting was marked by a sense of unity and inclusion, encapsulated in the phrase “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam,” which translates to “the world is one family.” This move towards greater inclusivity is a promising development for the Indian expatriate community and the education sector in the UAE.

About United Arab Emirates (UAE)

• Capital – Abu Dhabi
• Currency – Dirham
• President – Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
• Prime Minister – Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
• Official language -Arabic

Exp. Vibrant Gujarat International Roadshow held in Dubai

In a bid to showcase the immense potential for business and investment opportunities in the vibrant state of Gujarat, the Government of Gujarat hosted the Vibrant Gujarat International Roadshow in Dubai.

The event, a prelude to the upcoming 10th Edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit scheduled for January 10-12, 2024, served as a platform for industry representatives from both Gujarat and the UAE to engage, network, and explore collaborations.

The roadshow succeeded in fostering meaningful connections between industry leaders and government officials while shedding light on the myriad opportunities for investment and growth in Gujarat.

As the state gears up for the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in January 2024, the prospects for business and collaboration in this dynamic Indian state look brighter than ever.

Exp. NITI Aayog organized Workshop on “Goa Roadmap for Tourism”

As a part of its ongoing G20 Think Tank Workshop Series, NITI Aayog has organized a workshop on “Implementing Goa Roadmap for Tourism” with India Foundation and the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, as its knowledge partners.

The G20 meeting on tourism was held in Goa on June 21, 2023, culminating in the Goa Declaration.

The Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a vehicle for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is a pioneering effort towards harnessing tourism as a driving force to achieve the SDGs.

The G20 New Delhi Leader’s Declaration (NDLD) noted the Goa Roadmap for Tourism and ‘Travel for LiFE’ program as the policy blueprints for nurturing tourism as a means for sustainable socio-economic development.

The workshop aimed at deliberating on the implementation of the Goa Roadmap and the discussions were conducted over four thematic sessions.

The workshop will include four sessions on – 1. Green tourism, 2. Digitization, 3. Strategic management, 4. MSME Tourism.

Exp. Karnataka govt launches “Dr Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyoti Yojana”

The Karnataka Health Department has launched Dr Puneeth Rajkumar Hrudaya Jyoti Yojana to treat people suffering from sudden heart attacks and cardiac issues.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced the scheme two days after the second death anniversary of popular Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar, who died at the age of 46 following a heart attack.

Notably, the scheme is also named after the late actor. The scheme seeks to install emergency devices in public places to cater to those suffering from heart attacks within the crucial response time.

The programme has been implemented in two ways. Hub and spoke model and installation of automated external defibrillator (AED) devices in public places.

Recently, it has been noticed that young people are suffering heart attacks. It is a worrying fact and according to a study, 35 percent of those who suffer heart attacks were in their 40s.

The government will also be deploying AI technology that can detect the severity of a patient’s condition within four to five minutes, and those in critical heart health will be administered a free injection called Tenecteplase at the spoke centres, which helps in preventing a sudden cardiac arrest.

Private hospitals charge ₹30,000 to ₹45,000 for one Tenecteplase injection. However, we have decided to provide this injection free of charge in our government hospitals.

About Karnataka

• Capital – Bengaluru
• Chief Minister –Siddaramaiah
• Deputy Chief Minister – DK Shivakumar
• Governor – Thawar Chand Gehlot

Exp. ‘AI’ named Collins Word of the Year for 2023

The abbreviation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been named the Collins Word of the Year for 2023.

Lexicographers at Collins Dictionary said use of the term had “accelerated” and that it had become the dominant conversation of 2023.

We know that AI has been a big focus this year in the way that it has developed and has quickly become as ubiquitous and embedded in our lives as email, streaming or any other once futuristic, now everyday technology,” Collins managing director Alex Beecroft said.

The word “permacrisis”, defined as “an extended period of instability and insecurity” was the Collins word of the year in 2022.

Exp. HSBC India launches e-bank guarantee services for MSMEs

Private sector lender HSBC India has launched electronic bank guarantee services for its MSMEs and corporate clients in association with National E-Governance Services Ltd (NeSL) to replace the conventional time-intensive paper-based bank guarantee.

The move is aimed to digitize trade and ease the guarantee issuance process digitally with the introduction of e-stamping and e-signing. With the new solution, the applicant will be able to instantly view a bank guarantee on the NeSL portal.

NeSL, under the aegis of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 serves as a repository of legal evidence holding the information about any debt/claim, as submitted by the financial or operational creditor and verified and authenticated by the parties to the debt.

The e-guarantees will reduce the transaction cycle time from 2-3 days to a few minutes. The e-bank guarantee will also provide secure and swift options and avoid pitfalls of the paper-based guarantee process.

Recent Facilities Launched in Banking & Insurance Sector

• AU Small Finance Bank launches ‘Planet First-AU Green Fixed Deposit’
• Bank of Baroda introduces BoB LITE Savings Account
• RBL Bank launched GO Savings Account
• HDFC Bank launched XpressWay digital platform for Swift Loans
• Federal Bank launched the ‘Mookkannoor Mission’ initiative at its founder’s village

Exp. Reliance Retail to acquire Arvind Fashions’ Beauty Retail Business

Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL) is buying Arvind Beauty Brands Retail, a subsidiary of Arvind Fashions that runs the Sephora India business for ₹99 crore.

Reliance Retail has entered into the fast-growing beauty business with Tira, an omnichannel beauty retail platform.

This acquisition follows earlier reports in local media suggesting that Sephora and Reliance Retail had terminated discussions regarding a potential retail partnership in the Indian market.

Reliance Retail, in response, launched its own beauty retail platform, Tira, in April, positioning itself to compete with established players like Nykaa and the Tata Group.

Exp. PM Modi re-elected as the chairman of Shree Somnath Trust

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure as the chairman of the Shree Somnath Trust has been extended by five years.

During a meeting of the board, various aspects of the temple’s operations were discussed, including how to enhance the pilgrimage experience through the use of technology.

This marks a historic moment as it is the first time in the 74-year-long history of the Shree Somnath Trust that a chairman has been elected for a five-year tenure.

The trust has launched a video highlighting the history and traditions of the temple.

Exp. Pravin Madhukar Pawar appointed as CBI Joint Director

Senior IPS officer Pravin Madhukar Pawar has been appointed as Joint Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for five years.

Pawar is a 2003 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Karnataka cadre.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment to the post of joint director, CBI, for five years.

Recent Appointment

• CEO & MD of Tata Power Renewable Energy – Deepesh Nanda
• Chairman of Armed Forces Tribunal – Justice Rajendra Menon
• CMD of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) – Koppu Sadashiv Murthy
• Lead WHO’s South-East Asia Region – Bangladesh’s Saima Wazed
• New speaker of US House – Mike Johnson

Exp. RBI appoints Manoranjan Mishra as Executive Director

Manoranjan Mishra has been appointed as Executive Director by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

In his role as Executive Director, Mishra will oversee the Enforcement Department, Risk Monitoring Department, and Department of External Investments & Operations.

Prior to being promoted to ED, he was serving as Chief General Manager in the Department of Regulation.

Mishra has experience of over three decades in the Reserve Bank having worked in the areas of regulation of banks and NBFCs, supervision of banks, and currency management.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank – Ashok Vaswani (replace Uday Kotak)
• Chairman of the South Indian Bank – VJ Kurian (replace Salim Gangadharan)
• Chairman of SBI – Dinesh Kumar Khara (reappointment)
• Global CEO of PayU – Anirban Mukherjee (replace Laurent Le Moal)
• Executive Director of RBI – Muneesh Kapur

Exp. Rohit Rishi appointed as ED of Bank of Maharashtra

Rohit Rishi has been appointed as Executive Director of the Bank of Maharashtra.

Prior to Rishi’s appointment, Asheesh Pandey was the sole ED on the bank’s board.

Earlier, Rishi was field GM with Indian Bank and has experience in the field of MSME and corporate credit.

Rohit Rishi’s professional journey started in 1995 when he joined Indian Bank as an Industrial Development Officer. With over 28 years of experience, he has successfully navigated through diverse aspects of the banking industry.

Throughout his career, Rishi has demonstrated his ability to thrive in diverse roles, contributing significantly to the growth and transformation of the organizations he served.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• CMD of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) – Ramaswamy N
• MD & CEO of South Indian Bank – PR Seshadri
• Part-time chairman of Dhanalakshmi Bank – KN Madhusudanan
• Country head of Wholesale Banking at Yes Bank – Manish Jain (replace Ravi Thota)
• Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Yes Bank – Pankaj Sharma

Exp. UST wins 2023 Mahatma Awards for impactful CSR initiatives

Leading digital transformation solutions company UST has won the 2023 Mahatma Awards for sustainable and impactful contributions to corporate social responsibility (CSR) in areas such as education, health, livelihood, environment, and disaster relief.

An initiative of the Aditya Birla Group, the award was presented on Gandhi Jayanti.

A highlight of the company’s CSR drive is its Adopt-a-School programme which impacts over 32,000 students in India and Mexico.

UST supports over 104 schools, promoting accessible, quality education for all. Its initiatives include medical support for those with disabilities and habitat restoration projects in Kerala.

The nature conservation and sustainable livelihood project sourced 75,000 medicinal saplings in 2022 alone.

In response to global crises, UST has demonstrated its commitment to humanitarian causes, including a $100,000 pledge to support victims of the conflict in Ukraine.

UST associates from the UK, Ukraine, and Poland volunteered to help distribute essentials in the refugee camps.

Exp. Minuteman III missile test-launched by US Air Force

The U.S. Air Force had blown up a Minuteman III missile over the Pacific Ocean after an anomaly was detected following its launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The nuclear-capable Minuteman III, made by Boeing, is key to the U.S. military’s strategic arsenal. The missile has a range of 6,000-plus miles (9,660-plus km) and can travel at a speed of about 15,000 miles per hour (24,000 kph).

About 400 of the missiles are located at Air Force bases in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota.

It is key to the U.S. military’s strategic arsenal.

Exp. Indian Navy Sailing Championship 2023 begins in Mumbai

The Indian Navy’s most awaited and largest sailing regatta, the Indian Navy Sailing Championship, started in Mumbai.

The Championship will hold from 05 Nov to 09 Nov 23.

The Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre (INWTC), Mumbai, one of the finest sailing facilities in the country, is geared up to host more than 100 pan-Navy participants who will test their sailing skills in five different classes of boats in three different formats of racing.

INSC is an annual event conducted under the aegis of the Indian Naval Sailing Association (INSA) based at Naval Headquarters to encourage the participation of naval personnel in competitive sailing.

This edition of INSC will see the participation of teams from the three Naval Commands comprising of officers, cadets, and sailors (including Agniveers).

Racing will take place in three most popular formats of sailing. Fleet Racing will be in ILCA-6 class boat for women, ILCA-7 class boat for men and BicNova class board for windsurfing open. Team Racing will take place in Laser Bahia class boat and the Match Racing in J24 class boat.

Exp. 5 November – World Tsunami Awareness Day

World Tsunami Awareness Day is observed annually on November 5.

The day emphasizes the significance of early warning systems and community preparedness in mitigating the impacts of these catastrophic waves.

Theme 2023 – Fighting Inequality for a Resilient Future

Recognized by the UN General Assembly in December 2015, World Tsunami Awareness Day calls upon nations, international entities, and civil society to amplify awareness efforts and explore innovative strategies for minimizing tsunami-related risks.

In December 2015, the UN General Assembly designated 5 November as World Tsunami Awareness Day, calling on countries, international bodies, and civil society to raise tsunami awareness and share innovative approaches to risk reduction.