Current Affairs Quiz 7th November 2023 Quiz

Exp. First Australia India Education & Skill Council meeting held at IIT Gujarat

The First Australia India Education and Skill Council (AIESC) meeting was held at IIT Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

The Ministry of Education said that the AIESC, earlier the Australian India Education Council (AIEC), is a bi-national body established in 2011 to guide the strategic direction of the education, training, and research partnerships between the two countries.

The scope of this forum was enhanced in alignment with the national priorities of both countries to bring focus on promoting internationalization, two-way mobility, and collaboration in the domains of education as well as the skill ecosystem.

This is the first time that education and skilling are being brought under the same institutional forum.

This meeting will provide a platform for academic and skill experts to discuss a wide range of mutually agreed priorities, with the ultimate aim of shaping the future of education and skilling in both our nations.  

Exp. PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana to be extended for 5 more years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana will be extended for the next five years.

Under this scheme, about 80 crore poor people across the country are being given 5 kg of free food grains every month. This scheme was ending in December this year.

PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana was launched in April 2020.

Exp. L&T to construct greenfield airport in Andhra’s Bhogapuram

Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Construction have secured a large order to construct the greenfield Bhogapuram International Airport project in Andhra Pradesh.

The project cost is estimated to be in the Rs 2,500-5,000 crore range.

The project will initially be developed to handle 6 MPA (million passengers per annum) capacity to be further enhanced to the capacity of 12 MPA.

The key development works include cut & fill works, terminal works with airport systems, ATC tower, airfield development works (south runway 3,800 m length, apron, taxiways, airfield ground lighting, fuel hydrant works and other facilities), landside facilities (roads, landscapes, etc.), utilities & other support facilities.

Larsen & Toubro is presently executing the construction works of major airports in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, and Navi Mumbai.

Exp. Hague, Netherlands hosts 2nd World Local Production Forum

Indian delegation led by Union Mos for Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwant Khuba participated in the 2nd World Local Production Forumin Hague, Netherlands.

The World Local Production Forum is a platform created at the initiative of WHO with the aim of increasing access to medicines and other health technologies

A Memorandum of Intent between India and the Netherlands on cooperation in the field of medical product regulation is signed.

About Netherlands

• Capital- Amsterdam
• Currency- Euro
• Prime Minster – Mark Rutte

Exp. SBI authorized to issue & encash Electoral Bonds through 29 branches

The Government of India has authorised the State Bank of India SBI, in the 29th Phase of sale, to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 29 Authorised Branches with effect from 6th to 20th of this month.

The Electoral Bonds shall be valid for 15 calendar days from the date of issue and no payment shall be made to any payee Political Party if the Electoral Bond is deposited after expiry of the validity period.

The Electoral Bond deposited by an eligible Political Party in its account shall be credited on the same day.

Those political parties registered under RP Act 1951 shall be eligible to accept electoral bonds.

About State Bank of India (SBI)  

• Founded – 1 July 1955
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman – Dinesh Kumar Khara
• Managing Director – (4) Alok Kumar Choudhary, Challa Sreenivasulu Setty, and Ashwini Kumar Tewari  

Exp. RBI conferred with Businessline’s Changemaker of the Year 2023 Award

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has conferred the Businessline’s ‘Changemaker of the Year’ 2023 award. While utterly butterly beloved brand, Amul was crowned iconic changemaker of the year.

Governor Shaktikanta Das accepted it on behalf of the RBI.

The recognition was part of the Hindu Businessline Changemaker Awards 2023 held at ITC Maurya in New Delhi.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das attributed RBI’s success in steering through Covid and other crises to the teamwork and diligence of its dedicated officers and employee force.

These awards encompass various categories, celebrating those who have contributed to the betterment of society, the economy, and the planet.

Recent Awards

• Mahatma Awards 2023 – Digital Transformation solutions company UST
• Kerala Jyothi Award 2023 – T. Padmanabhan
• British Academy Book Prize 2023 for Cultural Understanding – Nandini Das
• Wildlife Photographer of The Year Award (10 years and under cateogry) – Vihaan Talya Vikas
• Men’s Ballon d’Or award – Lionel Messi (8th times)

Exp. Sunil Narine announces retirement from international cricket

Mystery spinner Sunil Narine has announced his retirement from international cricket.

The 35-year-old played 6 Tests, 65 ODIs, and 51 T20Is and was part of the T20 World Cup-winning West Indies side in 2012.

The T20 globetrotter last played for the senior national team in 2019 in T20I cricket. His last Test was in 2013 while he had not played an ODI after 2016.

Sunil Narine also announced he would retiring from the domestic 50-over competition at the end of the ongoing Super 50 Cup in which he is representing Trinidad and Tobago.

Narine’s record for the West Indies in international cricket is impressive. He took 92 wickets in 65 ODI matches and 48 wickets in 47 T20 International matches. In addition, he played six Test matches, taking 21 wickets with best figures of 6-91.

Recently Retired Players

• David Willey – International Cricket – England
• Sornnarin Tippoch – International Cricket – Thailand
• Alastair Cook – International Cricket – England
• Steven Finn – All forms of Cricket – England
• Alex Hales – International Cricket – England
• Manoj Tiwary – All forms of cricket – India
• Diego Godin – Professional Football – Uruguay

Exp. Angelo Mathews becomes 1st to be ‘timed out’ in international cricket

Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews was controversially given “timed out” in a World Cup clash against Bangladesh, becoming the first man to suffer the dismissal in the 146-year history of international cricket.

The former captain took more than two minutes to take strike and opposition skipper Shakib Al Hasan appealed, which was upheld by the on-field umpire.

Mathews came into bat after the fall of Sadeera Samarawickrama in the 25th over but was unable to secure his helmet strap tightly enough, an action which delayed the resumption of play.

According to the laws of cricket, after the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batsman, the incoming player must be ready to receive the ball within two minutes.

Bangladesh-Sri Lanka ODI World Cup match was held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Exp. Virat Kohli equals Sachin’s record of highest number of ODI centuries

India batter Virat Kohli has equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most centuries in One-Day Internationals—49.

Overall, Kohli has now scored 79 international hundreds—one in T20Is and 29 in Tests.

Virat touched the milestone in 277 innings as against Tendulkar’s 452 innings.

The next batter on the list of most ODI centuries is current captain Rohit Sharma, who has scored 31 centuries.

Exp. Bangladesh to host 24th Asian Archery Championships in 2025

Bangladesh will host the 24th Asian Archery Championships in 2025 after winning by 14-10 votes in the bid at the World Archery Asia Congress held in Bangkok, Thailand.

A total of twenty-four member countries of the Asian continent participated in the congress.

Bangladesh and China applied for bids as host countries for the 24th Asian Archery Championship.

Exp. India beat Japan 4-0 to win Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Cup

India beat Japan 4-0 to win the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy, with goals from Sangita Kumari, Neha Goyal, Lalremsiami, and Vandana Katariya.

India won their maiden Asian Champions Trophy title in 2016 in Singapore, while Japan bagged the crown twice, in 2013 and 2021.

Asian Games champions China beat South Korea to secure third place.

Exp. 7 November – National Cancer Awareness Day

National Cancer Awareness Day is celebrated on 7 November every year in India.

Objective – To create more awareness about the disease and how we can detect it early.

It is important to note that the National Cancer Control Programme started in 1975 to provide cancer treatment all over the country. There are other programs as well that help to improve research on the disease and find ways to prevent it. Early detection is extremely important to cure cancer in patients.

According to the latest reports, 1.1 million new cancer cases are registered in India every year, out of which two-thirds are reported at an advanced stage.

This decreases the survival chances of a cancer patient. The major cause of late detection in most cancer patients is illiteracy and less awareness. Therefore, observing National Cancer Awareness Day is very important in India.

Exp. 6 November – International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War

The International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict is a global day observed on November 6 every year.

Objective – To raise awareness about the devastating effects of war on the environment.

Theme 2023: Together for a more sustainable and peaceful future

The International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict originated from the acknowledgment of the detrimental effect of war on the environment. This day was inaugurated by the United Nations (UN) on November 5, 2001, through a UN General Assembly resolution.

Exp. NASA Apollo astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II passed away

Apollo Astronaut Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II passed away at the age of 87.

Mattingly was a pivotal figure in the Apollo Program and played a crucial role in ensuring the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew to Earth after an onboard explosion jeopardized their lunar mission.

Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, a former Navy jet pilot with an aeronautical engineering degree, joined NASA in 1966 and embarked on his first spaceflight in April 1972 as part of the Apollo 16 mission.

Serving as the pilot of the spacecraft’s command module, Mattingly captured extensive images of the moon’s surface and conducted experiments while two other astronauts collected lunar samples.

During the return journey to Earth, Mattingly performed an extravehicular activity to retrieve film canisters containing photos of the moon.

He had previously named the spacecraft “Casper” due to the resemblance he saw between an astronaut in a spacesuit and the cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Exp. Writer Leela Omchery passed away

Eminent singer, musicologist and writer Leela Omchery passed away at the age of 94 years.

Born at Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari in 1929, she lived much of her life in Delhi. She had proved her mettle in Carnatic music, Hindustani music, Sopana Sangeetham and folk songs.

Proficient in Carnatic, Hindustani, Sopanam and folk music, she was honoured her with Padma Shri in 2008.