NATIONAL NEWS

12 GST Seva Kendras in Gujarat

· Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, inaugurated 12 GST Seva Kendras at Gyandham School in Vapi, Gujarat.

· The Union Finance Minister also gave prizes to six customers, including Rs 10 lakh cash to individuals who participated in the Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar project.

· The Government of India created GST Seva Kendra as a specialised service facility to help taxpayers with GST (Goods and Services Tax) concerns.

· Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar (MBMA) is a plan which was introduced on September 1, 2023 by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

· Its goal is to promote the practice of creating bills/invoices during sales and purchases.

Haryana Inaugurates Hot Balloon Project

· Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated a hot air balloon project in Pinjore in the northern part of the state on 08 November 2023 with an aim to boost tourism prospects in his state.

· Along with this, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also launched many other projects.

· Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is on a two-day visit to Yamunanagar from 8 to 9 November.

· He  inaugurated Water Sports and Atal Theme Park. Tourism Minister Kanwarpal Gurjar was also present with him on this occasion.

· A hot air balloon trip was organized during sunrise depending on wind conditions.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Statue Installed in Kupwara

· The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was installed in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on 07 November 2023.

· The statue was unveiled by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

· The statue has been installed in 41 Rashtriya Rifles (Maratha LI) near the India-Pakistan border in Kupwara.

· This statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has been constructed in collaboration with 'Amahi Punekar Foundation' and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial Committee.

Tamil Nadu Government to implement 'Project Dolphin'

· Government of Tamil Nadu issued an order to implement 'Project Dolphin' under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitat program of the Government of India.

· It will be implemented during 2023-2024 at a cost of Rs 8.13 crore.

· Under this, 60% of the amount will be given by the Central Government, while the remaining cost will be borne by the State Government.

· Tamil Nadu government aims to undertake several activities including Dolphin number estimation, protection, surveillance and awareness enhancement under the project.

· Dolphins play an important role in keeping the marine environment in balance.

Agriculture 24/7 Platform

· The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has developed the Agriculture 24/7 platform in collaboration with Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI).

· It is the first automated artificial intelligence platform powered by Google.org.

· This platform scans news articles in multiple languages and translates them into English.

· It extracts essential information from news articles, such as headline, crop name, event type, date, location, severity, summary, and source link, ensuring that the ministry receives timely updates on relevant events published on the web.

· The introduction of Krishi 24/7 addresses the need for an efficient mechanism to identify and manage agricultural news articles of interest to aid timely decision-making.

'Bharat Organics' brand of National Cooperative Organics Limited

· Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the 'Bharat Organics' brand of the newly formed National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL).

· He also said that it will emerge as the most “trusted” brand in India and abroad.

· Shah also launched the logo, website and brochure of NCOL.

· He also presented NCOL membership certificates to five cooperative societies.

 

BANKING

Axis Bank Partners With IRMA

· Axis Bank and the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Axis Bank Chair for financial inclusion at IRMA.

· This will play a pivotal role in advancing financial inclusion and financial literacy in India, aligning with the vision of equitable and sustainable transformation for the nation.

· The Axis Bank Chair for Financial Inclusion has been established for a period of five years.

· As part of their partnership, IRMA and Axis Bank will also establish a Joint Advisory Committee.

·  The committee will be responsible for managing the chair’s selection process, defining the terms of its operation, and regularly evaluating its performance.

·  This committee will ensure that the chair fulfills its mission and objectives effectively.

SBI Authorised To Issue And Encash Electoral Bonds

· The Government of India has authorised the State Bank of India (SBI), to issue and encash Electoral Bonds through its 29 Authorised Branches from 06 November 2023 to 20 November 2023.

· 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.

· A person being an individual can buy Electoral Bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.

· The Electoral Bonds shall be encashed by an eligible Political Party only through a Bank account with the Authorised Bank.

 

SPORTS

Mathews Became The 1st Player To Be Out By 'Time Out'

· Sri Lankan middle-order batsman Angelo Mathews has become the first cricketer in the world to be out under the 'Time Out' rule in the history of international cricket.

· Angelo Mathews was given time out for arriving late than scheduled in the match being played against Bangladesh in the ODI World Cup 2023.

· This incident was the first time in the 146-year history of international cricket that a batsman was given time out.

· The 38th match of the World Cup 2023 between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. In this, Bangladesh won the toss and invited Sri Lanka to bat.

· During the batting of the Sri Lankan team, Angelo Mathews came to bat in the 25th over after the dismissal of Sadira Samarawickrama.

· During this time, Mathews had a problem with his helmet. After which Mathews ordered another helmet from the pavilion.

· Time out is also considered a type of out in the rules made by ICC. According to ICC 40.1.1, the batsman has to come in to play the next ball within 3 minutes after the fall of the wicket.

'Paris Masters' Title In Lawn Tennis

· Star tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia has won the Paris Masters title for the seventh time.

· He defeated Grigor Dimitrov in the final.

· 36-year-old Djokovic left behind his own record as the oldest champion of the tournament.

· This was Djokovic's 40th Masters 1000 title.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

DMD of NABARD

· The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) announced the appointment of Shri Goverdhan S. Rawat and Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood as Deputy Managing Directors.

· These additions to the leadership team will bring valuable experience and expertise to further strengthen NABARD's commitment to promoting inclusive rural development and agricultural financing.

· Shri Rawat's expertise spans project appraisal, infrastructure financing, rural development, district credit planning, consulting services, board secretariats, and human resources.

· Dr. Ajay Kumar Sood has joined NABARD as Deputy Managing Director, following a successful stint as Chief General Manager of NABARD, Himachal Pradesh Regional Office in Shimla.

· With a strong focus on rural infrastructure development, he played a pivotal role in implementing funds like RIDF, Micro Irrigation Fund, and Warehouse Infrastructure Fund.

 

DEFENCE

1st Company To Get 100% FDI In Defence Project

· India has granted permission for Sweden's Saab to develop a new rocket manufacturing plant.

· This was the first time that a company received 100% FDI in the defence industry.

· India has actively encouraged FDI in the military sector, increasing the automatic route maximum from 26% to 49% in 2001 and subsequently to 74% in 2016.

· While foreign investments in defence have steadily increased, Saab's permission for 100% FDI is a game changer, demonstrating India's resolve to attract new technology and investments in the field.

· Saab FFV India is a new firm that has been registered to build the Carl-Gustaf M4 system's newest iteration, with the facility expected to be situated in Haryana.

Short-Range 'Pralay' Ballistic Missile

· India successfully test fired surface-to-surface short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) 'Pralay' from Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast on 07 November 2023.

· During this period the missile completed all its mission objectives.

· This Pralay missile has been developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

· During this period the missile completed all its mission objectives.

· Pralay is a short-range, surface-to-surface missile with a range of 350-500 km.

· The advantage of short range is that enemy bases near this range can be destroyed in a very short time.

· The load capacity of the catacombs is 500–1,000 kg.

· The Pralay missile, derived from the Prithvi Defense Vehicle, is a solid-fuel battlefield missile designed for deployment on the LAC and LOC.

· 'Pralay' is also capable of changing its course after covering some distance in the air. It utilizes a solid-propellant rocket engine along with state-of-the-art technology.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Radiology Day

· World Radiology Day is observed on November 08 every year.

· The day aims to create awareness about the crucial role of radiographers in the healthcare system.

· It marks the discovery of x-radiation by Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen in 1895.

· The theme for World Radiology Day 2023 is "Celebrating patient safety."

· This theme focuses on the vital responsibility of healthcare professionals in safeguarding the health and safety of patients.

· Radiology is the science of using radiation to provide images of tissues, organs, bones and vessels inside the human body. These are then used to diagnose and treat patients.