NATIONAL NEWS

'City of Music' by UNESCO

· The city of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh has been added to UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network (UCCN) for its strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity.

· Kozhikode from Kerala was also among the 55 new cities to join the network.

· All the music gharanas of the country have their origins in the Gwalior gharana.

· Gharana in Hindustani music is a community of performers who share a distinctive musical style that traces to a particular instructor or region.

· Before Hindustani classical music was divided into various gharanas, Gwalior emerged as the first proper gharana of music.

Delhi Government Plans ‘Cloud Seeding’ to Induce Rains

· The Delhi government had announced that it was considering cloud seeding or ‘artificial rain’ to wash away pollutants in the air.

· The equipment, an aircraft and, more importantly, the seed are already available.

· However, the authorities are waiting for the conditions,  at least the presence of clouds, to become favourable to induce rain through cloud seeding.

· Water vapour condenses around small particles to form the droplets that make up a cloud.

· These droplets collide and grow  as they get heavy and the cloud gets saturated, it rains.

RailTel Signed MoU with REC Limited

· RailTel has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with REC Ltd extending up to Rs 30,000 crore as financial assistance for telecom, IT and railway signaling infrastructure projects.

· These projects encompass a wide range of areas, including data centre products and services, telecom and IT products and services, railways and metro projects, and the KAVACH train collision prevention system.

· REC Limited is a Maharatna public sector company established in the year 1969 under the Ministry of Power.

· RailTel is a "Mini Ratna Company" under the Ministry of Railways.

First State To Adopt The Uniform Civil Code (UCC)

· Uttarakhand isto become the first state in India to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

· In a move towards legal uniformity and gender equality, the state government is set to convene a special session post-Diwali to clear the UCC Bill, marking a significant departure from the diverse personal laws that currently govern citizens based on their religious affiliations.

· The move is part of a broader effort to create a legal framework that ensures fair treatment and opportunities for all citizens, regardless of their gender, sex, religion, or sexual orientation.

· The Uniform Civil Code falls under Article 44 of the Constitution, advocating for a uniform civil code across the country’s territory.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Fifth India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

· Indian Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister met their counterparts from the US government for the fifth 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in New Delhi.

· The 2+2 meetings have been held annually with the US leaders since 2018.

· The 2+2 meetings signify the participation of two high-level representatives, Ministers holding Foreign and Defence portfolios, from each of the two countries.

· These meetings aim to enhance the scope of dialogue between them.

· Such a mechanism enables the partners to better understand and appreciate each other’s strategic concerns and sensitivities.

· This, in turn, help to build a stronger, more integrated strategic relationship in a rapidly changing global environment.

 

SPORTS

ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

· Three cricketing greats and standout performers in the history of the game - legendary opener Virender Sehwag, former Indian Women Test skipper Diana Edulji and Sri Lanka's iconic star Aravinda de Silva are the latest inductees to be added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

· The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the name of the three legends of cricket as the latest inductees.

· Sehwag, a destructive opener of the modern era, holds a record that is still hard to match, the first Indian with a two Triple centuries.

· The second inductee Edulji captained India for almost three decades, and as a left-arm orthodox spinner claimed 100 wickets while making 54 international appearances.

· The third inductee was a winner of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup with Sri Lanka in 1996 - Aravinda de Silva.

· The Sri Lankan batter was known for his consistency, scoring 20 Test centuries during an 18-year international career which is the third most by any Sri Lanka men's player.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Chief Executive Officer of 'Association of Mutual Funds in India'

· Venkat Nageshwar Chalasani, former deputy managing director of State Bank of India, has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).

· He has also held various positions as a part of committees set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Ministry of Finance.

· Chalasani has also been the Chairman of the Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India (FIMMDA) and the Foreign Exchange Dealers Association of India (FEDAI).

· The announcement came after the end of the tenure of NS Venkatesh, who completed two consecutive terms of three years each.

· AMFI was established in the year 1995, its headquarters is in Mumbai.

· The mutual fund industry in India has witnessed remarkable growth and development.

 

DEFENCE

First Investor Meeting of 'India-US Defense Acceleration System'

· The first investor meeting of 'India-United States Defense Acceleration Ecosystem- INDUS X' was organized in New Delhi.

· INDUS-X Educational Series (Gurukul) was also launched during the program.

· The Gurukul initiative aims to help innovators and startups navigate the defense eco-system of the US and India.

· The first-ever INDUS-X Investors Event generated the interest of investors in the start-ups and MSMEs operating in the defence sector and the emerging opportunities under the INDUS-X initiative.

· The interactive meet brought all the stakeholders including Startups, Investors, Incubators, and Industry from both sides under one roof to discuss the collaborative agendas and opportunities .

CORPAT And Ex-Bongosagar

· The 4th edition of the bilateral exercise Bongosagar-23 between the Indian Navy and the Bangladesh Navy and the 5th edition of the Coordinated Patrol (Coordinated Patrol-Corporate) by the navies of both the countries was conducted in the North Bay of Bengal.

· The navies of both the countries conducted joint patrolling near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and subsequently conducted maritime exercises to enhance interoperability.

· Indian Navy ships Kuthar, Kiltan and maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) Dornier participated in the exercise along with Bangladesh Navy ships Abu Bakr, Abu Ubaida and MPA.

· The ships conducted communication drills, surface gun-shoots, tactical maneuvers and other exercises culminating with a steam past.

· CORPAT-23 also saw the first Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise between the two navies, in which a search and rescue scenario at sea was practiced.

· Routine bilateral exercises and coordinated patrols have enhanced mutual understanding and collaboration between the two naval forces.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Kindness Day

· World Kindness Day is observed every year on November 13.

· The day is a global celebration dedicated to recognizing and promoting acts of kindness.

· This day serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative impact that simple acts of kindness can have on individuals, communities, and the world at large.

· As we navigate through a world often marked by division and discord, World Kindness Day encourages people to bridge gaps and foster a culture of empathy and generosity.

· The theme for the year 2023 is “Be Kind Wherever Possible”.

 

OBITUTARY

Frank Borman- US Astronaut Who Led First Lunar Mission

· Frank Borman, a former US astronaut, passed away at the age of 95.

· He created history when he oversaw the first manned lunar orbit mission.

· Later, at a period of extreme economic turmoil, he led Eastern Airlines as chairman.

· Frank Borman was a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut who oversaw Apollo 8, the first crewed mission to orbit the moon and successfully returned to Earth.

· Frank Borman left the U.S. Military Academy in 1950 to join the Air Force as a fighter pilot.

 

MISCELLANEOUS

Guinness World Record Under Meri Mati Mera Desh Campaign

· India set a Guinness World Record for the most online selfies by submitting selfies to social media as part of the Central Government's 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign.

· As part of the 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' programme, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis participated in the Guinness Book of World Records Certificate granting event at Mumbai University.

· Previously, China held the Guinness World Record for the most selfies in 2016, with about 1 lakh selfies.