NATIONAL NEWS

Assam Government Launches Millet Mission

• The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on 16 November 2022 launched the “Assam Millet Mission” aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and doubling the farmer’s income.

• The mission also aims at encouraging the farmers to diversify their crops.

• Along with the Millet mission the Chief Minister also launched six soil testing and quality control laboratories Bongaigaon, morigaon, Golaghat, Udalgiri, Karimganj and Darrang.

• Initially the millet mission will cover 25,000 hectares of land and later it will be extended to 50,000 hectares.

Digital Shakti 4.0

• The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched the fourth phase of Digital Shakti Campaign, a pan-India project on digitally empowering and skilling women and girls in cyberspace on 15 November.

• Digital Shakti 4.0 focuses on making women digitally proficient and aware to stand against any illegal or inappropriate activity online.

• The National Commission for Women launched it in association with Cyberpeace Foundation and META.

• Digital Shakti was launched in June 2018 to raise awareness and help women on the digital front across the country.

• Through this project, more than 3 lakh women across India have been sensitised regarding cyber security tips and tricks.
• It is helping women with reporting and redressal mechanisms, data privacy and use of technology for their benefit.

First Greenfield Farm Machinery Plant

• Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the first greenfield farm machinery plant of Mahindra and Mahindra at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh.

• This new farm machinery plant is capable of manufacturing affordable and accessible farm machinery equipment under the Mahindra and Swaraj brands.

• The plant will also manufacture products for export to global markets in Asia, Africa, Europe and the America.

• The facility is capable of manufacturing a range of new products designed at Mahindra's Global Centers of Technology Excellence in Finland, Japan and Turkey.

Green Hydrogen Hub in Kochi

• The India Hydrogen Alliance (IH2A) and the Government of Kerala have jointly evaluated a proposal for building the Kochi Green Hydrogen (KGH2) Hub, a large-scale green hydrogen hub with multiple use cases to the Government of Kerala.
• IH2A’s KGH2 Hub plan is modelled after the Hydrogen Valley projects in the EU, to create production, storage, transmission and end-use infrastructure for green hydrogen (in compressed gas and liquid form) within a 50-km radius cluster in Kochi.
• The plan focuses on the transport use case in the first phase, aligning with the state government’s plans for zero-emission transport, to power Hydrogen-ICE retrofitted bus fleets of 60 buses and build the required infrastructure.

Arunachal Pradesh Signs MoU with NHLML

• The Arunachal Pradesh government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Highway Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for infrastructure development.
• Announced in the Union Budget (2022-23) for the construction of ropeways in hilly terrains across the country for connecting inaccessible areas, decongesting urban areas and improve tourism in states, the national ropeway programme, the ‘Parvatmala’ project is being undertaken by the NHLML as the executing agency.
• The MoU is expected to bring effective implementation, development, construction, operation and maintenance of the identified projects.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

First Global Media Congress

• The three-day first World media Congress was held at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

• The conference and exhibition Congress is organised by ADNEC Group in partnership with Emirates News Agency (WAM).

• Theme of the World Media Congress is ‘Shaping the Future of the Media Industry’.

• India was represented by the Secretary, Ministry of Information Broadcasting Apurva Chandra.

United Kingdom Government Approved Three Thousand Visas

• On 16 November 2022, the United Kingdom government approved three thousand visas for young professionals from India to work in the country every year.
• This visa is done under the UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement which was signed in 2021.
• India is the first country to benefit from such a scheme.
• The UK government has approved the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme which offers 3,000 visas to Indian graduates aged 18-30 years to live and work in the UK for up to two years.
• The announcement was made on the sidelines of the 17th edition of the G20 Summit in Bali.

BANKING

RBI Revokes Authorisation Certificate

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revoked the certificate of authorisation (CoA) of Chennai-based GI Technology Private Limited over governance concerns and non-compliance with regulatory requirements.

• The company is in the business of issuance and operation of prepaid payment instruments.

• Following the revocation of the CoA, GI Technology cannot transact the business of issuance and operation of prepaid payment instruments

• However, customers or merchants having a valid claim on the company as PSO, can approach the company for settlement of their claims.

ICICI Pru Sukh Samruddhi

• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited has launched a new participating savings product, ‘ICICI Pru Sukh Samruddhi,’ which provides customers with guaranteed benefits and growth potential in the form of bonuses.
• Besides, the life cover continues for the entire duration of the policy, including the income period, providing financial security to the family.
• This product also provides a higher maturity benefit to women customers to encourage them to embark on their savings journey and achieve financial independence.
• To address the varied financial needs of customers, this long-term saving product has been made available in two variants – income and lump sum.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

SBI Board as Government of India Nominee

• The Union Ministry of Finance has nominated Vivek Joshi as a Director to the Board of State Bank of India (SBI) on 15 November 2022.

• He will replace Sanjay Malhotra as the government nominee.

• The State Bank of India Board of Directors consists of 13 members including the Chairman.

Government has Extended the Term of DGCI

• The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has again extended the term of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr V G Somani by another three months.

• The extension will come into effect from 15 November 2022.

• He was earlier given an extension in August this year for three months. His extended term was to expire on 15 November 2022.
• The Drugs Controller General of India is the head of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, CDSCO is responsible for approval of Drugs, Conduct of Clinical Trials, laying down the standards for Drugs, control over the quality of imported Drugs in the country.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA Launches Its Artemis 1 Mission

• The US space agency NASA launched its Artemis 1 mission on 16 November 2022 from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.

• The Artemis 1 launch will also be the first flight of NASA's 21st century moon-exploration program.

• With Artemis 1 on the surface of the Moon, NASA aims to demonstrate new technologies, business approaches and capabilities that are essential for future explorations, including Mars.

• The launch aims to further aid in the study of the Moon, its origin and history.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Press Day

• National Press Day is observed every year on 16 November to commemorate a free and responsible press.
• In India, the press has been called 'watchdog' and the Press Council of India has been called 'moral watchdog'.
• Since the year 1997, the Council has celebrated the day in a significant manner through seminars with relevant themes.
• Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur presided over the National Press Day function in New Delhi.
• Article 19 of the Constitution of India provides for the right to freedom of speech and expression.
• India ranks 150th position among 180 countries in World Press Freedom Index 2022.