World Pneumonia Day observed on 12 November
World Pneumonia Day is observed across the world on November 12 every year to raise awareness, promote prevention and treatment and produce action to combat the disease. World Pneumonia Day 2021 is an annual event that was first celebrated in the year 2009.
To end the preventable burden of childhood pneumonia and deaths there is a need to:
- Raise awareness about pneumonia, the leading killer of young children.
- Strengthen, accelerate and sustain interventions to prevent and treat pneumonia.
- Focus on equitable access to, and delivery of comprehensive pneumonia prevention and control programs.
- Design specific strategies to reach the “harder-to-reach” populations to improve their accessibility to available interventions.
- Conduct research to develop innovative strategies to reduce the burden of pneumonia.
World Pneumonia Day history:
The day was celebrated on November 12 in 2009 by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia. Since then the day has provided an annual forum for the world in standing together against the disease. The day is celebrated all over the world through various events and activities related to Pneumonia.
Nobel Laureate and former South African President FW de Klerk passes away
FW (Frederik Willem) de Klerk, the former president of South Africa and the last white person to head the country, has passed away due to cancer. He was head of state between September 1989 and May 1994. In 1993, De Klerk and Nelson Mandela jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize for their work towards ending apartheid.
Klerk effectively announced the beginnings of a new country in one historic speech at the state opening of Parliament in 1990, revealing to a stunned nation that he would free Mandela, legalize anti-apartheid groups, end a national state of emergency and negotiate to end racial inequality in the country.
India’s first National Yogasana Sports Championships setup in Bhubaneswar
India’s first Physical National Yogasana Championships has been organised in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from November 11-13, 2021. The National Yogasana Sports Championships 2021-22 has been organised by the National Yogasana Sports Federation (NYSF) in association with the Odisha state.
Around 560 young Yogasana Sports athletes from across 30 states would are taking part in the event. The event aims to promote yoga and create a global brand around it, portraying it as a competitive sport with high standards and benchmarks.
Nykaa’s Falguni Nayar becomes India’s richest self-made woman billionaire
Falguni Nayar, the CEO and founder of beauty and fashion eCommerce platform Nykaa, has become the richest self-made woman in India. She founded Nykaa in the year 2012. She holds 53.5% stake in Nykaa and has a net worth of USD 7.48 billion.
This comes after the IPO of FSN E-Commerce Ventures which is Nykaa’s parent entity. This is also the first woman-led unicorn to list on the stock exchange. The issue size of the IPO of FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa) was Rs 5,351.92 crore with face value of Rs 1 per share.
SpaceX launches Indian-origin astronaut Raja Chari-led Crew 3 mission
US Space agency NASA and the Elon Musk-owned private rocket company SpaceX have launched the “Crew 3” mission on November 10, 2021. The “Crew 3” mission consists of Indian-origin NASA astronaut Raja Chari as its mission commander. The other three astronauts are NASA’s Tom Marshburn (pilot); and Kayla Barron (mission specialist); as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer (mission specialist).
Under this mission, four astronauts have been sent to the International Space Station (ISS) for a six-month science mission until April 2022. The four-member international crew of astronauts lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida onboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule named Endurance fixed to Falcon 9 rocket.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- NASA administrator: Bill Nelson.
- Headquarters of NASA: Washington D.C., United States.
- NASA Founded: 1 October 1958.
- SpaceX founder & CEO: Elon Musk.
- SpaceX Founded: 2002.
- SpaceX Headquarters: California, United States of America.
Odisha govt launches road safety initiative ‘Rakshak’
The state government of Odisha has launched a first of its kind road safety initiative named Rakshak, to train first responders of road accidents. Under the program, 300 master trainers will train 30,000 local people, staying or working at the eateries and different business establishments located near accident-prone spots. These 30,000 volunteers will be trained as First Responders to road accidents. They will be equipped to administer first aid and pre-hospital trauma care to accident victims within the golden hour.
About the initiative:
- The ‘Rakshak’ initiative was organised by the Commerce and Transport Department in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State branch.
- As part of the initiative, the state government will train volunteers from roadside communities such as eateries, small repair shops, gas stations, and also police officers to be first responders to road accident victims.
The training programme for first responders will be conducted in two phases:
- In the first phase, 300 master trainers will be trained by experts from the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) in ten locations: Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur, Balasore, Koraput, Phulbani, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, and Bhawanipatna.
- In the second phase, the 300 master trainers will visit accident-prone areas in all districts and train locals to assist road accident victims. The first responders will also educate and inform the public about road safety precautions and the Good Samaritan law.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik and Governor is Ganeshi Lal.
President Ramnath Kovind addresses 51st Conference of Governors & LGs
India’s President Shri Ram Nath Kovind addressed the 51st Conference of Governors and Lieutenant Governors at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. It is the fourth conference to be presided over by President Ram Nath Kovind. The Governors and Lieutenant Governors from all states and union territories across the country attended the conference along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
In the inaugural address:
- President Ram Nath Kovind said India undertook a comprehensive and effective campaign against Covid-19. He lauded covid warriors for their work. The President said, all our COVID19 warriors have worked dedicatedly to fight this pandemic.
- He said, today with more than 108 crore COVID19 vaccinations, the inoculation drive is continuing across the country.
- Mr Kovind said, due to the initiatives of the Government and the efforts of Scientists India was able to develop vaccines to fight the pandemic. He said India is helping other countries under the Vaccine Matri initiative.
Some facts about the conference:
- The previous conference was held in 2019.
- The conference of governors is being held since India’s Independence.
- The first conference of governors was held in 1949 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
- It was presided over by C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor-General of India.
Mohammed Siraj appointed as My11Circle Brand Ambassador
Games24x7 fantasy cricket platform ‘My11Circle’ announced Indian Cricketer Mohammad Siraj as its new brand ambassador. Other brand ambassadors of My11Circle –Saurav Ganguly, Ajinkya Rahane, VVS Laxman, etc. Mohammed Siraj plays for the Indian team and represents Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.
With a user base of over 25 million players, My11Circle is one of India’s top fantasy sports platforms and is known for its innovative campaigns that have always kept the fans at the centre stage, allowing them to think, meticulously plan, strategise and test their skills.
Mitrabha Guha named as India’s 72nd Grandmaster
International Master (IM) Mitrabha Guha from Kolkata, West Bengal has become the 72nd Grandmaster of India after securing his 3rd and final Grandmaster (GM) norm at GM Third Saturday Mix 220, Novi Sad, Serbia. He won this 3rd GM norm against GM Nikola Sedlak of Mitrabha Guha scored his 2nd GM norm at the Sheikh Russel International GM Tournament 2021, Bangladesh.
Recent Indian Chess Grandmasters:
- 69th: Harshit Raja (Maharashtra)
- 70th: Raja Rithvik (Telangana)
- 71st: Sankalp Gupta (Maharashtra)
PM Modi launches two innovative customer-centric initiatives of RBI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched two innovative customer-centric initiatives of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). These initiatives are the RBI Retail Direct Scheme and the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme. There will be a single point of reference for customers to file their complaints, submit the documents, track status, and provide feedback.
About the RBI Retail Direct Scheme
- RBI Retail Direct Scheme is aimed at enhancing access to the government securities market for retail investors. It offers them a new avenue for directly investing in securities issued by the Government of India and the state governments.
- Through this scheme, a retail investor will get access to the government securities market.
- This scheme offers a new avenue for directly investing in securities issued by both Centre and state governments.
- “Investors will be able to easily open and maintain their government securities account online with the RBI, free of cost.
About the Reserve Bank- Integrated Ombudsman Scheme
- The Reserve Bank- Integrated Ombudsman Scheme aims to further improve the grievance redress mechanism for resolving customer complaints against entities regulated by RBI.
- The central theme of the scheme is based on ‘One Nation-One Ombudsman’ with one portal, one email and one address for the customers to lodge their complaints.
- There will be a single point of reference for customers to file their complaints, submit the documents, track status and provide feedback. A multi-lingual toll-free number will provide all relevant information on grievance redress and assistance for filing complaints.
- Currently, there are three separate ombudsmen for banks, non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), and non-bank prepaid payment issuers (PPIs) that are wallets.
- These are operated by the RBI from 22 ombudsman offices located across the country. Now, they will be integrated into one centralised scheme to make the grievance redressal mechanism more efficient and simpler.
RBI remove restrictions on Diners Club International Limited
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lifted restrictions imposed on 23rd April 2021 with immediate effect on credit card issuer Diners Club International Ltd to onboard new customers. RBI restricted Diners Club International Ltd. from onboarding new domestic customers onto its card network from May 1, 2021, due to non-compliance with RBI on the storage of Payment System Data. The central bank had banned the US-based company from onboarding new domestic customers onto its card network for violating data storage norms.
Earlier, RBI has banned – American Express, the 7th largest credit card issuer in India (on 23rd April 2021), and Mastercard, the 2nd largest credit card issuer in India (in July 2021) from enrolling new customers. RBI has not yet lifted its ban.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- RBI Founded: April 1, 1935;
- RBI Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra;
- RBI Governor: Shaktikanta Das;
- RBI Deputy Governors: Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M Rajeshwar Rao, T Rabi Sankar.
NPCI Bharat BillPay ties up with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance
NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd., the wholly-owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India has tied up with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to provide its marquee offering – ClickPay to the insurer’s customers. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance is the first insurance company to offer this facility of ClickPay to its customers empowering them to make renewal premium payments with ease.
To offer an automated and valuable insurance premium payment experience, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance will generate the ClickPay link and share it with the customers which will redirect them to the payment page comprising payment details. This convenient and secure two-step process will help customers pay the bills without the hassle of putting in the premium amount, remembering premium payment dates, and going through arduous steps to make the payment.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- National Payments Corporation of India MD & CEO: Dilip Asbe;
- National Payments Corporation of India Headquarters: Mumbai;
- National Payments Corporation of India Founded: 2008.
Hardeep Singh Puri unveils statue of Maharani Lakshmi Bai in Hisar college
Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs & Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep S. Puri has unveiled the statue of Rani Lakshmi Bai at the Maharani Lakshmi Bai college for Women, Bhiwani Rohilla in Hisar (Haryana) through video conferencing. Describing Rani Lakshmi Bai as a major symbol of revolt against the repression of the British Raj, the Minister said that her life has been inspiring nationalism and Indian women for generations who led the freedom revolution of India with the utmost bravery, skill and force against British rule.
Fumio Kishida re-elected as Prime Minister of Japan
Fumio Kishida, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been re-elected as the Prime Minister (PM) of Japan following the victory of the LDP in the 2021 Parliament election. Fumio Kishida succeeded Yoshihide Suga who resigned as PM of Japan in September 2021.
Elected just over a month ago by parliament, Kishida called a quick election in which his governing party secured 261 seats in the 465-member lower house — the more powerful of Japan’s two-chamber legislature — enough to maintain a free hand in pushing legislation through parliament.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Japan Capital: Tokyo;
- Japan Currency: Japanese Yen.
