4th Naturopathy Day is celebrated on 18 November
The National Naturopathy Day is observed in India on 18 November every year, to promote positive mental and physical health through a drugless system of medicine, called as Naturopathy. The day was declared by the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), Government of India, on November 18, 2018.
It was on this day in 1945, when Mahatma Gandhi became lifetime Chairman of the All India Nature Cure Foundation Trust and signed the deed with the object of making the benefits of Nature Cure available to all classes of people.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Minister of AYUSH: Sarbananda Sonowal;
- Minister of State (IC) of the Ministry of AYUSH: Munjapara Mahendrabhai.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur confers SAI Institutional Awards
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Anurag Thakur has presented the first-ever SAI Institutional Awards to 246 athletes and coaches in New Delhi. A total of 162 athletes and 84 coaches have been conferred awards in the Outstanding Award and Best Award category for their performance in national and international competitions, with cash awards amounting to a total of Rs 85.02 Lakhs during the ceremony at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
About the awards:
The awards have been given for the exceptional performance of the SAI athletes and coaches at national and international competitions from 2016 under the various sports promotion schemes. The inaugural awards have been granted to the deserving candidates for the years of 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Sourav Ganguly appointed Chairman of ICC Men’s Cricket Committee
The President of BCCI, Sourav Ganguly has been appointed as the Chairman of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, during the ICC Board Meeting. Ganguly will replace Anil Kumble who assumed the charge in 2012. Kumble stepped down having served a maximum of three separate three-year terms.
The Board also approved that first-class status and list A classification will be applied to women’s cricket to align with the men’s game and applied retrospectively. Going forward the ICC Women’s Committee will be known as the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee and will assume all decision making the responsibility for women’s cricket reporting directly to the CEC. Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies has been appointed to the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee.
India’s first fisheries business incubator launched in Gurugram
The first-of-its-kind, dedicated fisheries business incubator has been inaugurated in Gurugram of Haryana to nurture fisheries start-ups under real market-led conditions. The incubator is known as LINAC- NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre (LlFlC). It was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala.
About the centre:
- The centre has been established at a cost of Rs. 3.23 crore under the central flagship Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
- The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) is the implementing agency for the LIFIC.
- The first batch of ten incubators from four states (Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra) have already been identified.
UBS projects India’s GDP growth forecast at 9.5% for FY22
The Swiss brokerage firm, UBS Securities has revised India’s real GDP growth projection for 2021-22 to 9.5 per cent from 8.5 per cent estimated earlier. The upward revision has been attributed to faster-than-expected recovery, rising consumer confidence and the resultant spending spike.
UBS Securities has made the following GDP growth rate projections for India for various years:
For 2021-22 (FY22)= 9.5%
For 2022-23 (FY23)= 7.7%
For 2023-24 (FY24)= 6.0%
PM Modi launched ‘Ration Aapke Gram’ scheme & ‘Sickle Cell Mission’ in MP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a series of Tribal Welfare programs on his visit to Madhya Pradesh. PM Modi launched a welfare scheme named ‘Ration Aapke Gram’ scheme & ‘Sickle Cell Mission’ of Madhya Pradesh. He also laid the foundation stone for the construction of 50 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools across India.
The Indian Government decided to celebrate 15th November as the ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’ or ‘Tribal Gaurav Diwas’, every year starting from 2021. Modi referred to his long association with the tribal society. He was all praised for the richness of their spiritual and cultural life and said that every cultural aspect of tribal including songs and dances carries a life lesson and they have so much to teach.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Madhya Pradesh Capital: Bhopal;
- Madhya Pradesh Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel;
- Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Piyush Goyal launched India’s 1st Digital Food Museum in Tamil Nadu
Union Minister, Piyush Goyal virtually launched India’s first Digital Food Museum in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. It is a 1,860-sqft museum co-developed by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museums, Bengaluru (Karnataka) with an estimated outlay of Rs 1.1 crore. The museum is the first one-of-its-kind effort to depict India’s food story from the beginning to India becoming the largest food gain exporter in the country.
About the museum:
This museum showcases the Indian food evolution from nomadic hunter-gatherers into settled agriculture producers. The measures of the government will make the country top the list of largest agricultural exporters in the world. The museum will showcase the history of people from being foragers to producers, the story of the first harvest, the rise of villages and the preparation of demand days. The museum will display the grains of India and explain the food culture in different parts of the world.
Paytm Money launched AI-powered ‘Voice Trading’
Paytm Money, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Paytm, has launched ‘Voice Trading’, powered by artificial intelligence (AI). It will allow users to place a trade or get information about stocks via single voice command. This voice command feature uses neural networks and natural language processing (NLP) to allow instant processing. This service has been launched in line with Paytm Money’sefforts to offer next-gen and AI-driven tech to elevate user experience.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Paytm Money Founded: 20 September 2017;
- Paytm Money Headquarter: Bengaluru, Karnataka;
- Paytm Money CEO: Varun Sridhar.
UN Secretary-General appointed Shombi Sharp as UN Resident Coordinator in India
The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has appointed Shombi Sharp of the United States (US), a sustainable development expert, as the UN Resident Coordinator in India. He will lead the UN team in India, and work towards India’s Covid-19 response plans to recover better for the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to this, he served as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Armenia.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- United Nations Founded: 24 October 1945;
- United Nations Headquarters: New York, New York, United States;
- United Nations Secretary general: António Guterres.
KVG Bank bags ASSOCHAM award for Best Digital Financial Services
The Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) got the award for the best ‘Digital Financial Services’, in line with India’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, under the ‘Regional Rural Banks’ (RRBs) category by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Bank chairman P. Gopikrishna received the award from Reserve Bank of India Regional Director R. Gurumurthy in Bengaluru.
Around 40 villages in Karnataka are converted into 100% digital villages by the KVGB bank. These efforts are encouraging villagers to use digital mode for transactions. Those villages have round-the-clock access to Internet banking, mobile banking, micro ATMs, AEPS (Aadhar Enabled Payment Systems), IMPS, and UPI.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Founded: 2005;
- Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Headquarters: Dharwad, Karnataka;
- Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank Chairman: P. Gopikrishna.
Maharashtra government to appoint Salman Khan as Covid vaccination ambassador
Bollywood actor Salman Khan is to become the Covid-vaccine ambassador of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Public Health Minister According to Rajesh Tope, there is hesitation about receiving anti-coronavirus vaccines in Muslim-majority communities, and the government will enlist the help of Bollywood actor Salman Khan to persuade people to get the vaccine. Maharashtra is leading in terms of the number of vaccine shots administered, but in some areas the pace of vaccination is low.
Centre approves new Rajya Sainik Board for Ladakh
The Centre has approved a new Rajya Sainik Board (RSB) for Ladakh. The Board will be an effective link between the Centre and the Ladakh Administration. Rajya Sainik Board will play an advisory role on the matters relating to the ex-servicemen, war widows, widows and non-combatants, including serving soldiers and their dependents. Zila Sainik welfare offices of Leh and Kargil will function under the newly constituted Rajya Sainik Board.
About the board:
- The Board provide access to the welfare schemes under the Raksha Mantri Ex-servicemen Welfare Fund and welfare and resettlement of ex-servicemen.
- Approximately Sixty thousand retired and serving army personnel would get benefit from the establishment of the Rajya Sainik Board in Ladakh.
- Ladakh Scouts Regiment Center will avail maximum benefit from the welfare schemes extended through the Rajya Sainik Board.
Telangana’s Pochampally selected is one of the best tourism villages
Pochampally village in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana, known for its famous hand-woven Ikat saris, was selected as one of the best tourism villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The award will be given at the 24th session of the UNWTO general assembly on December 2, in Madrid.
The best tourism villages by the UNWTO pilot initiative aims to award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations and showcase good practices in line with its specified evaluation areas. It also aims to support villages to enhance their rural tourism potential through training and access to opportunities for improvement.
About the Pochampally
Pochampally is about 50 km from Hyderabad and is often referred to as the silk city of India for the exquisite sarees that are woven through a unique style called Ikat. This style, Pochampally Ikat, received a Geographical Indicator (GI status) in 2004 and is also known as Bhoodan Pochampally to commemorate the Bhoodan movement that was launched by Acharya Vinobha Bhave from this village on April 18, 1951.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Telangana Capital: Hyderabad;
- Telangana Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan;
- Telangana Chief minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao.
