Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: November 30, 2022
General Awareness Section can be the easiest and most qualifying section in most competitive exams with the right focus. To bag a good score in these sections one must follow the current affairs for at least a few minutes on a daily basis. Current affairs are vastly diversified with topics from politics, finance, sports, etc and getting lost in this vastness might be confusing sometimes.
Whether you are preparing for a written test or an interview for any competitive exam, you have come to the right place to enhance your GK knowledge.
Current Affairs: Defence
India – Malaysia Joint Military Exercise “Harimau Shakti -2022”
India – Malaysia joint military Exercise “Harimau Shakti -2022” commenced at Pulai, Kluang, Malaysia recently and will culminate on 12th December 22.
Exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI is an annual training event between the Indian and Malaysian Army which has been conducted since 2012.
Details:
Combat-experienced troops of the GARHWAL RIFLES Regiment of the Indian Army and the Royal Malay Regiment of the Malaysian Army are participating in the exercise this year to share experiences gained during operations in order to enhance interoperability in the planning and execution of various operations in jungle terrain.
The scope of this exercise involves a Command Planning Exercise (CPX) at the Battalion level and Company-level Field Training Exercise (FTX) on sub-conventional operations in jungle terrain.
Rationale:
“Exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI” will enhance the level of defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the Malaysian Army, which in turn will further foster the bilateral relations between the two nations.
What Is Included in the Exercise:
The joint exercise schedule includes establishing a joint command post and joint surveillance centre, sharing expertise in the employment of aerial assets, technical demonstrations, casualty management and evacuation, apart from planning logistics at the Battalion level.
Joint field training exercises, joint combat discussions and demonstrations will culminate with a two-day validation exercise, where the special emphasis will be on enhancing tactical skills and interoperability between the forces and promoting Army-to-Army relations.
“Exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI” will enhance the level of defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the Malaysian Army, which in turn will further foster the bilateral relations between the two nations.
Question:
Joint military Exercise “Harimau Shakti -2022” is recently being conducted between the army of India and which of the following countries?
A. Malaysia
B. Mongolia
C. Indonesia
D. Bangladesh
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Arts and Entertainment
53rd International Film Festival of India-2022, Winners List
The 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held its coveted award ceremony on the festival’s closing day on Monday, 28th November 2022, in Goa.
While Spanish coming-of-age drama “I Have Electric Dreams” won the Golden Peacock award, Vahid Mobasheri and Daniela Marin Navarro took home the top acting honours.
What Is the International Film Festival of India (IFFI)?
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia
Location: Goa
Founded: 24 January 1952
Hosted by: Government of Goa, Directorate of Film Festivals
Awards in IFFI:
Golden Peacock
Best Film
Silver Peacock
Best Director
Best Actor (Male)
Best Actor (Female)
Special Jury Award
Lifetime Achievement
Indian Personality of the Year
Winner list for the 53rd IFFI-2022:
Best Film – I Have Electric Dreams (Spanish Film)
Best Actor (Male) – Vahid Mobasheri, No End
Best Actor (Female) – Daniela Marin Navarro, I Have Electric Dreams
Best Director – Nader Saeivar, No End
53-Hour Challenge for 75 creative minds: “Dear Diary” by team purple
DI award at the Film Bazaar section: Bangladesh feature film “Agantuk”
Best Debut Feature Film of a Director – Asimina Proedrou’s Behind The Haystacks
Special Jury Award – Lav Diaz, When The Waves Are Gone
Special Mention to a Debut Feature Film of a Director – Praveen Kandregula’s Cinema Bandi
ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal – Payam Eskandar’s Narges
Indian Film Personality of the Year – Chiranjeevi
Question:
Who among the following recently won the Indian Film Personality of the Year at the 53rd International Film Festival of India-2022?
A. Rajnikant
B. Chiranjeevi
C. Amitabh Bacchan
D. Nagarjun
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Arts and Entertainment
World’s First Science-Sanskrit Film to Depict ‘Mangalyaan’ Saga
Yaanam is a non-feature film screened under the Indian Panorama section at the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival in Goa.
It is based on the autobiographical book “My Odyssey: Memoirs of the Man Behind the Mangalyaan Mission” by former space chairman Padma Bhushan Dr K. Radhakrishnan.
About Yaanam Movie:
Yaanam movie portrays India’s dream project Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan).
It is the first science documentary in the Sanskrit language in the history of world cinema.
It shows the capability and expertise of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the stellar contribution of space scientists and the importance of the Sanskrit language showing how India overcame an arduous interplanetary journey for a monumental victory in the first attempt itself.
The producer of the film is AV Anoop.
The movie was shot in different locations in four southern states – Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in Kerala, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, ISRO Headquarters in Karnataka and the oldest observatory in Tamil Nadu.
Question:
Who wrote “My Odyssey: Memoirs of the Man Behind the Mangalyaan Mission”, the inspiration for “Yaanam”, the first science documentary movie ever made in Sanskrit?
A. G. Madhavan Nair
B. K. Kasturirangan
C. K. Radhakrishnan
D. S. Somanath
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Sports
Canada Wins Maiden Davis Cup Title
Canada recently won its first Davis Cup title after Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated Australia’s Alex de Minaur by 6-3, 6-4 in the second match of the finals. Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is world number six, had to guard against three break points in the first set but also found his rhythm in the eighth game.
What Is the Davis Cup?
The Davis Cup, the tennis equivalent of the football World Cup, was named after American collegian Dwight Filley Davis, who came up with the idea to start a challenging tennis match between the USA and Great Britain.
It is the premier international team event in men’s tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format.
Founder: Dwight F. Davis
Founded: 1900
Number of teams: 18 (World Group)
Most recent champion(s): Canada; (1st title)
Most titles: United States; (32 titles)
Important Fact about Davis Cup:
Davis Cup 2022 Venue: Malaga city, USA
The 2022 Davis Cup is the 110th edition of the Davis Cup
Rakuten sponsored Davis Cup 2022
The Russian Tennis Federation was the defending champion
Russia and Belarus were eliminated from competing in international events due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Question:
Which of the following countries recently won the famous Davis Cup?
A. Australia
B. Canada
C. USA
D. Russia
Answer: B
Current Affairs: National
Egypt President to Be Chief Guest at Republic Day Celebrations-2023
India has invited Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi as the chief guest on Republic Day 2023.
This would be the first time an Egyptian president would be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.
This is the first time the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt will be the Chief Guest on Republic Day.
Egypt is also one of the nine guest countries at the G20 summit under India’s presidency in 2023.
Fact:
The 68-year-old general-turned-politician is set to be the first Egyptian leader to be hosted by India for the Republic Day celebrations though the two countries have enjoyed close relations in past decades, especially as founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961.
India-Egypt Corporation:
Defence and security cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of India-Egypt relations in the past few years, and defence minister Rajnath Singh too met Sisi when he visited Cairo during 19-20 September.
The two sides also agreed to enhance joint exercises and exchanges of military personnel for training, especially in counter-insurgency.
Egypt is reportedly eyeing India’s home-grown light combat aircraft Tejas for a plan to acquire some 70 jet fighters.
Economy Figures:
Egypt has traditionally been one of India’s most important trading partners in Africa, and India was Egypt’s eighth-largest trading partner in 2020-21.
Bilateral trade peaked at $5.45 billion in 2012-13 before declining to $3.23 billion in 2016-17 due to the general economic slowdown and decline in oil prices.
Trade witnessed positive growth again from 2017-18 to reach $4.15 billion during 2020-21.
Question:
President of which country has recently been announced as the chief guest for the 2023 Republic Day Celebrations?
A. Brazil
B. Egypt
C. France
D. USA
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Science and Technology
India’s First Integrated Rocket Facility
Telangana’s IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao recently stated that the state will have the country’s first integrated rocket design, manufacturing and testing facility in Hyderabad, which will be built by Skyroot Aerospace.
The Minister participated as Guest of Honour at an event held at T-Hub to commemorate Skyroot Aerospace’s successful launch of the Vikram-S rocket. On 18 November, the Hyderabad-based startup, incubated at T-Hub, launched India’s first private rocket.
About Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited:
Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited is an Indian private aerospace manufacturer and commercial launch service provider headquartered in Hyderabad. The company was founded by former engineers and scientists from ISRO.
Founders: Pawan Kumar Chandana, Naga Bharath Daka
Founded: 12 June 2018
Skyroot Aerospace became the first privately held company in India after the space sector was opened for private players by the Union government in 2020
The six-metre-tall launch vehicle is one of the world’s first all-composite rockets with 3-D printed solid thrusters for spin stability
Skyroot Aerospace wants to build high-technology, low-cost, reliable launch vehicles
India in Global Space Economy:
The global space economy is valued at just over $450 billion, of which India’s share is roughly two per cent. The key to increasing India’s contribution to the global space output lies with the private sector.
That is why the government of India opened the space sector to private enterprises and made room for sharing ISRO know-how and infrastructure with private players.
A little over two years later, a private player is set for take-off using their own rocket from ISRO’s launch base.
In 2021, Skyroot formally signed up with ISRO. By entering into an agreement with the Department of Space on 2 February, it secured access to ISRO’s facilities and technical expertise as they went about developing their launch vehicles.
Over a year later, in June 2022, the Hyderabad-based startup signed an agreement (MoU) with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which enabled the launch of its rockets from the ISRO spaceport.
Question:
Which of the following states/UT will build India’s First Integrated Rocket Facility?
A. Telangana
B. Karnataka
C. Tamil Nadu
D. Kerala
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Awards and Recognitions
National Awards for e-Governance
e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (eGramSwaraj and AuditOnline) of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has won the GOLD AWARD under the category “Excellence in Government Process Re-engineering for Digital Transformation” of the National Awards for e-Governance.
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, in association with the UT Government of Jammu and Kashmir, recently organised the 25th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) on 26th – 27th November 2022 in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir.
Theme:
The theme of this Conference was “Bringing Citizens, Industry and Government closer”.
Why Have They Been Awarded?
The award is a recognition of the excellent and exemplary work done by Team eGovernance and supported by Team NIC-MoPR.
Various stakeholders, especially Panchayati Raj Institutions, which adopted e-Panchayat applications very fast, have helped in making the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project successful by strengthening the Panchayati Raj System and making it effective, transparent and efficient.
About National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG):
The National Awards for e-Governance (NAeG) have been presented under five (5) categories of the NAeG Scheme – 2022 to 18 e-Governance initiatives at Central, State and District levels, Academic and Research Institutions and Public Sector Undertaking, which includes nine (9) Gold and nine (9) Silver Awards.
Earlier awards were given in nine categories. The award scheme has been revised, and new categories for National Awards are
Excellence in Government Process Re-engineering for Digital Transformation.
Excellence in providing Citizen-centric Delivery.
Excellence in District level Initiative in e-Governance (i) North-East States + Hilly States (ii) UTs (including Delhi) (iii) Other States.
Outstanding research on Citizen Centric Services by Academic/Research Institutions.
Innovative Use of ICT in e-Governance solutions by Startups [Startup as defined by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Government of India]
Excellence in Adopting Emerging Technologies.
What Is eGramSwaraj:
To strengthen e-Governance in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) across the country, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has launched eGramSwaraj, a user-friendly web-based portal. eGramSwaraj aims to bring better transparency in decentralised planning, progress reporting and work-based accounting.
Question:
e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (eGramSwaraj and AuditOnline) of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has won the GOLD AWARD in the National Awards for e-Governance announced recently in which of the following categories?
A. Excellence in Government Process Re-engineering for Digital Transformation
B. Excellence in providing Citizen-centric Delivery
C. Excellence in District level Initiative in e-Governance
D. Excellence in Adopting Emerging Technologies
Answer: A
Current Affairs: National
Aero India 2023
Aero India 2023 will be held from 13-17 February 2023 at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, the Ministry of Defence announced recently. Air Force Station Yelahanka has been hosting the show since 1996.
About Aero India 2023:
Asia’s biggest airshow, Aero India 2023, will have exhibitors – both Indian and foreign.
It will also facilitate virtual exhibitions.
The biennial show will be held for over five days. In 2021, the show was reduced to a three-day affair due to the Covid pandemic.
Details:
The first three days of the air show are reserved for business visitors, and the last two days are open to the general public.
According to reports, Bengaluru-based defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will be organising the event.
In the last edition, delegations from 43 countries, along with 530 companies, participated.
Who Is Organising:
The Ministry of Defence, the Indian Air Force, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Department of Space, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other such organisations join hands to organise the Aero India show, making it the largest air show in Asia.
Fact:
The 14th Aero India is expected to be bigger and better than the previous editions. The first edition of Aero India was held in 1996.
Since then, the event has grown over the years, earned a great reputation, and grabbed eyeballs from across the world. It has also seen increased participation from both exhibitors and the public.
Question:
Asia’s biggest airshow, Aero India 2023, will be organised in which of the following cities?
A. Bikaner
B. Bengaluru
C. Agra
D. Shimla
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Environment and Ecology
Indian Scientists Receive International Awards on Behalf of the Snow Leopard Conservation Alliance
Indian snow leopard experts Charudutt Mishra and Koustubh Sharma, along with Chyngyz Kochorov of Kyrgyzstan, received the Madrid-based BBVA Foundation’s Worldwide Biodiversity Conservation Award recently on behalf of a 12-nation intergovernmental alliance that they helped create and manage.
The three received the award on behalf of The Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) at the headquarters of the BBVA Foundation in Madrid.
What Is the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme?
GSLEP was created in 2013 when officials, politicians and conservationists arrived at a common conservation strategy enshrined in the Bishkek Declaration (2013) to cooperate in the conservation of this species and its habitat.
It seeks to address high-mountain development issues using the conservation of the charismatic and endangered snow leopard as a flagship.
The GSLEP is a range-wide effort that unites a range of country governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organisations, local communities, and the private sector around a shared vision to conserve snow leopards and their valuable high-mountain ecosystems
The GSLEP is a high-level inter-governmental alliance of all the 12 snow leopard range countries.
The snow leopard countries are India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
It majorly focuses on the need for awareness and understanding of the value of Snow Leopard for the ecosystem.
The GSLEP Programme (2019) was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in New Delhi.
The Steering Committee meetings of GSLEP are currently chaired by Nepal and co-chaired by Kyrgyzstan.
India: First Snow Leopard Survey
The inaugural session of the 4th steering committee meeting of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme also marked the launch of the First National Protocol on Snow Leopard Population Assessment to mark the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day (23rd October).
The first National Snow Leopard Survey of the nation has been developed by scientific experts in association with the Snow Leopard states/UTs, namely, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The use of technology such as camera traps and scientific surveys will help to estimate the numbers.
About Snow Leopard:
The snow leopard inhabits the higher Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape in the five states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
This area contributes to about five per cent (5%) of the global snow leopard range.
Snow leopards are categorised as ‘Vulnerable’ by IUCN and in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
They are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), revealing the need for the highest conservation status for the species, both globally and in India.
Question:
Consider the following statements:
Snow leopards are categorised as ‘Vulnerable’ by IUCN and in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
Indian snow leopard experts Charudutt Mishra and Koustubh Sharma recently received international awards on behalf of the snow leopard conservation alliance
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