Correct Answer :   Smriti Irani

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Union Minister for Women and Child Development "Smriti Irani" launched (28th Nov 2023) the National Outreach Programme on Anganwadi Protocol for Divyang Children.

The Protocol embraces a Social Model for Divyangjan Inclusive Nutrition Care. It includes screening for early disability signs, inclusion in community events, and referral support through ASHA and ANM teams.

Aim : The aim of this protocol is to ensure overall improvement in children's wellbeing through early intervention, specialized support and services for infants and young children with disability, and educating and supporting families and communities to improve divyang children's participation.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the Minister said, for the first time, the Anganwadi workers will help in the screening of children for identifying any kind of disabilities.

She informed that at least one lakh such children will be benefitted annually through this programme. She said, the government will make the child care socially acceptable and affordable..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Odisha

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Asia’s largest open-air annual trade fair the Bali Jatra, commemorating the glorious ancient maritime legacy of Odisha, was inaugurated on the banks of the Mahanadi River in Cuttack on 27th Nov 2023 evening.

This year the festival started on the occasion of Kartika Purnima and will continue till December 4, 2023.

Cultural troupes from across Odisha and other states will perform Odissi, Chhau, Bihu, Mahari, Gotipua, Sambalpuri, Santali folk dance, and other dances in the evenings on the fairgrounds.

About two thousand stalls displaying various handicrafts, household goods, and foods are expected to come up on the fairground this year. Elaborate security arrangements have been made by police keeping in mind an expected huge gathering..

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   IndiGo

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InterGlobe Aviation Limited, the parent company of IndiGo, Monday (27th Nov 2023) said the airline has introduced an AI chatbot 6Eskai to elevate its customer service experience.

The Gurgaon based low-cost airline said the internally developed AI chatbot has shown promising early results by making booking process simpler with the use of natural language conversations resulting in a 75% reduction in customer service agent workload.

The AI bot boasts an impressive 1.7 trillion parameters, allowing it to answer a diverse range of commonly asked questions with ease.

"Early results from the soft launch indicate a remarkable 75 per cent reduction in customer service agent workload, showcasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the bot," the Gurgaon based low-cost airline said in a release.

Furthermore, 6Eskai, makes the booking process extremely simple, using natural language conversations to guide our customers seamlessly through the end to end booking journey.

The airline further said the data scientists of IndiGo did research on Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT) and programmed the bot using extensive prompt engineering to mimic human behaviour, respond to emotions and even infuse humour into interactions.


Source : Mint

Correct Answer :   Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

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Researchers have discovered a new plant species in the genus 'Impatiens' (Balsaminaceae) in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tirunelveli. The plant is found only in the Agasthyamalai region in the southern Western Ghats.

The plant which belongs to the scapigerous group (stemless group) is seen only during the monsoon season for a few weeks.

“Impatiens has only restricted distribution in that area. There is a high possibility that it could become extinct due to climate change. We need to maintain ecological balance to save this rare plant,” said Ravichandran V, a researcher from the Botanical Survey of India in Coimbatore. He is also one of the authors of the research paper.

The species is named ‘Impatiens Karuppusamyi’ after S Karuppusamy for his contributions to the taxonomy of South Indian angiosperms.

Impatiens is a genus of more than 1,000 species of flowering plants widely distributed throughout tropical Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, and China.

Researchers collected specimens of a lithophytic Impatiens during a botanical exploration in Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Examinations revealed that plants were quite distinct from all known species of Impatiens.

The discovery was published in Finnish journal “Annales Botanici Fennici” recently by researchers from Madras Christian College and the Botanical Survey of India.

“Africa, China have herbaceous and shrubby balsam with up to 1.5metre height. But balsam without stem is endemic to southern Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. Mostly occur in moist habitats particularly on the wet rocky slopes with roots, leaves and flowers,” said P Selva Singh Richard, associate professor of botany, Madras Christian College. He is one of the authors of the research paper..

Source : Times of india

Correct Answer :   November 26

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Constitution Day, also known as Samvidhan Divas or National Law Day, is celebrated every year on November 26 in India.

November 26 marks the day when India adopted its constitution in the year 1949. The Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950.

Recognising the significance of this day, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, on November 19, 2015, declared the 26th of November as Constitution Day to foster an understanding of constitutional values among citizens.

BR Ambedkar, known for championing the cause of the downtrodden, was the head of the committee that finalised the draft of the Indian Constitution. The completion of the draft had taken 2 years, 11 months and 17 days.  

Meanwhile, BR Ambedkar's statue will be installed on the Supreme Court premises. It is reported that President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the statue at 10.30 am on Sunday (26th Nov 2023) and the occasion will be telecast live.

In most places across the country, small or big cities, towns and villages, statues of BR Ambedkar are seen with raised hands, inspiring people to move forward.

The statue is being installed on the Supreme Court premises following an initiative by Chief Justice Chandrachud, people familiar with the matter said.

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The statue of BR Ambedkar, in a lawyer's dress, stands 7 feet tall on a 3-foot base stand. A copy of the Constitution is seen on his hand..

Source : NDTV

Correct Answer :   Fino Payment Bank

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Mumbai-based Fino Payments Bank has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the appointment of Rajat Kumar Jain as Part-time Chairman of the Bank, the bank said in its regulatory filing on November 24, 2023.

The payment bank said that it has got approval with effect from November 24. 2023 till November 01, 2025.

Rishi Gupta, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Fino Payments Bank said, “Jain's experience and expertise across sectors, especially in technology will have a strong bearing on our business model. We are fortunate to have his guidance as Fino Bank strengthens its digital ecosystem to realize its growth potential.”

Rajat Kumar Jain studied at IIT Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad and serves as a non-executive director on various boards including group companies of Aditya Birla and Mahindra conglomerates.

Jain has over three decades of strategic leadership experience across the consumer, telecom, media, and technology sectors.

Jain said, “As the Bank aims to expand its horizons, I look forward to working with my colleagues at the Board and senior management team at Fino Bank towards creating a differentiated digital Bank.”

In Q2FY24, the Fino Payment bank did transactions worth Rs 86,568 crore of which more than Rs 23,051 crore were processed digitally. The bank registered a PAT (Profit after tax) of Rs 19.5 crore in the second quarter of FY24...

Source : Money Control

Correct Answer :   75th

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The National Cadet Corps (NCC) will celebrate its 75th anniversary on November 27, 2023. Serving as the youth wing of the Indian Armed Forces, it operates from its headquarters in New Delhi, India. Open to school and college students voluntarily, the NCC functions as a Tri-Services Organisation, encompassing the Army, Navy and Air Force. Cadets undergo fundamental military training, including small arms handling and drill exercises.


Why is NCC Day Observed?

NCC Day is observed annually to commemorate the founding principles and objectives of this vital youth organisation. The motto of the NCC, Unity and Discipline, encapsulates the values of duty, loyalty, dedication, and self-sacrifice. Beyond these principles, the Government of India recognizes the NCC as a significant platform for international engagement. For over four decades, NCC cadets have served as ambassadors of peace and unity, participating in Youth Exchange Programmes with over 25 nations, a feat worth celebrating.


How is NCC Day Celebrated?

Across India, various NCC units come together to celebrate NCC Day. In cities such as Delhi and Kolkata, spirited rallies are conducted, featuring cadets showcasing their discipline, marching skills and dedication. The celebrations represent the collective commitment of NCC towards nurturing responsible and disciplined youth.

The goal of the National Cadet Corps :

The NCC’s core objective is to develop the physical, intellectual and moral dimensions of society. It aspires to mould individuals into well-rounded personalities with a strong sense of civic responsibility and commitment to community service. The organisation actively promotes national integration, unity and social harmony among the youth of the nation.


What Do NCC Cadets Do?

NCC is the premier training ground for the youth of India, focusing on instilling the spirit of selfless service. It stands as the largest youth organisation in the country, with a mission to build character, and leadership qualities and foster national integration. NCC cadets engage in a range of activities, including:

Drills and Parades : Organising and conducting drills on weekends to inculcate a sense of discipline.

Educational Programs : Conducting classes on diverse subjects such as first aid, environmental awareness, personal hygiene, and cleanliness.

Community Service : Actively participating in blood donation drives to contribute to the welfare of society.

Recreational Activities : Organising military parades, picnics and seminars on social issues to enhance camaraderie and awareness..


Source : CNBC

Correct Answer :   Hardeep Singh Puri

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Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday (26th Nov 2023) inaugurated the city’s second floating compressed natural gas (CNG) mobile refueling unit (MRU) station at Ravidas Ghat, Varanasi and said it was a significant step towards viable sustainable energy solutions.

Earlier, Namo Ghat had a floating station for filling CNG in boats.

The decision to set-up this floating CNG stationis a testament to our belief in the transformative power of clean energy.

This will provide great convenience to boatmen as they will not have to go all the way to NaMo Ghat for refueling, thus saving time and money. On an average, it is estimated that each boatman can potentially save over Rs 36,000 per year by using CNG as fuel,” said the minister. Puri said CNG boats not only reduces pollution but also leads to savings as it is more efficient.

The boatmen are getting 35-40% more mileage due to replacement of old engines with efficient CNG engines (1 kg of CNG is energy equivalent to 1.39 litres of petrol and 1.18 litres of diesel), he said. Both the stations have been developed by GAIL (India) Limited.

With this, floating CNG stations are now operational on both sides of the main ghats of Varanasi. According to GAIL officials, the floating stations have been developed at a cost of Rs 17.5 crore.

The CNG mother station at Namo Ghat has been operational since December 2021. The new station is CNG MRU. CNG will be filled in cascades from Namo Ghat and transported by water ways to Ravidas Ghat for fueling boats. It has a capacity of 4,000 kg/day and can cater to 300 to 400 boats a day.

GAIL chairman and managing director, Sandeep Kumar Gupta, director (human resources), Ayush Gupta, director (marketing), Sanjay Kumar and a host of dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

Later, Puri also interacted with students at the Varanasi centre of GAIL Utkarsh, a CSR initiative of the company that provides all-expenses paid residential coaching to 60 girls from economically weaker sections to compete for engineering and medical entrance examinations..

Source : Times of India

Correct Answer :   Malaysia

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Malaysia will grant a 30-day visa-free entry for Indian and Chinese citizens from 1st December 2023, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced, joining Thailand and Sri Lanka in recent weeks to offer such a facility to foreigners to promote tourism.

Mr. Ibrahim said the waiver was an additional facility to the existing visa exemptions currently enjoyed by Gulf nations and other West Asian countries, including Turkiye and Jordan.

However, Mr. Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister of the country, said the visa exemption was subject to top security screening, the official Bernama news agency reported.

“Initial screenings will be conducted for all tourists and visitors to Malaysia. Security is a different matter. If there are criminal records or the risk of terrorism, they will not be allowed to enter,” the Prime Minister said.

That comes under the authority of the security forces and immigration,” the Premier said.

The 30-day visa-free entry is also currently enjoyed by eight ASEAN countries for the purpose of social visits, tourism and business.

Malaysia is currently targeting 16.1 million international tourist arrivals with RM 49.3 billion in tourism receipts.

India remains to be among the top countries to contribute tourist arrivals to Malaysia.

In 2022, Malaysia welcomed a total of 3,24,548 Indian tourists, while in the first quarter of 2023, Malaysia received as many as 1,64,566 Indian tourists compared to 13,370 in the same period last year, according to data from the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, also known as Tourism Malaysia.

Currently, there are 158 flights with 30,032 seats offered weekly between India and Malaysia through Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air, AirAsia and IndiGo, said the agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia.

Malaysia’s decision follows a similar visa waiver implemented by Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Sri Lanka has introduced a visa-free entry initiative for visitors from India and six other countries, encompassing China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand.

This initiative will remain effective until March 31, 2024, and aims to boost tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka, with the Tourism Ministry setting a target of attracting five million tourists in the coming years.

Thailand has also lifted visa requirements for visitors from India and Taiwan.

Indians can travel to Thailand without a visa and stay for up to 30 days, the government announced recently.

This visa-free access for Indian passport holders is applicable from November 10, 2023, to May 10, 2024..

Source : The Hindu

Correct Answer :   Dubai

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), during the 28th Conference of Parties (CoP-28), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on November 26, 2023.

Mr. Modi will be present from November 30 to December 1, 2023 as part of WCAS proceedings. CoP-28 is being held from November 28 to December 12, under the Presidency of the UAE.

At this event, also called the “high-level segment”, world leaders or their representatives are expected to make statements on behalf of their countries outlining their intent and contribution to stemming greenhouse gas emissions. There is no official confirmation yet if the Prime Minister will make a statement.

India’s targets :

In 2021, at the 26th edition of the CoP in Glasgow, Scotland, Mr. Modi had announced five specific targets, titled Panchamrit, as part of India’s climate action plan. These consisted of committing India to be “net zero”, or carbon neutral by 2070; committing at least 500 gigawatt (GW) of energy installations by 2030 to be from non-fossil sources, cut carbon emissions by a billion tonnes, reduce the carbon-intensity of the economy by 45% and meet half of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030. Many of these goals are inter-related.

A key feature of the forthcoming CoP summit in Dubai will be the conclusion of the Global Stocktake, a first ever reckoning of the actions taken by each country towards achieving targets set at the CoP in Paris in 2015. This was to take steps to keep the globe’s average temperature from rising below 2 degrees Celsius and “as far as possible” below 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.

A spate of recent research reports show that actions collectively promised by countries so far, will see temperatures surge past the 2 degrees Celsius mark.

Climate change was a key priority area of India’s G20 Presidency, the New Delhi Leaders Declaration this September, committed these countries to “tripling” installed renewable energy capacity sources by 2030. “COP28 will provide an opportunity to take forward these successes,” the Ministry of External Affairs added..

Source : The Hindu