General Knowledge(GK) (or) General Awareness

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Social Alpha 6th Dec 2022 signed an MoU to launch SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN), India’s first dedicated platform for innovation curation and venture development for the burgeoning space entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A one-of-its-kind public-private collaboration for start-ups and SMEs in the space industry, this novel partnership is a significant step forward in providing further stimulus to India’s recent space reform policies and will work towards identifying and unleashing the market potential of the most promising space tech innovators and entrepreneurs in India.

SpIN will primarily focus on facilitating space tech entrepreneurs in three distinct innovation categories: Geospatial Technologies and Downstream Applications; Enabling Technologies for Space & Mobility; and Aerospace Materials, Sensors, and Avionics.

 

"Space applications cut across various domains from earth to sky. Innovative technologies are expected to bring paradigm shift in utilising the space applications to maximise the economic, social and environmental benefits for the larger society.

I wish the SPIN platform would be useful for various stakeholders to collaborate and contribute to the space ecosystem in the country", says Shri. S Somanath,Chairman, ISRO

 

According to the Economic Survey Report 21-22, there are now over 100 active space start-ups in India - the number of start-ups in this sector has more than doubled in the last year alone. Through this partnership, ISRO will support the creation of an open innovation and scale-up platform for all space ecosystem stakeholders and promote active collaboration to make early-stage space start-ups successful. This also marks the entry of Social Alpha in the area of space tech, a vertical that has the potential to grow manifolds and introduce innovations that can directly impact millions of lives and livelihoods..

Source : ISRO

Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from international football after Belgium’s early exit from the FIFA World Cup 2022.

 

* He was the captain of Belgium in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

 

* He made his debut against Luxembourg in 2008

 

* He moved to Real Madrid from Chelsea for an estimated £150m in 2019

 

* In 2018 World Cup, he helped Belgium to reach semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions France

 

* He made 126 appearances and scored 33 goals..

Source : News18

The national capital’s municipal corporation is all set to get its first transgender councillor as Bobby Kinnar, who was fielded by the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP), won from Sultanpuri 43 A ward of Sultanpur Majra Assembly on Wednesday(7th Dec 2022).

 

* Bobby defeated Congress’s Varuna Dhaka by 6,714 votes. After winning the Delhi civic polls, Bobby said, “I want to dedicate my victory to the people who worked so hard for me. I would like to thank everyone. Now I just have to work for development in my area.”

 

* Bobby is a known face in the Sultanpuri area. She had also contested the MCD elections in 2017 as an independent candidate. She has been associated with the AAP since the Anna Hazare movement and later when the party was formed.

 

* Bobby Kinnar is the president of the Delhi unit of 'Hindu Yuva Samaj Ekta Awam Anti-Terrorism Committee'. Bobby has been associated with this organisation for the last 15 years..

Source : India Today

State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) on Tuesday(6th Dec 2022) said it has bagged an EAG Laureate Award in the International Olympiad on Financial Security held at Sochi, Russia.

 

* The Eurasian Group on combating money laundering and financing of terrorism (EAG) is a FATF-style regional body which comprises 9 countries including India.

 

* Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an intergovernmental organisation combats with money laundering and to maintain certain interest.

 

* EAG has organised a contest on 'Best example of AML-CFT Financial Analysis' amongst the Compliance Officers of the member countries in the international Olympiad on Financial Security at Sochi, Russia on October 10, 2022, BoB said in a statement..

Source : Latestly

Sixteen-year-old "Aditya Mittal" has become India’s 77th chess Grandmaster during an ongoing tournament in Spain.

 

* The Mumbai player, who had secured three GM norms, crossed 2,500 ELO points mark during the sixth round of the ongoing Ellobregat Open tournament in Spain. He drew the game against Spain’s No.1 Francisco Vallejo Pons to achieve the feat.

 

* To become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 ELO points.

 

* Mittal earned his maiden GM norm at Serbia Masters 2021. Subsequently, he obtained his second GM norm at Ellobregat Open 2021. The teenager secured his third GM norm at Serbia Masters 2022.

 

* He is among the five players sharing the lead with five points at the ongoing Ellobregat Open.

 

* Mittal is also the fifth Indian to achieve the GM title in 2022 after Bharath Subramaniyam, Rahul Srivatshav, V Pranav V and Pranav Anand..

Source : Sportstar

The World Bank on Friday(2nd Dec 2022) approved USD 250 million financing to help Bangladesh strengthen environment management and promote private sector participation in green investment.

Successful implementation of the Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation (BEST) Project will help the country tackle key pollution issues, benefitting over 21 million people living in Greater Dhaka and beyond.

 

The project will help construct four vehicle inspection centres using private-public partnership modality to inspect about 46,000 vehicles annually. An E-waste management facility will be set up to process 3,500 metric tons of e-waste annually. The project will help reduce over 1 million metric tons of GreenHouse Gas emissions from targeted sources..

Source : News on Air

An Indian-origin teacher "Veena Nair" has received the 2022 Prime Minister's Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in secondary schools in Australia.

 

* Melbourne-based 'Veena Nair', who is ViewBank College's Head of Technology and STEAM project leader, has been awarded for demonstrating practical application of STEAM to students, and how they can use their skills to make a real impact in the world.

 

* "To be recognised in the Prime Minister's prizes for science, I am deeply humbled. I am very grateful to my school, to my colleagues, to my students, and to my family," Nair said in a video message.

 

* "Many people know about STEM -- science, technology, engineering and maths, but STEAM is with an A, which is for Art. Art brings in out of the box thinking, and it brings in creativity because students need steam skills to innovate, to become resilient and to take risks," she said.

 

* As a leading educator in STEAM, Nair has more than 20 years of experience in teaching science-based subjects across India, the United Arab Emirates, and now Australia..

Source : Business Standard

The National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) has signed an MoU with Walmart Global Sourcing India Private Limited on 6th December, 2022.

* The MoU was signed by Gaurang Dixit (Chairman, NSIC) and Prameela Mallaiah (Director and Hub Leader, Walmart) in the presence of Union Minister of MSME, Narayan Rane.

* Through this MoU, NSIC will extend the NSIC schemes and other services to MSMEs who would participate in various Vriddhi program.


Source : PIB

Olympic medallist Mirabai Chanu bagged a silver medal in the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships in Bogota, Colombia.

 

* Mirabai lifted a total of 200kg (87kg snatch + 113kg clean & jerk), 2kg more than the Olympic champion from China Hou Zhihua (198kg) and 6kg behind another Chinese, Jiang Huihua (206kg: 93+113) who won the gold medal.

 

* Hou Zhihui of China took bronze with 198 (89kg plus 109 kg).

 

* Mirabai’s wrist problem became apparent when she struggled with the overhead lift in her second clean-and-jerk attempt, but she recovered fast to finish with the best lift of 113kg. She had the best attempt of 87kg in the snatch event. Mirabai took home the silver in the clean and jerk category with her 113kg attempt.

 

* This was Mirabai’s second Worlds medal, having previously won gold at the 2017 World Championships with a lift of 194kg (85kg plus 109kg). She came in fourth place in the 2019 edition.

 

* Olympic champion Hou appeared to be labouring on the day, lifting significantly below her personal bests of 96 kg in snatch and 118kg in clean and jerk (Mirabai holds the world record in that, at 119kg).

 

* According to the Paris Olympics qualifying system, a lifter needs to compete in two compulsory events – the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 World Cup. The 2022 World Championships are the first qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where weightlifting events will be cut from 14 at Tokyo Games to 10..

Source : Theprint

Global No.3 Sukant Kadam wins the Peru Para-Badminton International on 5th December 2022 in Lima, Peru : At the recently concluded Peru Para-Badminton International, World No. 3 Sukant Kadam defeated ace shuttler Chee Hiong Ang of Singapore to win the gold medal.

 

India Won A Total Of 14 Medals—Six Gold, One Silver, And Seven Bronze.

 

Sukant kept up with his predominance right from the word go in the finals. He crushed Chee Hiong Ang in straight sets with a score line of 21-14 and 21-15. There were 32 minutes of play. The pro shuttler didn’t put a foot wrong and had an incredible last..

Source : Sports Unfold