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 AFFAIRSCLOUD TODAY
Current Affairs 4 November 2022 : Headlines

1. Cabinet Approvals on November 2 2022

2. Highlights of PM Narendra Modi visit to Gujarat & Rajasthan; Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan
declared as National Monument
3. Indian Army collaborates with Tata Power To Set Up 17 EV Charging Stations At Delhi
Cantonment
4. MoE Report: Performance Grading Index for States/UTs for The Year 2020-21
5. MoE Releases UDISE+ Report 2021–22; GER Shows Progress in 2021–22
6. Heavy Industries Ministry announces new safety tests for electric vehicles
7. Rural Development Ministry signs agreement with Patanjali
8. WTO to Increase Presence at COP 27 & Release World Trade Report 2022
9. ABHICL Partners with IDFC FIRST Bank for Bancassurance
10. IPPB conducts India’s 1st Floating Financial Literacy Camp in J&K; Niveshak Didi’ Initiative
Launched to Promote Financial Literacy
11. ADB Funds Smartchem Technologies’ Farm Efficiency Initiative
12. Chqbook & NSDL Payments Bank Partners to Launch Zero-balance Digital Current Account
13. AirAsia Aviation Group sold its remaining stake in AirAsia(India) to Tata group-led Air India
14. French Government Honoured Carnatic Vocalist Aruna Sairam with Chevalier Award
15. KSRTC’s ‘Grama Vandi’ wins national recognition
16. EESL Appoints Former Power Secretary Vishal Kapoor as CEO
17. FICCI announces Subhrakant Panda as its President-Elect
18. First time: CRPF appoints 2 women cadre officers as IG of RAF, Bihar sector
19. DRDO Successfully Conducts Maiden Flight-Test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence Interceptor
20. Noted Women’s Rights Activist & Padma Bhushan Recipient Ela Bhatt Passed Away
21. MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches ‘Ladli Laxmi 2.0’ Financial Assistance Scheme for Girls

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 NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Cabinet Approvals on November 2 2022
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals:
i.Mechanism for ethanol procurement by public sector OMCs under EBP programme

ii.Renaming of Itanagar’s Hollongi Airport as Donyi Polo airport

iii.Nutrient Based Subsidy rates for Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizers for Rabi season 2022-23
iv.Signing of a MoU between India and Denmark in the field of Water Resources Development and Management
Cabinet approves mechanism for Ethanol Procurement by public sector OMCs under EBP programme
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the PM Narendra Modi approved the
Mechanism for procurement of ethanol by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) under Ethanol
Blended Petrol (EBP) Program.
It has revised the ethanol price under the EBP programme for supply to Public Sector OMCs for Ethanol Supply
Year (ESY) 2022-23 from 1st December 2022 to 31st October, 2023.
The revisions are on the higher side which is as follows:
Category New Price (Rs per litre) Old Price (Rs per litre)
Ethanol from C heavy molasses Route 49.41 46.66
Ethanol from B heavy molasses route 60.73 59.08
Ethanol from sugarcane juice/sugar/sugar syrup route 65.61 63.45
Additionally, GST (Goods and Service Tax) and transportation charges will also be payable.
Key Points:
i.It has been decided to redefine ESY as a period of ethanol supply from 1st November of a year to 31st October
of the following year w.e.f. November 1, 2023.
• This decision has been taken due to the availability of ethanol from the beginning of sugar season
due to conversion of sugarcane juice and B heavy molasses to ethanol.
ii.Remunerative price to ethanol suppliers will help in early payment to cane farmers.
iii.The Central Government has been implementing EBP Programme wherein OMCs sell petrol blended with
ethanol up to 10%. Since 2o19, this programme has covered whole of India except Union Territories (UTs) of
Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands to promote the use of alternative and environment friendly fuels.
• It also envisages reducing import dependence for energy requirements and giving boost to
agriculture sector.
iv.The target of achieving average 10% blending has been achieved in June, 2022, ahead of the target date of
November, 2022.
v.The Government has advanced the target of 20% ethanol blending in petrol from earlier 2030 to ESY 2025-
26 and a “Roadmap for ethanol blending in India 2020-25” has also been put in public domain.
• It is also enhancing the ethanol distillation capacity to 923 crore litre per annum;

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Cabinet approves renaming of Itanagar’s Hollongi Airport as Donyi Polo airport
The Union Cabinet also approved a proposal to rename the newly constructed Hollongi airport as Donyi Polo
airport in order to promote Donyi Polo, an indigenous faith practised
by Tani and other Tibeto Burman communities in Arunachal Pradesh (AR). It involves worshipping the Sun
(Donyi) and Moon (Polo).
Key Points:
i.The airport is the AR’s first greenfield civilian airport situated near Itanagar. It has been built by the Airport
Authority of India (AAI) with an outlay of Rs 646 crore.
ii.It is also AR’s first full fledged airport. It will serve as the primary gateway and will be able to handle Airbus
A320 and Boeing 737 aircraft with a capacity of 150 to 180 passengers each.
iii.The airport has a 2,300-metre long runway.
Cabinet approves NBS rates for Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizers for Rabi season 2022-23
The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for per Kilogram rates of
Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) for various Nutrients viz. Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potash (K) and Sulphar
(S) for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers for Rabi Season/Winter Planting Season 2022-23 i.e. from
October 10, 2022 to March 3, 2022.
• This subsidy will cost Rs 51,875 crore to the Central Government.
• This will enable smooth availability of all P&K fertilizers to the farmers during Rabi 2022-23 at
affordable prices.
Following are the subsidized rates:
Rupees per Kilogram
Year N P K S
Rabi 2022-23 98.02 66.93 23.65 6.12
Cabinet approves signing of a MoU between India and Denmark on cooperation in the field of Water
Resources Development and Management
The Union Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Denmark on
cooperation in the field of Water Resources Development and Management.
• The MoU will also strengthen cooperation in rural water supply; sewage/wastewater treatment
through direct collaboration between officials, academics, water sectors and industry.
Areas of Cooperation:
Digitalisation and ease of information access; integrated and smart water resources development and
management; aquifer mapping, groundwater modelling; efficient and sustainable water supply at household
level; river and water body rejuvenation to enhance liveability, resilience and economic development; circular
economy for reuse/recycling of wastewater; climate change mitigation and adaptation, among others.
Background:
On September 28, Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and PM Narendra Modi, co-chaired a virtual
summit between India and Denmark where both sides launched a joint statement on establishing green
strategic partnership.
Recent Related News:
i.The Union Cabinet has approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to be
communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
ii.The Union Cabinet has approved the “Widening access of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL)
database to users, besides patent offices.
About Denmark:
Capital– Copenhagen
Currency– Danish Krone

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Highlights of PM Narendra Modi visit to Gujarat & Rajasthan; Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan
declared as National Monument
The Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi was on a state visit to Gujarat and Rajasthan from October 30
– November 1, 2022 to attend programs, laying of foundation stones and for inaugurations. Following are its
details:

Visit to Gujarat:
PM in Vadodara:
Here he laid the foundation stone of C-295 Aircraft Manufacturing Facility which is the first aircraft
manufacturing facility in private sector in India. Click Here to Read
PM in Kevadia:
On October 31, 2022, at the Status of Unity, Kevadia, the PM participated in the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas
celebrations. It should be noted that the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel viz. 31st October is
celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas to strengthen the unity, integrity and security of India.
Key Points:
i.During the celebrations, Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Parade was held which included the contingents of BSF (Border
Security Force) and of five State Police Forces, one each from Northern Zone (Haryana), Western Zone (Madhya
Pradesh), Southern Zone (Telangana), Eastern Zone (Odisha) and North Eastern Zone (Tripura); six Police
Sports Medal winners of the Commonwealth Games 2022.
ii.There was also a performance by Tribal children’s musical band from Ambaji. The members of the Band
once used to beg at Ambaji temple.
PM addressed the Officer Trainees at Culmination of Aarambh 4.0
The PM addressed the Officer Trainees of the 97th Common Foundation Course at the culmination of
Aarambh 4.0 at Kevadia.
• The 4th edition of Aarambh has been held on the theme of ‘Digital Governance: Foundation &
Frontiers’, to help Officer Trainees on utilizing the technological solutions to strengthen Public
Service delivery.
• The batch includes 455 Officer Trainees from 13 Services, from across 29 States and UTs.
He also dedicated two new tourist attractions at Kevadia viz. Maze Garden and Miyawaki Forest. Click Here to
Read
PM in Tharad, Banaskantha
i.The PM laid the foundation stone of various water supply projects worth over Rs 8000 crores during a public
programme in Tharad, Banaskantha.
ii.He also laid the foundation stone of several other projects, including the Kasara to Dantiwada Pipeline from
the main Narmada Canal, costing over Rs. 1560 crores.
iii.There will be strengthening of Sujlam Suflam Canal, extension of Modhera-Moti Dau pipeline to Mukteshwar
Dam-Karmavat Lake, lift irrigation scheme for 11 villages of Santalpur Taluka, among others.
PM in Ahmedabad
The PM dedicated the nation two railway projects worth over Rs 2900 crores at Asarva, Ahmedabad. He
flagged off new trains between Bhavnagar – Jetalsar; and between Asarva – Udaipur.

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Key Points:
i.The 300 Km long Asarva – Himmatnagar – Udaipur Gauge Converted Line will improve connectivity and prove
beneficial for tourists, traders, manufacturing units and industries in the region, and boost employment
opportunities.
ii.The 58 Km long Lunidhar-Jetalsar Gauge Converted Line will provide a shorter route for Pipavav Port and
Bhavnagar from Veraval and Porbandar. It will enhance freight carrying capacity, and facilitate seamless
connectivity to Gir sanctuary, Somnath temple, Diu and Girnar hills.
PM in Panchmahal
Here, he dedicated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 860 crores in Jambughoda,
Panchmahal.
i.He dedicated the new campus of Shri Govind Guru University, Godhara along with Sant Joriya Parameshwar
Primary School and Memorial located at village Vadek and Raja Rup Singh Nayak Primary School and Memorial
located at village Dandiyapura.
ii.He laid the foundation stone for the building of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Godhra, and for the development of
Godhra Medical College and expansion of Kaushalya – The Skill University, worth over Rs. 680 crores.
Visit to Rajasthan: Mangarh Dham declared as National Monument
On November 1, 2022, he visited Rajasthan’s Banswara district, where he attended a public programme
‘Mangarh Dham ki Gaurav Gatha’ at Mangarh Hill, Banswara, Rajasthan, to pay homage to the sacrifices of the
unsung tribal heroes and martyrs of the freedom struggle.
• During the programme, Mangarh Dham in the Banswara District of Rajasthan was declared as a
National Monument.
• The PM paid homage to Bhil freedom fighter Shri Govind Guru and also addressed a gathering of
Bhil Adivasis and other tribal population of the region.
The Importance of Mangarh Hill:
During the freedom struggle, Bhils and other tribes engaged in a long stand-off with the British, as more than
1.5 lakh Bhils rallied at Mangarh Hill on November 17, 1913 under the leadership of Shri Govind Guru.
Britishers opened fire at this gathering, leading to Mangarh Massacre where approximately 1500 tribals were
martyred.

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Recent Related News:
i.PM Narendra Modi visited Gujarat and Tamil Nadu on July 28 and 29, 2022. During his visit, he inaugurated
and laid the foundation stones for numerous Sabar Dairy projects in Gujarat, including Gadhoda Chowki and
Sabarkantha, and then travelled to Chennai to declare open the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 at the Jawaharlal
Nehru (JLN) Indoor Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
ii.The Government of Rajasthan has approved a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Satluj Jal Vidyut
Nigam Limited (SJVN Limited) for the development of 10,000 MW (MegaWatt) renewable energy projects. This
project would require an investment of around Rs 50,000 crore in the next 5 to 7 years.
About Gujarat:
Chief Minister – Bhupendra Rajnikant Patel
Governor– Acharya Devvrat
Zoological Park – Sakkarbaug zoo, Junagadh; Dr. Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Zoological Garden (Sarthana
Nature Park), Surat
Airports – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad; Dholera International Airport, Dholera

Indian Army collaborates with Tata Power To Set Up 17 EV Charging Stations At Delhi
Cantonment
On 2nd November 2022, the Indian Army collaborated with Tata Power Company Limited, India’s largest
integrated power company and the country’s largest Electric Vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider, to set
up 17 EV charging stations at various locations in Delhi Cantonment.

• The first Charging Station for EVs at the Taurus Station Canteen in Delhi Cantonment was
inaugurated by Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Dhiraj Seth, the General Officer Commanding Delhi
(GOC) Area, Delhi.
Key Points:
i. The 17 charging stations can be used by both personal and official EVs of the Indian Army and the employees
working in the Delhi Cantonment.
ii. The Indian Army has provided the space for setting up a Charging station in the parking lot and arranging
upstream power infrastructure to power the fast charging points.
iii. The Indian Army and Tata Power have taken a unique step in implementing the Government of
India’s National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) and the Indian Army’s ‘Go-Green’ Initiative’.
iv. TATA Power’s EZ charge smartphone app, which is available on all platforms, has made it simple and
straightforward to access charging stations for EV users.
v. The charging station has a variety of features and provides a seamless EV charging experience to EV users
including e-payment, location of the nearest EV charging station etc.
About Tata Power Company Limited:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director (MD)- Praveer Sinha
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment- 1915

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MoE Report: Performance Grading Index for States/UTs for The Year 2020-21
The Performance Grading Index (PGI) for States/Union Territories (UTs) for 2020–21, a special index for
evidence-based comprehensive analysis of the school education system across States & UTs, was released by
the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education (MoE).

• The Indian Education System is one of the largest in the world, with around 14.9 lakh schools, 95
lakh teachers, and nearly 26.5 crore students from various socioeconomic backgrounds.
Performance Grading Index (PGI)
i.PGI was developed by the DoSE&L for States/UTs to provide insights and a data-driven mechanism on school
education performance and achievements across all States/UTs.
• PGI’s primary objective is to promote evidence-based policymaking and prioritize course correction
to achieve quality education for all.
ii.DoSE&L has so far released 3 PGI reports for States/UTs, i.e., for the years 2017–18, 2019–20, and the 2020–
21 report.
iii.The PGI structure consists of 1000 points over 70 indicators divided into 2 categories: Outcomes &
Governance Management (GM).
• These categories are further broken down into 5 domains: Learning Outcomes (LO), Access (A),
Infrastructure& Facilities (IF), Equity (E) & Governance Process (GP).
PGI for States/UTs for 2020-21
i.PGI 2020-21 categorised states and UTs into ten categories, as in previous years.
• The highest achievable Grade is Level 1, which is for State/UTs achieving more than 950 points
out of a total of 1000 points.
• Level 10, which is given for scores below 551, is the lowest grade.
ii.In 2020–21, 7 States/UTs—Kerala, Punjab, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra
Pradesh—achieved Level II (scores of 901–950), compared to none in 2017–18 and 4 in 2019–20.
• The 3 new entrants to Level II in 2020–21 are Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh —the
highest level attained by any state till date.
iii.Ladakh, a newly created UT, increased significantly from Level 8 to Level 4 in PGI in 2020–21, or by 299
points when compared to 2019–20, indicating the highest improvement in a single year ever.
Recent Related News:
In August 2022, The Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
(MeitY) launched the ‘Responsible AI for Youth 2022’ program which was created by the National E-
Governance Division, MeitY in collaboration with Intel India and with the support of the Ministry of Education
(MoE).
About Ministry of Education (MoE):
Union Minister – Dharmendra Pradhan (Rajya Sabha – Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Annpurna Devi; Dr. Subhas Sarkar; Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh Departments under
MoE – Department of School Education and Literacy; Department of Higher Education.

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MoE Releases UDISE+ Report 2021–22; GER Shows Progress in 2021–22
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has published a comprehensive report on the ‘Unified District Information
System for Education Plus (UDISE+) 2021-2022’ on school education in India.

• According to the report, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) at the primary, upper primary, and
higher secondary levels of education increased in 2021–2022 compared to 2020–21.
GER compares the enrollment in a given educational level to the population in the age group that is most age-
appropriate for that level of education.
Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+)
i.In 2018–19, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DOSE&L), MoE, developed the UDISE+ system
to collect data from schools online.
• Objective: To overcome the challenges associated with the earlier method of manual data entry on
paper.
ii.Improvements have been made to the UDISE+ system, particularly in the areas of data collecting, data
mapping, and data verification.
iii.To comply with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) objectives, more data on key indicators,
such as digital library, peer learning, hard spot identification, number of books available in school libraries etc.,
have been collected for the first time in UDISE+ 2021-2022.
Click here to access the UDISE+ 2021-2022 Report
Key Report Findings:
i.The report states that GER in Higher Secondary has improved significantly, rising from 53.8% in 2020–21 to
57.6% in 2021–22.
ii.The total number of students enrolled in primary to higher secondary education in 2021–22 was 25.57 crore,
up from 25.38 crore in 2020–21, a 19.36 lakh increase in enrollment.
• Total Scheduled Caste (SC) enrollment climbed to around 4.82 crore (~4.83 crore) in 2021-22, up
from 4.78 crore in 2020-21.
• Total Scheduled Tribe (ST) enrollment grew from 2.49 crore in 2020-21 to 2.51 crore in 2021-22.
• Total Other Backward Caste (OBC) students increased from 11.35 crore in 2020–21 to 11.48 crore
in 2021–22.
• A total of 22.67 lakh Children with Special Needs (CWSN) are enrolled in schools in 2021–2022,
up from 21.91 lakh in 2020–201, indicating a 3.45% rise.
Gender Parity Index (GPI)
The GER Gender Parity Index (GPI) shows that the representation of females in school education corresponds
to the representation of girls in the population of the respective age group.
• Over 12.29 crore girls are enrolled in primary to higher secondary schools in 2021-22, a rise of 8.19
lakh over the enrollment of girls in 2020-21.
The GPI value at all levels of school education is one or more, signifying increased participation of girls in
school education.

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Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR)
i.During 2021-22, 95.07 lakh teachers are engaged in school education, with more than 51% being female
teachers.
ii.Furthermore, the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) in 2021-22 was 26 for primary, 19 for upper primary, 18 for
secondary, and 27 for higher secondary.
• In 2018–19, the PTR for primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary was 28, 19, 21,
and 30, respectively.
iii.The total number of schools in 2021-22 was 14.89 lakhs, down from 15.09 lakhs in 2020-21.
• The decrease in total schools is primarily due to the closure of private and other management
schools, as well as school grouping or clustering by various states.
Recent Related News:
i.According to the annual report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), India has faced an acute shortage of Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) over the last 10 years.
ii.The Ministry of Education (MoE) gave the ratio that Primary School PTR came down to 26.3 in 2020-2021
from 43 in 2010-2011.
About Ministry of Education (MoE):
Union Minister – Dharmendra Pradhan (Rajya Sabha – Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Annpurna Devi; Dr. Subhas Sarkar; Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh

Heavy Industries Ministry announces new safety tests for electric vehicles
The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) announced a list of safety tests for electric vehicles (EV) that will be
mandatory from April 2023 to claim incentives under various schemes such as production linked
incentive(PLI) scheme for Automobile and Auto components, ACC(Advanced Chemistry Cell) and (Faster
Adoption and Manufacturing) FAME II scheme.
i.It will enhance human safety by ensuring quality at three levels of the battery pack, battery management
system (BMS) and the cell level.
ii.These tests are widely carried out and accepted internationally.
• Mahendra Nath Pandey is the current Minister of Heavy Industries.

Rural Development Ministry signs agreement with Patanjali

The Ministry of Rural Development signed an agreement with Patanjali Ayurved for marketing of products
made by women self help groups(SHGs) under DAY-NRLM (Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural
Livelihood Mission).
i.In the presence of Union rural development minister Giriraj Singh, additional secretary in the ministry
Charanjit Singh signed an agreement with Acharya Balkrishna, Secretary General, Divya Yog Mandir Trust on
behalf of Patanjali.
ii.The Fast-moving consumer goods(FMCG) firm will market the products and also provide them opportunities
of getting dealership and distribution of such products.
iii.The ministry has recognised Patanjali as National Resource Organization (NRO) for its National Rural
Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) as per the agreement
• NRLM is a flagship programme of the ministry to improve the quality of life in rural areas through
the SHG ecosystem.
iv.Patanjali will do co-branding of the products made by women SHGs.

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 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
WTO to Increase Presence at COP 27 & Release World Trade Report 2022
The World Trade Organization (WTO) will take a substantial role in the upcoming Conference of the
Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC (UN Climate Change), which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Arab Republic of
Egypt, from November 6–18, 2022.

• Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General (DG) of the WTO, will attend world leaders’ summit
events.
The WTO’s World Trade Report 2022, titled “Climate Change and International Trade”, will also be
released at COP27.
Scheduled WTO Participation at COP 27:
i.Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, DG, WTO, will speak at the “Roundtable on Food Security”, which is being co-
hosted by Egypt and the World Economic Forum(WEF), at COP 27.
ii.She will take part as a speaker in the session on “When Will Leaders Lead?” The State Role
in Mobilising and Directing Finance for Climate and Health”.
iii.She will address at a conference on “Accelerating Adaptation in Africa”, co-organized by the African Union
(AU) and the Global Center for Adaptation (GCA).
iv.She will also speak on “Implementing Trade-Related Contributions to The Global Response to Climate
Change.”
• The WTO’s World Trade Report 2022 on Climate Change will be unveiled during this session.
v.The WTO will also participate in events with other organizations to discuss trade and climate change issues.
Key Points:
i.The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) states in Article 3.5 that “Measures
taken to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or
unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade”.
ii.At COP 26 in Glasgow, United Kingdom (UK), India defied pressure from developed nations to accept a 2050
deadline for reaching “net zero emissions” and instead extended it by 20 years to 2070.
• This suggests that India intends to meet environmental goals at its own pace and does not want to
be pressured by the WTO into making strict commitments.
About World Trade Organization (WTO):
WTO is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
Director-General – Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Establishment – 1995
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Members – 164 Members

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 BANKING & FINANCE
ABHICL Partners with IDFC FIRST Bank for Bancassurance
Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited (ABHICL) has entered into
a bancassurance partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank for distribution of health insurance products through
the bank’s digital platform and its network.

Features of the partnership:

i.This partnership with IDFC First Bank will strengthen ABHI’s distribution and create growth opportunities
through the bank’s network.
ii.This will support ABHI to reach the extended market base with its Health First insurance solutions and
increase the insurance penetration in India.
iii.This will also empower the customers of IDFC first bank with protection solutions.
Bancassurance:
i.Bancassurance is an insurance distribution model where any insurance companies partner with banks to
sell their insurance policies.
ii.Through the partnership, both bank and the insurance company are benefitted, where the bank earns a
commission from the insurance company and on the other hand the company will gain from the bank’s
distribution network.
About Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited (ABHICL):
Aditya Birla Health Insurance Company Limited (ABHICL), a part of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), is a
joint venture between Aditya Birla Group and MMI Holdings of South Africa.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Mayank Bathwal
Established – 2015
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra

IPPB conducts India’s 1st Floating Financial Literacy Camp in J&K; Niveshak Didi’ Initiative
Launched to Promote Financial Literacy
On 2nd November 2022, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) along with ‘Niveshak Didi’ an initiative to promote
financial literacy “By the women, for the women”, conducted India’s First Floating Financial Literacy Camp in
Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).
• Niveshak Didi was launched by IPPB in collaboration with Investor Education and Protection Fund
Authority (IEPFA) under the aegis of Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to promote Financial
Literacy.
Key Points:
i.IPPB conducted the Financial Literacy Camp among the local residents by a newly appointed ‘Niveshak
Didi’ around the Dal Lake of Srinagar, J&K as a part of the ‘Niveshak Didi’ initiative.

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ii.The floating financial literacy camp was conducted under supervision of Gursharan Rai Bansal, Chief General
Manager & Chief Sales & Marketing Officer and Vishwanath Divya, Asst. General Manager (Marketing) along
with IPPB & DoP team from Srinagar, J&K.
iii.The Niveshak Didi held the Financial Literacy session in the local Kashmiri language and the whole session
was conducted in the waters of the Dal lake on multiple Shikaras(wooden boats found on Dal Lake).
• The session covered topics ranging from banking and financial products, importance of joining the
mainstream financial services offered by regulated entities & protection against various types of
risks involved with investments and measures of fraud prevention.
About Niveshak Didi initiative:
i.Niveshak Didi, a female dakiya, having deep social connect to rural masses, will collaborate and resolve
queries of women in a comfortable environment with greater financial awareness.
ii.Niveshak Didi initiative is based on the ideology of women, as rural area women feel more comfortable to
share their queries with other females.
About India Post Payments Bank (IPPB):
IPPB has been established under the Department of Posts, under the Ministry of Communication and 100
percent owned by the Government of India (GoI).
Chairman & Director – Vineet Pandey
MD & CEO- J Venkatramu
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment – 2018.

ADB Funds Smartchem Technologies’ Farm Efficiency Initiative

Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to fund the farm efficiency initiative of Smartchem Technologies
Limited (STL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation (DFPCL)
through a USD 30 million (Blue loan) loan facility for a tenure of 5 years.

• This is ADB’s first agribusiness ‘Blue Loan’ and it is India’s first such blue loan in this sector.

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 • The loan will be used to finance capital expenditure and also research and development of
enhanced-efficiency specialty fertilisers.
Key highlights:
i.In addition, ADB has also given approval for a technical assistance grant of USD 5,00,000 for building capacity
for Soil Nutrition Management among Smallholder Farmers and Climate Resilience in India.
ii.ADB has chosen STL to provide loan for its,
• Leading market position in the enhanced efficiency specialised fertilisers (EESF) segment, with
advanced technical capability and satisfactory financial performance.
• Growth potential from the enhancement of fertiliser production capacity to provide quality inputs.
• Actions to encourage the application of EESFs, which will support the sustainable transformation of
agriculture in India while improving its resilience to climate change.
iii.EESF has shown increased output while reducing the need for fertiliser application rate and thereby
reducing environmental impact and supports Nutrient uptake efficiencies, thus delivering better productivity
leading to improved food security.

Chqbook & NSDL Payments Bank Partners to Launch Zero-balance Digital Current Account
On 2nd November 2022 Chqbook, a neobank for small business owners partnered with National Securities
Depository Limited (NSDL) Payments Bank to launch a zero-balance digital current account for small business
owners.

• The Chqbook’s current account for business will allow small businesses to make deposits,
withdrawals and also accepts Unified Payment Interface (UPI) transactions.
Key highlights:
i.Small business owners like kiranas, chemists and among others, can open a current account instantly on the
Chqbook App from their smartphone, which are available in 8 different languages.
ii.This digital current account offers features including downloading account statements to reconcile
transactions, adding and managing beneficiaries, providing transaction history, ensuring easy fund transfers
and enhanced biometric security.
iii.Customers can make cash deposits easily and can also avail a Point Of Sale (POS) machine on the Chqbook
App.
About Chqbook:
Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Vipul Sharma
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
Establishment – 2020

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 ECONOMY & BUSINESS
AirAsia Aviation Group sold its remaining stake in AirAsia(India) to Tata group-led Air India
AirAsia Aviation Group Limited(AAAGL) has sold its remaining stake(16.33%) in its India operations,
AirAsia(India) Private Limited, to Air India Limited owned by Talace Private Limited, a subsidiary of Tata
Sons.

AirAsia Aviation Group gets Rs 155 crore from the sale of its remaining stake and the Tata. group takes full
ownership of AirAsia.
• On 2nd November 2022, Air India signed the agreements to complete the acquisition of 100%
shareholdings in AirAsia India and to subsidiaries under Air India.
Note: AirAsia (India) Private Limited was founded in 2013 as a joint venture between Tata Sons Private
Limited and AirAsia Aviation Group Limited.
Background:
i.Previously, In December 2020, Tata acquired a 32.7% stake in AirAsia India from AirAsia Aviation Group for
Rs 276.29 crore.
ii.Tata group, which acquired Air India from the government of India, intends to merge AirAsia India and Air
India Express as a part of its aim to consolidate its aviation business.
Working group:
i.A working group co-led by Sunil Bhaskaran, CEO & MD of AirAsia India and Aloke Singh, CEO of Air India
Express has been formed to evaluate and execute the integration of the AI Group’s low-cost operations.
ii.The working group will report to a committee chaired by Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO of Air India.
Key Points:
Following the completion of the transaction, AAAGL will not hold any equity interest in AirAsia India and the
brand license and technical service agreements between AAAGL and AirAsia India will be terminated after 12
months from the date o termination of shareholders agreements.
About Air India Limited:
Air India was founded by Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy (JRD) Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932.
Chairman– N Chandrasekaran
MD & CEO– Campbell Wilson
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi.

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 AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
French Government Honoured Carnatic Vocalist Aruna Sairam with Chevalier Award
French Government has honoured Indian Carnatic Vocalist Aruna Sairam with Chevalier de l’Ordre National du
Mérite, the Knight of the Order of the Merit, in recognition of her singing talent and her contribution to the
development of Indo-France relations.

• The announcement was made by Lise Talbot Barré, Consul General of France in Pondicherry and
Chennai.
• Minister of Culture of the French Republic, Rima Abdul Malak has appointed Aruna Sairam to the
rank of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Note: Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the
President of the French Republic.
About Aruna Sairam:
i.Aruna Sairam is a decorated the Carnatic vocalist, composer, humanitarian and speaker born into a Tamil
family in Bombay(now Mumbai), Maharashtra.
ii.She is a disciple of legendary vocalist, Sangita Kalanidhi T. Brinda.
iii.She founded the “Nadayogam Trust” in 2011 to work towards the musical education of underprivileged
students.
iv.She has also served as the Vice-Chairperson of the Sangeet Natak Akademi and Advisor to the Department of
Culture, Tamil Nadu.
v.She has received several awards which includes
• Kalaimamani by government of Tamil Nadu in 2006,
• United States(US) Congress Proclamation of Excellence in 2008
• Padma Shri (Arts) by Government of India in 2009
• Sangita Kalanidhi by Music Academy in 2018.

KSRTC’s ‘Grama Vandi’ wins national recognition

The ‘Grama Vandi’ of Kerala Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), won the Award of Excellence in Urban
Transport in association with local self-government institutions in kerala.It won the national ‘Commentation
Award in Urban Transport’ under the category of ‘City with the best Public Transport System’.
• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs proposed the awards to strengthen public transport in all
urban areas of India.
• The awards would be presented by Governor Arif Mohammad Khan in the presence of Union
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishore at the Urban Mobility India (UMI)
conference to be held in Kochi on November 6, 2022.

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 • Note – In 2018, KSRTC is the India’s first State Transport Undertaking won the International Road
Transport Union (IRU) Bus Excellence Runner up Award.
• Hardeep Singh Puri is the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

EESL Appoints Former Power Secretary Vishal Kapoor as CEO
Energy Efficiency Services Limited(EESL), a joint venture of Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) under the
Ministry of Power, has appointed Vishal Kapoor, former Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Power, as its Chief
Executive Officer(CEO).

• He succeeds Arun Kumar Mishra who was appointed as the CEO on deputation(for 1 year) in
October 2021.
• EESL is the world’s largest public Energy Service Company (ESCO).
About Vishal Kapoor:
i.Prior to this appointment as the CEO of EESL, he completed his tenure as the joint secretary in the Ministry of
Power.
• He has led several government interventions, schemes, and reforms in the distribution sector.
• He has also spearheaded cyber security and Information technology (IT) initiatives in the power
sector.
• He has played a major role in the creation of revamped distribution sector scheme for the
operational and financial turnaround of distribution utilities.
ii.He has also worked in the Indian Railways in various capacities in design, operations and maintenance of
Rolling Stock of Indian Railways.
• He introduced the high-capacity car carrying freight cars in India and exported locomotives to
Tanzania and Myanmar.
About Energy Efficiency Services Limited(EESL):
EESL is a joint venture of 4 PSUs: NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation Limited, REC Limited and
POWERGRID Corporation of India Limited.
CEO– Vishal Kapoor
Chairman– K. Sreekant
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

FICCI announces Subhrakant Panda as its President-Elect

On 2nd November 2022, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) announced
Subhrakant Panda, Senior Vice President of FICCI & Managing Director (MD) of Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys
Ltd (IMFA), as its President-Elect (2022-2023).
• He is the 1st Odisha industrialist to hold a top position in FICCI.

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Subhrakant Panda will succeed Sanjiv Mehta as president of FICCI at the end of the 95th Annual General
Meeting (AGM), which is to be held on 16th and 17th December 2022.
About Subhrakant Panda:
i. In 1993, he joined Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA) Group, the country’s leading, fully integrated
producer of ferro alloys, and has handled various responsibilities over the years. In 2006 he was appointed
Managing Director (MD) of the flagship company IMFA.
ii. He is a member of the FICCI Steering Committee and the Chairman of the National Manufacturing Committee,
having previously served as Chairman of the Odisha State Council.
iii. He is the 3rd Indian to have been elected President of the Paris-based International Chromium Development
Association (ICDA) and served from 2013 to 2015.
iv. Between 2017 and 2018, he was the President of the International Chamber of Commerce- India (ICC India).
About the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI):
President- Sanjiv Mehta
President-Elect– Subhrakant Panda
Headquarters- New Delhi
Establishment- 1927

CRPF appoints 2 women cadre officers as IG of RAF, Bihar sector

Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) has appointed two women officers Annie Abraham and Seema Dhundia as
Inspectors General (IG) of its specialised anti-riots unit Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Bihar Sector.It was
the first time that the women officers have promoted as Inspectors General in CRPF.
• Annie Abraham has been appointed as the First women IG of RAF.Rapid Action Force of CRPF is
getting a woman officer as its head since its raising in 1992. Seema Dhundia has been posted as IG of
the Bihar Sector.
• Both the women officers joined the paramilitary force in 1987 as the first batch of women officers.
• They have also commanded an all-women Indian police contingent at the United Nations(UN).
• They received President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, Police Medal for Meritorious
Service and the ‘Ati Utkrisht Sewa Padak’ during their service.
• The CRPF was the first Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) to induct women in combat in 1986. It
has six battalions for women with constables of 6,000 posts at present.

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 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
DRDO Successfully Conducts Maiden Flight-Test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence
Interceptor
On 3rd November 2022, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful
maiden flight-test of the phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence(BMD) interceptor AD-1 missile from APJ Abdul
Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.

• The test was carried out with the participation of all ballistic missile defence weapon system
elements located at different geographical locations.
• The performance of all the sub-systems was validated by the data captured by a number of range
sensors including Radar, Telemetry and Electro-Optical Tracking stations deployed to capture the
flight data.
About AD-1 missile:
i.The AD-1 is a long-range interceptor missile designed for both low exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric
interception of long-range ballistic missiles and aircraft.
ii.It has a two-stage solid motor and is also equipped with an indigenously-developed advanced control system,
navigation and guidance algorithm to precisely guide the vehicle to the target.
iii.This interceptor will provide operational flexibility to the users and also engage in different types of targets.
About Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO):
Chairman – Dr Samir V Kamat
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

OBITUARY
Noted Women’s Rights Activist & Padma Bhushan Recipient Ela Bhatt Passed Away
On 2nd November 2022, Noted Gandhian Ela Ramesh Bhatt, a Women’s rights activist and a Padma Bhushan
recipient, passed away in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, at the age of 89. She was fondly known as “Elaben”.
About Ela Ramesh Bhatt:
i. Ela Ramesh Bhatt was born on 7th September 1933 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. She was a well-known Gandhian
who fought for women’s economic empowerment.
ii. In 1955, she joined the legal department of the Textile Labour Association (TLA), India’s oldest union for
textile workers, founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1918.
iii. Ela Bhatt founded the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), a union for self-employed women
workers in 1972.
iv. Under Ela Bhatt’s leadership, SEWA established a cooperative bank in 1974 to provide small loans to poor
women looking to start their own businesses. She served as the Secretary-General of SEWA until her retirement
in 1996.

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v. In 1979, she Co-founded Women’s World Banking (WWB), a global nonprofit financial institution that assists
poor women, along with Esther Afua Ocloo and Michaela Walsh.
vi. In 2007, Ela Bhatt joined “The Elders”, a group of world leaders that was founded by Nelson Mandela to
promote human rights and peace, and she became an emeritus member in 2016.
Awards:
Ela Bhatt is the recipient of numerous National and International awards, which include, the Ramon
Magsaysay Award (1977), the Padma Bhushan (1986 – Social Work), the Right Livelihood Award (1984),
the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize (2011) and many other accolades.

STATE NEWS
MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches ‘Ladli Laxmi 2.0’ Financial Assistance Scheme for Girls
On 2nd November 2022, Chief Minister (CM) of Madhya Pradesh(MP) Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the
flagship scheme of Madhya Pradesh, ‘Ladli Laxmi 2.0‘, to encourage girls to pursue higher education and make
them independent. Under the scheme, the government will cover the college expenses of the girl child.
• CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the ‘Ladli Laxmi Yojana’ in 2007 after he became the Chief
Minister for the 1st time in 2005.
‘Ladli Laxmi Yojana’:
The Ladli Laxmi scheme provides monetary benefits to qualified female children to ensure they receive a good
education and to improve society’s perspectives about the birth of a girl’s child.
• Under the scheme, from the day of the birth, money will be deposited into the girl child’s account in
stages amounting to Rs 1.43 lakh when she turns 21. The scheme restricts the parents from
marrying off the girl child before 18.
Key Points:
i. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan transferred a total of Rs 1.85 crore into the bank accounts of 1,477 Ladli Laxmi
scheme beneficiary girls to enable them to pursue higher education.
ii. He announced an incentive of Rs 25,000 in two instalments for higher education under Ladli Laxmi Yojana
2.0.
• The 1st instalment of Rs 12,500 was distributed to about 1437 girls as an incentive for further
education under the Ladli Laxmi Yojana 2.0 at Ravindra Bhawan.
Additional Information:
CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan also inaugurated ‘Ladli Laxmi Vatika’, which is being developed as a theme-based
garden in Madhya Pradesh and ‘Ladli Laxmi Path’ in TT Nagar, Madhya Pradesh.

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