Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (Nov 15th to 21st Nov 2023)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Nov 15th to 21st Nov 2023. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2023 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

IMPORTANT DAYS

• International Day for Tolerance 2023 is observed on the 16th of November 2023.
• International Students Day 2023 is observed on the 17th of November 2023
• National Epilepsy Day 2023 is observed on the 17th of November 2023.
• World Toilet Day 2023 is observed on the 19th of November 2023
• International Men’s Day 2023 is observed on the 19th of November 2023
• World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2023 is observed on the 19th of November 2023.
• Universal Children’s Day 2023 is observed on the 20th of November 2023.
• World Television Day 2023 is observed on the 21st of November 2023 & the theme is Accessibility.

BANKING & FINANCE

• Public sector bank Punjab National Bank (PNB) launched the PNB Digital Gold Loan scheme with an aim to provide hassle-free credit to customers to quickly meet their personal as well as agriculture credit requirements by using gold jewellery and/or ornaments as collaterals.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given approval to PayGlocal for a payment aggregator license.
• As per a survey-based report by Deloitte India called “Digital Banking Maturity (DBM)” In terms of digital maturity score, Indian banks are outperforming their international counterparts relative to the global average.
• Gujarat and Karnataka have surpassed Delhi to secure the second and third positions, respectively, in holding the highest equity mutual fund assets during the September quarter.
• India’s forex reserves cover of imports on balance of payments basis has grown to 2 months as at June-end 2023.
• The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) achieved its highest-ever half-yearly profit in the first half of FY24, reporting a net profit of ₹17,469 crore.
• Tata AIG General Insurance has partnered with Air India to offer travel insurance to both domestic and international travellers.
• India signed a $400 million policy-based loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to create high-quality urban infrastructure, improve service delivery, and promote efficient governance systems.
• The United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has committed $553 million (around Rs 4,600 crore) for the development of the Adani Group’s deepwater shipping container terminal in the Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
• DeendayalAntyodayaYojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that marks a significant milestone in the journey of women-led enterprises in India.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), under section 45L(1)(b) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, has directed Bajaj Finance Limited to cease the sanction and disbursal of loans under its ‘eCOM’ and ‘Insta EMI Card’ products.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked institutions to increase the risk weights with respect to consumer credit exposure of commercial banks by 25% to 125%, merely a month after flagging the high growth in certain components of consumer credit and asking NBFCS, banks to strengthen internal surveillance mechanisms.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹90.92 lakh on Axis Bank Limited for non-compliance with certain directions issued by the RBI on various aspects, including ‘Reserve Bank of India (Know Your Customer (KYC)) Directions, 2016’, ‘Loans and Advances – Statutory and Other Restrictions’, ‘Guidelines on Managing Risks and Code of Conduct in Outsourcing of Financial Services by banks‘, and ‘Code of Conduct for Opening and Operating Current Accounts’
• Federal Bank’s latest ad film, titled ‘Karo Bachaane Ki ShuruaatBachpan Se,’ focuses on a child, Ishaan, making innocent promises to enhance the next Diwali for the entire family.
• Federal Bank has launched the UPI (Unified Payment Interface) Lite functionality for small-value digital payments.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued a notification permitting qualified jewellers to import silver through India International Bullion Exchange IFSC Limited (IIBX) in the same way that gold imports are permitted.
• S&P Global projects a decrease in Indian banks’ non-performing assets (NPAs) to 4.5% by the end of Fiscal Year 2023-24 and a further reduction to 3.5% by the end of Fiscal Year 2024-25.
• State-run Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has fixed a price band of ₹30-32 per share for its initial public offer (IPO).
• Fedbank Financial Services, a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), will open its initial public offering (IPO) of equity shares on November 22, 2023, and close on November 24, 2023.
• The government-owned UCO Bank has suspended online Immediate Payment System (IMPS) transfers temporarily.
• Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has partnered with PhonePeto introduce digital QR-based ticketing for metro travellers.
• The State Bank of India (SBI) is set to launch the Yono Global app in Singapore and the United States (US).

NATIONAL NEWS

• The government has released the draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2023 to establish a regulatory framework for broadcasting services.
• According to the Wood Mackenzie report, India would become the world’s 2nd largest solar module manufacturer by 2025.
• The 42nd edition of the India International Trade Fair -2023 was inaugurated at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Coal will launch the 8th Round of Commercial Coal Mines Auctions.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi released the 15th instalment of over Rs 18,000 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme from Khunti, Jharkhand.
• The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change informed that India has been removed from Review of Significant Trade (RST) for Red Sanders, under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
• The Finance Ministry has introduced changes to the Senior Citizen Savings Scheme in a notification dated 7 November.
• The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister, Narayan Rane inaugurated the Khadi Theme Pavillion at the India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
• The 9th edition of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023 will be held at Faridabad, Haryana from January 17th-20th, 2024.
• The Union government has approved a new policy allowing its advertising wing, the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), to undertake advertisement campaigns on social media, OTT platforms and other digital media.
• The ‘AAINA Dashboard for Cities’ portal www.aaina.gov.in has been made live by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) where Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country can participate in this pioneering initiative to voluntarily submit their key data on a regular basis, through a simple, easy-to-fill, data entry form on the portal.
• The Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, chaired the Education Ministers’ Session at the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit held in New Delhi.
• India hosted the 33rd Conference of the WOAH (World Organization for Animal Health) Regional Commission for Asia and the Pacific from November 13 to 16, 2023.
• President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate a two-day International Conference-cum-Exhibition on ‘Aerospace and Aviation in 2047’ in New Delhi.
• The Prime Minister of India launched a Rs 24,000-crore project for vulnerable tribal groups on the 148th birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda (‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’ – Nov 15) from Jharkhand’s Khunti district.
• The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri ParshottamRupala will inaugurate the Global Fisheries Conference India 2023, a two-day mega event, at Gujarat Science City, Ahmedabad.
• One of the major highlights of the conference is an International Round Table Conference chaired by Union Minister Shri. ParshottamRupala.
• The Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that around 3 thousand crore rupees will be invested by 27 companies in the IT hardware sector under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI)Scheme 2.0. Briefing the media in New Delhi, Mr. Vaishnaw said that out of these companies, 23 will start the production of servers, laptops, and tablets immediately and the rest will do so within the next 90 days.
• Food safety regulator FSSAI has launched the Food Safety Compliance System (FoSCoS) portal in four regional languages, apart from Hindi and English, in order to enhance user experience and accessibility.
• India’s top gas firm GAIL has done the world’s first ship-to-ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) transfer to save on shipping costs and cut emissions as the state-owned entity looks at innovative ways as a pivot to boost business.
• The Ministry of Tourism is organising the International Tourism Mart at Shillong in Meghalaya to create awareness about the tourism potential of the North East Region.
• Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Shri ParshottamRupala will inaugurate Global Fisheries Conference India 2023 at Gujarat Science City, Ahmedabad.
• Global patenting activity soared to new records in 2022, fuelled by Indian and Chinese innovators and powered by increased levels of innovation, entrepreneurship and digitalisation in these countries.
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) issued regulations for foreign universities to establish and operate campuses in India.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The United Kingdom (UK) has decided to include India in its list of safe states & apart from India, Georgia has also been included in the list of safe states of the UK.
• The first India-US Defence Acceleration Eco-System (INDUS X) Investor Meet concluded in Delhi.
• The 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is scheduled to take place in Goa from November 20 to 28,2023 as announced by Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur.
• The 33rd Conference of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Regional Commission for Asia and Pacific started in New Delhi.
• In a significant boost to the prospects of fresh fruit exports, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has facilitated the export of the first trial shipment of fresh bananas to the Netherlands via a sea route.
• Russia has signed a deal to supply Igla-S hand-held anti-aircraft missiles to India.
• Japan, known for its volcanic activity and numerous islands, has witnessed the emergence of a new island near the Ogasawara island chain.
• Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes located in Italy, erupted, causing public concern.
• Israel has confirmed the use of its advanced Arrow 3 missile interceptor against Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
• The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has officially declared the development of Cyclone Midhili in the northwest Bay of Bengal.
• South Africa has implemented its first-ever tax incentives to encourage the preservation of endangered species.

STATE NEWS

• 9.4 million families in Bihar, representing 34.13% of the state’s total households, earn less than ₹6,000 per month according to Bihar’s caste survey report.
• Uttarakhand is set to become the first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
• About 40 workers are trapped inside a tunnel after the under-construction tunnel structure collapsed in Uttarakhand.
• The 9th edition of the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023 is scheduled to take place in Faridabad, Haryana, from January 17th to 20th, 2024.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• Dictador, a Colombian spirit brand based in Cartagena, has gained attention for appointing Mika as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• Acko, the insuretech company, has introduced actor R Madhavan as its latest collaborator and ambassador.
• The lower house of the Spanish Parliament voted to re-elect Pedro Sánchez as Prime Minister for another term.
• P Vasudevan was appointed as the new head of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) fintech department earlier this month(November 2023).
• Amit S Telang has been appointed as the Indian Ambassador to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and concurrently as the High Commissioner to the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda.

AWARDS & HONORS

• Serena Williams, popularly known as the G.O.A.T in the world of sports, has been honoured with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Icon Award at the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards.
• Dvara E-Registry has been adjudged as one of the winners of the ‘Smarter Climate Farmers Challenge’, organised by UpLink, the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum.

MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on “Enhancing Innovation Ecosystems through an Innovation Handshake” under the framework of India – U.S. Commercial Dialogue was signed between the two countries on the 14th of November 2023 in San Francisco.
• The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) recently signed an agreement to strengthen its supply chain and ensure adherence to labour rules.
• The National Health Authority (NHA) and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) have joined hands to operationalize the National Health Claim Exchange (NHCX).
• Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) and Lean Campus Startups (Trust) & WEICI India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Manesar, Gurugram.

RANKING AND INDEX

• India is ranked 117th in the list of 129 countries in the world in the inclusiveness index published by the Othering and Belonging Institute (OBI) at California University, United States.
• In its latest report, Wood Mackenzie has forecasted that India will overtake Southeast Asia as the second-largest module production region by 2025.

DEFENCE NEWS

• The 4th edition of Bilateral Exercise between the Indian Navy and Bangladesh Navy, BONGOSAGAR-23, and the 5th edition of Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) by the two navies was conducted in the Northern Bay of Bengal.
• Indian Air Force will organize an air show on November 23-24 at Air Force Station in Ambala Cantonment.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM plus) in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 16th of November to 17th of November, the Ministry of Defence.
• The much-anticipated joint military exercise ‘Trishakti Prahar’ has commenced near the western border of Rajasthan in Jaisalmer.
• The Indian armed forces will be inducting the long-range attack cruise missile Nirbhay into their inventory to strike targets at ranges over 1,000 km.
• ‘Amini’, an Arnala class of ship for the Indian Navy, was launched at L&T Shipbuilding’s facility in Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu.
• The Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps, in collaboration with the Border Roads Organization (BRO), successfully completed the construction of the Bailey Bridge over the Teesta River at Chungthang in North Sikkim.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• Fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of an additional stake in Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company by Bupa Singapore Holdings Pte.

BUSINESS NEWS

• India’s overall exports (Merchandise and Services combined) in October 2023 are estimated to be USD 62.26 Billion, exhibiting a positive growth of 9.43 per cent over October 2022.
• Jio Satellite Communications and OneWeb, backed by Bharti Enterprises, have received licenses from the government to provide broadband internet services to end-users using satellite.
• Pablo Picasso’s 1932 painting “Femme à la montre” sold for more than $139 million at a Sotheby’s New York auction, making it the most valuable work of art sold globally at an auction this year.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has successfully developed the Pusa-2090 Paddy Variety as a strategic measure to address stubble burning issues.
• Samsung has unveiled its first generative AI model, named ‘Samsung Gauss,‘ at the Samsung AI Forum 2023.
• Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven interactive chatbot named ‘BIRBAL’ to enhance citizen-centric services.
• Kanpur-based MKU Limited unveiled the world’s first rifle-rated ballistic helmet-KavroDoma 360 at Milipol Paris.
• Faculty members, students, and alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) collaborated to design and develop a mobile application called ‘OptRoute’ for efficient goods transportation within cities.
• India’s indigenously designed and developed light tank, tentatively named Zorawar, is likely to be ready for trials soon.
• Huawei Technologies Co. and China Mobile Ltd. have built a 3,000 kilometre (1,860-mile) internet network linking Beijing to the south, which the country is touting as its latest technological breakthrough.
• The Ministry of Ayush and the World Health Organization (WHO) have signed Traditional and Complementary Medicine’Project Collaboration Agreement’in Geneva, Switzerland
• Microsoft has introduced its first custom-designed artificial intelligence (AI) chips for cloud applications, addressing the demand for alternatives to Nvidia, which currently dominates the AI processor market.

SPORTS NEWS

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced new names to be included in its Cricket Hall of Famee. India’s legendary opener Virender Sehwag, former Indian Women Test skipper Diana Edulji and Sri Lanka’s iconic star Aravinda de Silva.
• Australia lifted the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cupdefeating India by six wickets in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
• The competitive phase of the ISSF World Cup Final 2023 begins in Doha, Qatar with 10m Air Pistol Men and women

OBITUARIES

• Venkitaramanan, the 18th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), passed away at the age of 92 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• The founder of the Sahara Group, Subrata Roy, passed away at the age of 75 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

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