Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: November 22, 2022
This section covers the GK and Daily Current Affairs Quiz with MCQs on National Affairs, International Affairs, Economy, Banking Affairs, Polity, Geography, Environment, Sports, etc. for competitive examinations viz. UPSC, SSC, Bank PO, Bank Clerk, IBPS, Railways, Government Jobs, UPPSC, MPSC, and other state exams. This current affairs quiz will help you in the General Awareness section conducted in various Banking, SSC, Insurance, Railways, and other govt job entrance exams. The current affairs quiz will also help you outshine in the crowd with all the information you gain from this article.
Current Affairs: Awards and Recognitions
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace 2021
Former Vice-President Hamid Ansari presented the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development of 2021 to Pratham, an NGO functioning in the field of education.
The award is in recognition of Pratham’s work in ensuring quality education for children of the country, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pratham also used digital technology to deliver education so that the children could learn during the school closure amid the pandemic.
What Is the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development?
The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development was instituted in the memory of the former prime minister by a trust (Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust) in her name in 1986.
It consists of a monetary award of ₹25 lakh along with a citation.
The award is given to individuals or organisations who work towards ensuring international peace and development, ensuring that scientific discoveries are used to further the scope ofdom and better humanity, and creating a new international economic order.
What is Pratham?
Pratham was set up in 1995. It began its work in slum areas by setting up community-based pre-schools and by offering remedial education to students who lagged behind in their classes.
Its Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), based on surveying 6,00,000 rural Indian children, is now used as a model to assess educational outcomes and learning deficiencies in 14 countries over three continents.
Question:
Which of the following individuals or organisations recently received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development?
A. Centre for Science and Environment
B. Sir David Attenborough
C. Dr Manmohan Singh
D. Pratham
Answer: D
Current Affairs: National
Kameng Hydro Project
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recently dedicated the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station to the nation, the biggest Hydro Power Project implemented by NEEPCO Ltd., a Mini Ratna Power PSU under the Ministry of Power.
About:
600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station in Arunachal Pradesh will be a major step towards fulfilling the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of the Govt. of India
The project will form part of the projected hydro capacity addition of 30000 MW by 2030
The project stretches over more than 80 kilometres in West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh at the cost of approx. ₹8200 crores
This will make Arunachal Pradesh a power surplus state with huge benefits to the National Grid in terms of grid stability and integration and balancing of solar and wind energy sources in the grid
About NEEPCO Ltd:
NEEPCO Ltd, a Govt. of India Mini Ratna Schedule-A PSU under the Ministry of Power, is one of the leading power generating enterprises having an aggregate operational capacity of 2057 MW, comprising of hydro, natural gas based/ thermal power stations as well as Solar and has significantly contributed towards the improvement of power scenario in the North Eastern Region.
The company is now foraying into Jammu and Kashmir for solar as well as multipurpose projects.
Question:
Which of the following States’ 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station was recently dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
A. Assam
B. Sikkim
C. Arunachal Pradesh
D. Himachal Pradesh
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Days and Events
World Television Day 2022
On 21 November, a day dedicated to television is commemorated. The day recognises the idea that television represents rather than focussing on television as a technology.
In the modern world, television is a representation of communication and globalisation.
The number of households with televisions worldwide is increasing, even though screen sizes have changed and people create, share, watch, and consume content on various other platforms, according to the official website of the United Nations.
History
Philo Taylor Farnsworth, an American inventor, invented the first electrical television in 1927.
The first mechanical television station, W3XK, which Charles Francis Jenkins built, broadcast its first programme a year later.
On 17 December 1996, the United Nations General Assembly declared 21 November to be World Television Day through resolution.
Significance
It was done to acknowledge the growing influence that television has on our judgement. With televisions, we could watch everything that was happening in the world within the comfort of our living rooms.
Question:
The United Nations General Assembly declared which of the following days as World Television Day?
A. 15 March
B. 22 June
C. 26 August
D. 21 November
Answer: D
Current Affairs: National
Donyi Polo Airport
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the first Greenfield airport in Arunachal Pradesh – the Donyi Polo Airport – 25 km from Itanagar.
What Is Greenfield Airport?
A greenfield airport is an aviation facility with greenfield project characteristics.
The designation reflects certain environmental qualities (using previously undeveloped or empty greenfield land, for example) and commissioning, planning and construction processes that are generally carried out from scratch.
While a green field in nature is defined as a wide expanse of natural land (meadow, prairie, grassland), here, greenfield denotes that a project lacks any constraints imposed upon it by prior work or existing infrastructure. (A brownfield, on the other hand, remodels or improves upon existing facilities.)
Details about Donyi Polo Airport:
The airport has been developed in an area of over 690 acres at the cost of more than ₹640 crores. It has a 2,300 m long runway and is well-suited for all-weather day operations.
The name of the airport reflects the traditions and rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh and the age-old indigenous reverence for the Sun (‘Donyi’) and the Moon (‘Polo’) in the state.
The airport terminal is a modern building which promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and the recycling of resources.
The terminal at Hollongi has been constructed approximately at the cost of ₹955 crores over an area of 4,100 sq m and has a peak handling capacity of 200 passengers per hour.
The Donyi Polo Airport is the fourth operational airport in Arunachal Pradesh.
Strategic Importance of the AirPort:
The North Eastern part of India is connected with the rest of the country through a narrow corridor popularly called Chicken’s neck.
Arunachal is even far in the Northeast, with the mighty Brahmaputra acting as a great divide.
Arunachal is the largest state of Northeast India, spreading from Bhutan on its western border to Myanmar in the east.
It shares a sensitive border in the north with Tibet’s autonomous region of China.
Post-partition, the natural lines of the movement were severed, and the northeast region became landlocked.
There were decades of political struggle, armed conflict, and insurgency in this region after independence.
Successive governments did make attempts to bring political stability to the region by signing pacts with insurgent groups or mainstreaming their leaders through the electoral process.
Question:
Donyi Polo Airport in Arunachal Pradesh, which PM Modi recently inaugurated, is a type of
A. Greenfield Airport
B. Brownfield Airport
C. Whitefield Airport
D. None of the above
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Report and Indexes
Network Readiness Index Report-2022
India has improved its position by six slots and is now placed at 61st rank as per the Network Readiness Index 2022 report released recently.
In its latest version of 2022, the report maps the network-based readiness landscape of 131 economies based on their performances in four different pillars: technology, people, governance, and impact.
Details:
The Network Readiness Index 2022 ranks a total of 131 economies that collectively account for almost 95 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP).
The US takes 1st spot from the Netherlands (4th) as the most network-ready society. The biggest mover is Singapore (2nd), which surged from the seventh position to rank second in this year’s index, pushing Denmark (6th) and Finland (7thth) out of the top 5.
The other five countries that make up the top 10 are Sweden (3rd), Switzerland (5th), Germany (8th), Korea, Rep. (9th) and Norway (10th).
About the Report:
The report was prepared by the Portland Institute, an independent non-profit, nonpartisan research and educational institute based in Washington DC.
The report mentions that India has a greater network readiness than would be expected given its income level.
The country is ranked third out of 36 in the group of lower-middle-income countries after Ukraine and Indonesia.
Facts about India in the Report:
India has not only improved its ranking but also improved its score from 49.74 in 2021 to 51.19 in 2022.
The report states that India secured 1st rank in AI talent concentration, the second rank in Mobile broadband internet traffic within the country and International Internet bandwidth, third rank in Annual investment in telecommunication services and Domestic market size, fourth rank in ICT Services exports, fifth rank in FTTH and Building Internet subscriptions and AI scientific publications.
Question:
What is India’s rank among 131 economies in the recently published Network Readiness Index 2022?
A. 31st
B. 43rd
C. 61st
D. 94th
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Awards and Recognitions
Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2021- 22
Minister of State, Ministry of Education, Dr Subhas Sarkar, gave away the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP), 2021-22, to the National awardee schools in New Delhi recently.
The third edition of the Award, i.e. SVP 2021-22, saw phenomenal participation, with 9.59 lakh schools registered for the awards.
This number is approx. 1.5 times more than the number of schools (6.15 lakh schools) in SVP 2017-18 who participated during that year.
Details:
The National Selection Committee for selection of schools for SVP 2021-22, in their meeting held on 10th October 2022, selected 39 schools (34 in the overall category and 5 in sub-categories) for National level awards for SVP 2021-2022, after 3rd party evaluation by UNICEF partner agency (NEERMAN).
Out of 39 selected schools, 21 schools are from rural areas, and 18 are from urban areas. Further, 28 schools are government/ government aided, while 11 are private schools.
The awarded schools also include 2 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, one Navodaya Vidyalaya and three Kendriya Vidyalayas.
Out of 39 schools, 17 are elementary, and 22 are secondary/ higher secondary schools. Cash prizes of ₹60,000/- to 34 schools (in the overall category) and ₹20,000/-, (in sub-categories) were given to the awardee schools.
What Is Swachh Vidyalaya Initiative?
The Department launched the Swachh Vidyalaya Initiative in 2014.
Under this initiative, a record number of 4,17,796 toilets were constructed in 2,61,400 schools, including 1,90,887 girls’ toilets in a one-year period up to 15th August 2015.
Encouraged by this stupendous success, the Department of School Education and Literacy launched the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar in 2016-17 to ensure long-term sustainability and behavioural change.
The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar not only honours the schools that have taken up exemplary work in the field of water, sanitation and hygiene but also provides a benchmark and roadmap for schools to make further improvements.
Parameters of Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar:
Under this Award, schools are rated on six broad parameters of
Water
Toilets
Handwashing with soap
Operation and Maintenance
Behaviour Change and Capacity building
COVID-19 (Preparedness and Response)
The Puraskar is given at District, State and National levels.
Question:
Which one of the following is not a parameter of Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2022?
A. Operation and Maintenance
B. Behaviour Change and Capacity building
C. COVID-19, Preparedness and Response
D. Use of technology in the classroom
Answer: D
Current Affairs: International
India-ASEAN Defence Ministers Meet in Cambodia
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers plus Meeting (ADMM) and the India-ASEAN defence ministers meeting on 22 and 23 November in Cambodia.
Raksha Mantri has been invited to the 9th annual meeting at Siem Reap at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence of Cambodia, Samdech Pichey Sena TEA Banh.
About the Meet:
India and Cambodia will co-chair the India-ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting to commemorate 30 years of India-ASEAN relations. Rajnath Singh and other dignitaries of the ASEAN will be discussing and announcing plans to boost the India- ASEAN partnership.
India in ASEAN:
India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992, and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 12 October 2010.
Since 2017, ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting annually to further the dialogue and cooperation between ASEAN and the Plus countries.
India and ASEAN elevated their group to ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ in November 2022.
During the ADMM-Plus meeting and India-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting, Raksha Mantri Singh will also hold bilateral discussions with the Defence Ministers of the participating countries. He will discuss defence cooperation matters and ways to strengthen mutually beneficial engagements further.
What Is ADMM?
It is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN.
It was established in 2006 and included 10 members of ASEAN.
It aims to promote mutual trust and confidence through a greater understanding of defence and security challenges and the enhancement of transparency and openness.
What Is ADMM-Plus?
The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners.
Dialogue Partners are – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States.
ADMM-Plus aims to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region.
It currently focuses on seven areas of practical cooperation, namely:
Maritime security
Counter-terrorism
Humanitarian assistance and disaster management
Peacekeeping operations
Military medicine
Humanitarian mine action
Cyber security
The Inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Ha Noi, Vietnam, in October 2010.
Question:
India-ASEAN Defence Ministers meeting will be held in which of the following countries?
A. Thailand
B. Vietnam
C. Laos
D. Cambodia
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Defence Technology
Hwasong-17
North Korea said it test-fired its massive new Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which analysts said may be the first successful launch of the system after doubts were raised about earlier claims.
About the Hwasong-17 Missile:
The Hwasong-17 is a North Korean two-stage ICBM, first unveiled on 10 October 2020, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea parade.
The Hwasong-17 is nuclear-armed North Korea’s biggest missile yet and is the largest road-mobile, liquid-fuelled ICBM in the world.
Its diameter is estimated to be between 2.4 and 2.5 metres, and its total mass, when fully fuelled, is likely somewhere between 80,000 and 110,000 kg, according to 38 North, a U.S.-based programme that monitors North Korea.
Unlike North Korea’s earlier ICBMs, the Hwasong-17 is launched directly from a transporter, erector, and launcher (TEL) vehicle with 11 axles.
How Far Can It Fly?
The missile launched on Friday flew nearly 1,000 km (621 miles) for about 69 minutes and reached a maximum altitude of 6,041 km.
Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the weapon could travel as far as 15,000 km (9,320 miles), to reach the continental United States.
Question:
Which of the following countries successfully test-fired Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile recently?
A. North Korea
B. South Korea
C. Taiwan
D. China
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Sports
Manipur Tops North East Olympic Games
Powerhouse Manipur clinched the top position in the North East Olympic Games for the second consecutive time with 237 medals, including 85 gold, as the second edition of the regional multi-sport event concluded recently.
Details:
Manipur also won 76 silver and 77 bronze, while Assam was a close second with 201 medals (81 gold, 60 silver and 60 bronze) in the event and competed among the eight states of the country’s northeast region from 10 November.
Arunachal Pradesh ended in third place, while host state Meghalaya was fourth with 149 medals (36 gold, 35 silver, 78 bronze), a much better show than their sixth-place finish with 39 medals in the first edition.
Manipur had also topped the medal tally (80 gold, 49 silver and 33 bronze) when it hosted the inaugural Games in October 2018.
What Are the North East Olympic Games?
The first edition of the North East Olympic Games was organised in Manipur in 2018; due to the pandemic outbreak, the subsequent editions could not be hosted.
The second edition is a revival of the Games, which is expected to feature around 3,000 athletes from the eight northeastern states of the country.
The North East Olympic Games is an expression of solidarity by the northeastern states of the country.
Elite athletes congregate from the 8 northeastern states to compete in various sporting disciplines.
The aim of organising the Games is to encourage greater participation of youth in sporting activities in order to discover talents for higher level and international competitions at an early stage.
‘NEO’, the official game’s mascot, is inspired by the Clouded Leopard, the state animal of Meghalaya, which is also a vulnerable animal.
The attire worn by NEO is a fusion of the culture of the prominent tribes of Meghalaya.
About the 2022 Games:
The Games are being organised by the government of Meghalaya and the state Olympic Association under the aegis of the North East Olympic Association (NEOA).
The Meghalaya government fully funded the event.
Arunachal Pradesh was to host the second edition of the Games in 2019, but there was a change of plan following the COVID-19 pandemic and Shillong was named the host city.
Nagaland will host the third edition of the North East Olympic Games.
Hosts Meghalaya emerged as team champion in athletics while Manipur took the honours in archery. Assam won the team championships in the shooting.
Question:
Which state topped the North East Olympic Games 2022 organised in Meghalaya recently?
A. Meghalaya
B. Nagaland
C. Manipur
D. Assam
Answer: C
Context: National
Jal Jeevan Mission Rankings-2022
The Uttar Pradesh government recently cited the latest rankings released on the Jal Jeevan Mission website as proof of its commitment to ensuring tap water in all rural homes soon.
Several Uttar Pradesh districts have done well in the rankings, especially Shahjahanpur, which has topped across the country in the “aspirant districts as well as best performing district” category in October.
Bulandshahr, Bareilly and Mirzapur have excelled, too. Several other UP districts also figure in the survey.
What Is the Jal Jeevan Mission?
The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide functional household tap connections to every rural household with a service level at the rate of 55 litres per capita per day. The whole country is to be covered by 2024.
What Is Jal Jeevan Survekshan-2023?
In Jal Jeevan Survekshan-2023, districts across the country have been selected in various categories.
The districts with 100% tap connections in a month emerge as front-runners. Those with 75 to 100% tap connections are high achievers.
Those providing 50 to 75% connections have been classified as performers.
The ones with up to 25% tap water connections are included in the aspirant category.
About Top District:
Shahjahanpur, with 689,990 marks, stood first in two categories. It was ranked top in the aspirant category for ensuring 28,419 tap connections in October.
Question
Which of the following districts of Uttar Pradesh topped across the country in the Jal Jeevan Mission rankings-2022 for October?
A. Shahjahanpur
B. Bulandshahr
C. Bareilly
D. Mirzapur
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Awards and Recognitions
Dalai Lama Receives Gandhi Mandela Award
The 14th Dalai Lama was recently conferred the Gandhi Mandela Award 2022 at Thekchen Choeling in Dharamshala’s McleodGanj by Himachal Pradesh governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
The Tibetan spiritual leader, receiving the peace prize from the New Delhi-based Gandhi Mandela Foundation, said the qualities of non-violence and compassion had been ingrained in Indian culture for thousands of years.
What Is the Gandhi Mandela Award?
The Gandhi Mandela Foundation, a government of India registered Trust, is a non-profit organisation formed with the motive to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s and former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela’s values of non-violence. It has constituted an international prize, the Gandhi Mandela Award.
The foundation instituted the award on the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, MK Gandhi.
Who Gets the Award and How Are They Selected?
The award is given to personalities who have carried forward the legacies of Gandhi and Mandela by making significant contributions in the fields of Peace, Social Welfare, Culture, Environment, Education, Healthcare, Sports and Innovation.
Eminent nominees of the Gandhi Mandela award.
Eminent nominations in the 1st Edition of the Gandhi Mandela Award in 2019 included Prime Minister of Nepal Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, the first president of Bangladesh Late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Sri Lanka, the late Don Stephen Senanayake, former deputy Prime Minister of India Lal Krishna Advani and other head of states and governments.
Question:
Who is the recipient of the Gandhi Mandela Award 2022?
A. Lal Krishna Advani
B. Nitin Gadkari
C. 14th Dalai Lama
D. Late Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Awards and Honours
India Receives EXCELL Award at the International Conference on Family Planning
India’s family planning measures got appreciation on the global stage, with the country receiving the Excellence in Leadership in Family Planning (EXCELL) Awards 2022.
The award was received at the International Conference on Family Planning held in Pattaya, Thailand.
About the Award:
The award is a recognition of India’s efforts under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership towards ensuring access to quality family planning choices based on the right information and reliable services.
What Is the International Conference on Family Planning?
The conference focuses on universal access to family planning. It provides a platform to discuss various issues pertaining to family planning and awareness towards the same.
Presently, more than 120 countries, numerous organisations, and individuals are members of this conference.
This year, the event registered the participation of around 3,500 delegates, excluding the people who attended it virtually.
Some of the Flagship Schemes of the Government Are:
National Family Health Survey (NFHS)
First conducted in 1992-93 and the latest in 2019-21, NFHS-5 is a nationwide survey conducted nationwide in a representative sample of households.
The survey is being conducted with an aim to provide high-quality data on the health and family welfare situation of the country and simultaneously highlight the main issues pertaining to the areas.
It comes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, is the nodal agency for coordination and technical guidance for the survey.
Mission Parivar Vikas
The mission is one of the flagship schemes of the Government. Under this, 145 districts in 7 states of Assam, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh are identified to be in high focus based on the Total Fertility Rate (TFR).
Question:
The International Conference on family planning was recently held in which of the following countries?
A. Bangkok
B. Thailand
C. Philippines
D. Singapore
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Sports
FIFA World Cup 2022 Kicks Off in Qatar
The countdown for the world’s biggest football tournament is over.
FIFA World Cup 2022 kicked off with a grand opening ceremony at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor in, Qatar, at 7:30 pm on 20 November.
The host-nation Qatar will face off against Ecuador after the opening ceremony in the first match of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Details:
Hosts Qatar lost 2-0 to Ecuador in the opening World Cup match, as Enner Valencia scored both goals.
Morganman, Jungkook and several others starred in a spectacular opening ceremony that delivered a message of unity and inclusivity ahead of the first-ever World Cup held in the Middle East.
More than a decade of work went into preparing the country, with large parts of the capital Doha reimagined to cater to the fans.
Question:
The opening match of the FIFA world cup- 2022 was played between the host Qatar and which of the following countries?
A. Brazil
B. Ecuador
C. Cameroon
D. Italy
Answer: B
Current Affairs: International
India Launches the Official Website of SCO for 2023
India has launched the official website of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as it will host the next SCO summit as a chairman of the organisation in 2023.
The website highlights the events that will be undertaken under the chairmanship of India next year.
India received the SCO rotating presidency recently in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
India will hold the presidency of the grouping for a year until September 2023.
The theme of the Event:
The theme of the event is “For a SECURE SCO”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi floated the concept of SECURE at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China in 2018.
Explaining the SECURE concept, the Prime Minister said ‘S’ for security for citizens, ‘E’ for economic development, ‘C’ for connectivity in the region, ‘U’ for unity, ‘R’ for respect of sovereignty and integrity, and ‘E for environment protection.
Website:
The official website of India’s Chairmanship of SCO Council of Heads of State is now live at https://indiainsco.in. Visit the website for the latest information on India as SCO Chair, calendar of events and other updates!”
Question:
What is the theme of the next SCO summit announced by India as a chairman of the organisation in 2023?
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