DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 17 November 2021

Global Innovation Summit: Pharmaceutical Sector

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the First Global Innovation Summit of the Pharmaceuticals sector on 18th November 2021 at 4 PM via video conferencing.
• This is a distinctive initiative that aims to bring together key Indian and international stakeholders from the government, industry, academia, investors, and researchers to discuss and strategize priorities to foster a thriving innovation ecosystem in the pharmaceuticals industry in India. It will also highlight the opportunities in the Indian pharma industry that has huge growth potential.
• The two-day Summit will have 12 Sessions and over 40 national and international speakers deliberating on a range of subjects including the regulatory environment, funding for innovation, industry-academia collaboration, and innovation infrastructure.
• It will witness participation of leading members from domestic and global Pharma Industries, officials, investors and researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John Hopkins Institute, IIM Ahmedabad, and other eminent institutes.

50th Convocation Ceremony of National Sugar Institute, Kanpur

• Shri Piyush Goyal virtually inaugurates the 50th Convocation Ceremony of National Sugar Institute, Kanpur.
•  Imperial Institute of Sugar Technology at Kanpur was established in October 1936. In April 1957, the name of the Institute was again changed to National Sugar Institute (N.S.I.).
• With 7.1 MT, India saw an all-time high Sugar exports in 20-21, astounding 20% growth: Shri Goyal
• In UP, cane price arrears reduced from Rs.10,661cr in 2017 to Rs. 3,895 cr in 2021: Shri Goyal
• Sugarcane Productivity (in tons/ hectare) in UP has reached 81.50 in 2020-21 from 72.38 in 2016-17

National Press Day observed across India

• National Press Day is observed on November 16th every year to acknowledge and honor the Press Council of India, a statutory and quasi-judicial establishment. The day marks the presence of an independent and responsible press in India. The media is known as the fourth pillar of democracy.
• Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Singh Thakur has today greeted the media fraternity in India on National Press Day. In a message to the fraternity the Minister has said “The government has focused on citizen centric communication – in a language they understand and through platforms they access – be it TV News, Radio, Social Media or Online Digital Media.”

Mission 500 GW by 2030

• Under the guidance of Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, the Ministry of Power and New & Renewable Energy  have issued revised guidelines providing for thermal generation companies to set up renewable energy generation capacity either by themselves through developers by open bids or supplying it to the consumers under the existing PPAs.
• This will enable the replacement of fossil fuel-based energy by renewable energy under the existing PPAs. As the cost of renewable energy is less than the cost of Thermal energy, the gains from the bundling of renewable energy with thermal will be shared between the generator and Distribution companies/other procurers on a 50:50 basis.
• As the renewable energy will be balanced with thermal energy, therefore, the DISCOMs will now not need to acquire any separate capacity for balancing of renewable energy.
• This is a very significant step towards achieving the goal of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.
• The distribution companies will be able to count the renewable energy supplied under the scheme towards their renewable purchase obligation and this will be without the financial burden of separate PPA.
• This step by the Central Government will lead to a faster energy transition and will be beneficial for both the Generators and the Distribution Companies. Under the direction of the Hon’ble Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, the Ministry of Power and New & Renewable Energy  are poised to take some additional steps for achieving 500 GW by 2030, for which orders are to be issued shortly.

7^th International Science Festival

• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh to inaugurate the seventh edition of India International Science festival, IISF at Panaji, Goa on 10th December.
• Says, the theme of 4-day IISF 2021 is ‘AzadiKaAmritMahotsav’ – celebrating Creativity, Science, Technology, and Innovation for a prosperous India
• Dr Jitendra Singh says main aim of the Science Festival is to bring into use the innovations by the people and develop technology that is affordable to the masses
• Science Festival to showcase flagship programmes like ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, Swasth Bharat Abhiyan ‘Make in India’, ‘Digital India’, ‘Smart Villages’, ‘Smart Cities’, ‘Namami Gange’, ‘Unnath Bharat Abhiyan’: Dr Jitendra Singh

NMDC Celebrates its 64th Foundation Day

• National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), a public enterprise under Ministry of Steel celebrated its 64th Formation Day at its Head Office – Hyderabad and at all major projects with great vigor and enthusiasm. NMDC, the largest iron ore producer in the country was incorporated on 15th November 1958 and has completed 63 years of service to the nation.
• The Functional Directors Shri Amitava Mukherjee, Director (Finance); Shri Somnath Nandi, Director (Technical) and Shri Dilip Kumar Mohanty, Director (Production) inaugurated the programme at the Head Office.

Pochampally village Selected as one of the best Tourism Villages: UNWTO

• Pochampally village in Telangana selected as one of the best Tourism Villages by United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
• Pochampally unique weaving styles and patterns received special focus from the Prime Minister’s mantra of Vocal 4 Local as a part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat.
• Award will be given on the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly on 2nd December 2021 in Madrid, Spain.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• The only mechanized diamond mine in the country is located at
• Pench
• Panna
• Guwahati
• Golconda

ANSWER: B

• Current MD & Chairmen of NMDC
• Sumit Deb
• Amar Chatterjee
• Vishwa Kumar
• A V David

ANSWER: A

• HQ of NMDC
• Ranchi
• Hyderabad
• Raipur
• Jaipur

ANSWER: B

• The First Press Commission in ______ envisioned a committee to protect the ethics of journalism and freedom of the press in India.
• 1952
• 1956
• 1958
• 1960

ANSWER: B

• Press Council of India was established in
• 1956
• 1966
• 1976
• 1986

ANSWER: B

• Current Chairmen of Press Council of India
• Justice N V Ramana
• Justice Chandramauli Kumar Prasad
• Justice Markandey Katju
•  Justice K M Ali

ANSWER: B

• “तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय” – Lead me from darkness to light is taken from
• Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
• Mundaka Upanishad
• Bhagvad Gita
• Ramayana

ANSWER: A

• Bhoodan Movement was started by
• Jyoti Phule
• Vinobha Bhave
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Sree Narayan Guru

ANSWER: B

• Pochampally saree received Intellectual Property Rights Protection or Geographical Indication (GI) status in
• 2005
• 2007
• 2010
• 2012

ANSWER: A

• HQ of The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• Geneva
• Madrid
• Paris
• Istanbul

ANSWER: B

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