DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 24 November 2021
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace for 2021
- Pratham, a civil society organisation has been conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2021.
- Pratham is dedicated to improving the quality of education among underprivileged children in India and across the world.
- 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 Rs 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 of freedom and better humanity, and creating a new international economic order.
SDG Urban Index
- In its journey towards localizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and instituting robust SDG progress monitoring systems at the national, State/UT, and local levels, NITI Aayog has achieved yet another milestone with the launch of the inaugural SDG Urban Index & Dashboard (2021-22). The index and dashboard are a result of the NITI Aayog-GIZ and BMZ collaboration focused on driving SDG localization in our cities, under the umbrella of Indo-German Development Cooperation.
- The SDG Urban Index and Dashboard ranks 56 urban areas on 77 SDG indicators across 46 targets of the SDG framework. The data on these indicators have been sourced from official data sources such as NFHS, NCRB, U-DISE, data portals of various ministries, and other government data sources.
- The index and dashboard will further strengthen SDG localization and institute robust SDG monitoring at the city level. It highlights the strengths and gaps of ULB-level data, monitoring, and reporting systems. Tools such as this index and dashboard will contribute to the creation of an ecosystem in which all stakeholders will be equipped to adopt and implement data-driven decision making. This transformative change is quite essential, given the increasing prominence of our cities and urban areas in charting the future of development in India.
- For Further Information Scan the below QR:
Bharat Gaurav Trains
- Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, announced today the introduction of theme -based tourist circuit trains Bharat Gaurav Trains. Speaking to the media in a press conference, he said that these trains will help realise the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to showcase India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world. He further added that the core strength of the professionals of tourism sector would be leveraged to develop/identify tourist circuits and run theme- based trains to tap the vast tourism potential of India.
- Scope:
- Service Provider would be free to decide theme like Guru Kripa trains for covering important places of Sikh culture, Ramayana trains for places connected with Lord Shri Ram etc.
- Service Provider to offer all-inclusive package to tourist including rail travel, hotel accommodation, sightseeing arrangement, visit to historical/heritage sites, tour guides etc.
- Full flexibility to decide package cost based on level of services being offered.
- Choice of coaches suiting the clientele, different segments like luxury, budget etc.
- Free to design/furnish interior of the coaches based on the theme.
- Branding and advertisement permitted both inside and outside of train.
- Train composition will be of 14 to 20 coaches including 2 SLRs(Guard Vans).
- Process:
- Easy one step transparent online registration process. Registration fee of Rs 1 (One) Lakh only.
- Allotment of coaches to all eligible applicants subject to availability. Priority to be based on the Rake Security Deposit Time and Date. Rake Security Deposit of Rs 1 (one) Crore per rake.
- Individual, Partnership Firm, Company, Society, trust, JV/Consortium (Unincorporated/Incorporated) are eligible.
- Right to Use charges and Haulage charges notified in the policy for Service Provider to work out his business model.
- Right to Use Period: 2-10 years.
- Customer Support:
- Customer Support Units to be made functional in the field for hand holding the service provider and for smooth implementation of this scheme.
Mysuru Declaration on Service Delivery
- Ministry of Panchayat Raj, Government of India in association with National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Hyderabad and Abdul Nazir Sab State Institute of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Mysuru had organised one day National Consultative Workshop on Citizen Charter and Delivery of Services by Panchayats on 22nd November 2021 as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Participants from 16 States signed the Mysuru Declaration and resolved to roll out the Common Minimum Service delivery by Panchayats across the country from April 1, 2022.
- The declaration is aimed at recognizing Citizen Centric Services as the “Heart of Governance”. Shri Sunil Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, set the tone by providing key inputs on various aspects of service delivery that are either provided by the panchayats directly or services of other departments that are facilitated by panchayats through a monitoring mechanism. He suggested that common minimum services need to be arrived at by different States that could be provided by the Panchayats.
Defence Acquisition Council Approves Proposal
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in its meeting of 23 November 2021 held under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for one Capital Acquisition proposal of Indian Air Force for its modernization and operational needs amounting to Rs. 2,236 Cr. under the category of ‘Make in India’. The procurement proposal of Air Force was for GSAT-7C Satellite and Ground Hubs for real-time connectivity of Software Defined Radios (SDRs). The project envisages complete design, development and launching of satellite in India.
- Induction of GSAT-7C Satellite and Ground Hubs for Software Defined Radios (SDRs) will enhance the ability of our Armed Forces to communicate beyond Line of Sight (LoS) among one another in all circumstances in a secure mode.
Constitution Day to be Celebrated on 26th November
- Samvidhan Diwas or Constitution Day is celebrated on 26th of November every year. Celebration of Constitution Day was started in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said this time, the main function in Central Hall will be organised by Lok Sabha Speaker and his Secretariat.
- President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in that. Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has been designated as the Lead Ministry for this celebration.
- Mr Joshi said, his Ministry has developed two portals – one for online reading of Preamble in 22 official languages and English and another for online quiz on Constitutional democracy.
- Constitution Day (or Samvidhan Divas), also known as National Law Day, is celebrated in India on 26 November every year to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of India. On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted to the Constitution of India, and it came into effect on 26 January 1950.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- He is called as “Father of the Constitution of India”
- Dr BR Ambedkar
- Pandit Nehru
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Sardar Patel
ANSWER: A
- Dr Ambedkar served as Member of the Constituent Assembly of India from _____ Province
- Madras
- Punjab
- Lahore
- Bombay
ANSWER: D
- Dr Ambedkar belonged to ___ caste
- Mahar
- Madiga
- Ezhava
- Banjara
ANSWER: A
- Dr Ambedkar served as _______ in Viceroy’s Executive Council from 1942 to 1946.
- Minister of Labour
- Minister of Law
- Minister of Rural Development
- Minister of Defence
ANSWER: A
- Dr B.R Ambedkar described which part as a ‘novel features’ of the Indian Constitution?
- Part III
- Part IV
- Part V
- Part VIII
ANSWER: B
- Ambedkar formed which of the following organisation?
- Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha
- Independent Labour Party
- All – India Schedule Caste Federation
- All the above
ANSWER: D
- When did Ambedkar signed the Poona Pact?
- 1935
- 1932
- 1945
- 1937
ANSWER: B
- Which form of government Ambedkar preferred?
- Constitutional Democracy
- Monarchy
- Aristocracy
- None of the above
ANSWER: A
- Which among the following about the Mahar movement is/ are true?
- The untouchables of Maharashtra were known as Mahars
- Their first political conference was held in 1927
- B.R. Ambedkar was the first graduate among the Mahars
- All the Above
ANSWER: D
- Who commented that ‘Dr. Ambedkar is dead, and the Articles are very much alive’?
- H.V. Kamath
- K.M. Munshi
- Pattabhi Sitaramayya
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad
ANSWER: A
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