7th Edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) held in New DelhiThe 7th Edition of India Mobile Congress (IMC 2023), Asia’s largest telecom, media, and technology forum, was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi, from 27th to 29th October 2023.

• The theme of the IMC 2023 was ‘Global Digital Innovation’.
• The congress was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi on 27th October 2023.

Aim:  To strengthen India’s position as a developer, manufacturer, and exporter of key cutting-edge technologies.
Key Points:
i.During IMC 2023 PM Modi awarded 100 ‘5G Use Case Labs’ to educational institutions across India.
ii.Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Reliance Jio) launched India’s first satellite-based gigabit broadband service “JioSpaceFiber” during IMC 2023.
iii.At India Mobile Congress 2023, HFCL Limited unveiled a suite of next-gen connectivity products and solutions, including 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), IP MPLS Routers, 2 Gbps Unlicensed Band Radio, and the 1728-high fiber count IBR Optical Fiber Cable.

Gujarat CM unveils Crest of Indian Navy warship ‘Surat‘On November 6, 2023, Bhupendra Patel, the Chief Minister (CM) of Gujarat, unveiled the crest of the Indian Naval Ship(INS) Surat, indigenous under-construction, guided missile destroyer of Project 15B, at the ceremony conducted under the aegis of Western Naval Command by Gujarat Naval Area, in Surat, Gujarat.

• This is the 1st capital warship to be named after a city of Gujarat and this is also the first time that unveiling of the crest of a warship is held in the city, it has been named after.

Key People:
Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar, the Chief of the Naval Staff(CNS), and senior dignitaries and officials of Gujarat Government were present during the event.
About the Crest of INS Surat:
The Crest of INS Surat features
i.The famous lighthouse at Hazira (Surat) located at southern entrance of the Gulf of Khambhat.

• The lighthouse of Hazira. built in 1836, was one of the first lighthouses in India.

ii.Asiatic lion, the state animal of Gujarat, symbolises the ship’s majesty and strength.
iii.Wavy sea depicting the Indian navy’s commitment to maritime security and national defence.
Note: A naval ship’s crest is a special emblem unique to the ship, showcasing naval heraldry. It represents the ship’s best qualities, crew, and mission. This emblem is displayed on patches for ship’s crew, plaques, and other appropriate places, serving as a symbol throughout the ship’s life.
About INS  Surat:
i.INS Surat is the 4th ship & last ship of the indigenously designed and constructed Project 15 Bravo (15B) (Vishakhapatnam Class) destroyers.
ii.It has been constructed using innovative block construction methodology, where the ship’s hull is assembled at different geographical locations before being integrated at the Mazagaon Docks Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
iii.It is equipped with the latest advancements in naval warfare technology and combat capabilities, including

• Indigenous BrahMos Supersonic Cruise missiles
• Long–range Surface to Air Missiles
• Indigenous Torpedo tube launchers

iv.The other three ships commissioned under this project 15B are Visakhapatnam, Mormugao and Imphal. Surat will be commissioned in 2024.

FSSAI’s 5th SFSI: Major States Recorded Drop in 2023 Scores from 2019According to the 5th edition of State Food Safety Index(SFSI 2022-2023) by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), with the inclusion of a new parameter (Improvement in SFSI Rank) in the 2023 index, 19 out of 20 large states recorded a drop in their 2023 scores from 2019.

• The index was released by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on World Food Safety Day 2023 (June 7 2023).

Key Points:
i.Adjusting for the new parameter, 15 out of 20 states recorded lower SFSI scores in 2022-2023 compared to 2019.
ii.Maharashtra has recorded the steepest fall in SFSI Score, from 74 out of 100 in 2019 to 45 in 2023, followed by Bihar(from 46 in 2019 to 20.5 in 2023), and Gujarat (from 73 in 2019 to 48.5 in 2023).

Krishi 24/7: Govt launches India’s 1st AI solution for Agricultural News MonitoringOn November 6, 2023,Manoj Ahuja, Secretary,  Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) launched Krishi 24/7, India’s first AI (Artificial Intelligence)-powered solution for automated agricultural news monitoring and analysis.
Developers:
It is developed by Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), MoA&FW in collaboration with Mumbai, Maharashtra based Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Wadhwani AI) with support from Google.org.
Krishi 24/ Features:
i.This real-time monitoring system assists the Ministry of Agriculture in staying updated on relevant events, allowing them to create alerts and take prompt action in the agricultural ecosystem.
ii.It scans and translates articles in multiple languages, extracting crucial information like headline, crop details, event type, date, location, severity, summary, and source link.
iii.This tool will aid in protecting farmers’ interests and promote sustainable agricultural growth through improved decision-making.
Note:
Wadhwani AI also successfully deployed a similar event tracking and analysis solution for disease outbreaks with the Delhi headquartered National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

EAC Conducts its Annual Exercise Poorvi Akash
The Shillong-headquartered Eastern Air Command (EAC) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted its annual Command level exercise called Exercise Poorvi Akash from 30 October to 5 November 2023  to check its combat preparedness.

• The exercise was held in the northeastern region.
• The day and night exercise comprised the application of Air Power in all its roles.
• The exercise also comprises joint operations with the Eastern Command (EC) of the Indian Army(IA).
• The indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand also participated in the exercise.
• IAF Garuds participated in special missions along with the Special Forces (SF) of the Indian Airforce.
• All major fleets of IAF participated in the exercise along with special mission aircraft.

UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2023: Understanding the Global Climate Adaptation Crisis The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has released the Adaptation Gap Report (AGR) 2023: Underfinanced. Underprepared – Inadequate investment and planning on climate adaptation leaves world exposed, reveals a concerning slowdown in the climate adaptation efforts globally.

• The report serves as a critical reminder of the urgency to accelerate climate adaptation efforts in the face of escalating climate risks.
• The report underscores the need for immediate and strategic action to bridge the gap between climate adaptation needs and current efforts.

Note: The report was released in anticipation of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) climate talks in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) scheduled from 30 November until 12 December 2023 emphasising the urgency of climate action.
About the 2023 Report:
i.The report provides an update on the global status and progress of the adaptation process across 3 elements: Planning, Financing, and Implementation.

• The report reveals a significant gap in climate adaptation financing.

ii.Developing countries require adaptation finance that is 10-18 times larger than current international public finance flows.
iii.This gap is more than 50% higher than previous estimates, highlighting the growing disparity between needs and resources.
Note: Current estimates reveal a USD 194-366 billion annual gap, emphasising the urgent need for increased financial support.
Decrease in Finance, Planning and Implementation:
i.Report indicates the required adaptation funds for developing countries range from USD 215 billion to USD 387 billion annually this decade and are projected to rise significantly by 2050.
ii.Public multilateral and bilateral adaptation finance to developing countries decreased by 15% to USD 21 billion in 2021, contrary to the COP26 commitments of reaching USD 40 billion annually by 2025.

• The current adaptation finance gap is now estimated to be between USD 194-366 billion per year.

Note: While 5 out of 6 countries have some form of national adaptation planning, worldwide coverage remains slow.
Innovative ways to deliver finance essential:
i.Ambitious adaptation can enhance resilience, especially for low-income countries and disadvantaged groups, preventing losses and damages.
ii.The 55 most vulnerable economies faced losses exceeding USD 500 billion in the last 2 decades, a figure set to rise without substantial mitigation and adaptation.
iii.Every billion dollars invested in coastal flood adaptation yields a USD 14 billion reduction in economic damages.
iv.Similarly, allocating USD 16 billion annually to agriculture could prevent around 78 million people from climate-induced hunger.
v.Doubling 2019 international finance flows by 2025 and new goals for 2030 won’t bridge the adaptation finance gap.
Seven Strategies for Enhanced Financing:

• Leveraging domestic expenditure
• Tapping into international and private sector finance
• Harnessing remittances
• Tailoring finance for small and medium enterprises
• Implementing Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement
• Advocating for global financial architecture reform as per the Bridgetown Initiative
• Establishing innovative mechanisms within the new loss and damage fund to ensure scalable investment.

Adaptation Gap Report (AGR):
i.The UNEP AGR series plays a pivotal role in assessing global adaptation progress annually.

• It evaluates adaptation planning, financing, and implementation worldwide.

ii.Since its inception in 2014, the AGR has significantly influenced climate negotiations among United Nations (UN) Member States.
iii.While independent, the AGR’s goal closely parallels that of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Global Stocktake.
iv.The AGR is co-produced by UNEP, the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC) and the World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP).

On 3 day visit to Sri Lanka: FM Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates SBI’s new branch in Trincomalee and JaffnaFinance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman was on three day official visit to Sri Lanka started from November1 to November3, 2023.
She started her visit by giving the keynote address as Guest of Honor at the “NAAM 200” organized by the Government of Sri Lanka to commemorate the 200th anniversary of India-Origin Tamils (IOTs) to Sri Lanka on November 2 in Colombo.
The event was attended by Ranil Wickremesinghe, President of Sri Lanka, Dinesh Gunawardena, PM of Sri Lanka and other important dignitaries.
Later, She also addressed the India Sri Lanka Business Summit on the theme:”Enhancing Connectivity: Partnering for Prosperity” which was jointly organized by Confederation of Indian Industries(CII), Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.
Other than above engagements, Finance Minister (FM) launched and announced important projects and MoU, some of which are listed below:

• Inaugurates SBI’s branch in Trincomalee and Jaffna.
• Negotiations of the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement(ETCA)
• India will collaborate with Sri Lanka on debt treatment
• India lays down roadmap for technology, economic ties with Sri Lanka, to launch UPI in Sri Lanka

About: Sri Lanka
Capital: Legislative Capital: Jayawardenepura Kotte
Judicial and Executive Capital: Colombo
Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee
President: Ranil Wickremesinghe
About: State Bank of India (SBI)
Chairman: Dinesh Kumar Khara
Founded: 1st July,1955
Headquarter: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline: Pure Banking Nothing Else

India among top countries with high income, wealth inequality: UNDP Report i.The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released its “2024 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report: Making Our Future: New Directions for Human Development in Asia and the Pacific” stating India among the top countries with high income and highest wealth inequality, despite rapid economic growth.
ii.Income Growth: Between 2000 and 2022, India’s per capita income increased from USD 442 to USD 2,389.
iii.Poverty Reduction: From 2004 to 2019, poverty rates (based on USD 2.15 per day) dropped from 40% to 10%.
About United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
Administrator– Achim Steiner
Headquarters– New York, United States of America

CCI Approvals on 6th November 2023On November 6, 2023, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the following transactions:
Details of the Proposed Combination:
Proposed Transaction 1:
Acquisition of 49% shareholding of Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Limited (BALIC) by Bharti Life Ventures Private Limited (BLVPL) from AXA India Holdings (AXA) taking its total shareholding in BALIC to 100% and acquisition of BALIC’s sole control.

• Acquirer- BLVPL
• Target- BALIC

Proposed Transaction 2: Acquisition of 48.54% shareholding of Bharti Management Services Limited (BMSL) by Bharti Enterprises Limited (BEL) from Societe Beaujon (a subsidiary of AXA) taking its total shareholding in BMSL to 100% and acquisition of BMSL’s sole control.

• Acquirer- BEL
• Target- BMSL

Key Points:
i.BLVPL and BEL are affiliated companies under the Bharti group, with distinct ownership structures.
ii.BLVPL is a private holding company based in New Delhi, Delhi, solely invested in BALIC, a public unlisted life insurance company.
iii.BEL is a public unlisted company based in New Delhi.
iv.BALIC is a public unlisted life insurance company operating based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
v.BMSL is a public unlisted company based in Mumbai.
CCI approves Acquisition of shares of IRSL by Aloke Lohia &  transfer of certain shares of IRSL to Urmila Lohia
CCI has approved the acquisition of 20.51% equity shares of Indo Rama Synthetics (India) Limited (IRSL) by Aloke Lohia from Brookgrange Investment Limited and transfer of 20.51% equity shares of IRSL to Urmila Lohia by Mr. Aloke Lohia.

• Acquirer- Aloke Lohia and Urmila Lohia
• Target- IRSL

Note:  Aloke Lohia and Urmila Lohia are the promoters of IRSL

NASA Launched A Sounding Rocket As Part Of Its INFUSE MissionOn 29th October 2023, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched a two-stage Black Brant 9 sounding rocket as part of Integral Field Ultraviolet Spectroscope Experiment (INFUSE) mission from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, United States of America (USA).

• The mission aims to study the Cygnus Loop, a 20,000-year-old supernova remnant located 2,600 light-years away from Earth.

Cygnus Loop:
i.The Cygnus Loop (also known as the Veil Nebula) is a supernova remnant, the detritus of the explosive death of a massive star about ten to 20,000 years ago.
ii.This massive star was about 20 times the size of the sun.
iii.The study of Cygnus Loop gives insight about the formation of galaxies.
iv.It can be found just above the constellation Cygnus(means swan in Latin).
INFUSE mission:
i.INFUSE is an integral field spectrograph, the first instrument of its kind to fly to space.
ii.The INFUSE mission will collect data about the Cygnus Loop for a few minutes from an altitude of 150 miles (240 kilometres).
iii.The instrument will collect far-ultraviolet light emitted by the Cygnus Loop.
iv.INFUSE will study how the supernovae release its energy into the Milky Way by observing the light emitted as the blast wave collides with pockets of cold gas floating in the galaxy.
About Supernovae:
i.A supernova is the colossal explosion of a star.
ii.Supernovae are considered one of the original sources of the elements heavier than iron in the Universe.
Black Brant 9:
i.The Black Brant 9 can reach altitudes of about 600 km.
ii.it can carry a Payloads weighing from 400 to 1200 pounds.

Chess: Vidit Gujrathi Wins FIDE Grand Swiss; Vaishali Wins FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2023The Indian Grandmaster (GM) Vidit Santosh Gujrathi won the 3rd edition of Federation Internationale des Echecs(FIDE) Grand Swiss 2023 title held from the 23rd of October to the 6th of November 2023 in the Villa Marina, Douglas, Isle of Man.

• International Master (IM)Vaishali Rameshbabu won the 2nd edition of FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss 2023 title.
• With this win, Vidit Gujrathi qualified for the ‘Candidates Tournament’. He became the second Indian after R. Praggnanandhaa to qualify for this tournament.
• Being secured the top position Vaishali also qualified for the Candidates Tournament.

About Federation Internationale des Echecs/International Chess Federation (FIDE):
President – Arkady Dvorkovich
Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
Established – 1924

Indian Women’s Hockey Team Wins Asian Champions Trophy 2023 Indian women’s hockey team won the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 title by defeating Japan 4-0 in the final held in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

• The 7th edition of the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy was held in Marang Gomke Jaypal Singh Mundha AstroTurf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand, from 27th October to 5th November 2023.
• China won the bronze medal by defeating South Korea in the Bronze medal match.

Medal Winners:

i.Awards:

• Salima Tete(India) – Jharkhand Player of the Tournament
• Deepika(India) – Fan Choice Award for Best Goal of the Tournament.
• Akio Tanaka(Japan) –  Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament
• Savita Punia(India) –  JSW Women Leader Of The Tournament.
• Sangita Kumari(India) – Rising Star of the Tournament
• Kim Eunji (South Korea) – Best Rising Goal Keeper of the Tournament
• Deep Grace Ekka(India) – Jharkhand Player of the Match(final), and Sangita Kumari(India) – JSW Rising Star of the Match(final)
• India won the Maximum Team Goals Award(27 goals)

ii.Top Goal Scorers:

• Jiaqi Zhong (China)(7 Goals)
• Sangita Kumari(India)(6 Goals)
• Salima Tete(India)(5 Goals)

About the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy :
i.The Women’s Asian Champions Trophy is the biennial tournament, the  first edition was held in 2010 in Kangsao, Busan, South Korea.

• Hockey India organised this tournament with support from the Asian Hockey Federation(AHF).
• 2023 tournament witnessed the participation of six teams including India, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand.
• This was also the first time the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy was hosted by India.

ii.India women’s team won its maiden Asian Champions Trophy title in 2016 (Singapore) while Japan won in 2013 and 2021 (South Korea)editions.

• India also won silver medals in the 2013(Japan) and 2018(South Korea) editions.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen Wins F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix (GP) 2023
Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver (Dutch-Belgian) won the Formula 1 (FI) Sao Paulo Grand Prix (GP) 2023 title held at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace circuit in Brazil from 03rd November 2023 to 05th November 2023.

• McLaren driver Lando Norris (United Kingdom-UK) secured second place while Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso (Spain) secured third place.

Max Verstappen’s Records: 
i.This win also marks Verstappen’s 17th win out of 20 races of the 2023 season.

• Max Verstappen broke his own record for the most F1 race victories in a single season in 2023 by winning 17 races.

ii.Max Verstappen leads the F1 World Championship in 2023 with 524 points in the F1 driver standings.

National Cancer Awareness Day 2023- November 07 National Cancer Awareness Day (NCAD) is annually observed across India on 7 November to raise awareness about the prevention, detection, and treatment of various types of cancer.

• NCAD aims to educate the public about early detection, healthy lifestyle choices, and access to quality cancer care.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, representing nearly 1 in 6 deaths globally.
Background:
i.National Cancer Awareness Day was initiated in India in September 2014 by Dr Harsh Vardhan, the former Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
ii.A committee was formed and it was declared that November 7 of every year would be observed as NCAD to raise awareness about early detection and the avoidance of cancer-causing behaviours.
iii.The first NCAD was observed on 7 November 2014.
iv.NCAD also commemorates the birth anniversary of the Nobel Prize Winner (for Physics in 1903) Marie Curie (Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, born on 7 November 1867), a Polish-born French physicist.
Note:

• She is remembered for discovering radium and polonium, and her huge contribution to finding cancer treatments.
• She was also awarded The Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.

CV Raman Birth Anniversary 2023 – November 7The birth anniversary of the Nobel Prize Winner & Bharat Ratna awardee, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman (CV Raman) is annually observed on 7th November.

• 7th November 2023 marks the 135th birth anniversary of CV Raman.
• He is an Indian Physicist well known for his discovery of the Raman effect.

About CV Raman:
i.CV Raman was born on 7th November 1888 in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, and passed away in 1970 in Bengaluru(Karnataka).
ii.In 1907, he joined the Indian Finance Service in Kolkata(West Bengal) and worked as Assistant Accountant General.
iii.In 1917, he became Palit Professor of Physics at the University of Calcutta.
iv.In 1919, Raman received two honorary positions namely ‘Honorary Professor’ and ‘Honorary Secretary’ at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata.
v.In 1924, he was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society, London, United Kingdom(UK).
Others:
i.He became the first Indian Director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bengaluru, in 1933.
ii.In 1948, he established the Raman Research Institute on property donated by the Government of Mysore in Bengaluru.
Awards & Recognition:
i.Nobel Prize: The Nobel Prize in Physics 1930 was awarded to CV Raman for his work on the scattering of light.

• The discovery of the effect was named after him, the Raman Effect.
• He discovered the Raman Effect on 28th February 1928.
• He was the first Indian, Asian, and non-white person to win a Nobel Prize for the sciences.

Note: The Raman effect is the shift in the wavelength of light caused by molecules deflecting a light beam.
ii.Bharat Ratna: In 1954, CV Raman was awarded the inaugural Bharat Ratna for his outstanding service to the country in the field of physics.

• Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari also received the award along with him.

iii.’Sir’ Title: In 1929, King George V of Great Britain knighted him and honoured him with ‘Sir’ title.
iv.He also received the Franklin Medal in 1941 and the International Lenin Peace Prize in 1957.