1. RBI released report of Working Group on Digital Lending.

• The Working Group on Digital Lending including Lending through Online Platforms and Mobile Apps, which was constituted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has submitted its report.
• RBI had set a WG on Digital Lending including Lending through Online Platforms and Mobile Apps, with Jayant Kumar Dash, Executive Director, RBI, as the Chairman to study all aspects of digital lending activities in the regulated financial sector as well as by unregulated players.
• In the near term, the WG suggested setting up a nodal agency in consultation with stakeholders to verify the technological credentials of the Digital Lending Apps (DLAs) of the balance sheet lenders and Lending Service Providers (LSPs) operating in the digital lending ecosystem.

2. RBI authorized RBL Bank to collect Direct Taxes.

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) authorized RBL Bank to collect direct taxes on behalf of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) based on a recommendation from the Controller General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance and Government of India.
• Now, the customers of RBL Bank could pay their direct taxes through RBL Bank’s mobile banking or net banking platforms or through branch banking networks.
• RBL Bank is one of India’s leading private sector banks with an expanding presence across the country.
• The Bank offers specialized services under five business verticals namely: Corporate & Institutional Banking, Commercial Banking, Branch & Business Banking, Retail Assets and Treasury and Financial Markets Operations.
• It currently services over 9.97 million customers through a network of 445 branches, 1,435 business correspondent branches (of which 271 banking outlets) and 386 ATMs spread across 28 Indian states and Union Territories.

3. ICICI Bank launches online platform ‘Trade Emerge’.

• Private sector lender ICICI Bank has launched an online platform called ‘Trade Emerge’ for Indian exporters and importers to offer them digital banking and value-added services.
• The cross border trade will become hassle-free, expeditious and convenient with Trade Emerge because an array of services are being offered in one place so companies will not require to coordinate with multiple touchpoints.
• The exporters and importers who are not customers of ICICI Bank can also avail the benefit of this platform.

4. RBI revealed a Draft Scheme for amalgamation of PMC Bank.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revealed a draft scheme for amalgamating the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank with the Delhi-based Unity Small Finance Bank Ltd (USFB).
• Unity Small Finance Bank is a joint venture between Centrum Group and Bharatpe. It has commenced operations as a small finance bank with effect from November 1, 2021.
• According to the draft scheme of amalgamation, the takeover of the assets and liabilities of PMC Bank, including deposits, by Unity will give a greater degree of protection for the depositors.

5. Equites SFB partnered with HDFC Bank to offer co-branded credit cards.

• Equites Small Finance Bank (SFB) partnered with HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited) Bank to launch its new co-branded credit cards.
• Through this partnership, Equites SFB will utilize the HDFC bank’s reach in the credit card market and also to provide its customers a better banking ecosystem.
• The credit card can be availed in two categories. The first category is the ‘Excite Credit Card’ which offers a credit limit from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2 lakh and the second category is the ‘Elegance Credit Card’ which offers a credit of over Rs 2 lakh.

6. RBI imposes Rs 1 Crore penalty on SBI for not following norms.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 crore on the State Bank of India (SBI), for violating subsection (2) of section 19 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• SBI held shares in the borrower companies of an amount exceeding 30 per cent of the paid-up share capital of those companies.
• As per Sub-section (2) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, no banking company can hold shares in any company, as pledgee, mortgagee or absolute owner, of an amount exceeding 30 per cent of the paid-up share capital of that company or thirty per cent of its own paid-up share capital and reserves.

7. RBI raises higher cap on promoter stake in private banks at 26%

• Reserve Bank of India had formed an Internal Working Group (IWG) in June 2020, to review the extant guidelines on ownership and corporate structure for Indian private sector banks.
• The IWG had 5 members with Shrimohan Yadav as the convenor. The Internal Working Group (IWG) had made 33 recommendations to RBI. Now RBI has accepted 21 recommendations out of these 33.
• The initial lock-in requirements will continue as a minimum of 40 per cent of the paid-up voting equity share capital of the bank for the first five years.
• The cap on promoters’ stake in the long run of 15 years has been raised from 15 per cent (earlier) to 26 per cent of the paid-up voting equity share capital of the bank.
• All the new Small Finance Banks which are set up now, should be listed (on the stock exchange) within ‘eight years from the date of commencement of operations. Note that Universal banks shall continue to be listed within six years of commencement of operations.

8. India’s 1st Credit Card made from Recycled PVC Plastic launched by HSBC.

• HSBC India has launched India’s 1st credit card made from recycled PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) plastic. The cards have been introduced in partnership with global cards manufacturer IDEMIA to gradually eliminate single-use PVC plastic.
• The cards are made from 85 per cent recycled plastic and each card will save 3.18gm of plastic waste in addition to helping lower overall carbon emission.
• The card was launched as a part of a new program launched by HSBC Group to introduce sustainable cards across all its global locations to support its global commitments to sustainability and a net-zero in its operations by 2030.

1. Lewis Hamilton wins 2021 F1 Qatar Grand Prix.

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain), has won the 2021 F1 Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) came second while Fernando Alonso (Alpine- Spain) came third.
• With this win, Lewis Hamilton has become the first driver to have won at 30 different circuits in Formula 1.
• After the Qatar 2021 F1 Grand Prix, the 2021 Drivers Standings is as follows: Max Verstappen (351.5 Points) is on top followed by Lewis Hamilton (343.5 Points) on second and Valtteri Bottas (203 Points) on third. Two more Grand Prix events are to be held in 2021.

2 . India ends with 7 medals at 2021 Asian Archery Championships.

• The 2021 Asian Archery Championships was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Indian archers bagged seven medals at the competition to occupy second place in the medal table. This included one gold, four silver and two bronze medals.
• South Korea won 15 medals to top the medal table, while the host Bangladesh settled at third place with 3 medals.

3. Kento Momota and An Seyoung wins 2021 Indonesia Masters Tournament.

• In badminton, Kento Momota of Japan beat Anders Antonsen of Denmark 21-17, 21-11 to win the men’s singles title at the 2021 Indonesia Masters Super 750 badminton tournament. The US$600,000 tournament was held at Bali in Indonesia from November 16 to 21, 2021.
• In women’s single, An Seyoung of South Korea defeated top-seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 21-17, 21-19 to win the title.

4. 2025 Asian Youth Para Games will be hosted by Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

• The 5th edition of the Asian Youth Para Games 2025 will be hosted by Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, and the approval given by the Asian Paralympic Committee’s (APC) Executive Board.
• For the first time, ‘Asian Youth Games 2025’ and ‘Asian Youth Para Games 2025’ will be hosted in the same city & in the same venues.

5. Alexander Zverev beats Daniil Medvedev to win ATP Finals title.

• In Tennis, Alexander Zverev of Germany beat World No.2 Daniil Medvedev of Russia, 6-4, 6-4, in the men’s singles finals to clinch the 2021 ATP Finals title, held at Turin in Italy. This is Zverev’s second Nitto ATP Finals title, after winning the first in 2018.
• Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut of France clinched the men’s double title by defeating Rajeev Ram of the US and Joe Salisbury of the UK.

6. Saurav Ghosal wins Malaysian Open Squash Championship 2021.

• Indian Squash star, Saurav Ghosal has scripted history as he has become the first Indian squash player to win the Malaysian Open Championships.
• The second-seeded Ghosal beat Miguel Rodriguez of Colombia 11-7, 11-8 and 13-11 in the men’s singles final in Kuala Lumpur to win the 2021 Malaysian Open Squash Championships title.
• On the other hand, the women’s singles title of the 2021 Malaysian Open squash championships has been won by Malaysia’s Aifa Azman.

1.Geoff Allardice appointed as Permanent CEO of ICC.

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Geoff Allardice as the permanent CEO of the International Cricket governing body. He was serving as interim CEO for more than eight months.
• He replaces Manu Sawhney who officially resigned from his position in July 2021. Allardice, a former Australian first-class cricketer and administrator, was the ICC General Manager, Cricket for eight years. He had previously held a similar role at Cricket Australia.

2. SBI signed an MoU with Pondicherry Co-op Milk Producers’ Union Ltd.

• The State bank of India (SBI) has signed an MoU with Pondicherry Co-op. Milk Producers’ Union Ltd (PONLAIT) for financing individual dairy farmers up to Rs 3 Lakh.
• The Loan will be made available through YONO application of the SBI Bank. SBI has introduced a technology product, named ‘SAFAL- Simple And Fast Agriculture Loan’ for financing individual Dairy farmers, who are supplying milk to commercial dairies on a regular basis.
• Around 3,500 dairy farmers supplying milk to 98 primary milk societies of PONLAIT would be benefited by the arrangement.

3. India’s candidate elected to executive committee of Interpol.

• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special director Praveen Sinha was elected the delegate for Asia in the executive committee of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) following a tough contest involving China. In the election, four contestants were China, Singapore, South Korea and Jordan.
• India’s National Central Bureau (NCB-India) reached out to its counterparts around the world to campaign for this election. The elections were held in Istanbul, Turkey during the ongoing 89 INTERPOL General Assembly.
• Interpol is the world’s largest international police organization with a National Central Bureau in all 195 member states. It has seven regional bureaus all over the world. It was formed in 1923. Its motto is connecting police for a safer world. It is headquartered in Lyon, France. Kim Jong Yang is its President.

4. Harshwanti Bisht becomes 1st women President of Indian Mountaineering Foundation.

• Noted mountaineer from Uttarakhand, Harshwanti Bisht has earned the distinction of being elected the first woman president of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF).
• The 62-year-old Bisht won 60 out of a total of 107 votes to get elected to the coveted post. It is for the first time that a woman has been elected as the president of the IMF, which was founded in the year 1958.

5. Rajnish Kumar becomes non-executive Director on Hero MotoCorp.

• Two-wheeler major, Hero MotoCorp announced the appointment of former chairman of State Bank of India (SBI) Rajnish Kumar as an independent non-executive director on the board of the company.
• Kumar completed his three-year term as chairman of SBI in October 2020. He is currently serving as an Independent Director on the Boards of many other companies including HSBC, Asia Pacific, L&T Infotech, and is also the Non-Executive Chairman of Resilient Innovations (BharatPe).

6. Indian-origin executive Parag Agrawal new Twitter CEO.

• Indian-origin technology executive, Parag Agrawal has been appointed as the new CEO of Twitter after the social media giant’s co-founder Jack Dorsey stepped down.
• He is now the youngest CEO in the S&P 500 elbowing Meta Platform Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg. However, Agrawal is 37 and the same age as Mark Zuckerberg.
• Parag joined Twitter 10 years ago when there were fewer than 1,000 employees. He has been behind every critical decision that helped turn this company around. He’s curious, probing, rational, creative, demanding, self-aware and humble.

1. BOB Cards tie-up NPCI for RuPay credit cards.

• BOB Financial Solutions (BFSL), a subsidiary of Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch BoB Credit Cards (Easy and Premier variants) on the RuPay platform.
• Both Easy and Premier variants of BoB credit cards have been launched on the JCB International network and both cards support global acceptance.
• Both Easy and Premier variants of BoB credit cards have been launched on the JCB International network and both cards support global acceptance.
• These cards come with benefits such as 5X reward points on select merchant categories, fuel surcharge waiver, pre-and post-purchase EMI offers, up to three complimentary add-on credit cards for family members and several exciting merchant offers enabled both by BFSL and NPCI.

2. ADB approves USD 1.5 bn loan to India for COVID-19 vaccine procurement.

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $1.5 billion loan (approx. Rs 11,185 crore) to help the Government of India purchase safe and effective vaccines against the coronavirus (COVID-19).
• The fund will be used to procure at least 66.7 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses for an estimated 31.7 crore people of the country. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is expected to co-finance an additional USD 500 million for the project.

1.INS Visakhapatnam commissioned into Indian Navy.

• INS Visakhapatnam, a P15B stealth guided-missile destroyer has been commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. This is the first of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers.
• It has been designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organization Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
• INS Visakhapatnam measures 163m in length, 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes. It was commissioned in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh.

2. India, Maldives & Sri Lanka conducted biennial trilateral exercise ‘Dosti’.

• The 5-day long, 15th edition of the Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka biennial Trilateral Exercise ‘Dosti’ was conducted in the Maldives from 20-24 November 2021 as part of regional security formation for a peaceful and stable Indian Ocean Region.
• The Exercise is conducted biennially among the Coast Guards of the 3 countries. This year marks the 30th year since the initiation of the exercise.
• Indian Coast Guard vessels, Integrated Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Vajra and Apoorva along with Sri Lanka Coast Guard Ship (SLCGS) Suraksha Participated in the exercise.
• The aim of the India-Maldives-Sri Lanka tri-lateral exercise ‘Dosti’ is to further fortify the friendship, enhance the mutual operational capability, and exercise interoperability and to build cooperation between the Coast Guards of Maldives, India and Sri Lanka.

3. 37th India-Indonesia CORPAT exercise held in Indian Ocean.

• The 37th edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) is being held in the Indian Ocean region from 23-24 November 2021. CORPAT is held twice in a year to ensure safety and security.
• It was conducted for the first time in 2002. Indigenously built Indian Naval Ship (INS) Khanjar and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft is participating in the CORPAT. Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Sultan Thaha Sharfuddin, (376) is participating from Indonesia.

4. Indian Navy commissioned 4th Scorpene-class submarine INS Vela.

• Indian Navy has commissioned indigenously builtScorpene-class submarine Vela at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard. INS Vela is the fourth in Project 75 series, following Kalvari, Khanderi, and Karanj. It is expected to further boost Indian capability to defend and secure its strategic sea lanes. It was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in collaboration with M/s Naval Group of France.
• The submarine possesses advanced stealth and combat capabilities. Attacks from Vela can be carried using torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles at the same time, be it on the surface or underwater.
• The previous version of Vela was commissioned in 1973 and it was in service for 37 years. It was decommissioned in 2010. Captain Anish Mathew, the commanding officer of INS Vela, told news agency ANI on Wednesday that the submarine has an indigenous set of batteries and an advanced communication suite of indigenous make.

5. Army chief observes military exercise ‘Dakshin Shakti’ in Jaisalmer.

• Army chief General, M M Naravane has observed the military exercise ‘Dakshin Shakti’ being held here with the Army and the Air Force taking part in it.
• The exercise began in the deserts of Jaisalmer. T-72, T-90 as well as Vijayanta tanks of the Army and the IAF’s Dhruv and Rudha helicopters, and the Jaguar fighter aircraft participated in the joint exercise.
• The drill aims to establish the best coordination among the wings of the armed forces, space technology and artificial intelligence. General Officer-in-Commanding of the Army’s Southern Command, Lieutenant General JS Nain, JOC Battle X Division Major General Ajit Singh Gehlot were also present at the exercise.

6. NCC celebrates its 73rd Raising Day.

• The National Cadet Corps (NCC), the youth wing of the Indian Armed Forces and the largest uniformed youth organization in the world, is observing the 73rd anniversary of its raising on November 28.
• NCC day is celebrated every year on the 4th Sunday in November. NCC day is observed throughout the country. The raising day is being celebrated all over the country with cadets participating in marches, blood donation camps and social development programmes. The NCC was formed on 15th July 1948.
• NCC is also the largest uniformed youth organization in the whole world. The NCC headquarters is located in New Delhi. Headquarters is now open for school and college students. It is a voluntary “Tri-service Organization”. This organization includes the army, the naval and the wings.

1. Martyrdom Day of ‘Guru Tegh Bahadur’ observed on 24 November.

• Every year, November 24 is celebrated as Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikhs of Sikh religion. The day is celebrated as Shaheedi Divas of Guru Tegh Bahadur across the country.
• It was on 24 November 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur sacrificed his life for the sake of people who did not even belong to his community. to protect religion, human values, ideals and principles.

2.International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

• The United Nations designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is celebrated worldwide on November 25.
• The day is celebrated to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to various forms of violence and the true nature of the issue is often hidden.
• This year’s theme for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!”.
• In 1981, activists at the Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Encuentros marked November 25 as a day to combat and raise awareness of violence against women more broadly; on December 17, 1999, the date received its official United Nations (UN) resolution.

3. National Milk Day celebrated on 26 November.

• Every year November 26 is celebrated as National Milk Day in India. The day is being observed since 2014 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Father of India’s White Revolution, Dr Verghese Kurien. He is also nicknamed as “Milkman of India”.
• To celebrate National Milk Day, the College of Dairy Science & Technology (CODST) and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) is organizing “Milk Adulteration Testing Camp” on 25 and 26 November 2021.

4. Indian Constitution Day observed on 26 November.

• In India, Constitution Day is observed every year on November 26 to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the country. In India, 26 November is celebrated as Constitution Day or Samvidhan Diwas.
• On this day in 1949, the constitution was adopted which came into force on January 26, 1950, marking the beginning of a new era in the history of India. The day aims to spread the importance of the constitution and to spread the thoughts and ideas of BR Ambedkar, the father of the Indian constitution.

5. National Organ Donation Day: Celebrated National Organ Donation Day on 27 November 2021.

• In India, the ‘National Organ Donation Day’ is observed every year on 27 November since past 10 years. The day aims to promote awareness and recognize the selfless contribution made by deceased donors to healthcare and mankind re-instill our faith in humanity.
• 2021 marks the 12th National Organ Donation Day. It is organized by the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Organ donation is retrieving a donor’s organ like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas after the donor is deceased and then transplanting into another person who is in need of an organ.

6. International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

• The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is an UN-organized day held every year on November 29.
• The day aims to educate the public on the question of Palestine and support a peaceful settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is observed to mark the anniversary of resolution 181, wherein the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine on November 29, 1947.
• In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. On that day, in 1947, the Assembly adopted the resolution on the partition of Palestine.
• This date, which was chosen because of its meaning and significance to the Palestinian people, is based on the call by the United Nations General Assembly for an annual observance of the resolution on the partition of Palestine.

7. Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare.

• The United Nation recognized Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare is held every year on November 30.
• The day marks a tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination of the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promoting the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism.
• The first Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare was held in 2005.

1.A new book “In dia vs UK: The Story of an Unprecedented Diplomatic Win” by Syed Akbaruddin

• Senior Indian diplomat, Syed Akbaruddin has authored a new book titled “India vs UK: The Story of an Unprecedented Diplomatic Win”.
• The book features the behind-the-scenes details on India’s victory against the United Kingdom in the elections to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2017.
• Syed Akbaruddin, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN at the time, presents a behind-the-scenes account of India’s coming-of-age in world affairs through the prism of this momentous election.

2. Ban Ki-moon released his autobiography “Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World”.

• A book titled ‘Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World’ is an autobiography of the Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. It consists of life experiences and challenges that the author faced in his life & elaborates his tenure in the United Nations (UN).
• He served as the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations for a two 5-year term (2007-2016). In ‘Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World’, published by HarperCollins India, Ban goes on to describe how he became a “man of peace” from a “child of war”.
• Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon’s first diplomatic posting was in India and he developed such a special connection that even 50 years later, he tells the Indian people that half of his “heart belongs in their country”.

3 . Abhijit Banerjee authored a book titled “Cooking to Save your Life”

• Indian-born American economist & Nobel laureate, Abhijit Banerjee has authored a new book (cookbook) titled “Cooking to Save your Life”.
• The book illustrated by France based illustrator Cheyenne Oliver is published by Juggernaut Books. He won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2019 along with Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.

4. Art historian BN Goswamy’s book on Indian arts

• Distinguished art historian & Padma Awardee, Brijinder Nath Goswamy has authored a new book on Indian arts, titled “Conversations: India’s Leading Art Historian Engages with 101 themes, and More”.
• The book acquired by Penguin Random House India will be published in January 2022. In this book, B.N Goswamy explores a wide range of subjects on or around the arts.
• With this book, Goswamy opens a window to a wide range of subjects: on and around the arts. It not only invites those interested and literate in arts but also the general readers who want to take a dive into the field of the arts.

5. A book on India-Pakistan War 1971 released by MM Naravane

• General MM Naravane released a book ‘Bangladesh Liberation @ 50 years: ‘Bijoy’ with Synergy, India-Pakistan war 1971’, a compilation of personal accounts of the war by veterans from India and Pakistan.
• The book is an amalgamation of historical and anecdotal accounts of the 1971 War and comprises authors from both India and Bangladesh. Mostly who fought the war.
• The event was organized by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) at the India International Centre (IIC), Delhi to commemorate 50 Years of India-Bangladesh Friendship as well as the decisive victory in India- Pakistan War 1971.

1.Jason Mott won 2021 National Book Award for fiction.

• The 72nd edition of the National Book Award was organized as a virtual event by the National Book Foundation.
• Jason Mott won the 2021 National Book Award for fiction for his novel “Hell of a Book”, a narrative about a black author’s adventure while travelling around in a book tour.

2. President Ramnath Kovind Presents Swachh Survekshan Awards 2021.

• President of India, Ram Nath Kovind presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2021 at the Swachh Amrit Mahotsav organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in New Delhi.
• 2021 is the 6th edition of Swachh Survekshan awards in which as many as 4,320 cities were surveyed. The cities are ranked based on three parameters, which are service level progress (SLP), certifications and citizen’s voice.

3. Pratham NGO won Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2021.

• Pratham NGO has been awarded the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 for its work on expanding the scope for education in India. Its pioneering work for more than a quarter-century in ensuring that every child has access to quality education. Its innovative use of digital technology to deliver education.
• Its regular evaluation of the quality of education. Its timely response in making children learn amid Covid-19 restrictions.
• The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual prestigious award. It has been named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi. It is conferred every year since 1968 by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.  It consists of a monetary award of ₹25 lakh along with a citation.

4. President Kovind presents Vir Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra.

• President of India, Ram Nath Kovind presented Gallantry Awards and Distinguished Service Decorations in Defense Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was accorded the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind for his role in pushing back Pakistan’s fighter jets in February 2019.
• President Kovind accorded the second-highest peacetime gallantry award Kirti Chakra (posthumously) to Sapper Prakash Jadhav for neutralizing terrorists in an operation in Jammu and Kashmir. His wife and mother received the award.
• Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal was accorded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) for his role in an operation where five terrorists were eliminated and 200 kg explosive material was recovered. His wife Lt Nakita Kaul and mother received the award.
• Naib Subedar Sombir was accorded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously for killing an A++ category terrorist during an operation in Jammu and Kashmir. His wife Suman Devi and mother Rajendra Devi received the honor.
• The President also conferred the Shaurya Chakra to Major Maheshkumar Bhure who is an alumnus of Sainik School Satara. According to the citation, Major Bhure led an operation in which six top terrorist commanders were killed.

5. Anita Desai awarded Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award.

• India’s one of the best-selling authors, Anita Desai has been conferred with the Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021 to recognize her long literary career which spans over 50 years.
• Meanwhile, the Poet Laureate award for 2021 has been conferred upon Indian poet Adil Jussawala.
• Both these awards are presented to recognize exceptional work which has made a significant impact in the Indian literary field. The Twelfth Edition of Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai Litfest was organized from November 18th to 21st 2021.
• She has received several awards and honors in the course of her long-spanning literary career, including the Padma Bhushan, Sahitya Akademi Award and later Fellowship, and the Benson Medal of the Royal Society of Literature.

6. International Emmy Awards 2021 announced

• The 2021 International Emmy Awards was the 49th edition of the annual ceremony held in New York City.
• The award recognized excellence in television programs produced and aired originally outside the U.S., and non-English language US primetime programs between the dates of January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020.

7. Doordarshan and AIR won at UNESCO-ABU Peace Media Awards 2021.

• Doordarshan and radio show by All India Radio has received multiple awards at ABU – UNESCO Peace Media Awards-2021 at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
• The awards were given by UNESCO in collaboration with Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union under the ‘Together for Peace’ initiative.
• Ethical and Sustainable Relationship with Nature’ award: AlR’s ‘Living on the edge – The coastal lives’
• Living Well with Super-Diversity category: Doordarshan’s programme ‘DEAFinitely Leading the Way

8. S K Sohan Roy 1st Indian to be honored with Knighthood of Parte Guelfa.

• Dr S K Sohan Roy from Kerala, CEO, and founder of Aries Group of Companies has become the first Indian to be honored with the Knighthood of Parte Guelfa for his humanitarian and Environmental protection efforts in business and movies.
• The honorary title of “Knight of Parte Guelfa” has been conferred upon him during the conferring ceremony organized during the Investitures of Parte Guelfa of Annus Domini 2021 and was held at the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Palagio di Parte Guelfa in Florence, Italy.
• Order of the Guelph Part or Ordo Parte Guelfae which was initially known as Societas Partis Ecclesiae is an order of pontifical foundation established by Pope Clement IV in 1266. The Guelph part is concerned with environmental protection and the knighthood is recognized as the protector of the World Environment.

9. International Press Institute honors for NDTV, The Week teams.

• The International Press Institute (IPI) India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2021 has been awarded jointly to Srinivasan Jain and Mariam Alevi of NDTV, and Lakshmi Subramanian and Bhanu Prakash Chandra of “The Week”.
• Meanwhile, the IPI India Award for Excellence in Journalism 2020 had been awarded to Ritika Chopra of The Indian Express.
• The awardees for 2020 and 2021 will be felicitated in New Delhi in December 2021 or January 2022. The award comes with a cash prize of Rs 1 Lakh, a trophy and a citation.
• The Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) is a global organization dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices.

1.Andhra Tops IPF Smart Policing Index 2021.

• Andhra Pradesh Police has topped the ‘IPF Smart Policing’ Index 2021, among 29 states and Union Territories, released by the Indian Police Foundation (IPF). Andhra Pradesh has secured the first rank with an overall score of 8.11 out of 10.
• Telangana Police is in the second position with 8.10 points while Assam Police has secured the third position with an overall rating of 7.89. With a score of 5.81, Uttar Pradesh is ranked at 28th position and Bihar has occupied the last position with 5.74 points.

2. MHA ranks Delhi’s Sadar Bazar police station as best police station.

• The Sadar Bazar police station in Delhi has been ranked as the best police station of India for the year 2021 by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The list of the top 10 police stations in India is released annually by the Ministry of Home Affairs to rank the police stations in terms of the services and facilities available at the police station.
• The performance review of police stations were carried out by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).

3. Shimla tops NITI Aayog’s inaugural SDG Urban Index

• NITI Aayog launched the inaugural SDG Urban Index & Dashboard 2021-22, to further strengthen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) localization and institute robust SDG monitoring at the city level.
• The index is an SDG progress monitoring tool at the ULB level to highlight the strengths and gaps of ULB-level data, monitoring, and reporting systems. Shimla has topped among the 56 urban areas while Dhanbad in Jharkhand is at the bottom.

4. A book titled “Contested Lands: India, China and the Boundary Dispute” by Maroof Raza.

• Former Army Officer Maroof Raza has authored a new book titled “Contested Lands: India, China, and the Boundary Dispute”.
• The book features the history of India’s boundary making with Tibet and China and analyses the current India-China boundary contestation stemming from interpretations of history in the post-colonial period.
• Maroof Raza’s other books: Kashmir’s Untold Story (co-authored with Iqbal Chand Malhotra), Shourya Gatha: Bharat Ke Veer Senani (co-authored with Lt. Col. Sheodan Singh),War Dispatches 1971 (co-authored with Brig B.S. Mehta).

5. Kantar’s BrandZ India report 2021 announced.

• According to Kantar’s BrandZ India 2021 report, Amazon, Tata Tea and Asian Paints emerged as the most purposeful brands in India across technology, FMCG, and non-FMCG categories respectively.
• In technology ranking Amazon leads the index followed by Zomato, YouTube, and Google, and Swiggy jointly in 4th place.
• While Asian Paints topped the non-FMCG rankings, Samsung and Jio ranked jointly in the 2nd position, followed by MRF. The FMCG category rankings saw Tata Tea topping the chart, Surf Excel in 2nd position.

6. Niti Aayog’s Poverty Index: Bihar poorest in multidimensional poverty.

• The government think tank Niti Aayog has released the first-ever Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to measure poverty at the national, State/UT, and district levels.
• As per the inaugural index, Bihar has been adjudged as the state with the highest level of multidimensional poverty. 51.91 per cent of the state’s population are multidimensionally poor.
• Jharkhand is at second position with 42.16 per cent of the state population as multidimensionally poor. This is followed by Uttar Pradesh at 37.79 per cent, Madhya Pradesh (36.65 per cent) and Meghalaya (32.67 per cent) in the top five poorest states.
• Meanwhile, Kerala (0.71 per cent), Goa (3.76%), Sikkim (3.82%), Tamil Nadu (4.89%) and Punjab (5.59 %) are the top 5 lowest poverty states across India.
• Kottayam in Kerala is the only district that registered zero poverty across the country as per the index.

1. CII to organize 20th edition of ‘Connect 2021’ in Chennai.

• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will organize its flagship event ‘Connect 2021’ from November 26 to 27 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• Connect is an international conference and exhibition on information & communication technology (ICT). Theme: “Building a Sustainable Deep T’ech’N’ology Ecosystem”.
• The main focus of ‘Connect 2021’ is to take the state’s GDP to US$ 1,000 billion by 2030.
• The event will be inaugurated by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on November 26, 2021. Australia and the United Kingdom are the partner countries for the event.
• The flagship event of CII is hosted by the Government of Tamil Nadu and co-hosted by Software Technology Parks of India and the Union Ministry of Electronics and Telecommunications.

2. Vice President represents India at 13th ASEM Summit Virtually.

• The 13th edition of the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit has been organized on November 25 and 26, 2021. The Summit is being hosted by Cambodia as ASEM Chair.
• The theme of the two-day ASEM Summit is Strengthening Multilateralism for Shared Growth. The Indian delegation is being led by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu through the virtual platform.
• The ASEM Summit will bring together countries in Asia and Europe to exchange views on regional and global issues and strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas.
• ASEM grouping have 51 member countries and two regional organizations — the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
• The 2021 summit marks the 25th anniversary of the ASEM process.

3. 20th SCO Council of Heads of Government: S. Jaishankar represent India.

• The External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar led the Indian delegations at the 20th Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG). The meeting was held in Nur-Sultan in virtual format under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan.
• The SCO-CHG meeting is held annually to deliberate on a range of pressing regional issues with focuses on the trade and economic agenda of the bloc and to approve its annual budget. The meeting was attended by the heads of government of the SCO member states, observer states and secretary-general of the SCO.