1 Dec CA

1.

Manisha Padhi, an Odisha girl currently serving as a Squadron Leader in the Indian Air Force, has been appointed as India’s first woman Aide-De-Camp (ADC) from the Indian Armed Forces.

An Aide-De-Camp is a personal assistant or secretary to a person of high rank, including head of state.

2.

Nobel Peace Prize winner and diplomatic powerhouse, Henry Kissinger died recently

Mr Kissinger played a pivotal and polarising role in US foreign policy during the Cold War.

The former US Secretary of State served as America’s top diplomat and national security adviser during the Nixon and Ford administrations

Mr Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiations to end the Vietnam War, even though the conflict did not immediately end and his North Vietnamese counterpart, Le Duc Tho, declined to accept the prize.

3.

Government launches first-ever auction of critical minerals

To boost the exploration and extraction of critical and strategic minerals, the government launched auctions for 20 blocks of such minerals including 5.9-million-tonne lithium reserves discovered in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir.

This will first ever auction of critical and strategic minerals by the mines ministry after the government amended mining laws during the monsoon session of Parliament to allow the private sector to explore and mine these important minerals.

Apart from lithium, critical minerals encompass titanium, bauxite (aluminous laterite), glauconite, nickel, chromium, potash, copper, graphite, manganese ore, molybdenum ore, phosphorite, platinum group elements, and rare earth elements.

4.

The Ministry of Railways looks to upgrade to 4G/5G (LTE-based) its indigenous anti-collision system Kavach and expedite its implementation

Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. The state-of-the-art electronic system activates the train’s braking system automatically if the driver fails to do so, and prevents the collision between two locomotives equipped with functional Kavach systems.

The need to upgrade Kavach comes as the ministry has been looking to update all its outdated communication systems and make anti-collision more efficient and effective over longer range.

5.

China is facing a significant outbreak of Walking Pneumonia particularly among children.

What is Walking Pneumonia?

It is a milder form of pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae

It is called as walking pneumonia because its symptoms are often milder and rarely require hospitalization

6.

Immunity Gap among children

Owing to China’s strict lockdown measures during COVID-19, there exists an “immunity gap” in the children.

Immunity gap occurs when children who normally would have been exposed to common viruses like influenza at an early age were isolated from others. This means they never developed immunity to these diseases – and now they are falling ill.

7.

A former child refugee from Somalia has been named as this year’s winner of the prestigious UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award.

Abdullahi Mire, 36, was recognized for bringing 100,000 books to his compatriots languishing in sprawling camps in Kenya.

Last year, 2022, Angela Merkel, the former Federal Chancellor of Germany, won the award

Mire is not the only Somali who has won the Nansen Refugee Award, named after the Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen. The 2012 award was given to Hawa Aden Mohamed for her exceptional work for Somalia’s refugee and displaced girls and women.

8.

Arnold Dix, the Australian engineer and lawyer who helped in the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue of 41 men

Arnold Dix is the head of the Geneva-based International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association. The organisation is known for raising issues related to ethical, legal, environmental, and political risks pertaining to underground construction.

recent CCE VIVA question on who was the man behind Silkyara tunnel rescue op

9.

IAS officer Sumit Sattawan has been appointed as the new District Commissioner of Kamrup metro.

Sattawan was previously entrusted with the responsibilities of the District Commissioner in Assam’s Lakhimpur district. This recent transfer comes as part of a strategic administrative realignment in the state. Simultaneously, IAS officer Hyalinge Gayatri Devidas is set to take on the mantle of Lakhimpur DC in the wake of Sattawan’s new assignment.

The outgoing Kamrup (Metro) DC, Pallav Gopal Jha has been appointed as the Commissioner of Taxes, adding another feather to his cap. In addition to this crucial role, Jha has been entrusted with the responsibilities of Project Director for Assam’s Urban Infrastructure Investment Program (UIIP).

10.

About Assam Urban Infrastructure Investment Program of which Pallav Jha is the new project director

It is an Externally Aided Project (EAP) and is a key urban infrastructure initiative of the Government of Assam, which aims to improve the urban environment and quality of life in the cities of Guwahati and Dibrugarh. The Department of Housing and Urban Affairs is the Executive Agency for the Projects under AUIIP.

Funded by Asian Development Bank and New Development Bank

11.

Starting today, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has introduced new guidelines for SIM cards to tackle online financial fraud.

The government specified that a new mobile number can only be allocated 90 days after disconnection by the previous user. Additionally, bulk purchases of SIM cards are no longer allowed. Instead, businesses can opt for business connections, requiring an authorised signatory to submit necessary documents for bulk SIM card purchases.

Under the updated rules, all telecom operators must register their franchises, Point-of-Sale (PoS) agents, and distributors. They are also required to undergo verification, with a Rs. 10 lakh fine for non-compliance.