IAS officer Preeti Sudan appointed as a member of UPSC.

Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer and former health secretary, Preeti Sudan has took the oath of office and secrecy as Member, UPSC. The oath was administered to her by the UPSC chairman Dr Manoj Soni. Sudan superannuated as the Union Health Secretary in July, 2020. She also served as Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution, and in Women and Child Development and Defence Ministries.

Preeti Sudan is an M.Phil in Economics & MSc in Social Policy and Planning from LSE. Amongst her notable contributions have been initiating two major flagship programmes of the country, i.e., Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Ayushman Bharat, apart from Legislation on National Medical Commission, Allied Health Professionals Commission & ban on E-cigarettes.

Who has took the oath of office and secrecy as Member, UPSC?

Mumbai ranks 22nd in Global Prime Cities Index by Knight Frank.

Mumbai stood at 22nd rank in a global index that measures annual price appreciation of premium residential properties, according to Knight Frank. In its report on ‘Prime Global Cities Index Q3 (July-September) 2022’, Property consultant Knight Frank said that all three Indian cities: Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi, registered an increase in average annual prices in the third quarter of 2022.

Which Indian city stood at 22nd rank in a global index that measures annual price appreciation of premium residential properties, according to Knight Frank?

NASA Sets New Space Flight Record with Artemis 1 Orion Capsule.

NASA’s Artemis 1 Orion Capsule has set a new space flight record for spacecraft designed to carry humans by traveling 4,01,798 kilometers from Earth. The record was previously held by Apollo 13 which logged the record on 14th April 1970 by traveling 400,171 kilometers.

• Artemis 1 Orion Capsule was designed to stress the systems Orion and NASA sent the capsule into distant retrograde orbit.
• Since, Orion is not staffed, the Apollo 13 crew still holds the record for the farthest distance from Earth reached by humans.
• The Orion is carrying a manikin named “Commander Moonikin Campos”, after the late Arturo Campos.
• Arturo Campos was the man responsible for the emergency procedures that ensured Apollo 14 had enough power to safely splash down on earth.
• “Moonikin” is outfitted with sensors to measure radiation levels and physical stress a crew would feel on a similar flight to the moon and back.

Artemis 1 Orion capsule has set a new space flight record for spacecraft designed to carry humans by travelling 401,798 kilometers from Earth. Artemis I Mission has been launched by _____.

Indore Plans India’s First Retail Municipal Green Bond for Solar Plant.

Indore with a strong environmental record is planning to issue the nation’s first local government bond targeting individual investors, with proceeds used to fund a solar power project.

Indore Municipal Corp. seeks to raise as much as 2.6 billion rupees ($31.8 million) via a 10-year bond sale next month, according to Divyank Singh, chief executive officer of Indore Smart City, who is working with various stakeholders to finalize the offering. The offering from Indore, which is in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, is also set to be the country’s maiden municipal green bond designed for retail investors.  

Which city is planning to issue the nation’s first local government (municipal) green bond targeting individual investors, with proceeds used to fund a solar power project?

Ministry of Power Launches Scheme for Procurement of Aggregate Power of 4500 MW for 5 Years.

Ministry of Power has launched a scheme for procurement of aggregate power of 4500 MW for five years under SHAKTI Policy. The Ministry said that the scheme will help states that are facing power shortage and help generation plants to increase their capacities.

The last date for the bid submission is 21st December. It is for the first time that bidding is being carried out under B(v) of SHAKTI scheme. PFC Consulting Limited has been designated as the nodal agency. It has invited bids for the supply of 4,500 MW electricity. The supply will commence from April next year.

Ministry of Power started a Scheme for Procurement of Aggregate Power of 4500 MW on competitive basis or five years on Finance, Own and Operate (FOO) basis under ______.

IFFI 53: Iranian film ‘Nargesi’ wins ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal.

Iranian film Nargesi by Director Payam Eskandari has won the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal at the 53rd edition of International Film Festival of India, given for a film that best reflects Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals of peace, tolerance and non-violence. The film is about a man with Down’s syndrome and the burden and consequences it creates in his life. Compassion and tenderness are the two qualities depicted in this award-winning film.

______ film, Nargesi has won the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal at the 53rd edition of International Film Festival of India.

World AIDS Day celebrated on 1st December.

Every year, on 1 December, the world commemorates World AIDS Day. People around the world unite to show support for people living with and affected by HIV and to remember those who lost their lives to AIDS. The day raise awareness and to unite people worldwide in the fight against the global health issue of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The day provides an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.

The World AIDS Day theme for 2022 is “equalize”. According to UNAIDS, “The slogan is a call to action. It is a prompt for all of us to work for the proven practical actions needed to address inequalities and help end AIDS.

What is the theme of World AIDS Day 2022?

Senior journalist Ravish Kumar resigns from NDTV following Adani acquisition.

A senior journalist, Ravish Kumar has resigned from NDTV according to news sources. This comes just a day after the channel’s founders and promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy resigned from their positions as directors on the board of RRPR Holding Private Limited (RRPRH). The senior jounalists resignation come after the news channel was acquired by the Adani Group, and holds 29.18% stake in the news channel.

Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy had resigned as Directors on the Board of RRPR Holding Private Limited just yesterday, the company said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday. The board of RRPR Holding has approved the appointment of Sudipta Bhattacharya, Sanjay Pugalia and Senthil SinniahChengalvarayan as Directors on its board with immediate effect.

NDTV’s promoter firm RRPR Holding had transferred shares constituting 99.5 per cent of its equity capital to Adani group-owned Vishvapradhan Commercial (VCPL). The transfer of shares will give the Adani group control over a ____ stake in NDTV.

BSF celebrates its 58th Raising Day on December 01.

India celebrates the 58th BSF Raising Day (1st December) in 2022. This is for the first time that the Raising Day Parade of India’s first line of defense is being held in Punjab and the second time outside the national capital. The 58th Raising Day Parade of the Border Security Force (BSF) will be held on December 4 on Guru Nanak Dev University campus.

India celebrates the _______ BSF Raising Day (1st December) in 2022. This is for the first time that the Raising Day Parade of India’s first line of defense is being held in Punjab.

India’s 100 Richest 2022: Gautam Adani tops Forbes rich list.

The world economy may be slowing but India’s richest have grown even richer this year. The Forbes 2022 list of India’s 100 richest is finally here, according to which, the combined wealth of India’s 100 richest grew by $25 billion to touch a colossal $800 billion. The top 10 richest Indians are worth a cumulative $385 billion. Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani has bagged the top spot on the list with a net worth of $150 billion. According to Forbes, the gain was largely due to a record-breaking feat by infrastructure tycoon, which changed the pecking order at the top for the first time since 2008.

Top 10 names in the list:

Who has bagged the top spot on the Forbes 2022 list of India’s 100 richest with a net worth of $150 billion?