10th Edelgive Hurun India Philanthropy List Released; Shiv Nadar Tops
- On November 2, 2023, Hurun Research Institute and EdelGive released the 10th annual ranking of Edelgive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023 in which Shiv Nadar (78) of HCL Technologies retained the title of ‘India’s Most Generous‘ for the 3rd consecutive year as he donated Rs 2,042 crore during theFY2022-23.
- Out of his total donation, Rs 1,774 crore for Arts and Culture and Education
- Azim Premji, founder chairman of Wipro, is ranked 2nd, as he donated Rs 1,774 crore and Mukesh Ambani, Chairman & Managing Director of Reliance Industries limited(RIL), is ranked 3rd with a donation of Rs 376 crore.
- The list comprises 119 philanthropists who cumulatively donated Rs 8445 crores. Out of these, 25 are new entrants.
- The list assessed the donations measured by the value of cash and cash equivalents from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
About Hurun India:
MD & Chief Researcher- Anas Rahman Junaid
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
ECI signs MoU with MoE to bring Electoral Literacy to Classrooms across India
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Election Commission of India (ECI) andthe Ministry of Education (MoE) to develop an institutional framework to formally incorporate electoral literacy into the school and college education system.This MoU will extend ECI’s flagship Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) in schools and colleges.It envisages instilling electoral literacy in the young people through the educational institutions.
Key Points:
- Under this MoU, there will be systematic inclusion of voter education and electoral literacy into the curriculum, starting from classes 6 to 12 in all schools
- This includes structured curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities, all of which will help in preparing future and new voters for greater electoral participation.
- Under the MoU, National Council of Educational Research and Training(NCERT) will include content on electoral literacy in school textbooks and advise state education boards to follow the same.
About Election Commission of India (ECI):
It is a constitutional body established by the Constitution of India to conduct and regulate elections in India. It operates under the authority of Constitution per Article 324Chief Election Commissioner– Rajiv Kumar
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment– 1950
Bhutan Becomes 1st Country to Fully Sterilise its Entire Street Dogs Population
Bhutan became the first country in the world to completely sterilize and vaccinate its entire stray dogpopulation across Bhutan.‘National Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Project’ is a 14-year-long project that was launched in 2009 and completed in 2023.Under the project, over 150,000 stray dogs were sterilized and 32,000 pet dogs were microchipped.The program was implemented by a global animal charity called Humane Society International (HSI).
About Bhutan:
Prime Minister(PM)– Lotay Tshering
Currency– Bhutanese Ngultrum
Capital– Thimphu
BPCL & GAIL Inks Rs 63,000 cr Pact to Supply Propane for India’s 1st PDH Plant in Maharashtra
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and GAIL (India) Limited, India’s leading natural gas company, have signed a 15-year agreement worth Rs 63,000 crore to supply propane to GAIL’s PropaneDehydrogenation and Polypropylene (PDHPP) Plant project in Usar, Maharashtra.GAIL’s upcoming Usar-based PHD-PP plant represents India’s 1st PDH plant, which is likely to launch operations in 2025
Key Points:
- Under the agreement, BPCL will provide GAIL with 600 kilotonnes per annum (KTPA) of propane, a critical petrochemical feedstock from its Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) import facility in Uran (Maharashtra).
- GAIL’s Usar plant is expected to have a capacity of 500 KTPA, with propylene production seamlessly integrated into a polypropylene (PP) plant of equal capacity
- BPCL’s LPG facility at Uran is capable of handling 1 million tonnes per annum (MMPTA) of LPG imports and is expanding to accommodate 3 MMTPA of propane and butane imports.
About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – G Krishnakumar
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established on– November 3, 1952
About GAIL (India) Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)- Sandeep Kumar Gupta
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Incorporated in– 1984
Social Worker Deenanath Rajput from Bastar receives Rohini Nayyar prize 2023
Software engineer-turned-social worker Deenanath Rajput (33) from Jagdalpur, Bastar, Chhattisgarh haswon the second edition of Rohini Nayyar prize 2023 for an Outstanding Contribution to Rural Development. The award was presented by Nand Kishore(NK) Singh who is the Chairman of the Fifteenth Finance Commission.The prize was announced at the function which was held at India International Centre(IIC) in New Delhi, Delhi.
Key Points:
- The award was instituted by Nayyar Foundation in 2022, in the memory of former bureaucrat Dr Rohini Nayyar IAS.
- The award also comes with a citation and a trophy with a cash prize of Rs.10 lakhs.
- The award is annually presented to recognise the outstanding contribution of an individual (under the age of 40) towards rural development.
- Sethrichem Sangtam received the first edition of Rohini Nayyar prize in 2022.
UNEP Champions of the Earth 2023: Honours Solutions to Eliminate Plastic Pollution
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has announced its 2023 Champions of the Earth, the United Nations(UN)’s highest environmental honour to recognise individuals, groups, and organizationswhose actions have a transformative impact on the environment.2023 Laureates: Josefina Belmonte, Mayor of Quezon City (Philippines); Ellen MacArthur Foundation (United Kingdom); Blue Circle (China); José Manuel Moller (Chile); and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) (South Africa).The 2023 laureates are implementing solutions and policies to eliminate plastic pollution.
About United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director– Inger Andersen (Under Secretary-General of the United Nations)
Headquarters– Nairobi, KenyaEstablished in– 1972
Indian Army Conducts Test Firing of Rockets and Turret Guns from Prachand
Indian Army conducted the inaugural test firing of 70 mm rockets and 20 mm turret guns of its Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand in both day and night conditions.
It was carried out by the 1st LCH squadron from the Air Force station in Likabali in Arunachal Pradesh.
Key Points:
- The Prachand is India’s first indigenous multi-role class combat helicopter, developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It received operational clearance in 2017
- The Army inducted its first LCH Prachand in October 2022.
- Features:The 5.8-tonne twin-engine prachand can fly at a maximum speed of 268Kilometer per hour (kmph) and has a combat radius of 550 km, which can go up to a service ceiling of 6.5 kilometers (km).
- It is fitted with Shakti Engine, which is co-developed by HAL and France’s engine-maker Safran.
- It is designed to operate in deserts and mountainous areas
- It is set to be equipped with Helina missiles, the air force version of the Dhruvastra missile, and also with a helicopter-launched anti-tank guided missile and a new air-to-air missile.