MoHUA Launched Jal Diwali – ‘Women for Water, Water for Women Campaign’
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched ‘Jal Diwali – Water for Women, Women forWater’ awareness campaign under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), flagship scheme of MoHUA, in partnership with National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM).Jal Diwali, the first phase of the Water for Women, Women for Water campaign, will be held from 7th to 9th November 2023.Odisha Urban Academy is the knowledge partner of this campaign
Key Points:
- The campaign empowers women in water governance by offering firsthand insights into water treatment processes and safe drinking water distribution through visits to local Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) in their cities
- The campaign aims to instill ownership and responsibility for water infrastructure
Union Finance Minister inaugurates 1st Global Conference on Cooperation in Enforcement Matters (GCCEM) in New Delhi
- The first Global Conference on Cooperation in Enforcement Matters (GCCEM) was held in New Delhi, Delhi from 30th October to 1st November 2023. The conference was inaugurated by Union MinisterNirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance (MoF).The theme of 1st GCCEM was ‘It takes a Network to fight a Network’.
- The conference was organised by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), under Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in consultation with World Customs Organisation (WCO), Brussels in Belgium.
- The Union Minister of State (MoS) Pankaj Chaudhary, MoF was the Guest of Honour and Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, WCO was the Special Guest at the Inaugural Session.
- The Union Finance Minister also launched phase IV of ‘Operation Sesha’ by Indian Customs in collaboration with RILO Asia-Pacific and RILO Middle-East to curb the illegal trade of Timber including Red Sanders.
About Directorate of Revenue intelligence (DRI):
Director General– Mohan Kumar Singh
Headquartered– New Delhi, Delhi
UK Government Hosted World’s 1st Artificial Intelligence Safety Summit 2023
- The United Kingdom (UK) Government hosted the world’s 1st global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire (UK) on November 1-2, 2023. This 2-day summit brought together Ministers and representatives from various countries, including the UK, the United States of America (USA), and India, among others.
- This summit aimed to unite world leaders and prominent tech industry giants focussed on devising a comprehensive, collaborative strategy to mitigate risks and combat the misuse of AI technologies.
- The Summit also witnessed the signing of theBletchley Declaration by 28 countries and the launching of the world’s 1st AI Safety Institute.
- Delegates from 28 nations, including India, the USA, China, and the European Union have signed the world’s 1st agreement known as the “Bletchley Declaration,” during the ‘AI Safety Summit 2023’ and pledged to cooperate, to promote the safe use of AI tools.
- During the AI Safety Summit 2023, UK Prime Minister (PM) Rishi Sunak launched the world’s 1st AI Safety Institute in the UK to examine, evaluate, and test new types of AI. The launch represents the UK’s commitment to the global initiative on AI safety testing.
About the United Kingdom (UK):
Capital– London
Prime Minister– Rishi Sunak
Currency– The pound sterling, or Great Britain Pound (GBP)
India’s SEA Signed MoU with Brazil’s ABIOVE for Supply of Soya Oil to India
- Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), a cooking oil industry body, and ABIOVE, the BrazilianAssociation of Vegetable Oil Industries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for close cooperation in soyabean oil supply to India.
- The agreement aims to cooperate with the supply, use, and trade of soybean, soya meal, and soyabean oil as well as oilseeds, oilseed products, and edible oils market
- The MoU targets technology exchange for improved oilseed cultivation, emphasizing amplified agricultural productivity
- The focus lies in fostering scientific and technical alliances, particularly in oil meals and vegetable edible oils, mutually benefiting both organizations.
Earthshot Prize 2023: An Indian firm and Indian-American lead by Firm among 5 winners
Indian solar-powered tech venture Science for Society Techno Services Private Limited (S4S Technologies) and a global soil carbon marketplace ‘Boomitra’ founded by an Indian-American are two among the five winners of 2023 Earthshot Prize (3rd Edition).S4S Technologies won in the ‘Build A Waste-Free World’ category whereas Boomitra won in the ‘Fix Our Climate’ category.The winners’ list was announced by William, Prince of Wales, at the awards ceremony which was held in Singapore.
About Science for Society Techno Services Private Limited (S4S Technologies):
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Vaibhav Tidke
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in – 2013
Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Aadith Moorthy
Headquarters – San Mateo, California, United States of America(USA)
Established in – 2017
Heeralal Samariya sworn in as Chief IC of CIC by President Draupadi Murmu
Heeralal Samariya sworn in as the Chief Information Commissioner (Chief IC) of the Central InformationCommission (CIC). He becomes the first Dalit Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer to hold the post.Draupadi Murmu, President of India, administered the oath of office at the function at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, Delhi.He succeeds Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha, whose tenure as chief of CIC ended on 3rd October 2023.
Key Points:
- Heeralal Samariya was an 1985 batch IAS officer of Telangana Cadre. He has been serving as the Information Commissioner in CIC since 2020.
- Previously, he served as the Secretary in the Ministry of Labor and Employment(MoLE) and Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Chemical & Fertilizers.
- He has also served as the Commissioner Commercial Taxes in Telangana
International Day of Radiology 2023 – November 8
- International Day of Radiology (IDoR) or World Radiography Day is annually observed across theglobe on 8 November to raise awareness about the contribution of radiology towards safe patient care, and to improve public understanding of the vital role radiologists and radiographers play in the healthcare continuum.
- IDoR was created to mark the anniversary of the discovery of X-raysby Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, a German physicist & the winner of the 1st Nobel Prize in Physics (1901), in 1895.
- 8 November 2023 marks the observance of the 12th International Day of Radiology(IDoR).
About European Society of Radiology (ESR):
Chair– Adrian P. Brady
President– Carlo Catalano
Membership– 130,316 members across 186 countries
Headquarters– Vienna, Austria
Founded in– 2005