Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has made ‘penny drop’ verification mandatory for the withdrawal of funds by subscribers of the National Pension System (NPS), Atal Pension Yojana and NPS Lite as well as modifications in bank account details.
Under the process, Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRA) check the active status of the savings bank account and match the name in the bank account number with the name in the PRAN or according to the documents submitted.

Notes:
The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Mizoram has received a 5G Laboratory from the Government of India. The primary objectives of this 5G Lab at NIT Mizoram will be to develop competencies and advance 5G and beyond technologies.
The focus will be on benefiting students and startup communities across the country, with a particular emphasis on the State of Mizoram.

Notes:
The most recent assessment on agricultural policy and support worldwide by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has highlighted that in 2022, Indian farmers incurred an implicit tax of $169 billion.
This tax was a result of export bans, duties, or permits imposed on various commodities, including wheat and rice, in an effort to stabilize prices for consumers. As a consequence of these measures, the overall market price support (MPS) for farmers in 2022 turned negative.

Notes:
The India-US 2+2 meeting is scheduled to be held in New Delhi in November 2023. The meeting will be held amid global turbulence and it will address differences over Canada’s allegations against India.
US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin will be visiting India next week for the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will host the two visiting US Cabinet ministers.

Notes:
India, along with 27 other countries and the European Union have signed world’s first agreement on artificial intelligence (AI) safety at a meeting in the United Kingdom.
The agreement pledges to work together to assess the risks associated with artificial intelligence. It was signed during two-day ‘AI Safety Summit 2023’ at United Kingdom’s World War II code-breaking centre in Bletchley Park. In a statement, the UK government said, the agreement will be known as the Bletchley Declaration.

Notes:
The Philippines has announced to exit from China’s Belt and Road Initiatives.
The full termination of major infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative has been announced in favour of competitors from the West and Japan. Up to six significant Chinese projects are now under “reconsideration” due to Chinese delays, concerns over lending terms, and broader geopolitical tensions”.

Notes:
According to a survey published by McKinsey Health Institute, India is the second-best country in the world for employee well-being.
Turkey stands first in the survey with 78% score, while India has the second highest score of 76%, closely followed by China. The survey measured employee well-being by assessing physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. The global average was 57%. Researchers found that individuals aged 18 to 24, employees of smaller enterprises, and non-managerial professionals exhibit elevated rates of burnout symptoms.

Notes:
Intel announced collaboration with eight Indian electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies and original design manufacturers (ODMs), sharing key technological and operational insights for their laptop manufacturing projects in India.
As part of the new collaboration, Intel has shared its expertise in the production of complete entry-level laptops in India.

Notes:
The first Australia India Education and Skill Council (AIESC) meeting was recently held at IIT Gandhinagar.
The AIESC, earlier the Australian India Education Council (AIEC), is a bi-national body established in 2011 to guide the strategic direction of the education, training and research partnerships between the two countries. 5 MoUs were exchanged between Australian and Indian Higher Education institutions to facilitate greater academic, research and skill collaborations.

Notes:
Virat Kohli equals record of Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar at 49 ODI centuries. He also becomes the second batter, after Sachin Tendulkar (6976), to score 6000 runs in ODIs in India.
It took Tendulkar 451 ODI innings to get to 49 tons while Virat Kohli reached the milestone in just his 277th innings, in his 289th match.