Context: Recently, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports has launched a nationwide appeal to strengthen the fight against doping in sports, urging athletes, coaches, and the entire sporting community to embrace the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) India's ‘Know Your Medicine (KYM)’ app.

About 'Know Your Medicine' App

• It is part of NADA India’s broader mission to raise anti-doping awareness and education, equipping athletes with essential information to stay clean.

• The app allows users to easily verify whether a specific medicine or its ingredients contain any substances listed as prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

• By offering this quick and seamless verification, the KYM app helps athletes to stay informed and uphold integrity of sport, fostering a culture of fair and ethical sportsmanship.

?Unique Features

• Image and Audio Search: Allows users to search for substances by uploading images or audio inputs, enhancing accessibility.

• Sport-Specific Information: Users can select their sport category and access tailored information related to their specific needs.

• Convenience: Ensures athletes and coaches can effortlessly verify medicines and stay informed on banned substances.

Broader Mission of NADA India with KYM

• Education and Awareness

• Part of NADA India’s ongoing mission to educate the sporting community about anti-doping measures.

• Empowers athletes with knowledge to prevent inadvertent doping.

• Promoting Ethical Sportsmanship

• Encourages a culture of fair play and integrity within the Indian sporting ecosystem.

• Ensures athletes uphold the principles of clean sports by staying informed.

National Anti-Doping Agency

• It was established by the Government of India, with the objective of acting as the independent Anti-Doping Organization for India having a vision of dope-free sports.

• It was set up as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 in November 2005.

The primary functions

• To implement the Anti-Doping Code to achieve compliance by all sports organizations in the Country.

• To coordinate a dope testing program through all participating stakeholders.

• To promote anti-doping research and education to inculcate the value of dope free sports.

• To adopt best practice standards and quality systems to enable effective implementation and continual improvement of the program.

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports

Context: Recently, the Secretary, Department of Science and Technology launched Operation Dronagiri at Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi.

• These initiatives have been launched in efforts to liberalise geospatial data, and developing geospatial infrastructure, geospatial skill and knowledge.

• Geospatial data is information that describes objects, events or other features with a location on or near the Earth’s surface. 

• Examples: Satellite imagery, census data, social media data etc. 

• Geospatial data is widely accepted as a critical national infrastructure and information resource. 

About Operation Dronagiri

• It is a pilot project under National Geospatial Policy 2022, and will be implemented by Geospatial Innovation Cell, Department of Science and Technology.

• Purpose: To demonstrate the potential applications of geospatial technologies and innovations in improving the quality of life of citizens and ease of doing business.

• First Phase Implementation: In the states of UP, Haryana, Assam, Andhra Pradesh & Maharashtra.

• Pilot projects and use cases will be demonstrated to showcase potential applications of integration of geospatial data and technology in 3 sectors: Agriculture, Livelihoods, Logistics and Transport.

About Integrated Geospatial Data Sharing Interface (GDI)

• Interface is being built for making spatial data accessible with advanced data exchange protocols and privacy-preserving features.

• Significance: Enabling seamless data sharing, enabling data-driven decisions for public good, fostering responsible use of geospatial data.  

National Geospatial Policy 2022

• Vision: Position India as global leader in geospatial sector, develop national framework, and enable easy availability of valuable geospatial data. 

Institutional Framework

• Geospatial Data Promotion and Development Committee (GDPDC) as apex body for geospatial sector

• Survey of India as overarching nodal agency for geospatial data

• National Digital Twin Strategy

• Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure.

What is geospatial technology?

• Geospatial technology makes use of satellite navigation systems and computer databases to create, capture, store and retrieve geographic and spatial information of any place. It enables efficient, effective, relevant and integrated planning through the use of real time data and data analytics. 

• Geospatial technology has applications in almost every domain of the economy ranging from agriculture to industries, development of urban or rural infrastructure, administration of land, economic activities of banking and finance, resources, mining, water, disaster management, social planning, delivery services, etc. 

• Geospatial data is now widely accepted as a critical national infrastructure and information resource with proven societal, economic and environmental value that enables government systems and services, and sustainable national development initiatives.

Princess Mikasa, the oldest member of Japan's royal family and great aunt to the emperor, died aged 101 on Friday( 15 November ) in a Tokyo hospital, the Imperial Household Agency said.

• She had been hospitalised since March after suffering a stroke and pneumonia and had been recuperating there following treatment in intensive care.
• Born Yuriko Takagi to an aristocratic family on June 4, 1923, the princess was 18 when she married the younger brother of wartime emperor Hirohito.
• The couple had five children -- two girls and three boys. She gave birth to her first, a daughter, in 1944 during World War II.

The Union Minister of Urban Development, Manohar Lal Khattar said that the Sarai Kale Khan Chowk will now be known as Birsa Munda Chowk.

• The decision was announced on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter and tribal leader Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
• The Union Minister asserted that this decision was taken to honour the freedom fighter so that people visiting the area could know about him and get inspired by his life.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Delhi LG VK Saxena, also unveiled a statue of Bhagwan Birsa Munda in the national capital city on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary.

India has concluded its first military technology transfer pact with Japan with the two countries signing a “memorandum of implementation” for “co-development and co-production” of UNICORN mast for naval ships to increase their stealth features.

• The agreement was inked at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo, an Indian Navy spokesperson said here on Saturday, noting that Bharat Electronics Ltd Bengaluru would be the nodal Indian partner in the project.
• The unified complex radio antenna (UNICORN) is a mast with integrated communication systems that help improve the stealth characteristics of ships.
• These antennas are currently fitted on Mogami class frigates of Japan Maritime Self Defence forces.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the Jauljibi Mela 2024 in Pithoragarh, highlighting its significance as a cultural and economic bridge between India, Nepal, and Tibet.

• The Minister also inaugurated Vaikunth Chaturdashi Mela at  Srinagar in Pauri district, the 72 government industrial development and cultural fair at Gauchar in Chamoli district.
• The minister also laid the foundation stone of 18 schemes worth Rs. 64.47 crore.
• This includes 13 inaugurations worth Rs 29.65 crore and 5 foundation stones worth Rs 34.72 crore.

About Jauljibi Fair

Jauljibi Fair is a cultural and commercial fair held every year from 14th-21st November at the place of confluence of Kali and Gori rivers, situated 10kms from Askot. Askot is situated in the Dharchula Nagar-panchayat of Pithoragarh district. The confluence of Kali and Gori rivers is the meeting place of three different cultures of Shauka, Nepali, and Kumaoni.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s party NPP has won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections.

• In the 225-member parliament, the NPP has won the majority with 141 seats, according to the Election Commission of Sri Lanka.
• Elections are being held for 196 of these seats on proportional representation basis.
• The remaining seats would be allocated on their basis of their share to overall votes polled.
• The NPP appears to be headed towards winning a two-third majority in the parliament.

Australia’s University of Wollongong (UOW) inaugurated its India campus in Gujarat International Finance Tech (GIFT) City Gandhinagar, with the courses of Master of Financial Technology, Master of Financial Technology (Extension), and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Technology.

• The inauguration comes months after Deakin University inaugurated its own India campus in the same city in July this year with two Master’s degrees in cyber security and business analytics.
• Michael Still is the Chancellor of the University of Wollongong campus in GIFT City.
• UOW India students will join more than 7,000 students offshore, and upon graduation join an alumni community of more than 190,000 strong from 199 countries.

The Final of the 14th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship saw Hockey Association of Odisha emerge victorious over Hockey Haryana to claim the championship title.

• Hockey Association of Odisha defeated Hockey Haryana by  5-1.
• For Haryana, it was its second successive defeat in the summit clash, having lost to Punjab last time. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh beat Manipur 2-1 to bag the bronze medal.  
• Third place was secured by Uttar Pradesh Hockey by defeating Manipur Hockey, rounding off an intense final day of competition at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, in Chennai. 

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the main body for cleaning the holy river, is set to start a special Dolphin Ambulance to rescue injured aquatic animal.

• Under the ambitious project approved for conservation of the Ganga River Dolphin, a specialised vehicle will be developed to assist dolphins in distress. 
• The project titled 'Advancing Rescue System for the Protection of Stranded Ganges River Dolphins' has an estimated budget of Rs 1 crore.
• The project will focus on raising awareness for dolphin conservation and community capacity building through training.
• The NMCG during its board meeting also approved “an innovative and highly significant” project for the conservation of endangered turtles in the Ganga basin in Uttar Pradesh. 
• Dolphin is already declared as the national aquatic animal of India, Ganga Dolphin is also found in the river system of India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

The Ministry of Science and Technology on Thursday launched Operation Dronagiri — a pilot project under National Geospatial Policy 2022.

• Operation Dronagiri was launched by Science and Technology Department Secretary, Professor Abhay Karandikar, at the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.
• It will demonstrate the potential applications of geospatial technologies and innovations in improving the quality of life of citizens and ease of doing business.
• Karandikar noted that Operation Dronagiri is part of the numerous efforts of DST in liberalising geospatial data, developing geospatial infrastructure, geospatial skill and knowledge as well as standards in implementing the policy.
• He added that Operation Dronagiri comes with support from the integrated Geospatial Data Sharing Interface (GDI).
• It will help “make spatial data accessible, bringing transformation similar to the process in which UPI has brought about financial inclusion”. 

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has announced the launch of the Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) Program.

The operationalisation of the ANRF was initiated with the First Meeting of the Governing Board (GB) on September 10, 2024, which was chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister as the President of the Governing Board (GB).

• The ANRF signals a new beginning for the R&D ecosystem of the country. In line with this, the PAIR programme would bring major transformation in Indian Universities.
• The GB meeting of ANRF had decided to launch a programme in hub and spoke model by pairing universities where research is at nascent stage, with top-tier established institutions in mentorship mode.
• The groundbreaking PAIR initiative aligned with the objectives set by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, is designed to cultivate research excellence across Indian universities, particularly central and state public universities with limited research capabilities, by fostering collaborations with top-tier institutions.

World leaders gathered at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan this week have been issued with a stark new warning over the health of global coral reefs following the discovery that over 40% of reef-building coral species are now at risk of extinction.

• In a reassessment of the conservation status of nearly 900 warm-water reef-building coral species conducted by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and The MSC Foundation, new analysis shows that as much as 44% are now threatened to the point of being ‘critically endangered’.
• The report provides a dramatic update to the status of coral species around the world which were last assessed for the IUCN Red List in 2008. At that time, one third of the species was found to be at such a risk of extinction.
• Climate change remains the main threat to reef-building coral species.
• The reassessment of the species status has been made using the latest data from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN).

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be visiting Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana from 16-21 November, 2024.

Nigeria Visit

At the invitation of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria H.E. Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Prime Minister will visit Nigeria from 16-17 November, 2024. This will be the first visit by a Prime Minister of India to Nigeria in 17 years.

During the visit, Prime Minister will hold talks to review the strategic partnership between India and Nigeria and discuss further avenues to enhance the bilateral relationship.

He will also address a gathering of the Indian community in Nigeria. India and Nigeria have been strategic partners since 2007 with growing economic, energy and defence collaboration.

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Visit 

Prime Minister will travel to Rio De Janeiro during 18-19 November, 2024 to attend the G20 Summit hosted by the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, H.E. Mr. Luis Inacio Lula Da Silva.

India is part of the G20 Troika along with Brazil and South Africa and has been actively contributing to the ongoing G20 Summit discussions.

During the Summit, Prime Minister will put forward India’s positions on various issues of global importance and build on the outcomes from the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration and Voice of the Global South Summits which were hosted by India in the past two years. 

Guyana Visit

At the invitation of the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister will undertake a State Visit to Guyana from 19-21 November, 2024. This visit to Guyana will be the first by an Indian Prime Minister since 1968. 

In Georgetown, Guyana, Prime Minister will also participate in the Second CARICOM-India Summit and hold meetings with leaders of CARICOM member countries to further enhance India’s long-standing friendship with the region.

November 16 is marked as National Press Day in India, commemorating the establishment of the Press Council of India (PCI) in 1966.

• It is an occasion to recognise the role of the press in India.
• In a democratic society like India, the press is often referred to as the “fourth pillar of democracy”. It has the power to hold the government accountable and disseminate news and information freely.
• The PCI was formed under the Press Council Act passed by Parliament to safeguard the freedom of the press.

Reliance Industries and Walt Disney completed an $8.5 billion deal to form a new media powerhouse.

• This joint venture (JV), valued at INR 70,532 crore, is structured around three key divisions: entertainment, digital streaming, and sports.
• The merger combines the considerable resources of Reliance’s media assets, including its Colors TV channels and JioCinema streaming platform, with Disney’s Star network and Hotstar streaming service.
• According to Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, the collaboration will provide “unparalleled content choices at affordable prices” for Indian audiences, with a specific emphasis on digital access.
• This new venture aims to streamline content delivery across platforms and maximise reach in a country of over 1.4 billion people.

Why in News? 

• Recently, The Prime Minister paid tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda on his birth anniversary, commemorated as Janjatiya Gaurav Divas (15th November).

Key Points:

About Janjatiya Gaurav Divas:

=> It is celebrated every year to recognize the efforts of the tribals in the preservation of cultural heritage and promotion of Indian values of national pride, valour, and hospitality.    

=> Tribals held several tribal movements across different regions of India against the British colonial rule.

=> These tribal communities include Tamars, Santhals, Khasis, Bhils, Mizos, and Kols to name a few.

Birsa Munda:

=> Birsa Munda born on 15th November 1875 was a member of the Munda Tribe of the Chhota Nagpur Plateau.

=> He was an Indian freedom fighter, religious leader, and folk hero.

=> He spearheaded an Indian tribal religious Millenarian movement during British rule in the late 19th century across the tribal belt of modern-day Jharkhand and Bihar.

=> Birsa was a close observer of the Sardari Larai movement in the region in the 1880s, which sought to restore tribal rights through nonviolent means such as petitioning the British government.

=> These demands, however, were ignored by the harsh colonial authority.

=> The tribals were quickly demoted from landowners to labourers under the zamindari system, which resulted in Birsa taking up the cause of the Adivasis.Birsa Munda went on to form Birsait, a new religion.

=> The religion preached the belief in a single God and urged people to return to their old religious convictions.

=> People began to refer to him as a cost-effective religious healer, a miracle worker, and a preacher.

=> People from Oraon and Munda became convinced Birsaites, and many began calling him 'Dharti Abba, meaning Father of the Earth.'

=> He brought a fresh perspective to the religious realm.Birsa Munda led the rebellion that came to be known as Ulgulan (revolt) or the Munda rebellion against the British government-imposed feudal state system.

=> He awakened the masses and sowed the seeds of revolt in them against the landlords as well as the Britishers.

=> His struggle against the exploitation and discrimination against tribals led to the passing of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act in 1908 which restricted the passing of land from the tribal people to non-tribals.