National
Chief of the Naval Staff
⇒ The Government has appointed Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC as the next Chief of the Naval Staff with effect from the afternoon of 30th November 2021.
Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC was commissioned on 1st January, 1983 in to the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy.
Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2021
⇒ Noted Malayalam novelist and short story writer P Valsala has been selected for the prestigious 29th Ezhuthachan Puraskaram in recognition of her valuable contribution to Malayalam language and literature.
About Award:
- The honour carries a cash award of Rs 5,00,000 and a citation.
- It is the highest literary honour of the Government of Kerala.
- The award has been named after Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, a 16th century devotional poet, considered to be the father of Malayalam language.
About P Valsala:
- ‘Nellu’, ‘Agnayam’, ‘Nizhaluragunna Vazhikal’, ‘Arakkillam’ and ‘Venal’ are some of her noted works.
- Valsala, one of the prominent woman writers of the state, is also a recipient of the Kerala Sahithya Academy Award.
Fourth Scorpene Submarine ‘VELA’ delivered to Indian Navy
⇒ The fourth submarine of the Project – 75, Yard 11878 was delivered to the Indian Navy on 09 November 2021.
- Project – 75 includes construction of six submarines of Scorpene design.
- These submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with M/s Naval Group, France.
Christened ‘Vela’, the submarine was launched on 06 May 19, and has completed all major harbour and sea trials including weapon and sensor trials despite COVID restrictions.
Three of these submarines are already in commission with the Indian Navy.
25th Puthumaipithan Memorial Award
⇒ Dalit historian and writer Stalin Rajangam and feminist poet Sukirtharani have been chosen for the 25th Puthumaipithan Memorial Award by Vilakku Ilakkiya Amaippu, a U.S.-based forum, for 2020.
International
Initiative for the Resilient Island States
⇒ Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Initiative for the Resilient Island States (IRIS) for developing infrastructure of small island nations on 02 November 2021.
During the launch event, the Prime Minister said:
- Launch of ‘Infrastructure for Resilient Island States’ – Iris will give new hope and confidence.
- It will give the satisfaction of doing something for the most vulnerable countries.
Prime Minister Modi was joined by his British counterpart Boris Johnson on the second day of the COP26 climate summit. The launch event was also attended by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Aymanam Responsible Tourism Project wins World Travel Market Award
⇒ Aymanam Model Responsible Tourism Village Project has won the World Travel Market’s ‘Indian Responsible Tourism One To Watch’ award, fetching global attention to the riverine location in Kottayam district.
Kerala Tourism Director Mr. Krishna Teja, IAS, received the honour at the WTM in London in the ‘High Speed Diversification’ category for tourist activities spanning two years ending on March 31, 2020.
The award-winning project functions under Responsible Tourism Mission.
The award comes after the village fully implemented the RT Mission’s guidelines focusing on ecological conservation of tourist spots besides promotion of culture in a way that helps the local populace earn income.
Sports
Head Coach of Team India (Senior Men)
⇒ Former India captain, Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team by the Cricket Advisory Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ms Sulakshana Naik and Mr RP Singh unanimously appointed Mr Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of Team India (Senior Men).
Important Day
Statehood Day of Uttarakhand
⇒ Since 2000, Uttarakhand celebrates its statehood day on 9 November every year.
Death
Well-known educationist, teacher and philosopher, Sri Koneru Ramakrishna Rao
⇒ Well-known educationist, teacher and philosopher, Sri Koneru Ramakrishna Rao passed away on November 9, 2021 in Visakhapatnam. He was 89.
Mr Rao was awarded the Padma Shri in the year 2011. Rao was an internationally recognised psychologist and served as president of the US-based Parapsychological Association and the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology.
He served as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University and Chancellor of GITAM deemed-to-be university and had written over 20 books and several hundred research papers. He was a scholar of Gandhian studies as well.