Daily GK Update: 19th November 2022

National & International Appointments

Arun Goel (retired IAS officer of 1985 batch Punjab cadre) has been appointed as the new Election Commissioner of India with effect from the date he assumes the office.
Election Commission of India (ECI):
- It is a constitutional body to conduct and regulate elections in the country.
- It consists of a chief election commissioner (CEC) and two election commissioners (usually retired IAS or IRS officers)
CEC: Rajiv Kumar
Second Election Commissioner: Anup Chandra Pandey

Science & Technology

India's first ever private titled ‘Vikram-S’ Suborbital rocket has been launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
This rocket reached an altitude of 89.5 km with three payloads weighing 83 kilogram and safely splashed in the Bay of Bengal at around 115 km after the lift-off from Sriharikota.
It is built by Skyroot Aerospace.
Mission under which this rocket has been launched is named 'Prarambh', which literally means ‘beginning’.

National Affairs

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has inaugurated Donyi Polo Airport, Itanagar and dedicated 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station to the nation.
Donyi Polo Airport will be the fourth operational airport for Arunachal Pradesh, taking total airport count in the North-East region to 16.
Airport name reflects the traditions and rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh and its age-old indigenous reverence for the Sun (Donyi) and the Moon (Polo).

National Affairs

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has inaugurated month-long ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ being organized in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Objective: to celebrate, reaffirm and rediscover the age-old links between Tamil Nadu and Kashi.
It will bring together academic exchanges, seminars, discussions, etc. between experts and scholars
During the event, PM has also released a book ‘Tirukkural’ along with its translation into 13 languages.

State Affairs

The 53rd edition of IFFI (International Film Festival of India) is all set to open to a colorful opening ceremony at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Taleigão in Goa.
It will showcase 280 films from 79 countries.
The festival will open with Austrian film, Alma and Oskar, directed by Dieter Berner.
It will have 25 feature films and 19 non-feature films from India with special section for Asha Parekh.

Defense

Annual show, ‘Air Fest 2022’ showcasing maneuvers of planes & helicopters in the arsenal of Indian Air Force (IAF) is organized at Head Quarters Maintenance Command, Vayusena Nagar in Nagpur.
It is being conducted as a part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.
Objective: to showcase various facets of Indian Air Force (IAF) and motivate the youth of Nagpur to choose Indian Air Force for an exciting career.

Honours & Awards

Minister of State for Education, Subhash Sarkar has conferred National Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar 2021-22 in Akashwani Bhawan, Delhi.
The award has been conferred on 39 schools, including 5 in the national category and 34 in the overall category.
Rs 60,000 were given to the national category winners and 20,000 rupees were given to the other category.
It has been instituted by Ministry of Education to recognize excellence in water, sanitation, and hygiene in schools.

Arts & Culture

Rural Development Minister, Giriraj Singh has inaugurated ‘SARAS AAJEEVIKA MELA, 2022’ at India International Trade Fair in New Delhi
SARAS Mela: It is an initiative by Deendayal Antayodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission to bring the rural women self-help group members in one platform to showcase their skills.
It also provides national level exposure to understand the demand and taste of urban customers in metro cities

National Affairs

India has improved its rank by six slots in the Network Readiness Index 2022 (NRI 2022) report and is now placed at 61st rank with a score of 51.19.
NRI 2022 Report maps the network-based readiness landscape of 131 economies based on their performances in 4 pillars: Technology, People, Governance, and Impact covering a total of 58 variables.
The report is prepared by Portulans Institute.
Top performers: United States, followed by Singapore and Sweden.

Sports

Indian table tennis player, Manika Batra has clinched the bronze medal at the ongoing ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup tournament at Huamark Indoor Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand
She became the first Indian female paddler to win a medal at the event.
She defeated World number six and three-time Asian champion Hina Hayata by 4-2 to clinch the bronze medal.