Daily GK Update: 23rd November 2023

 National Affairs

1. PM Modi participated in 'Mirabai Janmotsav' in Mathura

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the ‘Mirabai Janmotsav’ celebrations, being organised to mark the 525th birth anniversary of Sant Mirabai, in Mathura.
• During the festival, PM Modi will participate in cultural programmes and release a stamp and a coin in honour of Mirabai.
• The event would mark year-long programmes that are being planned in the memory of Mirabai.

 Banking & Finance

2. Nippon Life AIF to raise Rs 1,000 cr for private credit

• Nippon Life India Asset Management has joined the likes of Centrum and Avendus to capitalise on the demand for private credit amid the tightening of norms by regulated entities such as banks and mutual funds pulling out of promoter funding.
• Nippon Life India Alternative Investment Fund, which is set to raise ₹1,000 crore, has already deployed ₹100 crore in two strategic deals and aims to secure an additional ₹1,000 crore through a green shoe option.

 National & International Appointments

3. CAG Girish Chandra Murmu elected vice-chair of UN external auditors’ panel

• Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Girish Chandra Murmu, has been elected vice-chair of the UN Panel of External Auditors.
• This recognition underscores India’s commitment to the highest standards of external audit and its active participation in shaping the global audit landscape.
• Murmu participated in the sixty-third session of the Panel of External Auditors, held at the UN headquarters in New York from 20-21 November 2023.

 International Affairs

4. Indian Mission to ASEAN Hosting ASEAN-India Millet Festival in Jakarta

• The Indian Mission to ASEAN, along with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, is hosting the ASEAN-India Millet Festival in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta from November 22-26, 2023, as part of the 'International Year of Millets 2023'.
• Addressing the inauguration, Jayant Khobragade, Indian Ambassador to ASEAN, highlighted the importance of the ASEAN-India Millet Festival and strengthening India-ASEAN relations.

 Sports

5. ICC Bans Transgender Players From International Women’s Cricket

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has recently implemented a ban on transgender cricketers from participating in international women’s cricket at the highest level.
• This decision has raised discussions around inclusivity, athlete rights and the impact of the ban on transgender individuals. 
• The move is said to be in alignment with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) guidelines, considering cricket’s inclusion in the 2008 Olympics.