Daily GK Update: 27th November 2023

 Important Dates

1. National Cadet Corps celebrates 75th Anniversary day

• Today, the National Cadet Corps (NCC), the youth wing of the Indian Armed Forces, is set to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
• NCC Day is observed annually to commemorate the core values encapsulated in the NCC motto, “Unity and Discipline.” 
• The motto of the NCC, Unity and Discipline, encapsulates the values of duty, loyalty, dedication, and self-sacrifice.

 National Affairs

2. Hardeep Singh Puri launches city’s 2nd floating CNG station in Varanasi

• Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the city’s second floating compressed natural gas (CNG) mobile refueling unit (MRU) station at Ravidas Ghat  in Varanasi
• Earlier, Namo Ghat had a floating station for filling CNG in oats. 
• Puri said CNG boats not only reduce pollution but also lead to savings as it is more efficient.
• The decision to set-up this floating CNG station is a testament to our belief in the transformative power of clean energy.

 Sports

3. Shubman Gill appointed captain of Gujarat Titans

• Shubman Gill has been appointed captain of Gujarat Titans after the franchise traded Hardik Pandya to Mumbai Indians. 
• He takes over from Hardik Pandya, who was traded to Mumbai Indians
• The 2024 season of the IPL will be Gill's first leadership assignment in senior cricket.
• Gujarat Titans is a professional franchise cricket team based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

 International Affairs

4. Malaysia Opens Visa-free Travel for Indian Visitors and Chinese Citizens

• Malaysia will grant a 30-day visa-free entry for Indian and Chinese citizens from December 1 this year.
• Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has announced joining Thailand and Sri Lanka in recent weeks to offer such a facility to foreigners to promote tourism.
• Mr. Ibrahim said the waiver was an additional facility to the existing visa exemptions currently enjoyed by Gulf nations and other West Asian countries, including Turkiye and Jordan.

 Honours & Awards

5. Irish author Paul Lynch wins Booker Prize for 'Prophet Song'

• Irish writer Paul Lynch has won the prestigious Booker Prize for fiction for his fifth novel, "Prophet Song."
• The dystopian novel is about a woman's struggle to protect her family as Ireland collapses into totalitarianism in the near future. A civil war in Ireland then forces families to flee the country.
• Paul Lynch, 46, spent four years writing the book and was brought to the thought by the long years of the civil war in Syria and the "West's indifference.

 Summits & Conferences

6. PM Modi to take part in World Climate Action Summit in Dubai

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), during the 28th Conference of Parties (CoP-28).
• Mr. Modi will be present from November 30 to December 1 as part of WCAS proceedings.
• Summit is a ‘high-level’ segment of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference, being held under the presidency of UAE.

 Schemes

7. Ayushman Bharat’s Health & Wellness Centres Renamed 'Ayushman Arogya Mandir

• The Narendra Modi government has decided to rename the Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres as ‘Ayushman Arogya Mandir’.
• Union Health Ministry asking all states and Union Territories to implement the rebranding exercise by the end of 2023.
• The Centre has also coined the tagline ‘Arogyam Paramam Dhanam’, a Sanskrit phrase that translates to ‘health is the ultimate wealth’. 
• While ‘Arogyam’ means health, ‘Paramam’ means ultimate and ‘Dhanam’ means wealth

 Important Dates

8. Sikhs celebrate 554th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev

• Prakash Purb is a joyous occasion for Sikhs around the world.
• Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, was born on Kartik Puranmashi, in 1469 in the village of Talwandi (now Nankana Sahib). 
• This year marks the 554th anniversary of his birth, celebrated as Prakash Purb by Sikhs around the world.

 National Affairs

9. PM Modi Visits Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple In Tirumala

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi  visited the famous Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala district of Andhra Pradesh.
• According to his itinerary, PM Modi stayed at Tirumala overnight and went to offer prayers at Sri Venkateswara temple in the early hours today.
• At the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, prayed for the good health, well-being and prosperity of 140 crore Indians.

 International Affairs

10. World’s Biggest Iceberg On The Move After 30 Years

• The world's largest iceberg is drifting, for the first time in over 30 years, as per the British Antarctic Survey. 
• The recent satellite pictures showed that the Antarctic iceberg called A23a was moving beyond the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, propelled by strong winds and currents.
• It was rare to see an iceberg this big moving and the scientists will be watching its course closely.