Daily GK Update: 2nd November 2023

 Honours & Awards

1. Lionel Messi wins eighth Ballon d’Or 2023

• Argentina captain Lionel Messi won a record eighth Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world beating Norway's UEFA player of the year and treble winner Erling Haaland of Manchester City to the prestigious prize.
• Spain's Women's World Cup winner and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women's Ballon d'Or.
• Earlier, Messi's World Cup-winning team mate Emiliano Martinez won the Lev Yashin award for the world's best goalkeeper.

 Sports

2. Zahid Hussain Clinches Silver At Asian Shooting Championship

• Zahid Hussain secured the silver medal at the prestigious Asian Shooting Championship 2023 held in South Korea.
• He would be representing his nation on the international stage at the Paris Olympics.
• Star India shooter Manu Bhaker secured her Paris 2024 Olympics quota after she finished fifth in the women’s 25m pistol final
• Arjun Babuta in men’s 10 metre air rifle event and Sarabjot Singh in men’s 10 metre air pistol event have also secured Paris 2024 quotas.

 Banking & Finance

3. SBI Card Partners With Reliance Retail To Introduce ‘Reliance SBI Card’

• SBI Card and Reliance Retail came together to launch the co-branded Reliance SBI Card. 
• The lifestyle-focused credit card will offer a holistic and rewarding shopping experience to customers.
• Aim: To leverage the extensive network of SBI Card with the vast consumer reach and unique retail proposition of Reliance Retail to bring a spectrum of exclusive rewards.
• To unlock rewards and benefits while transacting at Reliance Retail’s extensive and many more.

 National & International Organizations

4. NMC to launch “one nation, one registration platform’‘ for doctors

• The National Medical Commission, the regulatory body for medical education and medical professionals, is all set to launch its “one nation, one registration platform” for doctors across the country
• Aim: To eliminate duplication and red tape and allow the public to access information on any physician working in India.
• NMC will unveil a patch pilot of the National Medical Register in the next 6 months, doctors will be allotted a unique identification number

 National & International Appointments

5. Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur to Chair International Jury Panel at IFFI

• Renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kapur will be the jury head for the international competition of the International Film Festival of India  2023 in Goa. 
• The five-member jury also includes cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine, producers Jerome Paillard, Catherine Dussart and Helen Leake
• The International Jury will select the winner of the coveted best film award which includes the Golden Peacock, Rs 40 lakh monetary component and certificates for the director and producer.

 National Affairs

6. 7 Indian States & 2 UTs Celebrated Their Formation Day on November 1st

• Grand events marked the formation day celebrations across seven states and two Union Territories on November 1. 
• The states celebrating the formation day today are Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. The Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry are also celebrating their formation day.
• Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and MP came into being in 1956, Punjab and Haryana were carved out as separate states in 1966

 National & International Organizations

7. Kozhikode Named India’s First ‘City of Literature’ by UNESCO

• Kerala’s Kozhikode city was officially designated as a Unesco City of Literature.
• This recognition makes Kozhikode the first city in India to receive this title.
• Unesco formally conveyed the honour to the Kozhikode Corporation as the city joined the ranks of 55 newly selected creative cities.
• Kozhikode Corporation Mayor Beena Philip expressed her enthusiasm for achievement, emphasizing that the "City of Literature" title is a remarkable acknowledgement of the city's

 Defense

8. India Submits ‘Letter of Request’ To France For 26 Rafale Fighter Jets

• In a significant development, India has given the Letter of Request to the French government for the procurement of 26 Rafale Marine fighter aircraft for the Indian Navy under a government-to-government deal.
• As per the proposal, the Indian Navy will get 22 single-seated Rafale Marine aircraft along with four trainer aircraft.
• The aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant have been operating the MiG-29s and need the Rafales for operations on both carriers.

 Defense

9. Aligarh Muslim University To Launch Its Own Satellite

• The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre has approved Aligarh Muslim University’s proposal for development of the varsity’s first satellite, to be named after its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. 
• The SS AMU SAT is a nano satellite project which began in November 2021 under AMU Robo Club.
• It is a 3U CubeSat with multiple objectives, including the study of economic growth in India's poorest districts using satellite imagery.

 Sports

10. Max Verstappen Dominates Mexico City Grand Prix, Sets New Record

• Max Verstappen split the Ferrari front row of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to snatch the lead of the Formula One Mexico City Grand Prix 2023 by the first corner, 
• He drove off to his record 16th victory of the season.
• Red Bull's three-time season champion collected his third consecutive win at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and broke his own season victories record set last year.
• Verstappen started from third and won from the same spot as he did in 2021.