Daily GK Update: 4th December 2023

 Honours & Awards

1. Qatar WISE Prize 2023 for India's Safeena Husain

• The prestigious WISE Award 2023 was honoured to Safina Hussain at the WISE 11 Summit (World Innovation Summit for Education).
• The WISE Prize for Education is the first global award of its kind that honours an individual for outstanding contributions to education.
• Working in partnership with government and communities, Educate Girls reintegrates them into the formal education system.
• The WISE prize was established in 2009 by the Qatar Foundation.

 International Affairs

2. India re-elected to International Maritime Organisation Council

• India was re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with the highest number of votes in the elections held in London for the 2024-25 biennium session.
• The 33rd Assembly of the IMO Council is being held from 27 November to 6 December 2023 at the IMO Headquarters in London.
• The Council is an executive body of the IMO and is responsible for monitoring the work of the organization.

 National Affairs

3. PM Modi unveil the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi  unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district.
• Modi paid homage to the rich maritime heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who constructed several coastal and sea forts, including the Sindhudurg Fort.
• The Maratha empire founder's seal inspired the new naval ensign that was adopted last year when PM Modi commissioned the first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.

 National Affairs

4. Amazon acquires ICC cricket rights for Australia till 2027

• E-commerce giant Amazon's streaming service Prime Video has signed a four-year deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to provide exclusive live broadcast rights in Australia for ICC cricket, which will be available on Prime Video Australia
• The partnership will see Prime Video Australia exclusively stream all men’s and women’s events, including the Men’s and Women’s Cricket World Cups, T20 World Cups, Champions Trophy, U19s, and the World Test Championship Final

 National Affairs

5. Tap water supply reaches around 13.69 Crore households under Jal Jeevan Mis

• Tap water supply has reached around 13.69 Crore households under the Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Ghar Jal.
• This covers 71 percent of total rural households, up from 17 per cent in 2019.
• According to a data released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, nine states and union territories including Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

 National Affairs

6. President of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto arrives in New Delhi

• President of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto arrived in New Delhi on a three-day visit to India.
• He is being accompanied by a high-level official delegation.
• He will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan tomorrow.
• President Ruto will hold detailed discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the afternoon tomorrow.
• The visit is expected to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.

 National Affairs

7. India ranks 49th in 2023 World Digital Competitiveness Ranking

• India has been ranked 49th out of 64 economies in the World Digital Competitiveness Ranking (WDCR) released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
• India has made significant in terms of cybersecurity knowledge but lacks on fronts like technology and future preparedness.
• The United States has topped in the report.
• The Netherlands took second place in the ranking, while Singapore, the leader in the technology factor, took third place.

 International Affairs

8. ADB Commits USD 170 Million to transform Kochi's Water Landscape

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a significant loan of USD 170 million for the modernization of water supply services in Kochi, Kerala.
• Objective of the loan is to modernize water supply services, elevate urban living standards, ensure access to clean water, and enhance climate resilience in Kochi.
• The project will rehabilitate and upgrade five existing water treatment plants that have a cumulative production capacity of 325 million litres per day (MLD).

 State Affairs

9. Andhra Pradesh braces for Cyclone Michaung

• The Andhra Pradesh administration has issued a high alert for eight districts given that Cyclone Michaung is set to make landfall near Bapatla.
• The cyclone is expected to hit the coastline at a speed of 90-100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.
• Special funds have been allocated to collectors of the eight districts to evacuate people from low-lying areas and the path of the cyclone and provide food, dry ration at relief camps.

 Books & Authors

10. Dhami releases Book Highlighting PM Modi's Role In Transforming DM

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami  released  a book which highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts in bringing about a "paradigm shift" in India's disaster management.
• The book, 'RESILIENT INDIA: How Modi Transformed India's Disaster Management Paradigm'.

 International Affairs

11. Indonesia's Marapi volcano erupts, spewing ash 3 km high

• Indonesia’s Marapi volcano in West Sumatra province erupted,spewing volcanic ash as high as 3,000 metres into the air. 
• According to the country's disaster management agency BNPB, the 2,891-metre-high volcano erupted at 2.54 p.m. 
• Volcanic ash was dispersed at high intensity to nearby districts. Pictures from BNPB showed cars and roads covered with ash.