Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Nov 22nd to 30th Nov 2023. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2023 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women 2023 is observed on the 25th of November 2023.
• Indian Constitution Day 2023 is observed on the 26th of November 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

• IDBI Bank has appointed EY India as the process adviser to facilitate the sale of its ₹4,000 crore distressed debt portfolio under the Stressed Assets Stabilisation Fund (SASF).
• According to the data compiled by Reserve bank of India (RBI), the daily wages of rural agricultural workers in Madhya Pradesh are the lowest in the country.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) have announced the establishment of the Natural Capital Fund (NCF), which is a concessional fund designed to support projects that enhance food security while also protecting and restoring natural capital in ADB’s developing member countries (DMCs).
• India's largest commercial bank, State Bank of India (SBI) released its July-September quarter results.
• Federal Bank collaborated with India's Top Seeded Shuttler, H.S. Prannoy.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) grants approval for Hinduja Group's resolution plan for Reliance Capital (RCap), paving the way for the group's takeover of RCap.
• Karnataka Bank has entered into a strategic corporate tie-up with HDFC Life to offer life insurance products to its customers.
• Investors in the inaugural tranche of sovereign gold bonds (SGBs), who have held onto their investments until maturity, are poised to receive significant returns as gold prices have more than doubled in the last 8 years.
• FDI equity inflows contracted 7.7% to $9.5 billion in the July-September quarter of FY24.
• Non-banking financial company L&T Finance has signed a USD 125 million loan pact with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support financing in rural and peri-urban areas in India, particularly for women borrowers.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed penalties amounting to ₹10.34 crore on Citibank, Bank of Baroda (BoB, and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) for contravention of various regulatory norms.
• The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, India (HSBC India) and UK Export Finance (UKEF), the United Kingdom’s export credit agency, intend to establish a financing programme of up to £100 million to support Indian Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs) and corporates for financing their imports from the UK.
• Karnataka Bank has announced a strategic corporate tie-up with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co Ltd, one of India’s leading private life insurers to distribute life insurance products to its customers.
• In yet another instance of the regulator taking action against a bank due to governance-related concerns, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had superseded the board of Abhyudaya Cooperative Bank for a period of 12 months.
• Payments company Mastercard announced a partnership with MSME lender U GRO Capital to offer short-term loans as a digital supply chain financing solution to dealers/distributors and last-mile retailers, among other small merchants and women entrepreneurs.
• The World Bank and Bangladesh have signed 5 financing agreements amounting to over $1.1 billion to support the country in achieving resilient and inclusive growth.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has officially launched the Investor Risk Reduction Access (IRRA) platform at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) will support Sorin Investments, the startup fund led by Sanjay Nayar, signalling confidence in the experienced banker and deal maker.
• State Bank of India’s (SBI) shareholding in Jio Payments Bank fell to 23% in FY23 from the 30% that it has maintained since inception, indicating its disinterest in the payments bank business model.
• Fintech unicorn Razorpay has initiated a 'returnship' program designed for female professionals who have taken a career break and are seeking to re-enter the workforce.
• Axis Bank is actively working towards establishing a fully digital bank, emphasizing the role of its mobile application "Axis Open."
• Markets watchdog Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved providing flexibility to Not for Profit Organisations (NPOs) in raising funds through the social stock exchange and also decided to introduce a regulatory framework for index providers.
• Indian private sector banks executed the most significant government bond acquisition in a single session in 7 years, involving a substantial investment on behalf of a corporate entity, according to traders.
• IndusInd Bank has partnered with Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) to introduce digital rupee transactions in Delhi NCR.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• The Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS) under the Ministry of Ayush launched the Ayurveda Gyan Naipunya Initiative (AGNI) for physicians practising in the field of Ayurveda in New Delhi.
• The Indian government has approved investments by 27 companies including Dell, HP and Foxconn under its $2 billion incentive scheme to manufacture IT hardware domestically.
• Thirty-eight years into existence, the World Coal Association (WCA) has renamed itself FutureCoal- The Global Alliance for Sustainable Coal as part of its transformative branding.
• The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa that the government is going to announce a new filmmaking policy.
• Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, inaugurated the 8th Edition of the India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare jointly launched the training of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY–NRLM)’s Krishi Sakhis for promotion of Natural Farming.
• The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India organised the fourth consultative workshop, in collaboration with Tamil Nadu state mission of DAY-NRLM on the theme of "Women's Economic Empowerment through Promotion of Producer Collectives”.
• India’s food subsidy is likely to be Rs 2.3 trillion for FY25.
• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar inaugurated ‘Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’ for the distribution of aids and assistive devices to persons with disabilities (Divyangjan) at Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha District of Gujarat, in the presence of Shri Dipsinh Rathod, Member of Parliament, Sabarkantha, Smt. Ramila Ben Bara, Member of Parliament (Rajyasabha) local public representatives and senior officials from district administration.
• Minister of State for Communications, Shri Devusinh Chauhan, inaugurated Hamfest India 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, Science City, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• In a significant step towards a pollution-free Varanasi, the city’s second floating Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Mobile Refueling Unit (MRU) station at Ravidas Ghat was inaugurated by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri.
• The world’s first 3D-printed temple has been unveiled by Telangana.
• Survey of India (SoI) and Genesys International, a leading Indian mapping company, announced a strategic tie-up for a three-dimensional (3D) digital twin-mapping programme in India.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong as part of the second India Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.
• THE CENTRE has exempted the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the national nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing, from the purview of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
• The 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in collaboration with UNICEF is screening five films that deal with child rights.
• The 42nd India International Trade Fair concluded in New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Education asks States to encourage use of online coaching platform SATHEE.
• The Central Government changed the name of Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) to ‘Ayushman Arogya Mandir.’
• IndiGo will be the first airline to start flights from Noida International Airport, which is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2024.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Central Sector Scheme for providing Drones to the Women Self Help Groups (SHGs), with an outlay of Rs. 1261 Crore for the period from 2024-25 to 2025-26.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) with total outlay of Rs.24,104 crore (Central Share:Rs.15,336 crore and State Share: Rs.8,768 crore) to focus on 11 critical interventions through 9 line Ministries.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Terms of Reference for the Sixteenth Finance Commission.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of Fast Track Special Court (FTSCs) as, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) from 01.04.2023 to 31.03.2026 with financial implication of Rs. 1952.23 crore (Rs. 1207.24 crore as Central Share and Rs. 744.99 crore as State share). Central Share is to be funded from Nirbhaya Fund.
• The Cabinet led by Prime Minister has decided that the Central government will provide free food grains to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for a period of five years with effect from 1st January, 2024.
• Smriti Zubin Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development (MWCD) launched a ‘Guide on Gender-Inclusive Communication’ in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
• The Anganwadi Protocol for Divyang Children was launched by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in the presence of Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai, MoS MWCD and AYUSH, Shri Indevar Pandey, Secretary, MoWCD, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, DEPwD, and Dr K K Tripathy, Economic Advisor, MoHFW at a national outreach programme organized on 28th November 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• For the first time in over two decades, the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are collaborating on a new collection coming to the stamp counter.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has inaugurated the world's largest single-site solar power plant ahead of the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
• The Indian Mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (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'.
• A cyclonic storm named 'Michaung' is predicted to occur in the Bay of Bengal basin.
• The colossal iceberg A23a, recognized as the world's largest, has broken free after being lodged in the Antarctic's Weddell Sea for more than three decades since its origin in 1986.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

• In a bid to catapult Tehri onto the global tourism stage, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) announced the maiden edition of Tehri Acro Festival, slated from November 24 to 28, 2023.
• Kerala state authorities are actively working to expand the cultivation of Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged Onattukara sesame.
• The Uttar Pradesh government has imposed a ban on halal-branded food items.
• From a local brick tea to textiles made from a Himalayan plant, over 15 products from Uttarakhand have been given the coveted GI tag by the Geographical Indications Registry.
• According to data from startup data platform Tracxn, Bengaluru (Karnataka) has the highest number (1,783) of women-led startups in India followed by Mumbai and Delhi with 1,480 and 1,195 women-led startups respectively.
• Vijayawada Railway Station has been given Platinum Certification- The Highest Standard IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) Rating at the Green Building Congress held at Chennai Trade Centre.
• The black-spotted croaker, or the ghol fish — considered a fisherman’s lottery — was declared the state fish of Gujarat.
• Saffron from the mountainous Kishtwar district has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry.
• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government is planning to install solar plants spanning 1700 hectares along the Bundelkhand Expressway.
• Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Shri Eknath Shinde inaugurated an equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Jammu & Kashmir's Kupwara.
• NHPC Limited, India’s premier hydropower company, has won the 2nd prize under the 'Annual Report' category of 'PRSI National Awards 2023'.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• The 2023 JCB Literary Prize was given to Tamil writer Perumal Murugan for FireBird.
• REC Limited, a Maharatna CPSE under Ministry of Power, received the “Best Employer for Policies in Diversity & Inclusion” Award at the 4th Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Awards and Conclave organised by Assocham.
• Renowned comedian Vir Das won the 51st International Emmy Award for Comedy.
• NHPC has won the prestigious ‘The Economic Times HR World Exceptional Employee Experience Award 2023 (ET HR WORLD EX Awards) in ‘Large Scale Enterprise’ category.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• A Sarbananda Sonowal memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Amazon Seller Services Private Limited (Amazon) in New Delhi.
• Traditional and Complementary Medicine 'Project Collaboration Agreement' has been signed by the Ministry of Ayush and the World Health Organization (WHO).
• In a significant move to enable micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and boost e-commerce exports from the country, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India is collaborating with the various e-commerce players to leverage the Districts as Export Hubs initiative and promote e-commerce exports from the country.
• A Memorandum of Understanding between the Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was signed in New Delhi for technical collaboration and joint research and development in the field of Defence Technology.
• The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment signed a MoU with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) for Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) in the presence of Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Dr. Virender Kumar, senior officers of the Department and senior members of the ISKCON in New Delhi
• The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan) took significant strides towards inclusivity through two groundbreaking Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed
• To bolster the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector in India, the Technology Development Board (TDB) and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
• The National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) and the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for sharing resources, such as best practices, expert faculty, training materials and innovative technologies.
• The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to forge a strategic partnership in disaster risk reduction.
• Reliance General Insurance Company Limited (RGICL), India’s leading general insurance company, has partnered with the Animal Digital Identification System (ADIS) to introduce unique Animal Identity Cards.
• Blue Dart Express Limited announced that it has entered into a partnership with India Post to introduce automated digital parcel lockers at selected post offices, offering customers an additional delivery method.
• The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Government of Odisha in the presence of Mr Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy at the Odisha Football Academy in Bhubaneswar.
• The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to forge a strategic partnership in disaster risk reduction.
• As per the report of first comprehensive National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India conducted by the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment through the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS, New Delhi, Alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used by Indians followed by Cannabis and Opioids.
• Amazon India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to extend its initiative Amazon WoW (Women of the World).
• The National Stock Exchange of India and the West Bengal government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate fundraising for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through the capital market.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared loneliness a pressing global health threat.
• Eight individuals of Indian origin, including World Bank President Ajay Banga and Ola Electric co-founder Bhavish Aggarwal, have been recognized in Time magazine's inaugural 'Time 100 Climate' list.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appointed deputy managing director Vinay Tonse as one of State Bank of India's (SBI) managing directors for 2 years till November 30, 2025.
• Luc Frieden, the former finance minister of Luxembourg, has assumed the position of the new Prime Minister of the country.
• Right-wing libertarian Javier Milei emerged victorious in Argentina's presidential election.
• Senior Indian diplomat Surendra Adhana has been re-elected to serve on the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) at the UN for the term 2024-26.
• Bandhan Bank's board has approved the reappointment of Chandra Shekhar Ghosh as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (MD&CEO) for a period of 3 years.
• Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the country’s oldest and largest industry body, has a President-Elect in Anish Shah.
• Renowned banking expert Lakshmi Ramakrishna Srinivas has been appointed as Additional Director of the South Indian Bank.
• Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu has been elected as the Vice-Chair of the UN Panel of Auditors for the year 2024.
• Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly has been appointed as the brand ambassador of West Bengal.
• Mohamed Muizzu took the oath as the 8th President of the Republic of Maldives in a ceremony held at the Republic Square in the capital, Male’.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

• The Nepal Army contingent, consisting of 334 personnel, has arrived in India for the 17th edition of the Joint Military Exercise SURYA KIRAN.
• The 2nd edition of Joint Military Exercise AUSTRAHIND-23 is being conducted between the Indian and Australian army contingents.
• Indian Navy in association with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted the Guided Flight Trials of the first indigenously developed Naval Anti-Ship Missile from Sea King 42B helicopter.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi achieved a historic milestone by flying a sortie in the indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured Tejas Twin-Seat Light Combat Fighter aircraft in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• Titan crossed ₹3 lakh crore in market value in a glittering testimony to the local consumer's swift ascent along the luxury gradient.
• India’s economic growth is likely to rise at 6.4 percent for fiscal year 2024-25, according to Standard & Poors (S&P) Global.
• The Investor Risk Reduction Access (IRRA) is a platform that will act as a ‘safety net’ for investors in case of technical glitches faced by a trading member or a stock broker registered with SEBI.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• Billionaire Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway Inc has sold its entire 2.46% stake in Paytm for Rs 1,371 crore through an open market transaction at a loss of about 31% per share.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Jio Satellite Communications and OneWeb, backed by Bharti Enterprises, have received licences from the government to provide broadband internet services to end-users using satellite.
• The formation of new enigmatic layer – E prime layer – at the outermost part of Earth's core is a result of "surface water penetrating deep into the planet," altering the composition of the metallic liquid core's outermost region, a study by an international team of researchers, including those from Arizona State University (ASU)
• OneWeb India has received the required approvals from IN-SPACe to launch Eutelsat OneWeb’s commercial satellite broadband services in India, marking a significant milestone as the first organization granted such authorization.
• Lenovo, India’s second-largest PC manufacturer, launched PMA-compliant (Government of India’s Preferential Market Access Policy) PCs with its Made-in-India motherboard.
• North Korea has achieved a successful launch of a military spy satellite on its third attempt within a span of six months.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• India’s Pankaj Advani has lifted his 26th world title as he won the World IBSF Billiards Championship 2023 in Doha, Qatar.
• Pankaj Advani won the IBSF World Billiards Championship title in Doha.
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) banned transgender cricketers from participating in women's cricket at the highest level in a major policy decision.
• The ICC moved next year's men's U-19 World Cup from Sri Lanka to South Africa, 11 days after the world governing body provisionally suspended the island nation's cricket board due to government interference.
• In Shooting, Indian shooter Anish Bhanwala won the bronze medal in the men’s 25m rapid-fire pistol event at the ISSF World Cup Final 2023 in Doha, Qatar.
• In the World 6 Red Women Snooker Championships, Vidya Pillai secured Gold to clinch the title of World Champion.
• Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur launched the mascot, logo, jersey and theme song for the first-ever Khelo India Para Games at a function in New Delhi.
• The top-ranked Djokovic won a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals title with a straight-set victory over home favourite Jannik Sinner.
• Punjab claimed the Gold medal after their penalty shootout triumph over defending Champions Haryana in the Final of the 13th Hockey India Senior Men's National Championship 2023 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, Chennai.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

• Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Sankara Nethralaya, SS Badrinath, passed away at the age of 83.
• Bollywood's veteran filmmaker and director Rajkumar Kohli, father of actor Armaan Kohli, passed away at the age of 93.
• Justice M. Fathima Beevi, the first woman judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court of India, passed away at the age of 96.
• Nongthombam Maipak, former Mr India title holder and veteran body builder of Manipur popularly known as Mister Maipak passed away at the age of 88 in Imphal, Manipur.
• Renowned art historian and critic Brijinder Nath Goswamy passed away in Chandigarh at the age of 90.