Current affairs 15 November 2023

India ranked 117th among 129 nations in inclusiveness index by US varsity.

• India is ranked 117th in the list of 129 countries in the world in the inclusiveness index published at California University, United States.
• New Zealand finished first in the index for the second consecutive year. Portugal recorded its best showing by securing second place followed by the Netherlands in third place.
• The index examines inclusivity in terms of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and the general population using several measures.

Meghalaya launches "Food Security" campaign to achieve zero hunger.

• Meghalaya has launched the Food Security Campaign, which focuses on sensitizing the public about the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 and strives to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 – Zero Hunger.
• Objective: To create general awareness about food security being a right of the citizen and calls upon the public at ground zero community level to work together towards Zero Hunger to meet the needs of the public at the bottom of the poverty pyramid.

New Zealand launches interactive map for biodiversity restoration.

• New Zealand launched a new interactive map to restore a minimum of 15 percent local biodiversity within every catchment in the next nearly 100 years.
• Aim: To provides a tool for those seeking to make strategically significant investment decisions on biodiversity redress.
• The interactive map from Eco-index includes information on the type of habitat that existed there historically and targets for restoring 15 percent of biodiversity in each area.

US, South Korea Revise Security Agreement to Deter North Korea Threats.

• The United States and South Korea have revised a bilateral security agreement aimed at deterring North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threat.
• Aim: To counter the threat of nuclear weapons and other armaments by North Korea.
• The strategy, which holds that the US will use strategic military assets, including nuclear forces, to defend its allies, has taken on a greater significance as North Korea pushes ahead with its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

Ashok Leyland delivers India’s first LNG-powered haulage truck.

• Ashok Leyland becomes the first Indian Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to unveil an in-house LNG engine -powered haulage truck - AVTR 1922 compliant with BSVI Stage II emission standards.
• The AVTR 1922, powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), is built on the AVTR platform and shares a high degree of commonality with Ashok Leyland's existing diesel truck range.
• This ensures that our customers benefit from streamlined service and maintenance processes.