Current affairs 28 November 2023

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.