DAILY GK 20 NOV 2025
1. FGM-148
JAVELIN ATGM & M982A1 EXCALIBUR PROJECTILE
·
USA approved
the supply of 100 FGM-148 Javelin
Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) worth USD 45.7
million and up to 216 rounds of Excalibur M982A1 precision-guided
artillery projectiles worth USD 47.1 million, totaling to USD
93 million to India.
·
FGM-148 Javelin ATGM is
a shoulder-fired, fire-and-forget ATGM
·
The missile weighs 22.3 Kilogram (Kg) and can reach over 4 Km.
·
M982A1 Excalibur Projectile
is a Geographic Positioning System
(GPS)-guided, extended-range
155-millimetre (mm) artillery shell
·
It uses GPS and Inertial Navigation System (INS) guidance and is
accurate with a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of less than 2 metres (m).
·
The shell, with a range of 40-50 Km, is equipped with a unitary
high-explosive (HE) warhead.
2.
REPORT ON WATER BUDGETING
FOR ASPIRATION BLOCKS
·
Dr. V.K. Paul, Member of
the National Institution for Transforming India Aayog (NITI) Aayog,
released a report titled ‘Water Budgeting in Aspirational Blocks’, a
significant step for effective water management, in New Delhi
·
The report was prepared by
NITI Aayog in collaboration with GesellschaftfürInternationaleZusammenarbeit
(GIZ) India
·
The Water Budget systematically assesses household and community water use,
comparing it with available resources to identify gaps, inefficiencies, and
conservation opportunities.
·
The water budgeting
exercise uses the web-based
application(app) ‘Varuni’ to
plan block-level water security, estimating demand across key sectors and
accounting for multiple water sources
·
The application for Water
Budgeting has been piloted in 18 Aspirational Blocks across 8
agro-climatic zones of the country in 11 states and 1 Union Territory (UT).
3.
FRANCE’S CHEVALIER AWARD
·
Renowned Indian Art Director and Padma Shri
Awardee ThotaTharani, was conferred with the Chevalier
de L’Ordre Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and
Letters), one of France’s highest
civilian honours in the field of arts
and culture
·
ThottaTharani now joins a
list of Indian film personalities like: famous Tamil actor Sivaji Ganesan
(1995), M. Balamuralikrishna, Kamal Hassan (2016), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
(2012), and KalkiKoechlin (2018), who had previously received the award.
·
Tharani created set designs
for some of Tamil films like: ‘Nayakan’, ‘Indian’, ‘Thalapathi’,
‘Dasavatharam’ and ‘PonniyinSelvan’.
4.
SON OF THE SOIL AWARDS
·
Union Minister SarbanandaSonowal, Ministry
of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) conferred the ‘Son of the Soil
Awards’ during the 5th Biennial Son of the Soil Awards 2025, organized
by Care Luit in Tezpur, Assam.
·
Award Categories Emerging Achievers Award
(5); Lifetime Achievement Award (5);
Social Sector Development Award (2).
·
The awards aim to promote innovation, local talent, and community
development in Assam.
5.
CIMUSET AWARD
·
The state-of-the-art climate change gallery “On
the Edge?” at Science City, Kolkata,
West Bengal (WB), a unit of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM)
under the Ministry of Culture, received the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Science and
Technology (CIMUSET) Award.
·
The award was presented at
the 27th International Council of
Museums (ICOM) General Conference in Dubai
6. TOM CRUISE RECEIVED HONORARY OSCAR
·
Famous Hollywood Actor and
4-time Oscar Nominee, Tom Cruise received the Academy
Honorary Award, also known as Honorary Oscar.
·
The award was presented to
him by renowned film director Alejandro Gonzalz Inarritu at
the 16th Governor Awards held at the Ray Dolby
Ballroom in California, the United States of America (USA).
·
Other than Cruise, American choreographer Debbie Allen and
production designer Wynn Thomas were also conferred with honorary Oscar.
·
Also, renowned American Actress, Songwriter and Philanthropist Dolly
Parton was honoured with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian
Award, considered as an Oscar statuette.
·
Governor Awards are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’
(AMPAS) Board of Governors.
·
These awards have been
awarded annually since the inception of
Academy Awards in 1929.
·
The Governor Awards are
given across 3 main categories namely Irving
G. Thalberg Memorial Award, The Hersholt Humanitarian
Award, Honorary Award.
7.
6TH NATIONAL WATER
AWARDS
·
President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred
the 6th National Water Awards (NWA 2024) and the
inaugural Jal Sanchay-Jan Bhagidari (JSJB 2025) Awards at
a ceremony held at VigyanBhawan in New Delhi
·
Maharashtra won the NWA award in the Best
State category, followed by Gujarat (2nd) and Haryana (3rd).
·
Telangana won the JSJB Award in the category of Best Performing State/ Union
Territory (UT), followed by Chhattisgarh (2nd) and Rajasthan (3rd).
·
The Department of Water
Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) under
MoJS, declared 46 winners, including joint winners,
recognizing their outstanding work in the water sector across India.
·
The awards were conferred in 10 categories, including Best State, Best
District, Best Village Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body (ULB), Best
School/College, Best Industry, Best Water User Association, Best Institution
other than schools and colleges, Best Civil Society, and Best Individual.
8.
INDIRA GANDHI PEACE PRIZE
FOR 2024
·
Michelle Bachelet,
former President of Chile, was presented the 2024 Indira Gandhi Prize
for Peace, Disarmament and Development by Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson,
Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust (IGMT).
·
It is an international award presented annually
by the IGMT, honoring individuals or organizations working to promote
international peace, disarmament, development and humanitarian work, and
scientific, educational or environmental advancement.
·
In 1986, the award was instituted in the memory of the
former Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi, to celebrate her commitment to
global peace and nation-building.
·
It includes a citation,
cash prize of Rs.25 lakhs, and a plaque.
·
Michelle Bachelet became
the first woman President of Chile.
·
From 2018 to 2022, she served as the High Commissioner of the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights.
