CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS OCTOBER 20 AND 21, 2022
CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS
20TH AND 21st
October 2022
National
News
PM Modi
launched Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Urvarak
Pariyojana-One Nation One Fertiliser. Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan
Urvarak Pariyojana, companies must market all subsidized fertilizers under a
single brand, ‘Bharat’. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi launched the single brand under the scheme during the two-day
event PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022. The
launch event was felicitated by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar
and Chemicals & Fertilizers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The event was also joined by more than one
crore farmers who joined virtually.
$500 Million Accelerator Program to Strengthen Agri Startups to be
launched by Centre
$500 Million Accelerator Program to Strengthen Agri Startups: Union Agriculture
Minister Narendra Singh Tomar announced that the central government will launch
a Rs 500 crore accelerator programme to support the productive ideas of
agro-businesses. On the second day of
the PM Kisan Samman Sammelan, Tomar made numerous significant announcements
regarding big policy efforts for agriculture entrepreneurs.
Narendra Singh Tomar stated that an executive committee made up of relevant
organisations. This will include the
Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE), DPIIT, agricultural
incubators and knowledge partners, agricultural universities, research
institutes, top investors, and other stakeholders would be established under
the chairmanship of the agriculture secretary.
Hardeep
Puri inaugurated Asia’s largest Compressed Bio Gas plant
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri
has inaugurated Asia’s largest Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant in
Lehragaga, in Sangrur, Punjab. The plant in Sangrur is just the beginning of
India’s master plan for a CBG-based rural economy and the government is taking
all steps to promote the ecosystem around it.
The plant has been commissioned with a foreign direct investment of
approximately Rs. 220 crores by Verbio AG, one of Germany’s leading bio-energy
companies. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and senior management from
Verbio India Private Limited were also present at the inaugural ceremony.
United Nations Secretary-General on India’s Visit
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Mumbai, India on
October 19 on a three-day official visit. This is his first visit to India,
since he assumed his second term in office in January this year. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the
United Nations (UNSG) will be on an official visit to India from 18-20 October
2022. This will be UNSG’s first visit to India, since he commenced his second
term in office in January 2022. He had earlier visited India (in his first
term) from 01- 04 October 2018. According
to ministry, Guterres will commence his visit to India, by paying tributes to
the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in
Mumbai. He will also deliver a public address at IIT Mumbai on the subject –
“India @75: UN-India Partnership: Strengthening South-South Cooperation”.
‘Mission Schools of Excellence’ launched by PM Modi in Gujarat
“Mission Schools of Excellence” unveiled by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
The ‘Mission Schools of Excellence’ is an ambitious project in Gandhinagar with
the dual goals of reforming the curriculum in Gujarat’s public schools and
countering the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) criticisms of the State government for
the low quality of education. The
‘Mission Schools of Excellence’, has a budget of 10,000 crore and is partially
supported by the World Bank. It was
designed to improve the state’s educational infrastructure by constructing new
classrooms, smart classrooms, computer labs, and other improvements. Over 5,567 crore worth of school
infrastructure upgrades would be carried out during its first phase.
International News
Pakistan removed from terror financing
watchdog FATF's grey list after 4 years
Pakistan was on
Friday removed from the global terror finance watchdog Financial Action Task Force's
(FATF's) grey list after four years and won't be subjected to "increased
monitoring". FATF said it welcomed "Pakistan's significant progress
in improving its AML/CFT (anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist
financing) regime". Apart from Pakistan, Nicaragua was also removed from
the grey list.
Indus
Waters Treaty: World Bank Appoints Chairman of Court of Arbitration
The World Bank has appointed a “neutral expert” and a chairman of the Court of
Arbitration regarding the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants, in
view of disagreements and differences between India and Pakistan over the 1960
Indus Water Treaty. Michel Lino has been
appointed as the Neutral Expert and Sean Murphy has been appointed as Chairman
of the Court of Arbitration. They will carry out their duties in their
individual capacity as subject matter experts and independently of any other
appointments they may currently hold, the World Bank said in a statement.
One Health Joint Plan of Action: WHO, UNEP, and FAO lay a plan
One Health Joint Plan of Action: The One Health Joint Plan of Action would
develop a framework and integrate systems and capability to enable improved
collaborative prevention, prediction, detection, and response to health
hazards. This will support sustainable development while enhancing the health
of people, animals, plants, and the environment. A sustainable balance and optimization of the
health of people, animals, plants, and ecosystems are the goals of the
comprehensive, unified approach known as “One Health.” It is the main strategy for solving the
numerous health issues that our civilization is currently confronting,
including ecosystem degradation, problems with the food system, infectious
diseases, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
India, France Re-Elected as President and Co-President of International
Solar Alliance
In the third assembly of ISA, Union Power and New and Renewable Energy Minister
R K Singh has been re-elected as the President of International Solar Alliance.
France Minister of State for Development Chrysoula Zacharopoulou has been
re-elected as Co-President. The Third
Assembly of the International Solar Alliance has been attended by 34 ISA
Members ministers. 53 Member countries and 5 Signatory and Prospective Member
countries participated to the Assembly. The
ISA is an initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the
President of France on 30 November 2015 at Paris, France on the side-lines of
the COP-21. The overarching objective of the ISA is to collectively address key
common challenges to the scaling up of solar energy in ISA member countries.
Liz Truss to resign as PM of UK, Indian-origin Suella Braverman also quits
Liz Truss, the British prime minister will step down from her position after
only six weeks in office due to an economic plan that angered many members of
her own party and rattled financial markets.
Suella Braverman, Indian origin British interior minister, also resigned
making her the second senior cabinet official to do so in the past week after
finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng. Suella
Braverman said that she left the Liz Truss administration due to a “technical”
violation of government regulations and expressed her reservations about the
government’s course while also criticising the premier. Grant Shapps, the
country’s new interior minister, has taken Suella Braverman’s seat.
State News
Wildlife Board Approves Durgavati Tiger Reserve as New Tiger
Reserve
The Durgavati Tiger Reserve is a 2,339 square kilometers new tiger reserve that
will spread across Narsinghpur, Damoh, and Sagar districts. Madhya Pradesh Wildlife Board has approved
the making of a new tiger reserve of Panna Tiger Reserve (PTP), one-fourth of
which will get submerged due to the Linkin of the Ken-Betwa rivers. The new tiger reserve will be known as
Durgavati Tiger Reserve and it will spread across Narsinghpur, Damoh, and Sagar
districts. A green corridor linking PTR
with Durgavati will be developed for the natural movement of the tiger to the
new reserve. The Madhya Pradesh Wildlife
Board was chaired by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Appointments News
Mallikarjun Kharge elected as
President of Congress Party
Veteran Karnataka leader Mallikarjun Kharge defeated his rival Shashi Tharoor
to become the first non-Gandhi Congress president in 24 years, and the first
Scheduled Caste chief of the grand old organization in four decades. Kharge polled 7897 of the 9385 votes cast
while Tharoor garnered a meagre 1072. Sources said 416 votes were invalid. He
is the first non-Gandhi to head the Congress in 24 years, after Sitaram Kesri
was unceremoniously ousted in 1988 through a Congress Working Committee
resolution that invited Sonia Gandhi to become the party chief. Sonia had become a primary member of the
Congress only a year ago at the AICC Kolkata plenary in 1997.
Deependra Singh Rathore named as Interim CEO of Paytm Payments Bank
Paytm Payments Bank has appointed Deependra Singh Rathore as the interim Chief
Executive Officer (CEO), in addition to his role as Chief Product &
Technology Officer. CEO Satish Gupta is retiring this month. The bank will
announce the new full-time CEO after receiving regulatory approvals. The bank has also appointed Sunil Chander
Sharma, a former IRS officer as Chief Operating Officer (COO). As the COO, he
would oversee the functions of customer support, retail operations, legal and
Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) and Human Resources and Administration. Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL) is an Indian
payments bank, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Noida. In the same year, it
received the license to run a payments bank from the Reserve Bank of India and
was launched in November 2017. In 2021, the bank received a scheduled bank
status from the RBI.
Dr. Sankarasubramanian K. named Principal Scientist of ISRO's Aditya-L1
mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation has designated Dr. Sankarasubramanian K
as the Principal Scientist of the Aditya-L1 mission. Aditya-L1 is the first observatory-class
space-based solar mission from India. Sankarasubramanian has contributed to
AstroSat, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions of ISRO in several
capacities. Aditya-L1 is the first
observatory-class space-based solar mission from India. The spacecraft will be
placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange point, L1, of the Sun-Earth
system. A satellite around the L1 point
has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without
occultation/eclipses. This position provides a greater advantage of observing
solar activities continuously.
ISRO Chairman: S. Somanath;
ISRO’s
foundation Date: 15th August, 1969;
ISRO’s
Founder: Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.
Pradeep Kharola named as CMD of India Trade Promotion Organization
Former Civil Aviation Secretary, Pradeep Singh Kharola was appointed as the
Chairman and Managing Director of the India Trade Promotion Organization
(ITPO). Kharola, a 1985 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the
Karnataka cadre, retired as the Civil Aviation secretary in September last
year. The Appointments Committee of the
Cabinet (ACC) has accepted Kharola's appointment as Chairman and Managing
Director, ITPO, on a contract basis for two years from the date of assumption
of charge of the post.
India Trade Promotion Organization Headquarters: New Delhi;
India
Trade Promotion Organization Founded: 1 April 1977.
Centre appoints Sanjay Malhotra as new Revenue Secretary
The Centre has appointed Sanjay Malhotra, a 1990 batch Indian Administrative
Service (IAS) officer of the Rajasthan cadre, as the new revenue secretary. He
will replace Tarun Bajaj who will superannuate at the end of November. Malhotra, currently serving as secretary in
the Department of Financial Services (DFS), will join the Revenue Department as
an officer on special duty. The centre has announced new secretaries for 16
ministries and departments.
Agreements News
Google
partners with Assam Government to power digitalled learning
Google partners with Assam Government: In order to help and expedite the Assam
government's objective to foster digital growth and development in the State,
Google inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). As part of this new initiative, Google will
work with the Assam Government's Skill, Employment & Entrepreneurship
Department (SEED) to strengthen school digitization efforts with digital tools
and solutions to support teaching and learning, as well as to promote the
fundamentals of online safety and digital citizenship to schoolchildren through
the "Be Internet Awesome" programme.
Mahindra Finance partnered with India Post Payments Bank to Boost Credit
Access
Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Ltd announced a strategic partnership
with India Post Payments Bank to enhance credit access to a larger customer
base. India Post Payments Bank will
provide lead referral services to Mahindra Finance for Passenger vehicles,
three-wheelers, tractors, and commercial vehicle loan categories and provide
cash EMI deposit facilities to existing Mahindra Finance Customers at the post
office. The scheme will go live in India
Post Payments Bank branches in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
Banking News
CASHe
tie-up with IRCTC to launch ‘travel now pay later’ facility
AI-driven financial wellness platform, CASHe, announced that it has partnered
with the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), to provide a
"travel now pay later" (TNPL) payment option on its travel app, IRCTC
Rail Connect. This will enable
travellers of Indian Railways to book their rail tickets instantly and pay for
it later in pocket-friendly EMIs, ranging from three to six months. With
CASHe’s payment option, booking and paying for rail tickets on the IRCTC travel
app will now be easier and hassle-free for millions of Indian Railway
passengers.
LIC Launched New ‘Dhan Varsha’ Plan
Life Insurance Company (LIC) has launched the 'LIC Dhan Varsha' scheme. The
'LIC Dhan Varsha scheme is a non-linked, non-participating, individual, savings
life insurance plan which offers a combination of protection and savings. The savings insurance plan provides financial
support for the family in case of unfortunate death of the life assured during
the policy terms.
LIC Dhan Varsha scheme provides a guaranteed amount on the date of maturity for
the surviving life assured. The death
benefits are payable on the death of the life assured during the policy term
after the date of commencement of risk.
HDFC Securities Opens Women-Only Digital Centre in Bengaluru
Leading stock brokerage firm, HDFC Securities, announced the opening of the
first-ever Women-Only Digital Centre (DC) in India. This pioneering centre,
staffed with a team of women, will serve both male and female investors. This closely follows the company’s
announcement regarding the opening of multiple DCs across India to ease access
to services and promote digital adoption.
The Women-Only DC is another step in HDFC Securities’ aim to foster
diversity within the organization, while also empowering its customers with
technology that eases their journey to financial freedom. The company’s digital
focus is also driven by the fact that India has among the largest populations
of young adults in the world, with Gen Z making up 27% of them.
Fintech
platform PhonePe launches its first green data centre in India
PhonePe, a homegrown fintech platform, announced the launch of its first green
data centre in India, leveraging technologies and solutions from Dell
Technologies and NTT. The facility opens
up new opportunities in data management for PhonePe, with efficient data
security, power efficiency, ease of operations, and cloud solutions. The centre
will also help the company to build sustainable and efficient infrastructure to
scale its operations across the country further seamlessly. This 4.8-megawatt facility, which occupies
13740 sqft at Mahape, Navi Mumbai, is built and designed with advanced
alternative cooling technologies like Direct Contact Liquid Cooling (DCLC) and
Liquid Immersion Cooling (LIC). The data centre’s Dell PowerEdge servers will
provide exceptional performance, simplified management, and intelligent
automation while using less energy.
CEO of Phonepe: Sameer Nigam
Headquarters
location of Phonepe: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, OYO fined Rs 392 crore by CCI
Make My Trip, Goibibo (MMT-Go), and OYO were fined Rs 392 crore by the
Competition Commission of India (CCI). CCI
fined these companies which were spelled out in a 131-page order which is for
"unfair business practices". Make My Trip and Goibibo will pay a fine
of Rs 223.48 crore while OYO will pay Rs 168.88 crore. MMT-Go alleged that it imposed a price parity
in its agreements with hotel partners. These
deals restrict the hotel to not sell its rooms on any other platform or its
online portal at a price below the price at which it is being offered on the
two entities. Make My Trip accorded
preferential treatment to OYO on its platform which caused a denial of market
access to other companies.
India Ranks 3rd in list of Centi-millionaires, to Overtake China by
2032
With levels of poverty, inflation and hunger notwithstanding, India ranks third
in the world's first-ever global study on the rise of centi-millionaires --
individuals with assets of more than Rs 830 crore ($100 million), a new report
has revealed. Out of the world's 25,490
centi-millionaires, India has 1,132, beating countries like the UK, Russia and
Switzerland, in a swift growing and powerful class of super-rich tech titans,
financiers, multinational CEOs, and heirs.
By 2032, India will overtake China (number 2) as the fastest
growing market for centi-millionaires, with an anticipated 80 per cent growth
rate in individuals worth over $100 million, the report released by
international investment migration advisory firm Henley & Partners stated.
Sports News
Magnus Carlsen wins Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2022
Magnus Carlsen claimed the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour 2022 title with a
tournament defeating Arjun Erigaisi in the quarter-finals of the 8th and
penultimate event of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour with a convincing
2.5-1.5 result, Carlsen secured the title of the tour champion and a $50.000
prize on top of his overall winnings (so far) of $192.000. The 31-year-old had to work in the opening
game of his quarter-final match as Erigaisi played some of his best chess
against the champ to go three pawns up and set up a seemingly easy win.
FIFA: Tazuni unveiled as mascot for 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
Tazuni, a fun, football-loving penguin is unveiled as the Official Mascot of
the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. Tazuni will become an important symbol for
the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand, appearing on official
tournament merchandise and media platforms, as well as in real life in
community activities ahead of the event.
Tazuni, a 15-year-old midfielder whose story involves her falling in
love with football after playing with a group of children on a beach, is set to
feature on merchandise, media platforms and community activities in the
build-up to the FIFA Women's World Cup. The name Tazuni is a fusion of the
Tasman sea, the home of penguins and Unity, which is the key value of the
event.
Important Days
International
Chef’s Day 2022 celebrates on 20th October
Every year on October 20th, International Chefs Day is observed to honour the
culinary masters who have protected the value of food and are passing on the same
message to future generations. This day
celebrates the culinary arts and recognizes the hard work and dedication that
chefs put into their craft. If you know a chef, be sure to thank them for their
delicious creations. And if you’re a chef yourself, take pride in knowing that
your skills are appreciated by people all over the world! The theme for this year is "Growing A
Healthy Future." The idea behind this theme is to ensure a healthy and
sustainable planet for future generations.
World Statistics Day 2022 celebrates on 20 October
World Statistics Day 2022 is celebrated annually on October 20th to recognize
the importance of statistics in our daily lives. The United Nations Statistical Commission has
been at the forefront of advocating for the use of statistics to track progress
towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Good data and statistics are
essential for effective planning, monitoring and evaluation of progress towards
the SDGs. The theme of Statistics Day,
2022 is "Data for Sustainable Development". The United Nations Statistical Commission
proposed celebrating 20 October 2010 as World Statistics Day. The General
Assembly adopted on 3 June 2010 resolution 64/267, which officially designated
20 October 2010 as the first-ever World Statistics Day under the general theme
“Celebrating the many achievements of official statistics.
World Osteoporosis Day 2022 observed on 20th October
World osteoporosis day is a global healthcare event observed every year on 20
October. The day is observed to promote the early diagnosis of osteoporosis,
its treatment and preventive tips for strong bones. This year 2022, the World Osteoporosis Day
theme is "Step Up For Bone Health", intending to encourage people
around the world to check for bone density and bone health status regularly
(especially people above 50) and inculcate healthy lifestyle to strengthen the
bone health. The first occurrence of
World Osteoporosis Day was noticed on October 20, 1996, held by the United
Kingdom's National Osteoporosis Society with the collaboration of the European
Commission. Later on, in 1997 International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF)
organized World Osteoporosis Day (WOD).
National Police Commemoration Day: 21 October
October 21 commemorates the sacrifices of ten CRPF personnel who lost their
lives in the line of duty. On October 21, 1959, ten Indian policemen were
killed during an attack by Chinese troops in the Hot Springs region close to
Ladakh after an argument between the troops.
Since that day, 21 October has been observed as National Police
Commemoration Day in honour of the martyrs. This incident started on October
20, 1959, when the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was in charge of
patrolling the 2,600-mile border between India and Tibet. Three units of the CRPF’s 3rd Battalion were
dispatched on separate patrols to a location known as Hot Springs to keep an
eye on the Indo-China border in North Eastern Ladakh. However, one of the three
contingents, which consisted of two police constables and a porter, did not
return.
Central Reserve Police Force Headquarters: New Delhi
Central
Reserve Police Force Formed: 27 July 1939;
Central
Reserve Police Force Director General, CRPF: Dr Sujoy Lal Thaosen, IPS.
Global Dignity Day 2022: 3rd Wednesday in October
Global Dignity Day is observed every year on the 3rd Wednesday of October. This
year Global Dignity Day is observed on the 19th of October. The day is an
initiative to educate and inspire young people and help them to understand
their self-worth and goals. It was
established in 2008 and continues to grow in popularity. Dignity is an inherent
part of the human condition. It is an initiative celebration day that educates
and inspires young people. Global Dignity Day is celebrated to make everyone
living in this world realize that they have rights and deserve respect in every
aspect.
National Solidarity Day 2022: Significance and History
India observes National Solidarity Day on 20th October every year. This day is
observed to honour the Armed Forces. In the wake of the mortifying military
thrashing because of China, India had started observing National Solidarity Day
on October 20—the date on which China began the assaults in 1962. In 1966, India was ruled by Indira Gandhi as
its prime minister and at that time a committee was set up. In order to honour
the soldiers who fought in the war and the families of those soldiers who gave
their lives in the line of duty, the 20th of October was designated as
“National Solidarity Day” by this committee, which also consisted of Prime
Minister Indira Gandhi. National
Solidarity Day 2022 commemorates the 1962 war between China and India. In
this war, India was defeated by China. Many of the country’s warriors were also
martyred in this war, the consequences of which were disastrous for both India
and China, particularly India.
OCTOBER
20 AND 21, 2022
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Post a Comment