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04th October 2022

National News

 

Nuclear strike: PM Modi speaks to Ukraine's Zelenskyy

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the phone call today and discussed the ongoing media statement regarding the preparation of launching a tactical nuclear strike from a bunker.

The Prime Minister Office said, "PM Modi reiterated his call for early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy."

“Russian President Vladimir Putin is 'preparing to make key decisions about launching a tactical nuclear strike from a bunker' a long way outside Moscow,” the media reported.

Putin -- who will be 70 years on Friday -- has warned his closest family, including gymnast partner Alina Kabaeva (40), of the possibility of rapid evacuation,” the Daily Mail reported.

It would include the prosecutor-general, the leadership of the Security Council -- but not former president Dmitry Medvedev -- as well as key officials from his presidential administration and three security and spy services, the FSB, FSO, SVR with their families.

Govt May Lift AFSPA in 4 States After Naga Peace Pact

The uncertainty around the culmination of the Naga peace process is one of the reasons that led to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) being retained in some parts of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months, according to government officials.  The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and State governments had considerably reduced “disturbed areas” in Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland. The AFSPA was applicable in the whole of Nagaland and Assam till March 31. Under Section 3 of the Act, the State governments and the MHA have concurrent powers to notify areas under the AFSPA.  In Assam, the MHA was issuing the “disturbed area” order till 2017. Since then Assam has been renewing the notification every six months, the latest one issued on March 31. On September 30, the MHA extended the AFSPA in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months.

National Mission for Clean Ganga approved 14 projects worth Rs 1145 crore 

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved 14 projects worth Rs 1,145 crore. The projects include the following aspects sewerage management, curbing industrial pollution, and biodiversity conservation among others.  The project was approved at the 45th meeting of the executive committee under the championship of G Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG.  The project includes eight aspects related to sewerage management in five main stems Ganga basins states of Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.  In Uttar Pradesh four sewerage management projects were approved.  The sewerage management projects include tapping of Assi drain in Varanasi by constructing a 55 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).

100 laboratories for 5G technology to be set up across India by Govt

100 laboratories for 5G technology: The government now intends to establish 5G laboratories around the nation, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the start of 5G services in India at the Indian Mobile Congress.  The Indian government intends to establish 100 5G laboratories around the nation, according to Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology.  It is not uncommon for telecom carriers to run 5G laboratories. Orange Jordan has opened the Orange 5G Lab at Orange Digital Village in Abdali to investigate novel applications of this technology and offer pertinent training.

States News

Telangana government launched ‘Aasara’ pension for poor

The Telangana government has introduced 'Aasara' pensions as a part of the state's welfare measures and social safety net strategy. The 'Aasara' pensions aim to secure life for all the poor.  It is a welfare scheme for the older section of the state, widows, physically disabled, and beedi workers to avail pension facilities. Under the Asif Nagar Mandal jurisdiction 10,000 new Aasara pensions have been sanctioned.  The Aasara pension scheme was launched on 8th November 2014 by the Government of Telangana.  The scheme provides pensions to old people, windows, patients suffering from elephantiasis or AIDS, physically disabled persons, beedi workers, and single women.

Kerala's Pullampara named first fully digital literate panchayat 

The Pullumpara village panchayat in the Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala achieved the distinction of becoming the first totally digitally literate panchayat in the country. The announcement was made by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a public event.  The mission to achieve total digital literacy was aimed at empowering the residents to get access to over 800 government services available through the online mode. The residents were also trained to use social media platforms and basic banking services during the training.

Appointments News

Senior bureaucrat Ajay Bhadoo appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner 

Senior bureaucrat, Ajay Bhadoo has been appointed as the Deputy Election Commissioner as part of a senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected on Sunday by the Centre.  Bhadoo, a 1999 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Gujarat cadre, has been appointed to the post up to July 24, 2024. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the senior bureaucrat's candidature.  Akash Tripathi, a 1998 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MyGov, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.   Basant Garg, a 2005 batch IAS officer of Punjab cadre, has been named Additional CEO, National Health Authority under the Department of Health & Family Welfare.  Lochan Sehra, a 2002 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, will be joint secretary, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Ahmedabad for a tenure of five years.

INTERNATIONAL

Musk said to go ahead with $54.20 a share Twitter deal: Report

Elon Musk and Twitter were set to enter the courtroom this month, with Twitter seeking an order directing Musk to close the deal at $54.20 per share.

Billionaire Elon Musk is expected to propose going ahead with his takeover of Twitter Inc at $54.20 per share, a Bloomberg news reporter tweeted on Tuesday.

Twitter shares weere up 12.7% at $47.93 before trading was halted for the second time.

Twitter and Musk's lawyers were not immediately available for a comment.

Musk and Twitter were set to enter the courtroom this month, with Twitter seeking an order directing Musk to close the deal at $54.20 per share.

Musk agreed in April to buy Twitter for $44 billion, but within weeks said the number of bot accounts was much higher than Twitter's estimate of less than 5% of users.

North Korea conducts longest-range missile test yet over Japan

uclear-armed North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile farther than ever before on Tuesday, sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years and prompting a warning for residents there to take cover.

U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke by phone and condemned the test in the "strongest terms," calling it a danger to the Japanese people, and Biden reinforced the "ironclad" U.S. commitment to the defence of Japan, the White House said.

Agreements News

India signed an agreement with Armenia to export missiles, rockets & ammunition 

India will export missiles, rockets, and ammunition to Armenia after the recent clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  The missiles will also include Indigenous Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher. India has signed this deal with Armenia to help them to depend on the country against their neighbouring country Azerbaijan.  India signed an order for arms export through a government-to-Government route through which the two nations inked contracts.  The government has not revealed the exact value of the contract; however, it is estimated that India will supply weapons worth more than Rs 2,000 crore.  India will also export Indigenous Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher.  Pinaka has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and manufactured by indigenous private sector firms.

Defence News

Domestically built LCH Prachanda officially introduced in the IAF by Raksha Mantri

At a ceremony conducted at Air Force Station, Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Defence Minister (Raksha Mantri) Rajnath Singh officially admitted the locally produced Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) Prachanda into the Indian Air Force (IAF). LCH would join the 143 Helicopter Unit after being inducted.  Prachanda is the name given to LCH. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Rajnath Singh, Raksha Mantri stated that the addition of Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) not only strengthens the Air Force's combat capabilities but also represents a significant step towards the achievement of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Awards News

Valley of Words Book Awards: 'Tagore & Gandhi' wins in English non-fiction

Anees Salim’s The Odd Book of Baby Names (English fiction) and Rudrangshu Mukherjee’s Tagore & Gandhi: Walking Alone, Walking Together (English non-fiction) were among the eight that were adjudged the best books of the year at the ‘Valley of Words Book Awards.  The PFC-VoW Book Awards, currently in its sixth edition, is considered one of the most comprehensive independent literary award programmes in India.

The total listing of the PFC-VoW E-book Award winners for 2022:

Hindi fiction: Khela by Neelakshi Singh (Setu Publications).  Hindi non- fiction: Jeete Ji Allahabad by Mamta Kalia (Rajkamal Prakashan).  Writings for younger adults: Savi and the Reminiscence Keeper by Bijal Vachharajani (Hachette).  Writings/image books for kids: Aai and I by Mamta Nainy (Pickle Yolk Books).  Translation to Hindi: Yaadon Ke Bikhre Moti: Batware ki Kahaniyan by Aanchal Malhotra, translated by Brig Kamal Nayan Pandit (HarperCollins).  Translation to English: Amader Shantiniketan by Shivani, translated by Ira Pande (Penguin Random Home).

The Nobel Prize In Physics 2022 Announced 

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced, the Nobel Prize in Physics 2022 was awarded to Alain Aspect (France), John F. Clauser (USA) and Anton Zeilinger (Austria) for their work on quantum mechanics.  The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded “for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities, and pioneering quantum information science,”.  The Nobel Prize for Physics is awarded, according to the will of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Bernhard Nobel, “to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind” in the field of physics. It is conferred by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.

Economy News

Inflation Likely to come down to 5.2% Owing to Normal Rains, Ease in Supplies: RBI report

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expecting retail inflation to come under control at 5.2 per cent in FY24, down from the 6.7 per cent forecast for FY23, revealed the banking regulator in its 'Monetary Policy Report September 2022’.  In addition to this, RBI has also cut India's GDP growth forecast for FY23 to 7 per cent from its earlier projection of 7.2 per cent.

Schemes News

Fit India Freedom Run 3.0 introduced by Anurag Singh Thakur and Kiren Rijiju 

Fit India Freedom Run 3.0: In honour of Gandhi Jayanti, Fit India Freedom Run 3.0 was officially introduced at the Major Dhyanchand National Stadium in New Delhi.  The third edition of Fit India Plog Run, one of the largest national activities initiated by the Government of India at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020, was jointly introduced by Union Ministers of Law and Justice Shri Kiren Rijiju and Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.

YUVA 2.0 programme to encourage aspiring writers introduced by PM

YUVA 2.0 programme: The Prime Minister's Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors, known as YUVA 2.0 (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors), was launched by the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education on October 2. In order to promote India and Indian literature abroad, it is an author mentoring programme for young and aspiring writers (under 30 years old).  YUVA 2.0 aims to artistically and ingeniously emphasise the viewpoints of the younger generation of authors on the issue of "Democracy (institutions, events, people, constitutional ideals - past, present, future)" as part of the India@75 Project (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav).

Summits and Conferences News

SC-ST hub conclave hosted by Ministry of MSME in Gujarat

SC-ST hub conclave : The Ministry of MSME hosted the National SC-ST Hub Conclave in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to raise awareness of the National SC-ST Hub Scheme and other Ministry programmes.  Dr. Kirit Premjibhai Solanki, a member of parliament and chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on the welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, as well as other important dignitaries, attended the conclave.

Sports News

FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup: USA beat China to secure 11th world title

The United States defeated China (83-61) to win the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Women’s Basketball World Cup at the Sydney Superdome, Australia. The Americans bagged their fourth title in a row and 11th in total and have also sealed a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.  A'Ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray were the star performers for the US. Wilson contributed 19 points and five rebounds while compatriot Gray got 10 points and an impressive eight assists.

National Games 2022: U20 World Champion Antim Panghal wins wrestling gold

Antim Panghal, the World under-20 champion, made an impressive debut at the National Games 2022 as she won the gold medal in women's 53kg wrestling.  Haryana's Antim Panghal, who made history in August by becoming the first Indian to become U20 world champion in women's wrestling, beat Priyanshi Prajapati of Madhya Pradesh by fall in the final.  Gujarat’s Hina Khalifa and Swati Sanjay of Maharashtra won the bronze medals in the women’s 53kg.  Meanwhile, Olympian gymnast Pranati Nayak picked up two gold medals at the Sama Indoor Sports Complex in Vadodara.  The West Bengal gymnast collected her first gold – the uneven bars – in the morning and rounded off her campaign by clinching the floor exercise crown in the evening.  In men’s 200m cycling, Ronaldo Singh, David Beckham, and Esow Alben clinched the three podium finishes.

Formula-1 Racing: Sergio Perez won Singapore F1 GP 2022

Red Bull’s driver, Sergio Perez has won the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix 2022. Perez finished 7.5 sec ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who came at the second position. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz grabbed the third position.  Perez’s teammate & Italian GP 2022 winner Max Verstappen finished seventh in the race. Hamilton secured ninth. Verstappen needed a win, and other results to go his way, to become world champion for the second successive time.

Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma becomes 1st Indian cricketer to play 400 T20s

Indian Skipper, Rohit Sharma has achieved yet another milestone in his T20 career and has become the first-ever Indian to play 400 T20s. The India captain has achieved the milestone in the 2nd T20I of the series against South Africa in Guwahati.  The first Indian to hit a century in T20 cricket, Rohit had made his shortest format debut for Mumbai against Baroda in April 2007. Among Indians, Rohit is followed by Dinesh Karthik, who has played 368 T20s. MS Dhoni sits at the 3rd spot with 361 caps. Virat Kohli is playing his 354th T20.  The list of players who have donned most T20 caps is topped by Kieron Pollard, who has played 614 matches. He is followed by Dwayne Bravo, who has donned 556 caps. Shoaib Malik (481), Chris Gayle (463), Sunil Narine (435), Ravi Bopara (429), Andre Russell (428) and David Miller (403) sit ahead of Rohit.

ATP 250 Tel Aviv Watergen Open: Rohan Bopanna & Matwe Middelkoop clinch Men's Doubles title

India's Rohan Bopanna and Dutch player Matwe Middelkoop cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 victory over third seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in the doubles final of the $1,019,855 ATP tennis tournament in Tel Aviv.  It was the third title of the season for the 42-year-old Bopanna, who had won the other two, early in the season with Ramkumar Ramathan in Adelaide and Pune. The champion team collected $50,000 and 250 ATP points, and the runner-up, $26,850 and 150 points.

Awards News

Indian American Dr Vivek Lall receives Lifetime Achievement award in US

Vivek Lall, an Indian-origin General Atomic Global Corporation Chief Executive is honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by US President Joe Biden with the citation of 'With Grateful Recognition'.  This citation was given to Vivek Lall, who has done a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University in Kansas, by the AmeriCorps and the office of the President.

Important Days

World Space Week 2022 observed on 4-10 October

World Space Week (WSW) is observed every year from October 4 to 10, to celebrate science and technology, and their contribution towards the betterment of the human condition. World Space Week aims to help people gain a wider knowledge about space outreach and education.  This helps people around the globe understand what benefits they can receive from space and how they can use space for sustainable economic development. It also aims to celebrate and show public support for space programs.  The World Space Week 2022 theme is “Space and Sustainability” focusing on achieving sustainability in space and achieving sustainability from space. The theme is inspired by how sustainability in space relates to how humanity uses space, most pressingly, the orbital area surrounding Earth.

Miscellaneous News

Adani Green commissioned world’s largest wind-solar power plant

Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) has commissioned the world's largest wind-solar power plant of 600 MV capacity in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.  The plant has a power purchase agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) at Rs 2.69/kWh for 25 years.  The project consists of 600 MW solar and 150 MV wind plants.  In May 2022, AGEL operationalized India's first hybrid power plant with a capacity of 390 MW in Jaisalmer.  The commencement of the 600 MW plant AGEL has a total operational generation capacity of 6.7 GW.  This includes an operational hydropower generation capacity of 1 GW, the largest in the world.  AGEL's total renewable portfolio goes up to 20.4 GW to reach its vision of 45 GW capacity by 2030.  04102022

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