IBPS RRB + SBI CBO + IBPS PO CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS OCTOBER 27, 2022

CURRENT AFFAIRS SNIPPETS

27th October 2022

 

 

National News

Bird flu confirmed in Kerala, over 20,000 poultry birds to be culled

After bird flu was confirmed at Haripad in Kerala's Alappuzha district, authorities on Thursday ordered the culling of over 20,000 poultry birds in the area. The flu was detected in dead ducks in Vazhuthanam Padinjare and Vazhuthanam Vadakke in Haripad. Over 1,500 birds have reportedly died in the area in the past week.

 

Can't return, no secure future in India: Students in Ukraine despite advisory

Despite ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, some Indian medical students in Ukraine have said they cannot return to India because they need to complete their courses. "We've lost count of how many bombs...we hear every day...But we...can't go back...Our future isn't secure [there] either," a 23-year-old student in Sumy said. India extended its advisory on October 25 asking citizens to leave Ukraine.

Kanimozhi apologises as DMK leader calls actresses in Tamil Nadu BJP 'items'

DMK leader Kanimozhi on Thursday apologised for derogatory remarks made by her party's spokesperson Saidai Sadiq about actresses-turned-BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu. "I apologise as a woman and human being for what was said," Kanimozhi said while replying to a tweet by BJP's Khushbu Sundar. Sadiq had called all four actresses in the Tamil Nadu BJP "items".

 

India Suffered Income Loss of 5.4% of GDP Due To Heatwave In 2021: Report

India suffered an income loss of 5.4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the highest among the G20 nations in 2021, according to the new report of Climate Transparency. The report highlighted that India witnessed a record heatwave that greatly affected workers, labour migrants, low-income households, and the homeless, and reduced the yields of wheat crops.  Talking about global emissions, the USA ranked first, as America contributes 25% of it, followed by the European Union with 22%. "G20 members account for around 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world's population, and are responsible for around three-quarters of global emissions," the report reads.

International News

I didn't buy Twitter to make money, bought it to help humanity: Musk

Billionaire Elon Musk on Thursday said he didn't acquire Twitter "to make more money" but to "help humanity". "I acquired Twitter...because it is important to the future of civilisation to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner," Musk added. "And I do so with humility," he further said.

 

Google to appeal €4.125 bn antitrust fine at top Europe court

Alphabet-owned Google said that it will appeal its €4.125 billion antitrust fine at Europe's top court. The competition watchdog of the European Union said that Google imposed restrictions on manufacturers of Android mobile devices and network operators to consolidate dominance of its search engine. The Luxembourg-based General Court threw away Google's challenge last month but reduced the fine.

European Central Bank hikes interest rates by 75 bps, highest since 2009

European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday raised interest rates it pays on bank deposits by 75 basis points (bps), taking it to the highest level since 2009 at 1.5%. It comes after the bank rose rates by 50 bps in July and 75 bps in September. ECB also increased the rate on its Main Refinancing Operation to 2.0% from 1.25%.

US pledges additional $30 million in aid for flood-hit Pakistan

The United States on Thursday pledged an additional $30 million in aid for Pakistan, as the country recovers from devastating floods that hit earlier in the year. The US embassy in Pakistan said, "This new funding brings the United States' total assistance to Pakistan...to $97 million this year." Since mid-June this year, floods have killed over 1,700 people in Pakistan.

Putin Repeats Unsupported 'Dirty Bomb' Claim

The Kremlin repeated its claim that Ukraine plans to use a radioactive "dirty bomb", warning the West it was dangerous to dismiss Moscow's position. Ukraine, the United States, Britain and France have all rejected Moscow's claims - voiced by several officials in recent days - that Kyiv could be preparing to detonate a radioactive device in Ukraine.  Russian President Vladimir Putin remotely monitored the drills of his strategic nuclear forces, which involved multiple practice launches of ballistic and cruise missiles in a show of force. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin that the exercise simulated a “massive nuclear strike” retaliating for a nuclear attack on Russia.

State News

Jakson Green to invest Rs 22,400 cr in green hydrogen project in Rajasthan

Jakson Green to invest Rs 22,400 crore to set up green hydrogen and green ammonia project in Rajasthan. The Jakson Green company signed MoU with the Government of Rajasthan to this effect.  Jakson Green will set up a 3,65,000 tons per annum Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia plant along with an integrated hybrid renewable power complex in phase wise manner.  The project initiated by Jakson Green and Rajasthan Government is expected to generate over 32,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities across various phases of the scale-up.  The MoU was signed by Vish Iyer, Global Chief Commercial Officer, Jakson Green, and Bhaskar S Sawant, Principal Secretary of Energy to the Government of Rajasthan.

Gujarati New Year 2022: Date, Time, and About Bestu Varas

Gujarati New Year 2022: Gujarati New Year which is also known as Bestu Varas is celebrated a day after Diwali. The Gujarati New Year falls on Shukla Paksha Pratipada of the Kartik month. The Gujarati New Year is also called Varsha-Pratipada or Padwa. The Gujarati New Year is one of the major festivals in Gujarat.  Gujarati New Year 2022 or Bestu Varas is celebrated on 26th October 2022. It is celebrated a day after Diwali and this year it coincides with Goverdhan puja. There is no specific time to perform the puja and rituals in Gujarati New Year. The Pratipada tithi begins at 6.48 PM on 25th October 2022 and Pratipada tithi ends at 5.12 PM on 26th October 2022.

Appointments News

GoI appoints Sangeeta Verma as acting chairperson of CCI

The government of India appointed Sangeeta Verma as the acting chairperson of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). The appointment follows full-time Chairperson Ashok Kumar Gupta demitting office. Verma is currently a member at the regulator.  Her appointment will be effective for a "period of three months or till the appointment of regular Chairperson or till any further orders, whichever is the earliest," according to an official order. Ashok Kumar Gupta had taken over as the CCI chairperson in November 2018.

Shefali Juneja named as chairperson of UN’s Air Transport Committee

India’s representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Shefali Juneja has been elected as the chairperson of the United Nations’ specialized aviation agency’s Air Transport Committee (ATC).  Juneja, a 1992 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre), served as a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) before joining the ICAO.

Important points:

International Civil Aviation Organization Headquarters: Montreal, Canada;

International Civil Aviation Organization Council President: Salvatore Sciacchitano;

International Civil Aviation Organization Founded: 7 December 1944.

Business News
RBI to hold additional monetary policy meeting on November 3

RBI has announced that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will hold an additional meeting on November 3. The meeting comes as the RBI failed its inflation mandate to keep retail inflation in a range of 2-6%. Inflation has been consistently above the MPC's 2-6% target band for three consecutive quarters. The Consumer Price Index rose to 7.41% in September.

Infibeam gets RBI nod for payment aggregator licence

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given in-principle approval to fintech firm Infibeam Avenues to operate as a payment aggregator. Founded in 2007 by Vishal Mehta and Vishwas Patel, Infibeam provides over 200 multi-currency payment options to merchants. In March 2020, the RBI issued new guidelines mandating that all payment aggregators be authorised by it.

IT firm Capgemini to slow down on hiring, says CEO

Capgemini will be slowing down on hiring due to slowing growth and reduced attrition levels, the French IT consulting firm's CEO Aiman Ezzat said following the company's results announcement for Q3. The company's net addition for Q3 was 6,300 employees, down from 11,400 the previous quarter. Capgemini has over 1.5 lakh employees in India, reported Moneycontrol.

Coca-Cola's Sprite becomes billion-dollar brand in Indian market

Coca-Cola, global soft drinks company announced that its lemon and lime-flavored soft drink 'Sprite' has become a billion-dollar brand in the Indian market. The company has recorded a "strong" volume growth in its India business in the third quarter of 2022.  Trademark Coke delivered strong growth through effective execution and occasion-based marketing. Coke has done 2.5 billion transactions in India at affordable price points through the expansion of returnable glass bottles and single-serve PET packages.

Apple Announces New Clean Energy Investments

APPLE said it would make fresh investments to set up solar and wind projects in Europe and called on its suppliers to decarbonise operations related to the production of iPhones and other products.  The company in 2020 had pledged to remove carbon emissions from its entire business, including products and its sprawling supply chain - which spans from Vietnam to Brazil - by 2030.  Many multinational companies are increasingly looking into global supply chains to reduce their carbon footprint as climate change becomes a bigger focus for investors and regulators.

Awards News

NISA bags Union HM's trophy for best police training institution

National Industrial Security Academy (NISA), at Hakimpet, Hyderabad has bagged the Union Home Minister’s Trophy for the “Best Police Training Institution for Training of Gazetted Officers for the year 2020-21”.  This extraordinary feat for this Academy was achieved during the serving period of the current Commissioner of Police (CP) Hyderabad, CV Anand, who was the previous Director of the Academy during the year under contention.  Ministry of Home Affairs conducts a national-level screening of various central police training institutes and accordingly BPR&D conducts a survey for the best Police Training Institution for the year. All central and state government police training academies of the country are in consideration in various categories.

Science and Technology News

Test flights from Feb 2023 for India's 1st human space flight: ISRO

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will begin test flights from February next year for India's first human space flight mission, senior ISRO official R Umamaheswaran said. ISRO scientists have completed designing the Environment Control System of the crew service module, he said. The mission is expected to be undertaken by the end of 2024 or early 2025.

 

IIT-Madras and NASA researchers study microbes on space station

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers studied the interactions between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS). The study aims to help devise strategies for the disinfection of space stations to minimize any potential impact of microbes on the health of astronauts.  The collaboration was under Dr. Karthik Raman, Associate Professor at the Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta, School of Biosciences and a core member of the Robert Bosch Centre of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (RBCDSAI), IIT Madras, along with Dr. Kasthuri Venkateshwaran, the senior research scientist at JPL.

Sports News

IAF: Western Air Command won Air Force Lawn Tennis Championship

Western Air Command, Indian Air Force (IAF) won the Air Force Lawn Tennis Championship 2022-23 held at Head Quarter MC, Vayu Sena Nagar, Nagpur. The final match of the team Championship was played between Western Air Command and Training Command in which Western Air Command emerged as the winner.  The final of the open singles was played between Corporal Pradeep of Training Command and Sergeant Manolin of Western Air Command and Corporal Pradeep emerged as the winner.

Important Days

Indian Army Celebrates 76th Infantry Day On 27 October

Indian Army Infantry Day is celebrated on October 27 every year to pay homage to the soldiers who fought for the country and laid down their lives in the line of duty.  To celebrate the 76th Infantry Day this year on October 27, soldiers are organising four simultaneous bike rallies from all cardinal directions, Wellington (Tamil Nadu), Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), Shillong (Meghalaya), and Ahmedabad (Gujarat). The rally started on October 16 and will cover the travel across the country, culminating at the National War Memorial on Infantry Day.

Union Territory of J&K celebrates its Accession Day on 26th October

The Accession Day of Jammu and Kashmir on 26th October with the Union of India is being celebrated across the Union Territory.  Accession Day carries great significance as it was on this day in 1947 that the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to become part of the greatest democracy of the world. Several functions are being organized to mark the day. Accession Day is a public holiday in the Union Territory.  The day became an official public holiday in J&K for the first time in 2020 after the abrogation of articles 370 and 35A on 5th August 2019. The Instrument of Accession is a legal document executed by Maharaja Hari Singh, ruler of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir, on 26th October 1947.

Important points:

Lt. Governors & Administrators of Jammu and Kashmir: Manoj Sinha.

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage celebrates on 27 October

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH) is celebrated on October 27 every year to highlight and promote the importance of such preservation.  Audiovisual heritage refers to documents like film, sounds, radio, television programmes and other audio and video that are of socio-cultural importance and need preservation for posterity.  Such documentations help us observe and understand the past, protects our memories and culture. “Enlisting documentary heritage to promote inclusive, just and peaceful societies” is the theme for WDAH this year.

Important points:

International Federation of Film Archives Headquarters location: Brussels, Belgium;

International Federation of Film Archives Founded: 17 June 1938, Paris, France.

Miscellaneous News

Ladakh MP launched “Main Bhi Subhash” campaign

Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal launched the 'Main Bhi Subhash' campaign from Leh. The 'Main Bhi Subhash' campaign is a series of events which is organized by the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose INA Trust in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture.  The 'Main Bhi Subhash' campaign is going to be organized on the occasion of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Netaji on 23rd January next year. The 'Main Bhi Subhash' campaign begins in Mumbai and Kolkata.

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