Today's Current Affairs - 10th October 2022

NATIONAL

PM Modi declares Gujarat’s Modhera as India's first 24x7 solar-powered village

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday declared Modhera village in poll-bound Gujarat as the country's first 24x7 solar-powered village. Modhera, which is famous for a centuries-old Sun temple built during the Chalukya, will also be known as a “solar-powered village”, Modi said.
• Addressing a rally, Modi said, “We shall no longer pay for electricity, but will instead sell it and earn from it. Earlier, the government supplied power to residents; now, with the installation of solar panels, citizens will now produce their own electricity.”
• The Modhera village is located 25 km from the Mehsana district of Gurajat, and about 100 km from the state capital of Gandhinagar. The village has a ground-mounted solar power plant, and over 1,300 rooftop solar systems with 1kW capacity have been installed on houses to generate electricity.

First seminar of Agni Tattva campaign under LiFE mission held in Leh

• Power Foundation of India in association with Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) is currently running a campaign to create awareness on Agni Tattva under LiFE - Lifestyle for environment. This campaign includes conferences, seminars, events, and exhibitions across the country involving educational institutions, communities, and relevant organisations to create awareness of the core concept of Agni Tattva, an element that is synonymous with energy and is amongst the five elements of Panchmahabhoot.
• The first conference of the Agni campaign was organised in Leh yesterday, on the theme of ‘Sustainability and Culture’. It witnessed participation from key stakeholders working in the areas of energy, culture, and sustainability, from diverse fields such as administration, policymakers, academics, and start-ups.
• The conference was inaugurated by Shri R K Mathur, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. Speaking on the occasion, he said that Ladakh always had a sustainable lifestyle, however, increased modernisation is leading to an imbalance in the ecosystem of the region, and this not only adversely impacts the region but could also alter the monsoon cycle of the entire country since it is inter-linked with the Himalayan ecosystem. He further added that the UT administration of Ladakh has laid out a clear roadmap to reverse this imbalance and move toward sustainable development. He emphasised several key areas.

 SPORTS

Verstappen wins Japanese GP, clinches second F1 world championship title

• Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won his second Formula One world championship amid scenes of confusion on Sunday after closest rival Charles Leclerc was handed a five-second post-race penalty.
• Red Bull’s Verstappen crossed the line first and was then awarded the title when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc who had emerged second was pushed back to third after receiving the penalty. Leclerc’s drop meant Verstappen’s compatriot Sergio Perez finished second.
• According to FIA rules, the staggered points only come in “if a race is suspended in accordance with Article 57, and “cannot be resumed”. The race was resumed, so the FIA said full points were awarded for Verstappen after a brief twist.

Harshada Garud wins bronze medal in women’s 45kg category at Asian Weightlifting C'ship 2022

• Indian weightlifter Harshada Garud, a reigning junior world champion, won a bronze medal in the women’s 45kg category at the Asian Weightlifting Championships 2022 in Manama, Bahrain yesterday. Harshada Garud lifted 68kg in snatch and followed it up with the best effort of 84kg in clean and jerk for a combined total of 152kg.
• The 18-year-old Indian weightlifter was tied with the Philippines' Rose Ramos on 152kg but won the medal as she had a better snatch lift of 68kg, for which she was awarded a bronze in the section. Vietnam’s Khong My Phuong took the gold with a total lift of 166kg and S Nafisatul Hariroh of Indonesia won silver with 162kg. The Asian Weightlifting Championships 2022 will conclude on October 16.

 OBITURY

SP Founder Mulayam Singh Yadav Passes Away

• Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav died at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram at 8:16 am on Monday morning due to multiple organ failure, according to people familiar with the matter.
• Yadav is one of the most prominent leaders of Uttar Pradesh. He has served as the chief minister of the state thrice and has also served in the Union government as the minister of defence. He has been elected 10 times as MLA and 7 times as Lok Sabha MP.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Gulf Oil ropes in Smriti Mandhana as brand ambassador

• Indian cricket star Smriti Mandhana has signed on as a brand ambassador of lubricant manufacturer Gulf Oil India. India women’s vice-captain joins current men’s cricket ace Hardik Pandya and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as an ambassador for the company. Through the partnership, Gulf Oil stated that it aims to ‘celebrate women power’ and ‘inspire female audience in the country’, while also honouring the achievements of Indian women cricketers. With this association, Gulf Oil claims to have become the first company in the lubricant space to appoint a woman cricketer as ambassador to represent the organisation and its ethos.
• Gulf Oil recognises that the dynamics of the automotive segment has evolved with more women playing a pivotal role in the decision-making process of vehicular purchase and its further maintenance. With the addition of Smriti Mandhana to its group of ambassadors, the organisation claims to have taken cognizance of the changing consumer demographics and is determined to appeal and cater to the new developing customer landscape in the segment.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

World Mental Health Day 2022: 10^th October

• World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 every year. On this day, various programs are designed to draw attention to mental health issues and their effects on those affected and the lives of their caregivers. In India, World Mental Health Day is marked on the final day of the Mental Health Awareness Campaign Week campaign, launched last year by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The theme or rather the slogan for 2022’s celebration of World Mental health Day is “Make mental health & well-being for all a global priority.” World Health Organisation (WHO) mentions that before the COVID-19 pandemic, about one in eight people worldwide suffered from mental issues. Proper infrastructural and economic support for mental health, however, was lacking. The global pandemic raised mental stress for people all over the world. Lives were left permanently altered by the virus. Recent armed conflicts between nations and religious violence have added to this stress.

 SUMMIT'S & MOU's

India to host UNSC members for special meeting on counterterrorism on October 28, 29

• India will host diplomats of the United Nations Security Council along with other member states for a key meeting of counterterrorism Committee in Mumbai and New Delhi on October 28-29.
• India is currently the Chair of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee for the year 2022.
• During a press conference on Saturday in New York, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj said that UN CTC members will pay homage to the victims of horrific 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.
• She also said that the special meeting of the UNSC CTC on "Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist Purposes" will be held on October 28 and in New Delhi on October 29.

 RANKING

World Economic Forum Launches 'Education 4.0 India Report'

• Titled Education 4.0 Report’, the report explains how technology can address learning gaps and make education accessible to all. The information was published under Education 4.0 India initiative, launched in May 2020 and has convened over 40 partners from the education technology, government, academic and start-up communities.
• Even as the Covid-19 pandemic has subsided in most parts of the world, the school-to-work transition process is still facing significant hurdles in India, a World Economic Forum (WEF) report stated.
• India is the second largest market for online education after the US. With conducive policies and initiatives of the government, such as the National Education Policy 2020 and over 5000 EdTech start-ups across the learning lifecycle, the current education environment is potent for digital transformation. But, a lack of coordinated efforts has resulted in an isolated skilling ecosystem that has not been able to achieve its maximum potential, the WEF report said.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) holds National Workshop on ‘Ease of Doing Business’

• In New Delhi, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) held a national workshop on the topic of “Ease of Doing Business.” Shri Parameswaran Iyer, CEO of Niti Aaayog, gave the keynote speech at the workshop. Parameswaran Iyer emphasised the significance of India’s ranking on international indexes. Parameswaran Iyer emphasised how the Ease of Doing Business programme, together with other initiatives, took centre stage as one of the most crucial pillars in the effort to make India a desirable investment location.
• The vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for ease of living and Ease of doing Business was also discussed by Shri Iyer.
• The panellists also offered insightful commentary on the subsequent wave of changes that will significantly improve the Ease of doing Business throughout the nation.
• Representatives of the governments of Maharashtra and the NCT of Delhi also gave presentations, stressing the changes they had carried out that had helped India’s standing in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report.