Today's Current Affairs-20th August 2022

NATIONAL

Maharashtra declares Dahi Handi an official sport

• Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announces that ‘Dahi-Handi’ will be recognized as an official sport in Maharashtra. The state is set to organize a ‘Pro- Dahi Handi’ completion. The Maharashtra Government also announces that the Govindas will get a job under the sports category and if any Govinda loses his life insurance of Rs 10 lakh will be given, also if they end up being partially handicapped insurance of Rs 5 lakh will be given by the Government of Maharashtra.
• The decision was taken as many cities of Maharashtra celebrate and enjoy ‘Dahi-Handi’ as an adventurous sport. ‘Dahi-Handi’ is a ritual in which devotees of Lord Krishna recreate the ‘Maakhan Chori’ or butter stealing act. It is one of the mischievous stories of Krishna’s childhood. It is also known as ‘Gopalakala’ and it is observed on the next day of Janmashtami.

About Maharashtra:

Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari

Chief Minister: Eknath Shinde

Capital: Mumbai

IAF to Participate in Exercise Pitch Black 2022 in Australia

• An Indian Air Force contingent has reached Australia for participating in Exercise Pitch Black 2022 scheduled to be held from 19 Aug 22 to 08 Sep 22 in Darwin. This is a biennial, multi-national exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It will focus on Large Force Employment warfare. The last edition was conducted in 2018. The 2020 edition of the exercise was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's exercise will see the participation of over 100 aircraft and 2500 military personnel from various air forces.
• The IAF contingent, led by Group Captain YPS Negi, comprises over 100 air warriors, deployed with four Su-30 MKI fighter and two C-17 aircraft. They will undertake multi-domain air combat missions in a complex environment and will exchange best practices with the participating air forces.

About Australia:

Capital: Canberra

Currency: Australian dollar

Prime Minister: Anthony Albanese

About Indian Air Force (IAF):

Headquarters: Integrated Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi

Helicopter: CH-47 Chinook, Dhruv, Chetak, Cheetah, Mi-8, Mi-17, Mi-26

Fighters: SEPECAT Jaguar, Dassault Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, 

 OBITUARY

Kerala first tribal novelist Narayan passed away dies at 82

• Well-known writer and Kerala Sahitya Academy awardee Narayan died on Tuesday, family sources said. He was 81.
• Narayan, belonging to Malayarayar tribe, is considered Kerala's first tribal novelist. He had worked with the Postal Department and retired in 1995.
• His novel 'Kocharethi', published in 1998, won the Sahitya Academy award in 1999.
• The novel depicts the history and traditions of the Malayarayar tribal community in Kerala in the 20th century. Its English translation by Catherine Thankamma won the Economist Crossword Book Award in 2011.

About Kerala:

Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan 

Capital: Thiruvananthapuram

Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Centre extends Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla tenure for one year

• The Centre on Friday extended term of Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla by one year to August 22, 2023. The order was issued by the according to a Personnel Ministry order.
• Bhalla, a 1984-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed as the Home Secretary in August 2019.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in service to Bhalla as Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, for a period of one year beyond August 22, 2022, i.e. up to August 22, 2023, it said.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

17^th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 to be held at Indore in January next year

• The 17^th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 will be held at Indore in January next year. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a tweet said that Secretary, Consular, Passport and Visa Division, Ausaf Sayeed and Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Iqbal Singh Bains signed a Memorandum of Understanding for hosting the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas. On the occasion, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also present.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year on 9th Januray to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9th January 1915.

About Madhya Pradesh:

Capital: Bhopal (Executive Branch)

Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel

 Akshay Urja Diwas 2022: 20^th August

• Every year on the 20th of August India observers Akshay Urja Diwas or Renewable Energy Day. Akshay Urja Diwas 2022 or Renewable Energy Day aims to spread awareness about the development and adoption of renewable energy in India. Akshay Urja Diwas 2022, marks its importance by promoting and lining up the alarming rate of depletion of Natural resources. This day makes people aware of the use of natural resources like wind energy, solar energy, and hydropower.
• Akshay Urja Diwas was first established in 2004 to support renewable energy development programs in India and promote the usage of natural resources. In 2004, the first event was facilitated by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, where he released a stamp with 12000 children forming a human chain to promote the use of green energy sources. The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy Source (MNRE) planned to arrange the first informative campaign or event along with the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh.

About Indian Akshay Urja Day:

Initiated: 2004

Celebrated: on August 20 every year since 2004

 Sadbhavna Diwas 2022: 20^th August

• India celebrates Sadbhavna Diwas in memory of Rajiv Gandhi’s birth anniversary. Sadbhavna Diwas 2022 commemorates the 78th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi on 20th August 2022. Sadbhavna Diwas was instituted after the death of Rajiv Gandhi in 1992, by Congress. Sadbhavna Diwas promotes peace, harmony, empathy, and unity among all citizens of India. On this several cultural events and contests are organized across the country.
• Sadbhavna Diwas promotes harmony, peace, national integrity, unity, and empathy among all citizens of India.
• On this day, we celebrate the birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, and senior Congress officials and close relatives pay tribute to him.
• Sadbhavna Diwas is also known for spreading awareness about greenery, protection of the environment, and the beauty of nature.

About Rajiv Gandhi:

Born: 20th August 1944

Prime Minister: 1984 to 1989

 World Mosquito Day 2022: 20^th August

• Every year, World Mosquito Day is observed on 20 August.
• This day is marked to honour and acknowledge the British doctor Sir Ronald Ross.
• Sir Ronald Ross was the one who found out that female mosquitoes are responsible for causing malaria in the year 1897.
• World Mosquito Day celebrations are organised every year by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
• This year amid the coronavirus pandemic, the theme of World Mosquito Day 2021 is “Reaching the zero-malaria target”
• When it comes to mosquito-borne diseases, malaria has the greatest global impact. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria alone is responsible for the death of 400,000 people per year. Other mosquito-borne diseases, even if not fatal, can have devastating consequences for patients. Chikungunya, for example, causes crippling joint pain, and Zika infection in pregnant women can result in severe birth defects.
• Mosquitoes are one of the most lethal insects in the world. They cause millions of deaths every year. So, to raise awareness about the cause and prevention of diseases caused by mosquitos, this day is marked.

About World Health Organization (WHO):

Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

Founded: 7 April 1948

President : Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

 SUMMIT'S & MOU's

BSF signs MoU with IRCTC to ensure safety and security of booking data, other facilities

• The Border Security Force (BSF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to ensure the safety and security of booking data under its air e-ticket service for the troops of India’s border guarding force. The pact will ensure the facility of extra baggage, lounge, cargo and less cancellation or reschedule charges for authorised BSF personnel.
• This service will provide a dedicated online portal with a credit facility of 60 days.
• This in-house Air booking system will ensure the safety and security of booking data with extra baggage, lounge, and cargo facility and less cancellation or reschedule charges for authorised BSF personnel.
• The MoU is significant in terms of providing better facilities to the personnel of the BSF, which guards 3,323km of India-Pakistan and 4,096km India-Bangladesh borders.

About Border Security Force:

Director General: Pankaj Kumar Singh

Founded: 1 December 1965

Headquarters: New Delhi, India

About Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC):

Founder: Ministry of Railways

Founded: 27 September 1999

Headquarters: New Delhi

Owner: Government of India (67%)

 RANKING

Vistara 2nd in market share with 10%, behind IndiGo's 59%

• Full-service Vistara emerged as the second biggest airline by domestic market share last month with a 10.4% pie of the sky, distantly second to the market leader IndiGo at 58.8%. The airline is Tata Sons’ joint venture with Singapore Airlines. The number three, four and five positions saw airlines separated by just decimal points — Air India (8.4%), GoFirst (8.2%) and SpiceJet (8%).
• India’s airlines carried 9.7 million passengers on domestic routes in July, almost double from a year earlier but lower than the 10.5 million passengers ferried in June 2022.
• Vistara, which had a 7.5% market in January and around 9% in the subsequent months, climbed to 10.4% in July. Go First carried 8.2% of the domestic passengers last month, while SpiceJet flew 8%. SpiceJet and Go First have been forced to cut capacity, which helped Vistara overtake them in market share.

About Vistara :

Headquarters: Gurugram

CEO: Vinod Kannan (1 Jan 2022–)

Founded: 2014, New Delhi

Parent organization: Tata Sons

Founders: Singapore Airlines, Tata Sons

About IndiGo:

Headquarters: Gurugram

Founded: 2006

Founders: Rahul Bhatia, Rakesh Gangwal

CEO: Rono Dutta (24 Jan 2019–30 Sept 2022)