Today's Current Affairs - 28th October 2022

INTERNATIONAL

In a first, UNSC’s Counter Terrorism Committee to meet in India this week

• The United Nation Security Council’s (UNSC) two-day meeting in India on counter-terrorism will focus on dealing with use of internet, new payment mechanism and drones by terrorists. The meetings will be hosted in Mumbai and Delhi on 28 and 29 October, respectively.
• Ministry of external affairs secretary Sanjay Verma said the overarching theme of the meeting would be ‘countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes’. “It’ll begin with tribute to victims of terrorism,” he added.
• Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Counter-Terrorism Committee Chair, said that over the past two decades, member states have made tangible progress in countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. Yet, terrorist threat persists and despite our best efforts has evolved. Mindful of addressing this issue while also recognising potential of technologies to increase effectiveness of counterterrorism efforts, the Committee has come together in India to hold its special meeting on countering use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, Kamboj said.

 NATIONAL

Jal Jeevan Mission: UP ranks at the bottom, Gujarat achieve 100 percent household tap water supply

• Gujarat has been declared as a 100 percent ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state. In Gujarat, households in rural areas have access to safe drinking water through taps under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ mission. About 91,73,378 houses in the state have water connections according to the government record. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the state and people of Gujarat who has shown their enthusiasm for the Jal Shakti mission.
• Gujarat has achieved this milestone on the occasion of the Gujarati New year.The ‘Har Ghar Jal’ was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.
• The ‘Har Ghar Jal’ aims to make available 55 liters of water per person every day to each rural household through household tap connections by 2024.

Every state to have an National Investigation Agency office by 2024: Home minister Amit Shah

• Amit Shah, the Union Minister of Housing and Cooperation, spoke today at the start of a two-day “Chintan Shivir” in Surajkund, Haryana. The Chintan Shivir is being attended by Chief Ministers of the States, Home Ministers of States, Lieutenant Governors, and Administrators of Union Territories. Utilizing all internal security resources to their fullest potential is necessary in order to combat the issues facing the country.
• In his speech, Shri Amit Shah stated that this Chintan Shivir, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is being held to give the nation a unified platform to fight threats like cybercrime, the proliferation of drugs, and cross-border terrorism jointly.
• Because crimes are evolving and growing more international in scope nowadays, all States will need to come up with a coordinated approach to combat them.

Odisha CM launches first common agricultural credit portal for farmers

• Odisha Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik has launched a common credit portal SAFAL’ (Simplified Application for Agricultural Loans) for the welfare of farmers. SAFAL is an abridged application for agricultural loans that will enable farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to access over 300 term loan products from more than 40 partner banks. It has also been integrated with Krushak Odisha and will have access to 70-plus model project reports. The application can revolutionise credit provisions for farmers and agri-entrepreneurs.
• The application is a one-stop solution for farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to avail formal sector credit from public and private sector banks, Regional Rural Banks, State Cooperative Banks, and Small Finance Banks.
• The portal will ease the loan application process benefiting both the farmers and banks significantly, the chief minister said. It will also reduce information asymmetry by sending farmers real-time notifications at every stage of their loan application.

About Odisha

Capital: Bhubaneswar

Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik

Governor: Ganeshi Lal

Delhi L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena rolls out 1-time amnesty scheme for properties in city

• Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has launched a one-time property tax amnesty scheme “SAMRIDDHI 2022-23”, which will provide a major relief to lakhs of residential and commercial property owners in the city. SAMRIDDHI, an acronym for Strengthening and Augmentation of Municipal Revenue for Infrastructure Development in Delhi, will start on October 26 and end on March 31, 2023, with no further extensions.
• The scheme aims at solving thousands of pending court cases since the unit area method for property tax calculation came into existence from 2004.
• The scheme will benefit both the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the city’s residents.
• Under this scheme, the residential properties will have to pay tax for 1+5 years (the ongoing financial year and last five years), while the commercial properties will be able to pay taxes for 1+6 years (current year + last 6 years).

 SPORTS

BCCI offer equal pay to men & women cricketers

• In a historic decision, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a “pay equity policy”, saying that its centrally-contracted men and women players would get the same match fees. BCCI secretary Jay Shah took to Twitter to announce the significant development.
• This means the women players will now get Rs 15 lakh per Test match, Rs 6 lakh for a One-Day International (ODI), and Rs 3 lakh for a T20 International. Till now, they were paid Rs 1 lakh for a white-ball match, and Rs 4 lakh for a Test.
• Rs 50 lakh for Grade A, Rs 30 lakh for Grade B and Rs 10 lakh for Grade C. The men, who play more games, are paid Rs 1-7 crore, depending on their grade.
• The decision was taken at the BCCI Apex Council emergent meeting. “I am pleased to announce @ BCCI’s first step towards tackling discrimination. We are implementing a pay equity policy for our contracted @BCCIWomen cricketers. The match fees for both men and women cricketers will be the same as we move into a new era of gender equality in cricket,” BCCI Secretary Jay Shah tweeted.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

International Animation Day 2022: 28^th October

• International Animation Day is celebrated on 28 October every year. It was in this year when the International Animated Film Association (ASIFA) declared International Animation Day (IAD) as a worldwide occasion to commend the speciality of animation. This day is celebrated in more than 50 distinct nations throughout the world. IAD was started by ASIFA, an individual from UNESCO.
• The day is celebrated to commemorate the first public animation performance, Theatre Optique at the Musée Grévin in Paris. The moving picture technology utilised in the animated performance was developed by Charles-Emile Reynaud. There are various animation styles, including traditional 2D animation, 3D animation, stop motion animation, and typographic animation.
• The International Film Association established International Animation Day in 2002, honouring the birth of animation, recognized as the first public performance of projected moving images at Emile Reynaud’s Theatre Optique in Paris, on the 28th October 1892.

About International Animated Film Association (ASIFA):

President: Deanna Morse

Founder: John Halas

Founded: 1960, Annecy, France

 SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Dehradun to host national meet on integration of traditional sciencewith modern tech

• The “Akash for Life” a 3-day space conference will showcase the blending of traditional and modern knowledge through an extended integration of all schools of thought. The decision was taken by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, and Dr. Jitendra Singh. The event is scheduled to be held at Dehradun from 5th November to 7th November 2022.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the integration of science and technological development within society in a way that places science in a position to address the needs of the common citizen.
• The curtain raiser event was felicitated by Principal Scientific Advisor, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, Chairman ISRO, S.Somnath, Secretary Science & Technology, Dr. S Chandrashekhar, Secretary, Earth Sciences, Dr. M Ravichandran, Secretary Biotechnology, Dr. Rajesh S Gokhale and DG CSIR Dr. N. Kalaiselvi.

Zee-Sony merger: both parties agree on selling 3 Hindi channels to address anti-competition concerns

• Sony and Zee media groups have voluntarily agreed to sell their three Hindi Channels- Big Magic, Zee Action, and Zee Classic to address possible anti-competition concerns arising out of their proposed mega-merger deal. Sony and Zee have submitted their proposals to the Competition Commission of India (CCI). They have issued a 58-page long detailed order which informs that the two groups have agreed to divest Big Magic, which is a Hindi general entertainment channel, as well as Zee Action and Zee Classic.
• The two media groups, Sony and Zee, have voluntarily agreed to the modification to the proposed deals after CCI’s prima-facie opinion.
• Deals beyond a certain threshold compulsory require the approval of CCI, which seeks to ensure fair competition in the marketplace.

 RANKING

Indian Bank rolls out a slew of digital initiatives

• PSU lender Indian Bank has launched several digital initiatives under “Project WAVE” in a bid to enhance the customer experience through integrated services on its digital platform. Six digital initiatives were launched by the SL Jain, MD and CEO, Indian Bank, along with Sharad Mathur, MD & CEO, of Universal Sompo General Insurance Co.
• Indian Bank along with Universal Sompo General Insurance will provide online vehicle and health insurance through its mobile banking app IndOASIS.
• This digital collaboration would enable the bank’s customers to access and buy general insurance products digitally, anytime, anywhere, thus augmenting the insurance inclusion in India, it said in a statement.
• Under the co-lending arrangement, Indian Bank has partnered with Rupeek Capital Pvt. Ltd, to offer jewel loans at customer doorsteps. The entire gold loan journey will be through digital platform and not require any physical visit to the bank branch by the customer.

About Indian Bank:

CEO: Shri Shanti Lal Jain

Founded: 15 August 1907

Headquarters: Chennai