Today's Current Affairs - 31st October 2022

INTERNATIONAL

Poland chooses US to build its first nuclear power plant

• Poland has chosen the U.S. government and Westinghouse to build the central European country's first nuclear power plant, part of an effort to burn less coal and gain greater energy independence.
• Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said late Friday on Twitter that Poland would use the "reliable, safe technology" of the Westinghouse Electric Company for the plant in Pomerania province near the Baltic Sea coast. The exact location remains to be identified.
• Protests by residents and environmentalists, the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine and budget shortages led to the scrapping of the project.
• Russia's invasion of Ukraine this year and its use of energy to put economic and political pressure on European nations have added urgency to Poland's search for alternative energy sources.

A check over of the U.S.’s much anticipated National Security Strategy

• The United States has launched its much anticipated National Security Strategy (NSS). All U.S. Presidents are mandated by the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 to bring out their NSS, to communicate the executive’s vision of national security to the legislative. As a comprehensive document, the NSS reflects certainty about how the government of the day views the national security agenda.
• The Biden administration’s NSS primarily focuses on the current decade as a ‘decisive’ one in which the U.S. seeks to sustain U.S. leadership, improve the U.S. economy, build on a vast network of alliances and partnerships; counter China as its strategic competitor and Russia as a disruptor, and boost U.S. competitiveness and defend democracy. The document portrays the ambitious agenda of the Biden administration to cover a comprehensive set of transnational challenges tying the domestic with the international.

 NATIONAL

Rajnath unveils 75 infra projects in Ladakh

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched 75 new projects including the virtual launch of two helipads, one in Hanle and one in Thakung in Eastern Ladakh. These helipads are aimed to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force in the region. Several other key infra projects were also unveiled which include bridges, roads, and helipads projects in Jammu and Kashmir border areas.
• Union minister dedicated the projects worth Rs 2,180 crore spread across six states and two Union Territories at a function held at eastern Ladakh’s strategic Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi (DS-DBO) road that provides connectivity to India’s northernmost outpost of Daulat Bege Oldi.
• In the event, there was an onsite unveiling of 120-meter-long ‘Class-70 Shyok Setu’ on the DS-DBO road at an altitude of 14,000 feet and a virtual inauguration of two helipads.
• The 75 projects implemented by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) included 45 bridges, 27 roads, two helipads, and one ‘Carbon Neutral Habitat’.

 SPORTS

India beat Australia 5-4 in shootout, claim 3rd Sultan of Johor Cup crown

• Indian junior men’s hockey team defeated Australia to win the Sultan of Johor Cup 2022 in a shootout 5-4 after a 1-1 draw at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. This is the third time India has won the Sultan of Johor Cup. India scored the first goal with Sudeep Chirmako’s field goal in the 14th minute. However, Australia came back in the second quarter as Jack Holland equalised with India.
• In the shootout, both teams ended with 3-3 scoreline, forcing the match into sudden death. Uttam Singh scored twice in the shootout, including in sudden death, while Vishnukant Singh, Ankit Pal, Sudeep Chirmako also sounded the board for India. For Australia, Burns Cooper, Foster Brodee, Brooks Joshua and Hart Liam entered their names on the scoresheet.
• The Indians have won the age group tournament twice in 2013 and 2014 and finished second best four times in 2012, 2015, 2018 and the last edition of the event in 2019. The tournament was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Mata Amritanandamayi appointed as Chair of C20

• The Government of India has appointed Mata Amritanandamayi as the Chair of Civil 20 (C20), an official engagement group of the G20. The G20 members consist of 19 countries plus the European Union and C20 is its platform for civil-society organisations (CSOs) to bring forth non-government and non-business voices to the G20 leaders. India will assume the Presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023 and the G20 Leaders’ Summit will take place in New Delhi. Mata Amritanandamayi said she was grateful to the Indian government for arranging such a high-level representation of the voices of the common people.
• In the initial C20 online meeting the Mata said poverty in rural areas was a key issue to address while moving ahead as a society. “Hunger, conflict, extinction of species, and environmental destruction are the most important issues facing the world today. We should put in sincere effort to develop solutions. If scientists of all fields—computer science, mathematics, physics, engineering and so on—would all work together, then we would be able to create more innovative methods of predicting environmental catastrophes, and thereby we would be able to save many lives. Often, we see a lack of multidisciplinary and integrated effort. This is the need of the hour,” she said.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

World Cities Day 2022: 31^st October

• World Cities Day brings Urban October to an end on 31st October each year and was first celebrated in 2014. As with World Habitat Day, a global observance is held in a different city each year and the day focuses on a specific theme. A different city hosts the event each year. This year’s global observance is planned in Shanghai, China under the theme “Act Local to Go Global.”
• Urbanisation is a marker of national economic growth. Such development, however, faces social, economic, demographic and environmental challenges. Some of the most visible challenges to rapid urbanisation are displacement of original inhabitants, felling of trees, animals losing their habitats, issues of healthcare, food supply and pollution. World Cities Day helps address these challenges by bringing together all stakeholders of local and global urban development.

 World Thrift Day 2022: 31^st October

• World Thrift Day is celebrated every year on October 31, across the world. World Thrift Day, also often called World Savings Day. However, India does this a day earlier, marking it on October 30 every year. The day is significant as it is an occasion to generate awareness about the concept of saving money in a bank (so as to enrich the money supply in the country) instead of keeping it locked away at home.
• This year, the theme of World Thrift Day is “Saving prepares you for the future”, closely linked with last year’s theme that focused on the importance of savings. The day is often observed by conducting informative campaigns and releasing schemes that promote savings. The focus of this theme will be to emphasise the importance of being financially prepared for a rainy day instead of impulsively spending all at once.

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day 2022: 31^st October

• The National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is celebrated every year on October 31st to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. This year will mark the 147th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who is also known as the Iron Man of India.
• The Rashtriya Ekta Diwas provides an opportunity to reaffirm the inherent strength and resilience of our nation towards upholding the unity, integrity, and security of our country. In honour of Sardar Vallabhbha Patel, the government of India constructed the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near the Narmada River in Gujarat which symbolizes the strength of unity in India. The main objective of the celebration is to uplift the nation’s unity and spread awareness about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s contribution to Indian history.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan signs MoU with FIFA and AIFF for implementing Football4Schools initiative in India

• Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, on behalf of the Ministry of Education signed an MoU in Mumbai today with FIFA and All India Football Federation for the ‘Football4Schools’ initiative in India. FIFA President, Mr. Gianni Infantino and President, All India Football Federation, Shri Kalyan Chaubey signed the MoU on behalf of respective organizations. Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Nisith Pramanik; Minister for School Education and Marathi Language- Maharashtra Shri Deepak Kesarkar; Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti Shri Vinayak Garg & officials of All India Football Federation were also present on the occasion.
• Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pradhan said that sports has been given a place of pride in NEP 2020 and the Football 4 Schools program espouses the spirit of NEP2020. Sports has been given a place of pride in NEP 2020. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has laid emphasis on mainstreaming of sports with education and Football4Schools program is a step towards translating Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of making sports as a way of life as well as creating well-rounded citizens, he further added.

 RANKING

BPCL recognized as India's most sustainable Oil and Gas Company in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices 2022

• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), ‘Maharatna’ and a Fortune Global 500 Company has once again achieved the No.1 rank in the Indian oil and gas sector for its sustainability performance in the 2022 edition of the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) rankings. This is the 3rd consecutive year that BPCL is at the top of the DJSI Indices in India having achieved a score of 65 percentage points, against an industry average score of 31 which is far better than last year’s score of 59 against an industry average score of 39 on DJSI platform.
• This benchmarking is a complete assessment of economic, environmental and social criteria with a strong focus on long-term shareholder value.
• BPCL is creating a vibrant ecosystem for green energy transition and realize its aspirations for achieving Net-Zero emissions.

About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited

Chairman: Arun Kumar Singh;

Headquarters: Mumbai;

Founded: 1952.