Today's Current Affairs-4th October 2022

NATIONAL

Telangana govt introduces 'Aasara' pension as social safety net to poor

• The Telangana government has introduced ‘Aasara’ pensions as a part of the state’s welfare measures and social safety net strategy. The ‘Aasara’ pensions aim to secure life for all the poor. It is a welfare scheme for the older section of the state, widows, physically disabled, and beedi workers to avail pension facilities. Under the Asif Nagar Mandal jurisdiction 10,000 new Aasara pensions have been sanctioned.
• The Aasara pension scheme was launched on 8th November 2014 by the Government of Telangana.
• The scheme provides pensions to old people, windows, patients suffering from elephantiasis or AIDS, physically disabled persons, beedi workers, and single women.
• On 7th March 2022, the Finance Minister of Telangana allocated Rs. 11,728 crores to the Aasara Pension scheme.

About Telangana:

Founded: 2 June 2014

Capital: Hyderabad

Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan

Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao

Kiren Rijiju, Anurag Singh Thakur launch Fit India Freedom Run 3.0 on Gandhi Jayanti at Major Dhyanchand National Stadium, New Delhi

• In honour of Gandhi Jayanti, Fit India Freedom Run 3.0 was officially introduced at the Major Dhyanchand National Stadium in New Delhi. The third edition of Fit India Plog Run, one of the largest national activities initiated by the Government of India at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020, was jointly introduced by Union Ministers of Law and Justice Shri Kiren Rijiju and Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.
• October 2, marked the beginning of the third iteration of the Fit India Freedom Run, which will last until October 31.
• Along with a sizable number of participants, the event also included the former health minister of India, Shri Harshvardhan Goel, the secretary of sports, Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi, the director general of the Sports Authority of India, Shri Sandip Pradhan, and the ambassador for Fit India, Ripu Daman Bevli.

About Delhi:

Chief Minister: Arvind Kejriwal

Capital: New Delhi

1. Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena

Education Ministry launches PM Modi's young authors mentoring scheme YUVA 2.0

• The Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors, known as YUVA 2.0 (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors), was launched by the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education on October 2. In order to promote India and Indian literature abroad, it is an author mentoring programme for young and aspiring writers (under 30 years old).
• YUVA 2.0 aims to artistically and ingeniously emphasise the viewpoints of the younger generation of authors on the issue of “Democracy (institutions, events, people, constitutional ideals – past, present, future)” as part of the India@75 Project (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav).
• In light of the last edition’s enormous effect, which includes broad participation from young and aspiring authors in 22 more Indian languages in addition to English, YUVA 2.0 is now being produced.

 SPORTS

Sergio Perez keeps Singapore Grand Prix win after stewards investigation

• Red Bull’s driver, Sergio Perez has won the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix 2022. Perez finished 7.5 sec ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who came at the second position. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz grabbed the third position. Perez’s teammate & Italian GP 2022 winner Max Verstappen finished seventh in the race. Hamilton secured ninth. Verstappen needed a win, and other results to go his way, to become world champion for the second successive time.

About Singapore:

Currency: Singapore dollar

President: Halimah Yacob

Capital:  Singapore city

Rohit Sharma becomes first Indian to complete 400 T20 appearances during 2nd India-South Africa T20I 

• Indian Skipper, Rohit Sharma has achieved yet another milestone in his T20 career and has become the first-ever Indian to play 400 T20s. The India captain has achieved the milestone in the 2nd T20I of the series against South Africa in Guwahati. The first Indian to hit a century in T20 cricket, Rohit had made his shortest format debut for Mumbai against Baroda in April 2007. Among Indians, Rohit is followed by Dinesh Karthik, who has played 368 T20s. MS Dhoni sits at the 3rd spot with 361 caps. Virat Kohli is playing his 354th T20.
• Rohit made it to the national team few months later and was part of the MS Dhoni-led side which won the 2007 T20 World Cup. Although he was in and out of the ODI team, Rohit kept his spot in T20Is and is the only Indian to feature in all 7 editions of T20 World Cup. Apart from India, Rohit has played T20 cricket for Mumbai Indians, Deccan Charters, India A and Indians. The highest run-scorer in T20I format, Rohit has 10544* runs in all of T20s.

USA wins 11th world title at FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup

• The United States defeated China (83-61) to win the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Women’s Basketball World Cup at the Sydney Superdome, Australia. The Americans bagged their fourth title in a row and 11th in total and have also sealed a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. A’Ja Wilson and Chelsea Gray were the star performers for the US. Wilson contributed 19 points and five rebounds while compatriot Gray got 10 points and an impressive eight assists.
• For the Chinese, Yueru Li was the standout performer, with 19 points and 12 rebounds, only to finish on the losing end. In the other game, Canada 95-65 in the third-place game. Australia’s legend Lauren Jackson scored a stellar 30 points that helped the hosts past Canada 95-65 in the bronze medal match.

About International Basketball Federation:

Founded: 18 June 1932

Headquarters: Mies, Switzerland

President: Hamane Niang

Secretary General: Andreas Zagklis

About USA:

Attorney general: Merrick Garland 

Capital: Washington, D.C.

President: Joe Biden

Currency: United States Dollar

 OBITURY

Suzlon Energy founder Tulsi Tanti passes away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 64

• Tulsi Tanti, founder and chairman of wind turbine maker Suzlon Energy Ltd passed away. He was 64. He was born in Gujarat and studied commerce and mechanical engineering. Tanti set up Suzlon in 1995 and spearheaded growth in the Indian wind energy sector by championing affordable and sustainable energy policies.
• Tanti started a textiles business and invested in two wind turbines in 1990 because of inadequate power supply in his area, according to a profile note by the UNEP, which named him one of its “Champions of the Earth” in 2009.
• He was also named a “Hero of the Environment” in 2007 by Time magazine.Tanti was also the chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association.

About Tulsi Tanti:

Born: 2 February 1958, Rajkot

Died: 1 October 2022

Children: Nidhi Tanti, Pranav Tanti

Organization founded: Suzlon

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Ajay Bhadoo appointed Dy Election Commissioner, Akash Tripathi MyGovs CEO

• Senior bureaucrat, Ajay Bhadoo has been appointed as the Deputy Election Commissioner as part of a senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected on Sunday by the Centre. Bhadoo, a 1999 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Gujarat cadre, has been appointed to the post up to July 24, 2024. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the senior bureaucrat’s candidature.
• His two-month extension as Joint Secretary in the President’s Secretariat ended on September 25. He was appointed as Joint Secretary to former President Ram Nath Kovid in July 2020. Earlier, Bhadoo served as Gujarat’s Vadodara Municipal Commissioner.

About Election commission of India:

Formed: 25 January 1950

Jurisdiction: Government of India

Headquarters: New Delhi

First executive: Sukumar Sen

Preceding executive: Sushil Chandra

Current executive: Rajiv Kumar

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Winners of the 'Valley of Words' Book Awards Announced

• Anees Salim’s The Odd Book of Baby Names (English fiction) and Rudrangshu Mukherjee’s Tagore & Gandhi: Walking Alone, Walking Together (English non-fiction) were among the eight that were adjudged the best books of the year at the ‘Valley of Words Book Awards. The PFC-VoW Book Awards, currently in its sixth edition, is considered one of the most comprehensive independent literary award programmes in India.

The total listing of the PFC-VoW E-book Award winners 2022-

1. English fiction: The Odd E-book of Child Names by Anees Salim (Penguin Random Home)
2. English non-fiction: Tagore & Gandhi: Strolling Alone, Strolling Collectively by Rudrangshu Mukherjee (Aleph E-book Firm)
3. Hindi fiction: Khela by Neelakshi Singh (Setu Publications)
4. Hindi non- fiction: Jeete Ji Allahabad by Mamta Kalia (Rajkamal Prakashan)
5. Writings for younger adults: Savi and the Reminiscence Keeper by Bijal Vachharajani (Hachette)
6. Writings/image books for kids: Aai and I by Mamta Nainy (Pickle Yolk Books)
7. Translation to Hindi: Yaadon Ke Bikhre Moti: Batware ki Kahaniyan by Aanchal Malhotra, translated by Brig Kamal Nayan Pandit (HarperCollins)
8. Translation to English: Amader Shantiniketan by Shivani, translated by Ira Pande (Penguin Random Home)

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Inflation likely to come down to 5.2% owing to normal rains, ease in supplies: RBI report

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expecting retail inflation to come under control at 5.2 per cent in FY24, down from the 6.7 per cent forecast for FY23, revealed the banking regulator in its ‘Monetary Policy Report September 2022’. In addition to this, RBI has also cut India’s GDP growth forecast for FY23 to 7 per cent from its earlier projection of 7.2 per cent.
• The RBI, in its report, said, “For 2023-24, assuming a normal monsoon, a progressive normalisation of supply chains, and no further exogenous or policy shocks, structural model estimates indicate that inflation will average 5.2 per cent.” The central bank expects inflation to remain above the upper tolerance level of 6 per cent in the first three-quarters of FY23. RBI also expects inflation to come under control from January 2023 onwards. RBI projects the retail inflation to average 5.8 per cent in Q4 FY23 and further down to 5 per cent in Q1 FY24. In addition to this, RBI has also cut India’s GDP growth forecast for FY23 to 7 per cent from its earlier projection of 7.2 per cent.

About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):

Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata

Founder: British Raj

Ownership: Ministry of Finance, Government of India

Governor: Shaktikanta Das