Today's Current Affairs - 9th October 2022

NATIONAL

To boost traditional sports, CM Baghel inaugurated ‘Chhattisgarhiya Olympics’

• Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has inaugurated the state’s own Olympics. The aim is to provide a centerstage to the village level sports so that a feeling of pride for the culture is inculcated. Secondly, to channelise the energy of the local youths which is very important for our society, Baghel inaugurated the grand multi-sport event at Balbir Singh Juneja Indoor Stadium in Raipur, claiming to revive the age-old-tradition of traditional games namely ‘langdi’, ‘bhaura’, ‘bati’ (kancha), and ‘pitthul’. The event will continue till January 6, 2023 and as many as 14 types of traditional sports have been included in the team and individual categories of separate age groups.
• The traditional sports competition of Chhattisgarh will be held in group and singles categories. A total 14 types of traditional sports have been included in the Chhattisgarh Olympics 2022-23.

About Chhattisgarh:

Capital: Raipur

Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel

Governor: Anusuiya Uikey

 SPORTS

Billiards World Championship: Pankaj Advani wins world title number 25

• Indian cueist, Pankaj Advani defended his World Billiards Championships (150-up) title for the 5th time, beating compatriot Sourav Kothari in the best-of-7 frames final at the High End Snooker Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a record 25th title at the global level. Pankaj’s last world title came over 12 months ago in Qatar where he won the IBSF Six-Red Snooker World Cup.
• In the first frame, Advani made his intentions clear that this title was his from word go. He opened the proceedings without any delay to secure the first frame with a 149 break while his opponent, who is still seeking his maiden IBSF World title, had yet to score a point in the 150-up format.

Hockey: Indian star Harmanpreet Singh named men’s FIH Player of the Year 2021-22

• India men’s hockey team defender and vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh has been voted the FIH Player of the Year for the second year running. The 26-year-old became just the fourth player to win the Player of the Year award (men’s category) in consecutive years, joining an elite list that includes Teun De Nooijer (Netherlands), Jamie Dwyer (Australia) and Arthur van Doren (Belgium). The India vice-captain has scored an incredible 18 goals from 16 games, with two hat-tricks, in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021-22.
• With those 18 goals, he ended the season as the top scorer for India and now holds the record for most goals scored by a player in a single season of the Pro League. Harmanpreet was also in terrific form at the Asian Champions Trophy last year in Dhaka, where he scored 8 goals in 6 games, scoring in every single game as India finished on the podium. His performances were also crucial to the Indian team that won a silver medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

In a first, Chandrayaan-2 maps abundance of sodium on Moon

• Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter’s X-ray spectrometer ‘CLASS’ has mapped an abundance of sodium on the moon for the first time, as per the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). As Chandrayaan-1’s X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (C1XS) detected sodium from its characteristic line in X-rays, this opened up the possibility of mapping the amount of sodium on the Moon.
• The abundance of sodium was mapped in a recent work published in ‘The Astrophysical Journal Letters’ for the first time using CLASS (Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer), the national space agency. Built at the U R Rao Satellite Centre of ISRO in Bengaluru, CLASS provides clean signatures of the sodium line thanks to its high sensitivity and performance,”.

About ISRO:

Chairman: S. Somanath

Foundation Date: 15th August, 1969

Founder: Dr. Vikram Sarabhai

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Post Day 2022: 9^th October

• World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. This day celebrates the role of the post in people’s and businesses’ everyday lives. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969. Since then, countries across the world participate annually in the celebrations. The Posts in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services.
• The theme for World Post Day 2022 is ‘Post for Planet’. The Post is the world’s largest logistics network. Every year, more than 150 countries celebrate World Post Day in a variety of ways. In certain countries, World Post Day is observed as a working holiday.

Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Day 2022: 9^th October

• On 9 October 1946, the Indian government established the Indian Foreign Service for India’s diplomatic, consular and commercial representation overseas. Indian Foreign Service (IFS) will grow from strength to strength in the coming years and will help advance India’s interests globally, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar as he greeted the members of foreign service on the IFS Day 2022. The history of the Service and this day goes back to September 1946, when, on the eve of India’s Independence, the Government of India decided to create a service called the Indian Foreign Service for India’s diplomatic, consular and commercial representation overseas.
• According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the origin of the Indian Foreign Service can be traced back to British rule when the Foreign Department was created to conduct business with the “Foreign European Powers”. Subsequently known as the “Indian Foreign Department”, it went ahead with the expansion of diplomatic representation, wherever necessary, to protect British interests, the MEA said.

Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd Observed Cyber Jaagrukta Diwas

• To create cybersecurity awareness among all employees, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) observed the “Cyber Jaagrukta Diwas”. On this occasion, Shri Alok Kumar, Information Security Consultant, AKS IT Services, shared his insights with IREDA employees on the practice of cyber hygiene.
• Cyber Jaagrukta Diwas is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs that requires all government organizations to spread cybersecurity awareness. It is observed on first Wednesday of every month. The purpose is to create awareness and sensitize the Internet users on safeguarding against cyber frauds and cybercrimes.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has requested all offices/branches/sections, PSUs, etc., to observe Cyber Jagrookta (Awareness) Diwas on the first Wednesday of every month and prepare an Annual Action Plan in this regard.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

IFC Launches Financing Platform to Respond to Global Food Crisis and Build Resilient Food Systems

• The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector investment arm of the World Bank, has introduced a new, $6 billion funding facility to boost the private sector’s capacity to respond to the Global Food crisis and aid in food production in response to mounting food insecurity. Rising levels of hunger and malnutrition (Global Food Crisis) have already been made worse by climate change and increasingly extreme weather events that are destroying harvests and lowering yields. The conflict in Ukraine and an unequal worldwide recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated to this trend.
• A significant portion of the funding of Financing Platform Launched by IFC (International Finance Corporation), which will be offered through the new Global Food Security Platform, will assist the delivery of food stocks to nations with food instability and sustainable production of those stocks.
• The Financing Platform Launched by IFC (International Finance Corporation) will add to the World Bank ‘s $30 billion pledge to address the food crisis.
• In order to organise group action to address concerns with global food security, IFC (International Finance Corporation) is also boosting up interactions with other partners, including development finance organisations, foundations, banks, as well as a variety of private firms.

 Gross direct tax collections rise 24% to Rs 8.9 lakh crore in FY23

• The gross direct tax collections has increased by over 23 per cent to eight lakh ninety eight thousand crore rupees in the current financial year as compared to last year. Finance Ministry said, the provisional figures of direct tax collections still continue to register steady growth.
• Direct Tax collection, net of refunds, stands at seven lakh forty five thousand crore rupees which is 16.3 per cent higher than the net collections for the corresponding period of last year. The Ministry said, this collection is over 52 per cent of the total budget estimates of direct taxes for the current fiscal. The refunds amounting to one lakh 53 thousand crore rupees have been issued during 1st April to 8th October this year, which are 81 per cent higher than refunds issued during the same period in the preceding year.

 Issuance of Concept Note on Central Bank Digital Currency

• The Reserve Bank Of India(RBI) has released a concept note on the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The CBDC is a digital form of currency notes issued by a central bank. While most central banks across the globe are exploring the issuance of CBDC, the key motivations for its issuance are specific to each country’s unique requirements.
• This Concept Note explains the objectives, choices, benefits and risks of issuing a CBDC in India, referred to as e-₹ (digital Rupee). The e-₹ will provide an additional option to the currently available forms of money. It is substantially not different from banknotes, but being digital it is likely to be easier, faster and cheaper. It also has all the transactional benefits of other forms of digital money.
• The purpose behind the issue of this Concept Note is to create awareness about CBDCs in general and the planned features of the digital Rupee, in particular. The Note also seeks to explain Reserve Bank’s approach towards introduction of the digital Rupee.