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Important Current Affairs 23rd October 2021

INTERNATIONAL

Barbados elects first president, British Queen to be replaced as head of state

•Barbados has elected its first-ever president as it prepares to become a republic, removing Queen Elizabeth as head of state. Dame Sandra Mason, 72, is set to be sworn in on 30 November, which will mark the country’s 55th anniversary of independence from Britain. The first woman to serve on the Barbados Court of Appeals, Dame Sandra has been governor-general since 2018. The historic election came after a joint session of the House of Assembly and the Senate. Described the vote as a “seminal moment” for the nation.

•With a population of about 285,000, Barbados is one of the more populous and prosperous Caribbean islands. Once heavily dependent on sugar exports, its economy has diversified into tourism and finance.

•Barbados will not be the first former British colony in the Caribbean to become a republic. Guyana took that step in 1970, less than four years after gaining independence from Britain. Trinidad and Tobago followed suit in 1976 and Dominica in 1978.

Donald Trump is launching a new social network called Truth Social

•Donald Trump has announced plans to launch a social media platform called TRUTH Social that will be rolled be out early next year. The former US president, who was banned from Facebook and Twitter earlier this year, says his goal is to rival the tech companies that have denied him the megaphone that was paramount to his rise.

•Truth social will be a product of a new venture called the Trump Media & Technology Group. He wants to create a platform that rivals Twitter or Facebook, but that simply won’t happen.

NATIONAL

DA hike: Centre approves 3% Dearness Allowance increase for Central govt employees and pensioners

•The Union Cabinet has approved a further hike of 3 per cent in Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) for the central government employees and pensioners. The increase of 3% is over the existing rate of 28 per cent of the basic pay/pension and will be effective from July 1, 2021. Now after this hike, the DA/DR will increase to 31%.

•It must be remembered that earlier in July 2021, the government had announced an 11% hike in DA/DR from 17% to 28% of the basic pay/pension. It will cost the exchequer Rs 9,488.70 crore per annum. As a result, the DA and DR instalments are due for four periods including January 1, 2020, July 1, 2020, January 1, 2021, and July 1, 2021. However, the rate of DA/DR for the period between January 2020 to June 2021 shall remain at 17%.

Chhattisgarh: Offering low-cost medicines, CM Bhupesh Baghel launches new scheme

•Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has virtually launched a new scheme named ‘Shri Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store scheme’ to provide low-cost generic medicines and enable seamless healthcare services to the vulnerable people of the state. The scheme will be implemented by the Urban Administration and Development Department (UADD).

•Under the scheme, around 188 medical shops are planned to be opened in 169 cities. Currently, 84 generic medical shops are opened in the inaugural session to distribute medicine. Under this scheme, people will get a discount between 09 per cent and 71 per cent on the MRP (Market Rate Price) of generic medicines.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

SAI appoints Arjuna Awardee Commodore PK Garg as new CEO of TOPS

•The Sports Authority of India (SAI) appointed Commodore PK Garg as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) at the Mission Olympic Cell meeting. He joined the Indian Navy in 1984 and was in charge of many important and prestigious assignments over 34 years of service. Commodore Garg, who was the High-Performance Director with Sports Authority of India till June 2021, is also an Arjuna Awardee recipient (1990) in Sailing and has also won the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awardee in 1993-94.

•As an ex-athlete, Garg represented India in five Asian Games from 1986 to 2002 in the Enterprise Class Sailing Event and has been a National Champion five times. He also won the Gold and Silver at the Enterprise Class Sailing World Championships in 1993 in Zimbabwe and 1997 in Goa. He also won a couple of Bronze medals at the 1990 and 1994 Asian Games. He served as Secretary of Services Sports Control Board (Indian Armed Forces) from 2014-17 and has served as the Joint Secretary of the Yachting Association of India for four years. He will be assuming the charge of CEO TOPS on Monday, October 25, 2021.

Indian-American economist Gita Gopinath set to leave IMF in January 2022

•The International Monetary Fund’s Chief Economist and Director of the Research Department, Gita Gopinath will leave the organisation in January 2022. She will return to Harvard University’s economics department. She was on public service leave during her tenure at the organisation, and the leave will end in January 2022. Gopinath, during her tenure, co-authored the “Pandemic Paper”, a document that set globally endorsed targets for vaccinating the world against Covid-19, the IMF said.

•Harvard had extended Gopinath’s leave by one year as an exceptional case, which allowed her to serve as the chief economist at the IMF for three years. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Gopinath’s contribution to the fund was “truly remarkable”.

OBITUARY

Former hockey player Saranjeet Singh passes away at 59

•Former hockey international Saranjeet Singh has passed away. The former State Bank of India hockey player, who played for Coronation Club in the local league, represented Hyderabad juniors and seniors for many years in the late 70s and 80s and also played for India, which toured Germany in 1983.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Mole Day 2021: 23rd October

•On 23rd October every year mole day is celebrated which is popular amongst all chemistry enthusiasts. This day is marked to commemorate and honour the Avogadro‘s number. The celebration of this day happens from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m commemorating the chemistry is measuring unit. This occasion aims to make the students interested in chemistry and its concepts. The theme for the occasion, inspired by the mascot – A Mole. This year the theme is DispicaMole Me.

•Mole Day originated in 1980 when an article came into the hype in the science teacher which was about a high school chemistry teacher celebrating this day with her ideas. This day was internationally accepted when the National Mole Day Foundation was established on 15 May 1991.

International Snow Leopard Day 2021: 23rd October

•Every year, October 23 is observed as International Snow Leopard Day since 2014. The day commemorates the anniversary of the Bishkek Declaration and to celebrate this endangered cat and raise awareness for its conservation and protection. It was on October 23, 2013, when political leaders from 12 countries came together to endorse the ‘Bishkek Declaration on the conservation of snow leopards.

•Snow Leopard is found in 12 countries. They are India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

Reliance to acquire 40% stake in designer Manish Malhotra's MM Styles Private Limited

•Reliance Industries Ltd’s Reliance Brands Ltd (RBL) and famous designer Manish Malhotra have announced a strategic partnership to acquire a 40 per cent stake in Malhotra’s MM Styles Pvt Ltd. According to a Reliance Brands statement, this “strategic partnership” is the first “external investment” for MM Styles Pvt Ltd.

•Launched in 2005, the Manish Malhotra luxury retail is spanned across four flagship stores in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Hyderabad. Manish Malhotra, the main architect behind the 16-year-old couture house, will continue to be at the helm of affairs of MM Styles Pvt Ltd as managing and creative director.

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