INTERNATIONAL

India, Singapore and Thailand begins Exercise SITMEX–21

• The 3rd edition of the Trilateral Maritime Exercise named SITMEX–21 is being held from 15 to 16 Nov 21 in the Andaman Sea. The Navies of the India, Singapore and Thailand will participate in the event. Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk is participating in the 3rd edition from India. It is an indigenously built Missile Corvette.
• The event is being hosted by Royal Thai Navy (RTN) in the Andaman Sea with an aim to enhance the cooperation between the participating navies towards augmenting the overall maritime security in the region.
• SITMEX is being conducted annually since 2019 with an aim to enhance mutual inter-operability and imbibing best practices between the Indian Navy (IN), RSN and RTN. The maiden edition of SITMEX was hosted by IN off Port Blair in September 2019. RSN hosted the second edition of the exercise in November 2020. The 2021 edition of the exercise is being hosted by RTN in the Andaman Sea.

NATIONAL

PM Modi inaugurated Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 341-km long Purvanchal Express in Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. The expressway links state capital Lucknow with Ghazipur and has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 22,500 crore. PM Modi landed on the Purvanchal Expressway airstrip in a military transport aircraft. The key feature of the Expressway is the 3.2 km long airstrip to enable landing and take-off of Indian Air Force fighter planes in case of emergency.
• The Purvanchal Expressway starts from village Chaudsarai in the Lucknow district and ends at Haidaria village on National Highway number 31, 18 kilometres east of the Uttar Pradesh-Bihar border.
• The expressway is 6-lane wide which can be expanded to 8-lane in the future.
• This expressway is set to give a boost to the economic development of the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh especially the districts of Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju launched Citizen’s Tele-Law mobile app

• Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju has launched the Citizen’s Tele-Law Mobile App. This app would connect the beneficiaries directly with panel lawyers offering legal advice and consultation. The app will connect the beneficiaries directly with panel lawyers offering legal advice and consultation. The app was launched as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, celebrated by the Department of Justice from 8 to 14 November. The app would connect the beneficiaries directly with panel lawyers offering legal advice and consultation.
• A special “Login” week is being organised throughout the country for encouraging those in need to seek legal advice and consultation through teleconferencing and video conferencing facilities by urging them to visit their nearest Common Service Centres (CSCs) offering Tele-Law services.
• These Common Service Centres have been branded as ‘Kanooni Salah Sahahyak Kendra’ for this purpose.

India Launches Another Scientific Expedition To Antarctica, First Batch Of Scientists Reaches Indian Antarctic Station

• India successfully launched the 41st Scientific Expedition to Antarctica on November 15, 2021. The first batch of its contingents comprising of 23 scientists and support staff has reached the Indian Antarctic station Maitri. Four more batches will be landing in Antarctica by mid-January 2022. The Indian Antarctic program began in 1981 and has completed 40 scientific expeditions.
• The team of 48 members at the 41st expedition is being led by Dr Shailendra Saini, Scientist National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (Voyage Leader), Shri. Huidrom Nageshwar Singh, Metrologist, India Metrological Department (Leader, Maitri Station) and Shri. AnoopKalayilSoman, scientist Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (Leader, Bharati Station). Currently, there are three permanent research base stations in Antarctica, named DakshinGangotri (1983), Maitri (1988) and Bharati (2012).

SPORTS

Lewis Hamilton ends 'hardest weekend' with stunning win at Brazilian Grand Prix

• Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain), has won the 2021 F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix (earlier known as Brazilian Grand Prix). Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) came second while Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) came third in the Brazilian Grand Prix 2021. Max Verstappen is leading the World Drivers’ Standings with 312.5 points, 19 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton (318.5).

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Indian Oil and NTPC ink deal to collaborate on green energy

• National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) signed an MoU with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to collaborate in the field of Renewable Energy and mutually explore opportunities for the supply of low carbon/RE RTC (round the clock) captive power. This is a first-of-its-kind novel initiative by two leading national energy majors of India, to support the country’s commitment to achieving renewable energy targets and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This comes in the backdrop of Indian Oil announcing its plan to build the country’s first green hydrogen plant at its Mathura refinery.

OBITUARY

Babasaheb Purandare, historian and Padma Vibhushan awardee, passes away at 99

• The eminent historian, orator and noted author from Maharashtra, Balwant Moreshwar Purandare has passed away. He was 99. The author was popularly known as Babasaheb Purandare. Purandare wrote extensively about Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He had earned the moniker ‘Shiv Shahir’ which literally means Shivaji’s bard. He was felicitated with India’s second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, on 25 January 2019.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Press Day 2021:16th November

• National Press Day is observed on 16th November every year to celebrate free and responsible press in India. On this day the Press Council of India started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that the press maintains high standards and is not constrained by any influence or threats. It also commemorates the day when the Press Council of India started functioning.
• In 1956, the First Press Commission was planned to form a Press Council to protect freedom of the press in India. On 4 July 1966, the Press Council was established in India. It came into effect from 16 November 1966. Therefore, 16 November is celebrated as National Press Day every year.

International Day for Tolerance 2021: 16th November

• The United Nations observes “International Day for Tolerance” on 16th November every year. The United Nations is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples.
• In 1994, UNESCO marked the 125th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth paving the way for the proclamation of 16 November as the International Day for Tolerance by the UN. This day pays tribute to the values of the Mahatma of peace, non-violence and equality. The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence rewards significant activities in the scientific, artistic, cultural or communication fields aimed at the promotion of a spirit of tolerance and non-violence. The prize is awarded every two years on the International Day for Tolerance, 16 November.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Indian brothers win Children's Peace Prize for waste project

• Two Delhi-based teenage brothers Vihaan (17) and Nav Agarwal (14) have won the 17th annual KidsRights International Children’s Peace Prize for tackling pollution in their home city by recycling household waste. The duo received the prestigious award by Indian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi. Vihaan and Nav have developed an “One Step Greener” initiative for segregating rubbish and organising waste pickups for trash from thousands of homes, schools and offices.
• The International Children’s Peace Prize is given annually by the International children’s rights organization KidsRights based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
• It is given to a child who has made a significant contribution to advocating children’s rights and improving the situation of vulnerable children such as orphans, child labourers and children with HIV/AIDS.

NATIONAL

TVS Motor: First Indian 2-wheeler maker in united Nations Global Compact

• TVS Motor Company, the flagship company of TVS Group, has joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. TVS Motor has become the 1st Indian two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturer to join the UNGC. TVS Motor will also engage in collaborative projects which will advance the development goals of the UN, particularly the Sustainable development goals (SDG).

44th 100 Drums Wangala festival begins in Meghalaya

• Meghalaya state observed the 44th edition of ‘Wangala’, the festival of 100 Drums Festival begins. It is a post-harvest festival of the Garos tribe which is being held every year to honour ‘Saljong’, the Sun God of Garos, which also marks the end of the harvest season. Celebrated since 1976, it’s the most important festival of the Garo tribe and attracts a lot of tourists. During the Wangala, tribals offer sacrifices to please their deity Saljong, the Sun God.
• The first day of the festival is celebrated with a ceremony called Ragula which is performed in the house of the village’s chief. People dress up in colourful costumes with feathered headgears and dance to the rhythms of long oval-shaped drums on the second day of celebration, Kakkat.

Centre brings ordinance to extend tenure of CBI, ED chiefs up to 5 years from earlier 2

• The central government of India promulgated two ordinances for extending the tenure of Directors of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for up to five years. At present, the director of CBI and ED have been appointed for two-year tenure in office by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Act, 2003. The order states that “whereas Parliament is not in session and the President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action.”
• President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to the ordinance and the central government is expected to table a law in Parliament to replace the same. As per the new ordinance, the Directors of CBI or ED can now be appointed first for a period of two years, and later if needed, the tenure can be extended for three more years. But it will require three separate annual extensions. However, after five years no extension can be granted to an ED or CBI chief.

Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal's Habibganj railway station renamed after Gond queen Rani Kamlapati

• The Habibganj railway station in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh has been renamed after 18th-century Gond Queen of Bhopal, Rani Kamlapati. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the revamped Rani Kamlapati railway station on November 15, during his visit to Bhopal. The railway station has been redeveloped with modern airport-like amenities at a cost of Rs 450 crore under Public Private Partnership mode in three years. Rani Kamlapati was the last Hindu queen of Bhopal and pride of the Gond community.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Maharashtra signs MoU to boost adoption of electric vehicles

• Maharashtra government has signed an MoU with the United States-based Non-Profit Organisation, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), to provide technical support for Maharashtra’s Electric Vehicle (EV) policy. The MoU was signed at Glasgow, United Kingdom, at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26). Maharashtra state EV policy aims to have a 10 per cent share of EV vehicles of total registrations in India by 2025.
• Maharashtra’s new draft Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2021 aims to bring at least 146,000 new battery-operated electric vehicles (BEVs) on state roads by 2025, estimated to comprise about 10% of all new vehicles registrations by that time. The policy aims to incentivise the purchase of 100,000 electric two-wheelers, 15,000 e-autos, 10,000 cars, 20,000 goods carriers (both three and four-wheelers) and 1,000 e-buses.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar releases a book titled ‘FORCE IN STATECRAFT

• India’s Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar has released a book titled ‘FORCE IN STATECRAFT’ in New Delhi. The book is a compilation of essays on topics such as counter-insurgency operations, conflict in the North East, airpower, nuclear posture etc. contributed by all stalwarts of the Armed Forces, who have vast operational experience and understanding of several important cornerstones of forces and its application.
• It has been compiled by Commandant of National Defence College (NDC) Air Marshal Diptendu Choudhury and President’s Chair of Excellence at NDC Air Vice Marshal (Dr) Arjun Subramaniam (Retd). The first of its kind book from NDC will help policymakers, legislators, diplomats, academics, leadership at all levels in the various national security verticals.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

RBI projects CPI inflation at 5.3% for 2021-22

• The RBI has projected the CPI inflation at 5.3 per cent for 2021-22. According to MoSPI data, inflation in the food basket rose to 0.85 per cent in October, compared to 0.68 per cent in the preceding month. India’s retail inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose slightly in October to 4.48% year-on-year from 35% in September due to an uptick in food prices. The inflation was 61% in October last year.

BharatPe launched the world's first Merchant Shareholding Program for its merchant partners

• BharatPe launched the World’s 1st Merchant Shareholding Program (MSP) for its merchant partners. It is a $100 million worth program, under which the company offers its merchant customers an opportunity to buy BharatPe’s equity shares and become a partner. The company plans a public listing by 2024 and targets a public listing value of $1 billion.
• The merchant payments and financial services company will roll out the incentive to its more than 7.5 million existing merchant partners. The programme will also be offered to new merchants joining the platform.
• The stock programme is designed to address the gap in wealth creation for merchants and recognize them as active growth partners, BharatPe said, adding that the programme aims to build and sustain loyalty among its merchant partners in a fast-growing fintech segment in India.

NATIONAL

Sixth-edition of India-France joint military exercise 'EX-SHAKTI2021'

• The Navies of India and France will carry out the 6th edition of the biennial training exercise “EX SHAKTI 2021” from November 15 to 26, 2021 in Frejus, France. The Indian Army will be represented by the Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion and France Army will be represented by troops of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade.
• The exercise will focus on Counter-Terrorism operations and enhance military cooperation and interoperability between the two Armies. Apart from this, India and France will also carry out biennial airforce training exercise ‘Exercise GARUDA’ , and biennial maritime training exercise ‘Exercise VARUNA’.

Professor Bimal Patel elected to International Law Commission for 5-yr term

• Professor Bimal Patel of India has been elected to the International Law Commission for a period of five-year. His five-year term will start from January 1, 2023. Prof Patel is the Vice-Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University and a Member of the National Security Advisory Board of India. The 51-year-old Patel secured 163 votes in the UN General Assembly out of 192 members. This was the highest votes received by a candidate in the Asia-Pacific Group.

SPORTS

Australia wins T20 World Cup 2021 title

• Australia won their maiden T20 World Cup title as they defeated New Zealand in the final by 8 wickets. A target of 173 in a global final is never easy but Marsh with his power and reach made it look like a walk in the park in the company of David Warner (53 off 38 balls), who also turned the wheels of fortune for himself and his team during a victory, achieved in 18.5 overs. Mitchell Marsh was named as the player of the match.
• ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 had begun on 17th October 2021 at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground, the final match was commenced on 14th November in Dubai when the tournament’s two best teams Australia and New Zealand met in a decider. The event which was to be held in India shifted to UAE and Oman due to the COVID-19 situation in India. BCCI, however, will continue to be the host of the event.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Plaeto signed Rahul Dravid as brand ambassador  

• Children’s footwear brand Plaeto has announced the appointment of celebrated Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid as its brand ambassador and mentor. Plaeto is India’s first D2C foot-health focused footwear brand designed specifically for Indian children. Plaeto was founded in March 2020 by Ravi Kallayil, Sara Kilgore and Pavan Kareti.
• The brand has announced the partnership along with a campaign featuring Dravid. The campaign has been developed by Bangalore-based People Design and Communication, in partnership with team Plaeto. The video campaign will be promoted across the brand’s social media channels and will go live on 14 November.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Children’s Day 2021:14^th November

• On 14th November, Children’s Day is celebrated every year to mark the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Children’s Day is popularly known as ‘Baal Diwas’ in India. The day aims at increasing the awareness of the rights, care and education of children. On this day, many educational and motivational programs are organised across the country, by and for children.
• Jawaharlal Nehru, who was India’s first Prime Minister, was quite famous among children and was popularly known as ‘Chacha Nehru’. Following his death in 1964, it was decided that to move the celebrations of Children’s Day to November 14 as a mark of respect to him and to commemorate his fondness for children. A resolution was passed in the Parliament and since then, Children’s Day is celebrated in India on November 14 every year. Notably, Children’s Day was celebrated in India first on November 20, 1956, along with Universal Children’s Day.

World Diabetes Day 2021:14^th November

• World Diabetes Day is observed on 14th November every year. The campaign aims to raise awareness around the crucial role that nurses play in supporting people living with diabetes. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23: “Access to Diabetes Care ”.
• In 2007 General Assembly adopted resolution 61/225 designating 14 November as World Diabetes Day. The document recognized “the urgent need to pursue multilateral efforts to promote and improve human health, and provide access to treatment and health-care education.”

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book “Unshackling India” by Ajay Chhibber and Salman Anees Soz

• A book titled “Unshackling India: Hard Truths and Clear Choices for Economic Revival” authored by Ajay Chhibber and Salman Anees Soz. A new book examines whether India can use the next 25 years, when it will reach the hundredth year of independence, to not only restructure its economy but rejuvenate its democratic energy and unshackle its potential to become a genuinely developed economy by 2047.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

Retail inflation inched up to 4.48 per cent in October 2021

• The retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), slightly rose to 4.48 per cent in October. Separately, the factory output, measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP), grew by 3.1 per cent in September. Food inflation picked up to 0.85 per cent in October from 0.68 per cent a month ago with a rise in prices of vegetables.
• The inflation print for October this year, however, is lower than the year-ago level of 7.61 per cent recorded in October 2020. With the impact of excise duty cut yet to reflect in the headline numbers, high core inflation — the non-food, non-fuel inflation component — and risks of high global commodity prices are expected to keep the inflation rate under pressure.

NATIONAL

Delhi government launched ‘Shramik Mitra’ Scheme to ensure benefits reach Construction Workers

• The Government of Delhi launched the ‘Shramik Mitra‘ scheme for construction workers. Under the scheme, 800 ‘Shramik Mitras’ will reach out to construction workers, and spread awareness on the government schemes. Delhi Govt has also increased the Dearness allowance for Unskilled, Semi-skilled workers, to increase their salary by around 1%. Shramik Mitras will inform construction workers registered by the Construction Board at the ward level about assistance schemes of the government.
• The Shramik Mitra scheme is an initiative by the Delhi Government to ensure that the benefits of all government schemes reach construction workers in Delhi. Under the scheme, around 800 Shramik Mitras will go door-to-door of all construction workers in the national capital to make them aware of several government schemes in the interest of the workers.

Odisha launches road safety initiative, to train 30,000 first responders

• The state government of Odisha has launched a first of its kind road safety initiative named Rakshak, to train first responders of road accidents. Under the program, 300 master trainers will train 30,000 local people, staying or working at the eateries and different business establishments located near accident-prone spots. These 30,000 volunteers will be trained as First Responders to road accidents. They will be equipped to administer first aid and pre-hospital trauma care to accident victims within the golden hour.
• The ‘Rakshak’ initiative was organised by the Commerce and Transport Department in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State branch.
• As part of the initiative, the state government will train volunteers from roadside communities such as eateries, small repair shops, gas stations, and also police officers to be first responders to road accident victims.

SpaceX launches Indian-origin astronaut Raja Chari-led Crew 3 mission to ISS

• US Space agency NASA and the Elon Musk-owned private rocket company SpaceX have launched the “Crew 3” mission on November 10, 2021. The “Crew 3” mission consists of Indian-origin NASA astronaut Raja Chari as its mission commander. The other three astronauts are NASA’s Tom Marshburn (pilot); and Kayla Barron (mission specialist); as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer (mission specialist).
• Under this mission, four astronauts have been sent to the International Space Station (ISS) for a six-month science mission until April 2022. The four-member international crew of astronauts lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida onboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule named Endurance fixed to Falcon 9 rocket.

Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar is now India's wealthiest self-made female billionaire

• Falguni Nayar, the CEO and founder of beauty and fashion eCommerce platform Nykaa, has become the richest self-made woman in India. She founded Nykaa in the year 2012. She holds 53.5% stake in Nykaa and has a net worth of USD 7.48 billion.
• This comes after the IPO of FSN E-Commerce Ventures which is Nykaa’s parent entity. This is also the first woman-led unicorn to list on the stock exchange. The issue size of the IPO of FSN E-Commerce Ventures (Nykaa) was Rs 5,351.92 crore with face value of Rs 1 per share.

SPORTS

First National Yogasana Championships to be held in Bhubaneswar from Nov 11-13

• India’s first Physical National Yogasana Championships has been organised in Bhubaneswar, Odisha from November 11-13, 2021. The National Yogasana Sports Championships 2021-22 has been organised by the National Yogasana Sports Federation (NYSF) in association with the Odisha state.
• Around 560 young Yogasana Sports athletes from across 30 states would are taking part in the event. The event aims to promote yoga and create a global brand around it, portraying it as a competitive sport with high standards and benchmarks.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Amway India has announced the appointment of Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador

• Amway India, a Direct Selling FMCG company announced the appointment of Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador. It is a time in moment as the two brands have come together to proliferate messages on the significance of holistic health & wellness, women empowerment, and inspiring youth towards entrepreneurship for a progressive India. As a part of the momentous association, he will endorse the brand Amway and all the Nutrilite products by Amway.

OBITUARY

FW de Klerk: South Africa's last apartheid president dies at 85

• FW (Frederik Willem) de Klerk, the former president of South Africa and the last white person to head the country, has passed away due to cancer. He was head of state between September 1989 and May 1994. In 1993, De Klerk and Nelson Mandela jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize for their work towards ending apartheid.
• Klerk effectively announced the beginnings of a new country in one historic speech at the state opening of Parliament in 1990, revealing to a stunned nation that he would free Mandela, legalize anti-apartheid groups, end a national state of emergency and negotiate to end racial inequality in the country.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Public Service Broadcasting Day 2021: 12th November

• Public Service Broadcasting Day is celebrated on 12 November every year. The day is celebrated to commemorate the first and only visit of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947. On 12 November 1947, Mahatma Gandhi addressed the displaced people (a refugee from Pakistan), who had temporarily settled at Kurukshetra in Haryana after partition.
• The day was declared as Public Service Broadcasting Day or (Jan Prasaran Diwas) in 2000, after it was conceptualised by Suhas Borker, Convenor, Jan Prasar. Prasar Bharati has been given the responsibility of public service broadcasting, deepen democratic traditions and provide opportunities to all diverse communities and cultures. Mahatma Gandhi had decided to visit the studio of All India Radio, to convey his message through radio, as he couldn’t visit refugees of Partition stationed at Kurukshetra in Haryana.

World Pneumonia Day observed 2021: 12th November

• World Pneumonia Day is observed across the world on November 12 every year to raise awareness, promote prevention and treatment and produce action to combat the disease. World Pneumonia Day 2021 is an annual event that was first celebrated in the year 2009.
• Raise awareness about pneumonia, the leading killer of young children.
• Strengthen, accelerate and sustain interventions to prevent and treat pneumonia.
• Focus on equitable access to, and delivery of comprehensive pneumonia prevention and control programs.
• Design specific strategies to reach the “harder-to-reach” populations to improve their accessibility to available interventions.
• Conduct research to develop innovative strategies to reduce the burden of pneumonia.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

“Nehru: The Debates that Defined India” by Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain

• A book titled “Nehru: The Debates that Defined India” is co-authored by Tripurdaman Singh and Adeel Hussain.
• A new book serves as a revisionist exploration of India’s first and longest-serving prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and investigates the overlooked role of his contemporaries and opponents in shaping his political vision.

INTERNATIONAL

Astronaut Wang Yaping, 41, became the first Chinese woman to walk in space

• China had launched the Shenzhou-13 spaceship on October 16, sending three astronauts on a six-month mission to the under-construction space station which was expected to be ready by next year.
• Wang Yaping became the first Chinese woman astronaut to walk in space as she moved out of the under-construction space station and took part in extravehicular activities for over six hours along with her male colleague Zhai Zhigang. The two moved out of the space station core module called Tianhe and spent 6.5 hours of the spacewalk in the early.

IBM to start campus in Mysore city

• IBM Corp. launched a client innovation centre in Mysuru with support from the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) to attract companies to set up operations in cities beyond Bengaluru.
• This initiative aims at supporting the rapid, high-tech driven economic growth in tier-2 and -3 regions while providing comprehensive hybrid cloud and AI technology consulting capabilities.

NATIONAL

Punjab Cabinet nod for tissue culture-based seed potato rules

• The Punjab Cabinet headed by chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi approved the ‘Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules-2021’ to develop Punjab as a standard potato seed centre. With this decision, Punjab has become the first Indian state to have the facility of tissue culture-based certification, which will develop the Jalandhar-Kapurthala belt of Punjab as the export hub of potatoes. The Cabinet also approved to introduce the ‘Punjab Horticulture Nursery Bill-2021’ by amending ‘Punjab Fruit Nursery Act-1961‘.

Srinagar joined the UNESCO's network of creative cities

• Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is among the 49 cities selected worldwide to join the UNESCO creative cities network (UCCN). Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the inclusion as a “fitting recognition” for the vibrant cultural ethos of the old city. It has been designated as a creative city of craft and folk arts, UNESCO.
• These 49 cities were added to the network of 246 cities following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, in recognition of “their commitment to placing culture and creativity at the heart of their development and to sharing knowledge and good practices”.

SPORTS

Rohit Sharma becomes 3rd cricketer to score 3,000 runs in men’s T20Is

• Indian batter Rohit Sharma has completed 3000 T20I runs and became the third cricketer in the world to achieve this feat. Rohit reached the 3000 run mark in the ICC men’s T20 World Cup match against Namibia. Virat Kohli is at the top of the tally with 3227 runs, which is followed by New Zealand’s Martin Guptill & India’s Rohit Sharma with 3115 and 3008 runs respectively.

Indian Shooters won 5 medals in the inaugural edition of International Shooting Sport Federation

• India finished the inaugural ISSF President’s Cup with five medals, including two Gold, two Silver and one Bronze. The invitation-only tournament was held at the Wroclaw in Poland, featuring the top-12 shooters in each of the shotgun, pistol and rifle categories. India’s Manu Bhaker bagged two gold medals.

Gold

• 25m Rapid Fire pistol Mixed Team competition: Manu Bhaker
• 10m air pistol mixed team competition: Manu Bhaker

Silver

• Women’s 25m pistol silver individual competition: Rahi Sarnobat
• Men’s 10m Air Pistol individual competition: Saurabh Chaudhary

Bronze

• Men’s 10m Air Pistol individual competition: Abhishek Verma

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Union government appointed Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar as the next Chief of Naval Staff

• Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar has been named as the next Chief of the Naval Staff by the Government of India. He is presently posted as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. He will take on the new role with effect from November 30, 2021. He will replace the incumbent Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh, who will complete his tenure on November 30, 2021.

 IHRF appoints Spanish Youth Advocate Daniel del Valle as the High Representative for Youth

• The International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) has appointed the Spaniard Daniel del Valle as the High Representative for Youth due to his achievements in the thematic area of youth empowerment and youth participation for the United Nations. IHRF, a non-governmental and non-profit institution.
• Daniel del Valle brings to the International Human Rights Foundation his ongoing experience of serving as Policy Advisor to the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the United Nations in New York. As a youth representative, he has distinguished himself through his creativity, dedication, energetic advocacy and awareness-raising about the importance of youth empowerment in today’s world, particularly, in developing countries and also in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Education Day 2021: 11^th November

• In India, the National Education Day is celebrated on 11 November every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India. The day was announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on 11 September 2008. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad served as education minister from 15 August 1947 to 2 February 1958.
• On 11 September 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has announced to commemorate the birthday of the great person by recalling the contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the field of education by celebrating 11 November as National Education Day. Since 2008, every year in India, National Education Day is celebrated without declaring it a holiday.

RANKING

India retains slot in top 10 on climate performance index

• India has been placed at 10th spot in the global Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2022 released by Germanwatch on the side-lines of the COP26. In 2020 also India was at 10th position. India has retained its position as the top 10 best-performing countries with higher climate performance for the third year in a row.
• Meanwhile, the top three places in the overall ranking is once again empty as none of the country performed well enough to achieve an overall very high rating in CCPI.
• Moving ahead, Denmark occupied a fourth place as the highest-ranked country in CCPI 2022, followed by Sweden (5th), and Norway (6th) respectively.
• Other countries in the top 10 are the United Kingdom (7th), Morocco (8th) and Chile (9th).

NATIONAL

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat inaugurated14th edition of Cyber security conference 

• Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat will inaugurate the 14th edition of ‘c0c0n’, an annual Hacking and Cyber Security Briefing, which will be held virtually from Nov 10-13. The conference, which is being conducted by Kerala Police in association with two non-profit organisations, Society for the Policing of Cyberspace (POLCYB) and Information Security Research Association (ISRA), would primarily discuss online scams and defences during the lockdown period.
• The theme of this year’s ‘c0c0n’ is Improvise, Adapt and Overcome.
• The conference is being held in such a way that online security is beneficial even to children in the state where many crimes are taking place with the shift to online classes.
• The conference is being held virtually so that people from across the globe can attend the event as the 13th edition of ‘c0c0n’ last year saw more than 6,000 attendees from around the world.

Meghalaya govt approves creation of Eastern West Khasi Hills district

• The Meghalaya Cabinet has approved the proposal of the creation of a new district called Eastern West Khasi Hills district. The new district has been formed by upgrading the Mairang civil sub-division. Mairang will now be a sub-division under the West Khasi Hills district. The new district will be inaugurated on November 10, 2021 by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. This will increase the total number of districts in the state to 12.
• This move will help in ensuring that the administration will remain closer to the people. It will also ensure that the implementation of several schemes is more effective.

SPORTS

18-year-old Sankalp Gupta from Nagpur Becomes India's 71st Grandmaster

• Sankalp Gupta has become India’s 71st Grandmaster by scoring 6.5 points and finishing second in the GM Ask 3 round-robin event in Arandjelovac, Serbia. The Maharashtra player also touched the 2500 Elo rating mark during the tournament. To achieve the GM title, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points.

Pakistan's Asif Ali and Ireland's Laura Delany voted the ICC Players of the Month for October

• Pakistan’s Asif Ali and Ireland’s Laura Delany have been voted the ICC Players of the Month for October. Ali beat Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and Namibia’s David Wiese to the men’s award, and Delany beat teammate Gaby Lewis and Zimbabwe’s Mary-Anne Musonda to the women’s prize.
• Ali scored 52 runs without defeat across three matches for Pakistan in October at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scoring at a strike rate of 273.68. Ireland captain Delany shone in their 3-1 ODI series win over Zimbabwe. The all-rounder flourished with bat and ball, scoring 189 runs at 63, and taking four wickets at 27.
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) presents the ICC Player of the Month to recognise male and female cricketers who have best performed across all forms of international cricket in a particular month.

Srinagar's Tajamul Islam Wins Gold Medal In World Kickboxing Championship

• 13-year-old Tajamul Islam is the first Kashmiri girl to have represented India and won the gold medal in the under-14 age category in World Kickboxing Championship held at Cairo in Egypt.
• Islam defeated Argentina’s Lalina in the final. She was born in Tarkpora, a remote village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. Tajamul is also a brand ambassador of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Rajib Kumar Mishra given charge as PTC India’s CMD

• Rajib Kumar Mishra shall exercise the power of chairman and managing director of PTC India Ltd, subsequent to relieving of Deepak Amitabh. PTC India Ltd. (formerly known as Power Trading Corporation of India Limited), was incorporated in 1999 to undertake to the trade of power to achieve economic efficiency & security of supply & to develop a vibrant power market in the country.
• Mishra joined PTC India in 2011 as executive director and is now a whole-time director since February 2015. Currently, he is director (business development and marketing), in PTC India. Additionally, he is holding the post of managing director of PTC Energy.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Science Day for Peace and Development 2021: 10th November

• World Science Day for Peace and Development is celebrated each year on November 10 every year. This day is celebrated to highlight the important role that science play in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues.
• The year 2021 marks the 20th edition of World Science Day for Peace and Development. With climate change becoming a serious threat to the lives of billions of people and the planet, this year’s celebration will highlight the importance of “Building Climate-Ready Communities”.

International Week of Science and Peace: 9-14 Nov 2021

• International Week of Science and Peace (IWOSP) is a global observance celebrated every year from November 9 to 14. The event is celebrated to encourage people to develop better technology and cultivate peace in their countries. The annual celebration of this event contributes towards the promotion of science, technologies, and peace as well as generating awareness in the general public. The participation and awareness of the events contribute to the right application of science for promoting peace all through the year.
• The International Week of Science and Peace was first observed in 1986 and the event was quite successful. Keeping in view the success and impact of this event, the celebration started to take place continuously by the efforts of the organizers in the successive years. It was proclaimed as an International Week of Science and Peace by the UN General Assembly in the month of December 1988.

RANKING

Global Drug Policy Index 2021: India ranked 18th out of 30 countries

• India ranked 18th out of 30 countries in the 1st edition of the Global Drug Policy Index which was released by the Harm Reduction Consortium in November 2021. The index ranked Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, the United Kingdom (UK), and Australia as the top 5 countries on humane and health-driven drug policies.
• The Global Drug Policy Index, a new tool that offers the first-ever data-driven global analysis of 30 countries’ drug policies and their implementation in a systematic, comprehensive and transparent manner.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

RBI launches its first global hackathon 'HARBINGER 2021' with ‘Smarter Digital Payments’ theme

• The Reserve Bank of India has launched its first global hackathon named “HARBINGER 2021 – Innovation for Transformation”. The theme of HARBINGER 2021 is ‘Smarter Digital Payments’. The Hackathon invites participants to identify and develop solutions that have the potential to make digital payments accessible to the under-served, enhance the ease of payments and user experience while strengthening the security of digital payments and promote customer protection.
• Innovative, easy-to-use, non-mobile digital payment solutions for converting small-ticket cash transactions to digital mode.

INTERNATIONAL

China launches its first sun observation satellite to monitor solar eruptions

• China has successfully launched its 1st solar exploration satellite into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province aboard a Long March-2D rocket.

• The satellite was named as ‘Xihe’ (Xihe is the goddess of the sun who created the calendar in ancient Chinese mythology), also known as the Chinese Hα Solar Explorer (CHASE). The satellite has been developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

C-19 reverses decades of progress in TB elimination, India worst-hit: WHO

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released the ‘Global TB report for 2021, where it highlighted the effects of C-19 which led to a huge reversal in the progress of Tuberculosis (TB) elimination. The report also mentioned India as the worst-hit country in TB elimination, where the detection of new TB cases saw a huge impact in 2020.

• A dramatic reduction of 20% TB cases were witnessed in 2020 as compared to 2019, ie; a gap of 4.1 million cases. The progress in TB detection has gone back to the levels of 2012, with India accounting for 41% of the total case drops in 2020.

NATIONAL

Union Home Minister Amit Shah flags off ‘Modi Van’ to mark 20 years of PM Modi in public office

• The Union Home Minister Amit Shah has flagged off “Five Mobile Medical Vans” dubbed as Modi Van on October 19, 2021, in the Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh. These vans have been launched under the ‘Seva Hi Sangathan’ programme of BJP to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing 20 years as the Head of Government.

• The Five Mobile Medical Vans will operate in five Assembly Constituencies in Kaushambi. These vans will work under the aegis of Kaushambi Vikas Parishad run by BJP’s National Secretary Vinod Sonkar.

SPORTS

Bhavani Devi wins fencing competition in France

• Fencer Bhavani Devi, who made history at the Tokyo Olympics by becoming the first Indian to compete in the sport at the Games, has won the Charlellville National Competition in France in the individual women’s sabre event.

• She is currently ranked 50th in the world and is the top-ranked fencer from India. She is eyeing a good show at the 2022 Asian Games and has started preparing for the multi-discipline sporting extravaganza.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

RBI approves re-appointment of Amitabh Chaudhry as MD & CEO of Axis Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the re-appointment of Amitabh Chaudhry as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of private lender Axis Bank for a period of three years.

• Amitabh had taken charge as Axis Bank’s new MD and CEO in January 2019 after as outgoing MD and CEO Shikha Sharma retired, effective December 31, 2018. The extended three-year term will be effective from January 1, 2022.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Osteoporosis Day 2021: 20th October

• World Osteoporosis Day (WOD) is observed annually on October 20. The day aims to raise global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. WOD is organized by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), by launch of a year-long campaign with a specific theme. In 2021 the Global WOD Campaign theme is “Serve Up Bone Strength”.

• Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and fragile so that they break easily – even as a result of a minor fall, a bump, a sneeze, or a sudden movement. Fractures caused by osteoporosis can be life-threatening and a major cause of pain and long-term disability. Osteoporosis is a growing global problem worldwide. It affects one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50.

International Chef’s Day 2021: 20th October

• International Chefs Day is observed every year on 20 October. The day aims to celebrate and honour the noble profession and educate people around the world about eating healthy. It is also the day for experienced chefs to pass on their knowledge and culinary skills to the next generation with a sense of pride and commitment.

• The theme of the International Chefs Day 2021 campaign is Healthy Food for the Future. International Chefs Day was created by Dr Bill Gallagher, a renowned chef and the former president of the World Association of Chefs Societies (World Chefs), in 2004.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book titled “Actually… I Met Them: A Memoir” by Gulzar

• Legendary Indian poet-lyricist-director Gulzar has come out with his new book title “Actually… I Met Them: A Memoir”. In a memoir published by the publishing group Penguin Random House India.

• In this book, Gulzar has shared many interesting unknown facts about legends like Kishore Kumar, Bimal Roy, Ritwik Ghatak, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Mahasweta Devi, among others.

RANKING

India ranks 40th out of 43 global pension systems, as per survey

• Mercer Consulting, a leading global management consulting firm, has released the 13th edition of the Mercer Global Pension Index (2021 MCGPI). India has been ranked at 40th position out of 43 countries in the 2021 Mercer CFS Global Pension Index survey. In 2020, India was ranked at 34th position out of 39 pension systems.

• Iceland has topped this ranking with an index value of 84.2 followed by the Netherlands with 83.5  and Norway with 82.0. India had an overall index value of 43.3. Thailand had the lowest overall index value at 40.6. The 2021 MCGPI, has added 4 new retirement systems: Iceland, Taiwan, UAE and Uruguay.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

Reserve Bank of India has authorized Karur Vysya Bank to collect Direct Taxes on behalf of Central Board of Direct Taxes

• The Reserve Bank of India has authorised Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) to collect direct taxes on behalf of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). After obtaining the approval, KVB has started the integration process with the CBDT to collect direct taxes.

• The integration would enable the bank to allow its customers to remit the direct taxes through any branch/net banking/ mobile banking services (DLite Mobile application).

INTERNATIONAL

Russian film crew back on Earth after shooting first movie in space

• A Russian film crew are back on Earth after wrapping up scenes for the first movie shot in space. Klim Shipenko and actor Yulia Peresild left the International Space Station and landed in Kazakhstan – to be met by a crew filming touchdown scenes. The movie has been in its own kind of space race – with Tom Cruise. He is apparently part of a Hollywood filming-in-space project involving Nasa and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

• The filmmakers had blasted off from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan earlier this month, travelling to the ISS with veteran cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov to film scenes for “The Challenge”.

Sri Lanka Seeks $500 Million Loan From India For Fuel Purchase

• The Government of Sri Lanka has sought a USD 500 million credit line from India to pay for its crude oil purchases, as the country is facing a severe foreign exchange crisis in the island nation after the pandemic hit the nation’s earnings from tourism and remittances. The USD 500 million credit line is part of the India-Sri Lanka economic partnership arrangement. The facility would be used for purchasing petrol and diesel requirements.

• The country’s GDP contracted by a record 3.6 per cent in 2020 and its foreign exchange reserves plunged by over a half in one year through July to just USD 2.8 billion. This has led to a 9 per cent depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee against the dollar over the past one year, making imports more expensive.

NATIONAL

‘Mera Ghar Mere Naam’ scheme will give succour to underprivileged in Punjab : CM Charanjit Channi

• In Punjab, Chief Minister Charanjit Channi launched a new scheme titled ‘Mera Ghar Mere Naam’, which aims to confer proprietary rights on the people living in the houses within the ‘Lal Lakir’ of villages and the cities. The land area which is a part of the village habitation and is used for non-agriculture purposes only is known as Lal Lakir.

• The state government will undertake drone surveys of residential properties, both in rural and urban areas for digital mapping, following which all eligible residents would be given the property cards, after proper identification or verification, to confer proprietary rights upon them in a time-bound manner. The property card will serve the purpose of registry against which they can avail loans from the banks or even sell their properties.

Indian Army won a gold medal at the Cambrian Patrol Exercise held in the UK

• A team from 5th Battalion-4 (5/4) Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) representing the Indian Army won the gold medal at the prestigious Cambrian Patrol Exercise which was held in the United Kingdom. The Indian Army team took part in the event and competed with a total of 96 teams including 17 international teams representing Special Forces and prestigious Regiments from different parts of the world.

• The Indian Army team received rich accolades from all the judges. The team was praised for their excellent navigation skills, overall physical endurance and delivery of patrol orders.

SPORTS

15-year-old Divya Deshmukh became India's 21st Woman Grand Master (WGM)

• 15-year-old Divya Deshmukh became India’s 21st Woman Grand Master (WGM) after achieving her 2nd International Master (IM) at Grand Master (GM) in Budapest, Hungary. He scored five points in the nine rounds and ended up with a performance rating of 2452 to secure her final WGM norm.

• Divya also secured her second IM-norm and is now a norm away from becoming an International Master. Apart from three wins, she played out four draws while losing two games in the tournament.

SAFF Championship: India Beat Nepal 3-0 To Win 8th Title

• India beat Nepal, 3-0, to win the 2021 SAFF Championship final title, held on October 16, 2021, at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives. This is the eighth SAFF Championship title claimed by the Indian men’s national football team. Previously the team had won the title in 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015.

• Sunil Chhetri , Suresh Singh Wangjam and Sahal Abdul Samad were the goal scorer for the Indian team in final. Top Scorer in the championship Sunil Chhetri (Captain) – 5 goals. Meanwhile, Sunil Chhetri scored his 80th international strike at the championship to equal his score with iconic Lionel Messi and became the second-highest goal-scorer in international football among active players.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA launches its Lucy spacecraft to study the Jupiter Trojan asteroids

• The US space agency NASA has launched a first-of-its-kind mission called ‘Lucy Mission‘ to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids. The mission life of Lucy is 12-year, during which the spacecraft will fly by a total of eight ancient asteroids to study about solar system’s evolution. These will include one main-belt asteroid and seven Jupiter Trojan asteroids.

• The Lucy mission will mark NASA’s first single spacecraft mission in history to explore so many different asteroids.

• The Lucy probe was launched on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on October 16, 2021.

• Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids are two large clusters of space rocks that scientists believe are remnants of the primordial material that formed the solar system’s outer planets.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Rahul Dravid Will be the new head coach of Team India

• Former Indian batter, Rahul Dravid has been appointed as Team India’s head coach and he will be succeeding Ravi Shastri, whose tenure at the helm ends after the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup in the UAE. As per reports, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and honorary secretary Jay Shah had a meeting with Dravid in Dubai and pleaded with him to take charge of the national team. As per reports, Dravid, also known as ‘The Wall’ of Indian cricket, has been roped in on a two-year contract and he will draw a salary of INR 10 crores.

• Team India has also appointed lieutenant Paras Mhambrey as their bowling coach, replacing Bharat Arun. Even as Vikram Rathour has been persisted with as the batting coach, the decision on who should replace fielding coach R Sridhar hasn’t been made just yet.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

ICC and UNICEF partner to help break stigma around mental health

• Ahead of the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and UNICEF have that they would partner to help break the stigma around mental health by raising awareness about the issue amongst children and adolescents.

• The ICC and UNICEF are aiming to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing amongst children and adolescents and encourage greater conversation and understanding of it throughout the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 beginning.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

SEBI Forms 4-member high powered advisory committee on settlement orders

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has constituted a four-member “high powered advisory committee on settlement orders and compounding of offences”.

• The Chairman of the committee will be Vijay C Daga, retired judge of the High Court of Bombay. The terms of reference of the Committee will be as per “Securities and Exchange Board of India (Settlement Proceedings) Regulations, 2018”.

INTERNATIONAL

Jonas Gahr Store is the Norway’s new Prime Minister

• Jonas Gahr Store, the Leader of the Labour Party in Norway, has assumed the charge of the Prime Minister of Norway with effect from October 14, 2021. In September 2021, Store’s Labour Party won the parliamentary elections, following which incumbent Prime Minister Erna Solberg and her government stepped down.

• Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, the leader of Norway’s centre-left Labor Party, stood outside the royal palace with his 19-member team — 10 women and nine men — that includes the leader of the euroskeptic Center Party, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, who becomes finance minister.  Emilie Enger Mehl became Norway’s youngest-ever justice minister at age 28, while the foreign minister portfolio went to another woman — Anniken Scharning Huitfeldt.

NATIONAL

Mount Harriet in Andaman to be named Mount Manipur

• Manipur broke into celebration on Sunday after the Centre renamed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' 'Mount Harriet', where Manipur's Maharaja Kulchandra Dhwaj Singh and 22 other freedom fighters were imprisoned, as 'Mount Manipur' in their honour.

• Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said government has asked people to organise candlelight celebration to express to Prime minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for renaming the 'Mount Harriet National Park' as 'Mount Manipur National Park' in memory of the freedom fighters of the state.

• The Chief Minister tweeted: "In a fitting tribute to Maharaja Kulachandra and other Manipuri freedom fighters imprisoned at Mount Harriet in Kalapani, Home Minister Amit Shah ji has renamed Mount Harriet as Mount Manipur. We're immensely thankful to PM Narendra Modi Ji & Amit Shah Ji for such a great honour of our heroes."

Mumbai Postal department launched 'Know Your Postman' App

• Mumbai postal department on October 16 launched an android-based mobile application 'Know Your Postman' on the occasion of National Mails Day.  This is the first application to get details of your beat postman in the history of the Mumbai Postal region.

• The purpose of the app is to connect citizens easily to their local beat postman and facilitate delivery at per their convenience. At present, the database has more than 86,000 localities and the team is working on adding more as well.

• "Mumbai is a very big region, so it will take time to add all the localities in our database. But as of now, we have more than 86,000 localities in the database.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Imtiaz Ali appointed as ambassador of Russian Film Festival in India

• Director-producer Imtiaz Ali has been roped in as the ambassador of the Russian Film Festival in India. As part of the festival, ten notable Russian films of various genres will be premiered for Indian audiences on Disney+ Hotstar from October 16 to November 27. Ali said the festival will act as a ground for many future cinematic collaborations between the India and Russia.

• “Russia and India have cultural ties that go back a long way. Film stars like Raj Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty have been very popular in Russia and at the same time, Russian music and cinema have been a part of popular culture in India.

Navrang Saini gets additional charge as Chairperson of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India

• Navrang Saini has been given the additional charge as the Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). The post fell vacant after M.S. Sahoo retired after a five-year tenure on September 30. Saini is a Whole Time Member of IBBI.

• The government has assigned additional charge of Chairperson to Mr Saini in addition to his existing duties. This will be for three months or till the joining of a new incumbent to the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier, it said in a release on October 13.

RBI appointed Pradeep Kumar Panja as the Chairman of Karnataka Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Pradeep Kumar Panja as the Chairman of Karnataka Bank Ltd. He will begin his role as the part-time non-executive Chairman with effect from November 14, 2021, for a period of three years. He will succeed P Jayarama Bhat, who will retire on November 13, 2021.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Menopause Day 2021 : 18th October

• World Menopause Day is held every year on the 18th October. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the menopause and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing. We encourage professionals and women to participate in this global awareness raising campaign by printing and sharing these materials, organising events to engage their communities, and sharing World Menopause Day social media posts.

• The theme for World Menopause Day 2021 is Bone Health.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

The Great Indian Kitchen wins the best Film award at the 51st KSFA

• Jeo Baby-directed "The Great Indian Kitchen", which revolves around the story of a newly-wed couple in a traditional middle class family, bagged the titles for the best film and screenplay in the 51st Kerala State Film Awards announced on Saturday.

• The small-budget movie, which shattered the myth of domesticity and raised some disturbing questions against patriarchy, was a huge hit.

• Popular actors Jayasurya and Anna Ben were adjudged the the best actor and actress titles for their stellar performances in the movies "Vellam" and "Kappela" respectively, while Siddharth Siva bagged the recognition for the best director through his movie "Ennivar.

India's project Takachar wins Prince William's Earthshot Prize

• A Delhi-based entrepreneur's agricultural waste recycling project was named among the winners of Prince William's inaugural Earthshot Prize, dubbed the "Eco Oscars", at a gala ceremony in London on Sunday evening.

• Vidyut Mohan led Takachar was named the winner of the GBP 1 million prize for its cheap technology innovation to convert crop residues into sellable bio-products in the "clean our air" category.

• It was among five worldwide winners of the prize, created by William, the Duke of Cambridge, to reward people trying to save the planet.

Veteran artist Veer Munshi to get Harmony India Award

• Veteran artist Veer Munshi, Kashmiri singer Prof Kailash Mehra and Sahitya Akademi awardee Zareef Ahmad Zareef are among 16 eminent personalities of various fields in Jammu and Kashmir to get this year's Harmony India Awards at a ceremony on Sunday.

• This is the 7th edition of the Harmony India Awards to be held on Sunday at Teacher's Bhawan.

• Creative personalities, artists, musicians, writers, social activists, theatre and visual artists, journalists has felicitated for their outstanding contribution in the growth and development of the nation.

NATIONAL

Anurag Thakur launches 'MyParkings' app for people to book parking slots online in Delhi

• The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the ‘MyParkings’ app. The IOT technology-enabled app has been developed by Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) with South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to digitize all authorized parking under SDMC municipal limits.

• The facility will be subsequently rolled out in other municipality divisions across India.

• The main objective of the app is to help reduce pollution by minimising the time spent searching for parking spots.

• The MyParking App will offer an effortless solutions to users for hassle-free parking and booking of online parking slots to park their vehicles without inconvenience.

BPCL launches automated fuelling technology UFill for customers

• The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has launched an automated fuelling technology called “UFill”, to provide a swift, secure and smart experience to its customers at outlets by providing them with control of fuelling. The new digital technology obviates the need to look at zero or final reading or any such offline manual interventions, to give complete control to customers over Time, Technology and Transparency in fuelling experience.

• The UFill functionality can be used with any payment app like GPay, PayTM, PhonePe etc as well as offers real-time QR and voucher codes through SMS.

• Additional if customers make payment in advance, and the amount paid in advance is partially used, the balance amount is immediately refunded to the bank account of the customer.

Vishwakarma Vatika to be set up at Hunar Haats to promote and preserve precious traditional skills of artisans and craftsmen

• The Government of India has decided to set up a “Vishwakarma Vatika” at every “Hunar Haats” to protect, preserve and promote India’s glorious legacy of centuries-old skills of artisans and craftsmen. The first such “Vishwakarma Vatika” has been set up in “Hunar Haat” at Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, organised from October 16 to 25, 2021.  The name is derived from the Hindu deity “Vishwakarma” who is worshipped as the God of architects.

• The “Vishwakarma Vatika” will be inaugurated by Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan on October 16, 2021.

• The new initiative will provide a single stop place to proficient craftsmen, sculptors, stonemasons, blacksmiths, carpenters, potters and other artisans from across the country, to give live demonstrations of how India’s traditional art and craft and elegant indigenous handmade products are made.

On Vijayadashami, PM Modi set to dedicate 7 new defence firms to the nation

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated seven new Defence PSUs, carved out of OFBs, to the nation. These 7 new companies have been formed following the dissolution of the 200-year-old Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) w.e.f October 01, 2021. Under the OFB there were 41 factories and 9 ancillary bodies.

• Now, these factories will be distributed among the seven newly created companies. Also, the 70,000 employees of these OFBs will be sent to the seven new entities, with no change in the service condition of the employees.

India’s first mobile-based e-voting system developed in Telangana

• Telangana has developed India’s first smartphone-based eVoting solution considering the C-19 pandemic. The system will undergo a dry run in the form of a dummy election being conducted in Khammam district with the registration on the application open from October 8-18 and the dummy voting on October 20.

• The eVoting solution has been developed by Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) with the implementation support of the Emerging Technologies Wing of the IT Department of the State and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC).

Varanasi To Become Indias first City to Start Ropeway Service in Public Transportation

• Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh will become the first city in India to use ropeway services in public transportation. Overall, Varanasi will be the third city in the world after Bolivia and Mexico City to use ropeway in public transportation. The total cost of the ropeway project is Rs 424 crore. The total distance of 4.2 km will be covered in just 15 minutes.

• The project will be executed on a public-private partnership model. The cost of the project will be divided between the Centre and the state government at 80:20. Four stations of the ropeway services pilot phase will be at the height of above 11 meters.

SPORTS

Chennai Super Kings wins IPL 2021

• Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the finals to win the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) title.

• This was the 14th edition of IPL which is an India-based Cricket league in 20-20 format. This was the 4th win of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL, having previously won the tournament in 2010, 2011, and 2018.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2021: 17th October

• The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed every year on 17 October across the globe. The day aims to raise awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution around the world, particularly in developing countries. 2021 Theme: Building Forward Together: Ending Persistent Poverty, Respecting all People and our Planet”.

• This year marks the 27th anniversary of the declaration by the General Assembly, in its resolution 47/196 of 22 December 1992, of 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This year also marks the 32nd anniversary of the Call to Action by Father Joseph Wresinski — which inspired the observance of October 17 as the World Day for Overcoming Extreme Poverty — and the recognition by the United Nations of the day as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

37th Raising Day of National Security Guard 2021: 16th October

• The National Security Guard (NSG) force, popularly known as Black Cats, observes its Raising Day on October 16, every year. The year 2021 marks the 37th anniversary of the establishment of the NSG. NSG is an elite counter-terrorism unit under the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs.

• The NSG is a Federal Contingency force to deal with anti-terrorist activities. The NSG is a force equipped and trained to deal with the specific situation and is therefore used in exceptional circumstances to thwart serious acts of terrorism. It was established in 1984, NSG is popularly known as the Black Cats. It is an elite striking force in the country trained and equipped to handle situations like a terrorist attack, hijacking, and hostage captivity.