GK and Current Affairs Updates

NATIONAL

Government of India launched ‘My Port App’ 

•The Centre government has launched ‘MyPortApp’ in Kolkata for digital monitoring of port operation. It has been launched for promoting transparency and to provide port-related information. The app has been launched for those port users who want to use various port services. It includes all facts about the port digitally.

•The app incorporates information related to Vessel Berthing, Rake & Indent, Rake Receipt, Container Status, Tariff, Bills, Port Holidays and can be accessed anywhere 24×7.

PM Modi addressed 28th National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)Foundation Day programme

•The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressing at the 28th National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Foundation Day programme, through video conferencing, in New Delhi on October 12, 2021.

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the 28th NHRC Foundation Day programme, through video conferencing on October 12, 2021, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and NHRC chairperson. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India is a Statutory public body constituted on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993, for the promotion and protection of human rights and dignity of the marginalised.

•The Prime Minister concluded by mentioning the human rights of future generations. He emphasized that with measures like International Solar Alliance, renewable energy goals and Hydrogen Mission, India is rapidly moving in the direction of sustainable life and eco-friendly growth.

Adani Group takes over management of Jaipur International Airport from AAI

•Gautam Adani-led Adani Group has took over the responsibilities of the Jaipur International Airport from the Airports Authority of India (AAI). The airport has been leased out to the group by the government of India for a period of 50 years. For the last two months, officials from Adani group have been observing operations at the airport. Airport director J S Balhara handed over a symbolic key of the airport to Chief Airport Officer Adani Jaipur International Ltd Vishnu Jha in the presence of other officials.

•Jaipur airport is the 11th busiest airport in India in daily scheduled flight operations. Located in the southern suburb of Sanganer, the airport was granted the status of the international airport on 29 December 2005. The civil apron can accommodate 14 aircraft and the new terminal building can handle up to 1,000 passengers at a time.

Delhi Government launched ‘Desh Ke Mentor’ Programme for career guidance

•Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched a programme under which students of Delhi government schools will be provided guidance on career choices by citizens who are successful in their respective fields. The ‘Desh ke mentor’ programme entails ‘adopting’ one to 10 government school students who can be mentored by citizens who are successful in their respective fields. The Delhi government had in August announced that Bollywood actor Sonu Sood will be the brand ambassador for the mentors’ programme.

•Mentors will take out 10 minutes every week to guide students over the phone. Interested citizens can adopt between one to 10 children studying in the city’s government schools as part of the initiative.

SPORTS

ISSF Junior World Championship : Indian Shooters win 43 medals

•The 2021 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun was held at Lima in Peru. The Indian shooters claimed a historic win with 43 medals to stand atop in the medal table. These included 17 Gold, 16 Silver and 10 Bronze medals. The USA finished second on the medal table with 21 medals including six gold, eight silver and six bronze.

•Meanwhile, Manu Bhaker created a milestone record of becoming the first Indian shooter to win the highest number of medals in a single edition of the ISSF Junior World Championships, with as many as five medals. These included 4 gold medals and a bronze.

FIFA unveils ‘Ibha’ - official mascot of U-17 2022 Women's World Cup

•World football body, FIFA has unveiled the official mascot of the U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022 “Ibha” an Asiatic lioness representing women power. The tournament will be held in India from October 11-30 next year. The announcement coincided with the International Day of the Girl Child.

•According to a release issued by the global body, Ibha aims to inspire women and girls across India and around the world to realise their potential. Ibha is a strong, playful and charming Asiatic lioness that aims to inspire and encourage women and girls by using teamwork, resilience, kindness and empowering others.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

BharatPe appointed Rajnish Kumar as Chairman of board

•The fintech startup, BharatPe has appointed former State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Rajnish Kumar as the Chairman of its board.

•The former SBI chairman will work closely with the top officials of the company on key business and regulatory initiatives. He will also take part in defining BharatPe’s long-term and short-term strategy.

Alexander Schellenberg appointed as Austria’s new Chancellor

•Alexander Schellenberg was elected as Austrian Chancellor after the resignation of Sebastian Kurz. Sebastian Kurz resigned because of his involvement in a corruption scandal. Apart from Alexander, Michael Linhardt joined in for the role of foreign minister. He was the former ambassador to France. The appointment of both persons helped in ending the crisis within the Austrian government, the Austrian People’s Party and Green Party Coalition.

•Alexander Schellenberg is a graduate from the College of Europe. He was a career diplomat & became a mentor to Sebastian Kurz when he became a foreign minister. Kurz selected him as the director of strategic foreign policy planning as well as the head of the European department.

Chief Economic Adviser KV Subramanian Resigns

•The Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) KV Subramanian has decided to return to academia after the completion of his three-year term in the Finance Ministry of India. KV Subramanian had taken over the charge of Chief Economic Adviser on December 7, 2018. The appointment was made nearly five months after his predecessor Arvind Subramanian had stepped down.

•KV Subramanian, earlier in his career, had been part of the expert committees for the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Subramanian has also been well-versed with the private sector, with brief stints in top corporates including ICICI Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and Tata Consultancy Services.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2021: 13th October

•The United Nations International Day for Disaster Reduction is held annually on 13 October since 1989. The day is celebrated to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction and also celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face.

•The theme of the 2021 International Day for Disaster Reduction is “International cooperation for developing countries to reduce their disaster risk and disaster losses”.

NATIONAL

Tamil Nadu has been awarded a geographical indication (GI) as 'Kanyakumari clove'

• The unique clove spice grown in the hills of Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu has been awarded a geographical indication (GI) as ‘Kanyakumari clove’. In India, the total production of cloves is 1,100 metric tons and of this, 1,000 metric tons is produced in Tamil Nadu every year while 750 metric tons of cloves are produced in the Kanyakumari district alone.

• Apart from this, the traditional dye-painted figurative and patterned cloth called Karuppur kalamkari paintings and the wood carvings of Kallakurichi from Tamil Nadu have also received GI tags.

The 2021 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)

• The 2021 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report was jointly released by UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

• The report provides estimates on multidimensional poverty across 109 developing countries (with data from surveys ranging 2009-2019/2020); These include 26 low-income countries, 80 middle-income countries and 3 high-income countries. The index measures each person’s deprivations across 10 indicators divided into three equally weighted dimensions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the (ISpA) via video-conferencing

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Indian Space Association (ISpA) via videoconferencing. Its founding members include Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, Nelco (Tata Group), OneWeb, Mapmyindia, Walchandnagar Industries and Ananth Technology Limited.

• Other core members include Godrej, Hughes India, Azista-BST Aerospace Private Limited, BEL, Centum Electronics and Maxar India.

• The ISpA is a private industry body that will act as a premier industry body for space and satellite companies in the country. ISpA will be represented by homegrown and global corporations with advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies. ISpA will work towards boosting space technology in India, with focus on capacity building and space economic hubs and incubators in India.

The Indian Railways launched two long haul freight trains ‘Trishul’, ‘Garuda’

• The Indian Railways has launched two long haul freight trains “Trishul” and “Garuda” — which are twice or multiple times longer than the normal composition of freight trains. These long haul trains provide a very effective solution to the problem of capacity constraints in critical sections. These trains are twice or multiple times longer than the normal composition of freight trains and provide a very effective solution to the problem of capacity constraints in critical sections.

• Trishul is the first long haul train of South Central Railway (SCR) and consists of 177 wagons, or equal to three freight trains. It was launched from the Kondapalli station of the Vijayawada division to the Khurda division of the East Coast Railway.

• The train ‘Garuda’ was launched from Raichur of Guntakal division to Manuguru of Secunderabad division. Both the long haul trains had empty open wagons to be used to load coal meant for predominantly thermal power stations.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia flags off the Doon Drone Mela

• Union Minister of Civil Aviation,  Jyotiraditya M. Scindia has flagged off the Doon Drone Mela 2021 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Minister flagged off the event with a paragliding demonstration and also interacted with the drone companies exhibiting their prototypes at the Doon Drone Mela. The day marked the demonstration of the Drone & Aerosports Demonstrations that included a paragliding demonstration by the Border Security Force, a Paramotor demonstration by Harsh Sachan, and an agriculture spraying drone demonstration by IoTechWorld Aviation & Dhaksha.

• Furthermore, the event also included an emergency search & response drone demonstration with an indigenously 3D-printed drone by the Drone Application and Research Centre (DARC) & State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). It was followed by a brief survey drone demonstration by the Aarav Unmanned Systems (AUS) under the SVAMITVA Scheme along with a training drone demonstration by Sqn Ldr Varsha Kukreti (Retd).

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the appointment of chief justices to eight high courts in the country

• The Government notified the appointments of eight and transfer of five chief justices of high courts. Eight High Courts will get new Chief Justices, and five Chief Justices have been transferred. The clearance in the 13 High Courts was considered crucial as some of them have been making do with Acting Chief Justices.

Five Chief Justices have been transferred:

• The government cleared the transfer of Tripura High Court Chief Justice A.A. Kureshi to the Rajasthan High Court.

• Justice Indrajit Mahanty, Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, would take over as Tripura Chief Justice.

• Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq of Madhya Pradesh has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

• Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder of the Meghalaya High Court has been transferred as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court.

• Justice A.K. Goswami has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court. He is presently the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Newly appointed Chief Justice:

• Justice Rajesh Bindal, Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.

• Justice Ranjit V. More has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.

• Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, Acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.

• Justice Prakash Srivastava, a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.

• Justice R.V. Malimath has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

• Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.

• Justice Aravind Kumar has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court.

• Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra would take over as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

OBITUARY

Renown actor Nedumudi Venu passed away

• National Award-winning actor Nedumudi Venu has passed away. He won three National Film Awards, and six Kerala State Film Awards for his performances. Nedumudi Venu began his career as a theatre artist with the plays of Kavalam Narayana Panicker.

• He made his debut in films with Thambu, directed by G Aravindan in 1978. Known for his work in Malayalam and Tamil movies, Venu acted in over 500 movies.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Arthritis Day 2021: 12th  October

• The World Arthritis Day is observed every year on October 12 to raise awareness about arthritis, an inflammatory condition that causes pain and stiffness in joints that can worsen with age. This day was started by Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI) in 1996 in order to spread awareness about arthritis and encourage policymakers to help reduce the burden of arthritis. The World Arthritis Day theme 2021 is Don’t Delay, Connect Today: Time2Work..

• Arthritis is a disease that affects your joints (areas where your bones meet and move). Arthritis usually involves inflammation or degeneration (breakdown) of your joints. These changes can cause pain when you use the joint. Arthritis is most common in the following areas of the body: Feet.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Telugu Filmmaker B Gopal Chosen for Satyajit Ray Award

• Well-known Telugu filmmaker B Gopal, alias Bejawada Gopal, has been chosen for the fourth Satyajit Ray Award for his overall contribution to Indian cinema. Gopal has directed 30 films Telugu films and two Hindi movies. He was selected by a panel comprising Malayalam filmmaker Balu Kiriyath, music director Perumbavoor G Raveendranath and others.

• The award is instituted by the Satyajit Ray Film Society Kerala, a state-based organisation, the award comprises Rs 10,000 cash prize, a memento, and a plaque.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book ‘The Custodian of Trust A Banker’s Memoir’ by Rajnish Kumar

• Former Chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI) Rajnish Kumar has come out with his memoir titled ‘The Custodian of Trust – A Banker’s Memoir’. The book has been published by Penguin Random House India.

• It gave a rare insight of how the financial system in our country works. The Custodian of Trust presents Kumar’s journey from a modest house in the old city of Meerut to being a probationary officer in SBI in 1980 and growing to the post of Chairman in 2017.

NATIONAL

Telangana , Uttarakhand introduced mobile court units

•Telangana and Uttarakhand have become the first states in the country to introduce mobile court units to allow witnesses and victims, including women and children, to record evidence from remote locations under circumstances which do not permit them to appear before courts in person.

•The aim is to allow recording of evidence of women and child victims or witnesses, doctors and medical practitioners and investigation officers on demand. The mobile court unit facility is meant for subordinate courts.

Railways launched two long haul freight trains Trishul and Garuda

•The Indian Railways has launched two long haul freight trains "Trishul" and "Garuda" -- which are twice or multiple times longer than the normal composition of freight trains. These long haul trains provide a very effective solution to the problem of capacity constraints in critical sections.

•Trishul is South Central Railway (SCR)'s first long haul train comprising three freight trains, i.e. 177 wagons. This train was launched on Thursday from the Kondapalli station of the Vijayawada division to the Khurda division of the East Coast Railway.

•SCR followed it up with the running of yet another similar train 'Garuda' on Friday from Raichur of Guntakal division to Manuguru of Secunderabad division.

Parliamentary Standing committees for 2021-22 reconstituted

•Various department-related Parliamentary Standing Committees were reconstituted on Saturday by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in consultation with Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.

•Bharatiya Janata Party member Sushil Kumar Modi has been appointed the new chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, in place of Bhupender Yadav who has become a minister.

•Congress MP Anand Sharma will continue to head the Parliamentary panel on Home Affairs and Jairam Ramesh will retain the chairmanship of the Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

SPORTS

Valtteri Bottas Wins Turkish Grand Prix 2021

•Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) has won the F1 Turkish Grand Prix 2021, held on October 10, 2021. This is his first title of this season. Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) came second while Sergio Perez (Mexico- Red Bull) finished third. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton finished fifth.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Harpreet Kochhar Appointed President of Public Health Agency of Canada

•A senior Indo-Canadian scientist has been appointed president of the Public Health Agency of Canada or PHAC, replacing an incumbent who has had a controversial tenure which included being censured by the speaker of the House of Commons.

•Dr Harpreet S Kochhar, currently a senior bureaucrat with Health Canada, the country’s health ministry, with the designation of associate deputy minister of health, will assume charge later this month, replacing Iain Stewart.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Postal Day 2021: 10th October

•In India, the National Postal Day is celebrated annually on 10 October, as an extension of World Post Day, which is celebrated on 9 October. The Day aims to commemorate the role played by the Indian postal department for the past 150 years, which was founded in 1854 by Lord Dalhousie. Indian postal service is an integral part of India. The postal services in India have given the best performance despite the diversity in culture, tradition and difficult geographical terrains.

•PIN in Pincode stands for Postal Index Number. The 6-digit PIN system was introduced by Shriram Bhikaji Velankar, an additional secretary in the Union Ministry of Communications on 15 August 1972. The first digit of the PIN code marks the region. The second digit denotes the sub-region. The third digit marks the district. The last three digits show the post office under which a particular address falls.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Benyamin chosen for Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial literary Award

•Writer Benyamin has been chosen for the coveted Vayalar Ramavarma Memorial Literary Award. His Manthalirile 20 Communist Varshangal fetched Benyamin the honour, which comprises a purse of `1 lakh and a bronze statue designed by Kanayi Kunjiraman. The award function will be held at the Nishagandhi auditorium at 5.30 pm on October 27, the death anniversary of Vayalar.

•The jury chaired by Perumbadavam Sreedharan had K R Meera, George Onakkoor and C Unnikrishnan as its members. Works, including prose, poetry and literary criticism, published in the previous five years till 2020 were considered for the award. As a preliminary step before  deciding on the final choice, 550 people were asked to submit their suggestions. Of them, 169 people responded and they suggested 197 works.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

Reliance New Energy Solar acquires rec solar holdings for $771 million

•Reliance New Energy Solar(RNESL) today said that it has acquired 100% shareholding of REC Solar Holdings AS (REC Group) from China National Bluestar (Group) Co Ltd., for a value of $771 million.

•The purchase by Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd (RNESL) follows the June announcement by RIL - operator of the world's biggest refining complex - that it would invest $10.1 billion in clean energy over three years in a drive to become net carbon zero by 2035.

PNB launches ‘6S Campaign’ under customer outreach programme

•Punjab National Bank (PNB) has launched ‘6S Campaign’ under a customer outreach programme to extend financial services at a concessional rate during the festival season. The ‘6S Campaign’ encapsulates different schemes such as – Swabhiman, Samruddhi, Sampark and Shikhar, Sankalp and Swagat. The objective is to drive a special awareness campaign for the development of financial services in the country and to accelerate credit growth, improve penetration of social security schemes and drive digital banking push.

•Through Swabhimaan, the Bank aims to aggressively push the financial inclusion agenda by deepening penetration of the three Jan Suraksha or Social Security Schemes pertaining to the insurance and pension sector namely, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana, and Atal Pension Yojana.

•Under the Samruddhi scheme, Bank aims to drive credit outreach for the agricultural sector which is the cornerstone of the Indian economy.  

INTERNATIONAL

World Health Organization: World’s First Malaria Vaccine Approved

• (WHO) is recommending widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission. The recommendation is based on results from an ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya & Malawi that has reached more than 800 000 children since 2019.

• The vaccine is developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Many vaccines exist against viruses and bacteria but this was the first time that the WHO recommended broad use of a vaccine against a human parasite. The vaccine acts against Plasmodium falciparum, one of five parasite species and the most deadly. The symptoms of malaria are fever, headaches, and muscle pain, then cycles of chills, fever, and sweating.

India, UK begin two-week military exercise in Uttarakhand

• The 6th Edition of India–UK Joint Company Level Military Training EXERCISE AJEYA WARRIOR has commenced at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand. The exercise is part of an initiative to develop interoperability and sharing expertise with friendly foreign nations. Armies would familiarise themselves with each other’s weapons, equipment, tactics, techniques, etc.

• The troops of the two countries will also share the experiences that they have learnt during the conduct of several military operations in their respective countries and overseas engagements. The exercise will conclude with a gruelling 48 hours exercise to validate the performance of both armies in conducting joint military operations in a semi-urban environment.

India officially Joins HAC for Nature and People

• India officially joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, a group of more than 70 countries encouraging the adoption of the global goal to protect at least 30 per cent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030 (30×30). India is the first of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) bloc of major emerging economies to join the HAC.

• India’s announcement comes in the lead up to a high-level biodiversity meeting in China from October 11 to 15. India joining the High Ambition Coalition is a real game-changer and will boost our multilateral efforts. Stating that India is a major player for biodiversity protection, the French ambassador informed that this coalition aims to promote an international agreement to protect at least 30 % the of world’s land and ocean by 2030.

NATIONAL

Newest Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh approved by National Tiger Conservation Authority

• National Tiger Conservation Authority has approved the Chhattisgarh government’s proposal to declare the combined areas of the Guru Ghasidas National Park & Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve.

• It is located in the northern part of the state, bordering Madhya Pradesh & Jharkhand. This is the 4th Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh (Udanti-Sitanadi, Achanakmar, Indravati).

2021 State of the Education Report for India: UNESCO

• On the Occasion of the World Teachers’ Day (5th October), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched its 2021 State of the Education Report (SOER) for India: “No Teacher, No Class”. This publication is the annual flagship report of UNESCO New Delhi and it is based on extensive research. This third edition of the State of Education Report focused on the theme of teachers, teaching and teacher education. Access to the internet in schools is 19 per cent all over India.

• The Higher proportion of women teachers: Chandigarh, Delhi, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu

• The lower proportion of women teachers: Tripura, Assam, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar.

Telangana: Bathukamma festival begins in the state

• The nine-day floral festival has begun in Telangana. The festival began with excitement as the women were dressed in traditional clothes and colourful processions were carried out in Telangana, the Bathukamma festival is celebrated during Durga Navratri.

• Bathukamma festival begins on the day of Mahalaya Amavasya and the festival continues till nine days, ending on the day of Durgashtami.

OBITUARY

85 year old, ‘Father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb’ Abdul Qadeer Khan passed away

• Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, the man regarded as the “Father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb”, has passed away, He was 85.

• The atomic scientist, Dr Khan was hailed as a national hero for transforming Pakistan into the world’s first Islamic nuclear power and for his contributions in enhancing the country’s defence capabilities.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Mental Health Day 2021: 10th October

• World Mental Health Day is observed every year on 10 October globally for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. The theme for World Mental Health Day 2021 is ‘Mental health in an unequal world’.

• World Mental Health Day was first observed on October 10, 1992, as an annual activity of the World Federation for Mental Health. The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.

World Day Against the Death Penalty 2021: 10th October

• The World Day Against the Death Penalty is observed every year on 10 October. It is a day to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty and to raise awareness of the conditions and the circumstances which affect prisoners with death sentences. The theme for 2021 is “Women Sentenced to Death: An Invisible Reality.”

• The day was first organised by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty in 2003. 2021 marks the 19th World Day Against the Death Penalty.

NATIONAL

Tata Sons wins bid for acquiring national carrier Air India

•Tata Group, the progenitor of the Air India airline, reclaimed it, nearly 60 years after it was nationalised. Tata Sons bid Rs.180 billion for the government’s 100% stake in Air India. The government is seeking to sell 100 per cent of its stake in the state-owned national airline, including Air India’s 100 per cent shareholding in AI Express Ltd and 50 per cent in Air India SATS Airport Services Private Ltd.

•The stake sale process, which begun on January 2020, faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In April 2021, the government asked potential bidders to put in financial bids.

•JRD Tata founded the airline in October 1932 and it was at that time called Tata Airlines. This marks the return of Air India to Tata fold after 68 years. The government nationalised the airline in 1953. With this, the airline will go back to the Tatas who have a long history with the national carrier.

C-19:Maharashtra Government Launched 'Mission Kavach Kundal' From 8th To 14th Oct

•The state government of Maharashtra has launched a special C-19 vaccination drive named as Mission Kavach Kundal, with the target of inoculating 15 lakh people everyday. The week-long drive has been organised from October 08 to October 14, 2021. The drive is in line with Centre’s target of reaching 100 crore vaccination mark till 15 October 2021.

•Meanwhile, the country reported 22,431 new cases in the last 24 hours. The active caseload is presently 2,44,198, which is the lowest in 204 days. 

SPORTS

20-year-old Anshu becomes first Indian woman wrestler to win World Championships silver

•At the 2021 World Wrestling Championships, Indian wrestler Anshu Malik created history as she became the first Indian women finalist at the World Championship, and also the first female player from India to claim a silver medal. The 19-year old Anshu settled for a silver medal after losing to 2016 Olympic champion Helen Lousie Maroulis of the United States in a 57kg freestyle bout.

•Till date, Indian women wrestlers Alka Tomar (2006), Geeta Phogat (2012), Babita Phogat (2012), Pooja Dhanda (2018) and Vinesh Phogat (2019) have been able to win a bronze each. Wrestler Sushil Kumar (2010) is the lone wrestler from India to win World Championship till date. Besides this, Sarita Mor claimed her maiden medal by winning bronze in the 59kg category at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships being held at Oslo, Norway from October 02 to 10, 2021.

•Centre organises 'Buddhist Circuit Train FAM Tour and Conference' to promote religious tourism

Union Minister of State for Tourism, Ajay Bhatt has flagged off the “Buddhist Circuit Train

•FAM Tour” from Safdarjung railway station (part of Delhi Suburban Railways). Ministry of Tourism in association with the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has organized the Buddhist Circuit Train FAM Tour as part of the Union government’s “Dekho Apna Desh” initiative.

•The tour will cover the visit of prominent Buddhist sites and conferences at Bodhgaya and Varanasi. The event is likely to be attended by around 125 delegates including tour operators, hoteliers, media and officials of the Ministry of Tourism and state governments.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

E.R. Sheikh assumed charge as first Director General of the Ordnance Directorate (Co-ordination and Services).

•E.R. Sheikh has assumed charge as first Director-General of the Ordnance Directorate (Co-ordination and Services). It is the successor organization of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).

•He has contributed to the establishment of the modern production line system for the manufacture of small arms ammunition at the Ordnance Factory Varangaon. He led the successful development of the Bi-Modular Charge System for artillery ammunition.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Post Day 2021: 09th October

•World Post Day is celebrated each year on October 9 globally. The purpose of World Post Day is to create awareness of the role of the postal sector in people’s and businesses’ everyday lives and its contribution to the social and economic development of countries. The theme of 2021 World Post Day is “Innovate to recover.”

•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. 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. Posts in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services.

World Migratory Bird Day Observed on 09 October 2021

•Every year, World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is officially celebrated twice in a year since it started in 2006. Firstly it is held on the Second Saturday of May and again on the Second Saturday of October. In 2021, the WMBBD falls on May 08, 2021, and October 09, 2021. The theme for 2021 WMBD is “Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!”

•The day is observed to spread awareness for the need to conserve migratory birds and their habitats. The day is organized by a collaborative partnership among two UN treaties namely the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Colorado-based non-profit organization, Environment for the Americas (EFTA).

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank bags two PFRDA awards

•Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB), sponsored by Canara Bank, has bagged two national awards (‘APY Big Believers’ and ‘Leadership capital’) for significant enrolment under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) from the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). KVGB Chairman P. Gopi Krishna received awards from PFRDA Chairman Supratim Bandopadhyay.

•KVGB is playing a pivotal role in implementing all three social security schemes (PMJJBY, PMSBY and APY) launched by the Central government. KVGB has a business turnover of ₹28,410 crores with a clientele base of nearly 90 lakh in nine districts – Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada – of Karnataka.

Fédération Internationale de Hockey Stars Awards 2021

•Indian hockey players swept the 2020-21 edition of the FIH Stars Awards, the international hockey federation (FIH) announced. The winners were decided based on an online poll conducted from August 23 to September 15 which saw national associations, represented by their respective national captains and coaches, players, media and hockey fans cast their votes.

•Votes from national associations counted for 50 per cent of the overall result, while fans and players (25 per cent) as well as media (25 per cent), accounted for the other half.

FIH Stars Awards 2020-21 Winners

• Player of the Year: Harmanpreet Singh (men) and Gurjit Kaur (women)

• Goalkeeper of the Year: PR Sreejesh (men) and Savita Punia (women)

• Rising Star of the Year: Vivek Sagar Prasad (men) and Sharmila Devi (women)

• Coach of the Year: Graham Reid (men) and Sjoerd Marijne (women)

RANKING

Mukesh Ambani tops Forbes India rich list with $92 billion net worth

•The Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani has topped the Forbes India Rich list for 2021, released. The list ranks India’s 100 richest Indians. He has retained his position as the wealthiest Indian for the 14th consecutive year on the Forbes India list, since 2008.

•The tycoon added $4 billion to his net worth in 2021, to bring his total fortune to $92.7 billion. The total fortune of Forbes India 100 Richest Indian in 2021 is recorded at US$775 billion. India’s 100 richest are now worth $775 billion. The second spot has been retained by Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, with a net worth of $74.8 billion. Tech tycoon Shiv Nadar acquired the third spot with net worth of $31 billion.

NATIONAL

Make In India: Centre approves setting up of 7 mega textile parks with Rs 4,445 crore outlay

•The Centre has approved the setting up of seven new mega textile parks, or PM MITRA parks across the country in an effort to help furthering the growth of the textile sector in the economy and position India strongly on the Global textiles map. The Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks (PM MITRA) will be based on the 5F vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. The ‘5F’ Formula consists of Farm to fibre; fibre to factory; factory to fashion; fashion to foreign.

•These parks will be set up at Greenfield and Brownfield sites in different States by a Special Purpose Vehicle which will be owned by the State Government and Government of India in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Mode. The total outlay for the project has been set at Rs 4,445 crore for five years.

Shri Mansukh Mandaviya releases State of the World’s Children report of UNICEF

•Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has released UNICEF’s global flagship publication “The State of the World’s Children 2021; On My Mind: promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health in New Delhi. The report details the significant impact of C-19 pandemic on children’s mental health.

•This is very vital to address mental health as an important aspect for creating a healthy society. Mansukh noted that teachers are very important stakeholders for addressing mental health issues along with parents and family.

•UNICEF India Representative Dr Yasmin Ali Haque presented some key findings of the report.

•As per the report, around 14 per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds in India, or 1 in 7 of them, reported often feeling depressed or having little interest in doing things.

'India's First' E-fish Market App Launched In Assam

•Assam Minister for Fisheries, Environment and Forest and Excise, Parimal Suklabaidya launched an App Fishwaale, India’s first e-fish market. Table size fish such as bhangon, mrigal and rohu and freshwater and seawater frozen fish (icebox) will be available coupled with dry fish packets, dry fish raw, fish pickles and processed fish products.

•Developed by Aqua Blue Global Aquaculture Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in collaboration with the fisheries department at a function held at Sri Madhabdev Bhawan auditorium, the minister called the app “a one-stop solution for aquaculture” that will help both the buyers and sellers. This platform will help the fish farming community get a reasonable price for their produce and lead to the elimination of middlemen.

SPORTS

Germany unveil logo for Euro 2024 at Berlin's Olympiastadion

•Germany has unveiled the logo for soccer’s 2024 European Championship during a ceremony with a light show in the stadium that will hold the final. The logo features an outline of the Henri Delaunay Cup — the bulbous tournament trophy — set on a coloured oval outline that resembles the Olympiastadion’s roof. It features colours from the flags of UEFA’s 55 member nations, set in 24 slices around the trophy to represent the 24 teams that will ultimately qualify for the tournament in Germany.

•Logos for each of the 10 host cities; Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart were also presented. The tournament is due to be played in June and July 2024 with the match schedule to be confirmed next year.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Egg Day: 2021

•World Egg Day is celebrated worldwide on the ‘Second Friday of October’ month each year since 1996. This year’s World Egg Day will take place on Friday 8 October and will mark the 25th anniversary of the event. The 2021 celebration will centre around the brilliant versatility of the egg and its multitude of benefits to people at every stage of life. The theme for 2021 World Egg Day is “Eggs for all: Nature’s perfect package”.

•World Egg Day was established at Vienna 1996, when it was decided to celebrate the power of the egg on the second Friday in October each year. The day helps to raise awareness of the benefits of eggs and their importance in human nutrition.

Indian Air Force Day 2021: 08th  October

•Indian Air Force Day is celebrated every year by the Indian Air Force on the 8th of October. This year Indian Air Force celebrated its 89th anniversary. Indian Air Force was officially established on 8 October 1932 by the British Empire as the Royal Indian Air Force. The name was changed to Indian Air Force in 1950.

•The IAF was founded on October 8, 1932, and the force has participated in several crucial wars and landmark missions. It was officially established as an auxiliary air force of the British Empire which honoured India’s aviation service during World War II with the prefix Royal. After India gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, the name Royal Indian Air Force was kept and served in the name of Dominion of India. With the government’s transition to a Republic in 1950, the prefix Royal was removed.

World Investor Week: (04-10) October 2021

•The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) is preparing to launch its fifth annual World Investor Week (WIW) from 4 to 10 October 2021. The World Investor Week (WIW) is an initiative promoted by the IOSCO to raise awareness about the importance of investor education and protection and highlight the various initiatives of securities regulators in these two critical areas.

•The key messages of the IOSCO WIW campaign in 2021 will be based on two themes: 1) sustainable finance and 2) frauds and scams prevention. The IOSCO WIW campaign continues to gain support among a growing number of jurisdictions, stakeholders and major international organizations.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Nobel Literature Prize 2021: Abdulrazak Gurnah named winner

•The Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 was awarded to Abdulrazak Gurnah born in Zanzibar and active in England, “for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.” The Nobel Prize in literature is awarded by the Swedish Academy, Stockholm, Sweden.

•The Tanzanian novelist was born in Zanzibar in 1948 and has since lived in the UK and Nigeria. He writes in English, and his most famous novel is Paradise, which was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 1994. Gurnah currently lives in the UK and taught English Literature at the University of Kent. Until recently, he was Professor of English and Postcolonial Literatures at the University of Kent, Canterbury and has published ten novels and a number of short stories.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

RBI Monetary Policy: Status Quo on rates

•The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the repo rate unchanged in the fourth bi-monthly policy meet for the financial year 2021-22 headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has maintained the status quo.

•The Monetary Policy Committee kept the repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent. The reverse repo rate will continue to be 3.35 per cent. The meeting was held between October (6 to 8). The remaining will take place in December (6 to 8) and February (7 to 9, 2022).

Bharatpe enters ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ segment

•Fintech company BharatPe, announced its entry into the ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ (BNPL) category with the launch of ‘postpe’. The new platform provides credit to customers to buy now, but pay later from anywhere. Customers using the postpe platform can download the app from Play Store and avail interest-free credit limit of up to Rs 10 lakh. The company said that postpe is not only limited to big-ticket purchases but can also be used for micro-purchases, making it the first of its kind.

•BharatPe stated that it aims to facilitate a loan book of $300 million on postpe in the first 12 months for its lending partners. The fintech company added that customers can shop across offline as well as online and repay easily through EMIs.

•All a customer has to do is scan the QR code through the postpe app and pay using credit. Users can also pay through a postpe card that will be accepted across millions of offline as well as e-commerce platforms. Cashbacks and rewards are also on offer.

INTERNATIONAL

Moody's upgrades India's ratings outlook after nearly two years to Stable from Negative

•Rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded India’s sovereign rating outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’, on October 05, 2021, following an improvement in the financial sector and faster-than-expected economic recovery across sectors. Moody’s expects real GDP growth to average around 6 per cent over the medium term, reflecting a rebound in activity to levels at potential as conditions normalise

•While it retained India’s rating at Baa3, reflecting the lowest investment grade rating, Moody’s said it expects real GDP to surpass pre-pandemic levels of 2019-20 this year itself, as the ongoing economic recovery is picking up steam with activity upticks broadening across sectors. It expects 2021-22 to record 9.3% growth in GDP, followed by 7.9% next year.

5 billion people could face difficulty accessing water in 2050: WMO

•More than five billion people globally are expected to face a shortage of water by 2050, a United Nations (UN) agency report has warned.

•The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said that climate change increases the global risk of water-related hazards like floods and droughts, and the number of people affected by water scarcity is also expected to soar.

•"According to figures cited in the report, 3.6 billion people had inadequate access to water at least one month per year in 2018. By 2050, this is expected to rise to more than five billion.

Ghana to host first-ever African Paralympic Games in 2023

•Ghana will host the first-ever African Paralympic Games in 2023, the President of National Paralympic Committee of Ghana (NPC-Ghana) Samson Deen said on Tuesday.

•According to Deen, about 50 African countries were expected to participate in the continental showpiece.

•He said Ghana had begun preparations for the Games with support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

•"The government has been committed to offering the necessary support and logistics that will make hosting of the African Paralympic Games in 2023 possible.

NATIONAL

Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched ‘Swechha’ programme

•Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the ‘Swechha’ program to tackle the stigma attached to menstruation, prioritize female personal hygiene, and encourage a healthy dialogue of information. ‘Swechha’ (meaning freedom) is intended to ensure affordable access to health and menstrual hygiene in adolescent girls and women.

•The state government will provide good quality branded sanitary napkins to female students at government educational institutions free of cost.

•Ten sanitary napkins will be given every month to about 10 lakh adolescent girls studying from 7th-12th grades in all government schools and intermediate colleges across the state at a financial outlay of INR 32 crores.

•A total of 120 napkins per year is allotted to every female student, even during summer vacations, the students will be supplied with their quota before they leave school.

Telangana Develops India's First Smartphone-Based E-Voting Solution

•Telangana on Wednesday said it has developed the country's first smartphone-based e-voting solution, in the face of the C-19 pandemic that has rushed the world into all-digital operations.

•The solution has been successfully developed and tested while a dry run, in the form of a dummy election, is being conducted in Khammam district, with registration on the application open from October 8-18.

•The initiative has been driven by the Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) with the implementation support of the Emerging Technologies Wing of the state's IT Department, and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), it said.

OBITUARY 

Veteran television actor Arvind Trivedi, passed away

•Veteran television actor Arvind Trivedi, who is famously known for his iconic role of demon-king Raavan in Ramanand Sagar’s TV serial Ramayan, has passed away. He was 82.

•He was also part of the political field, as an MP from Sabarkatha constituency in Gujarat, and had served the Parliament from 1991-96. He served as the acting chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) from 2002 to 2003.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Cotton Day 2021: 07th October

•World Cotton Day (WCD) is observed globally on 7th October. The international day aims to celebrate the advantages of cotton, ranging from its qualities as a natural fibre to the benefits people obtain from its production, transformation, trade and consumption. WCD Day was initiated by the Group of Cotton-4 countries namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali to reflect the importance of cotton as a global commodity.

•The initiative of World Cotton Day was born in 2019, when four cotton producers in sub-Saharan Africa– Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali, known as the Cotton Four -proposed the World Trade Organization a World Cotton Day celebration on October 7.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes 1st scheduled private sector bank to collect direct, indirect taxes

•Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (KMBL) has received approval from the government for the collection of direct & indirect taxes, such as income tax, Goods and Services Tax (GST) etc, through its banking network. With this, the bank becomes the first scheduled private sector bank to receive approval after the announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allowing all banks to participate in the government-related business.

•After technical integration, KMBL customers will be able to pay their direct and indirect taxes straight from KMBL’s mobile banking or net banking platforms as well as through KMBL’s branch banking network, resulting in immense ease and convenience for customers.

Reserve Bank of India grants licence to NARCL under Sarfaesi Act

•The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted the National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) the licence to register as an asset reconstruction company (ARC). The Licence is given under Section 3 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act 2002.

•As per Section 3 of the SARFAESI Act, a company can carry the business of asset reconstruction only after obtaining a certificate of registration from RBI and, having the owned fund of not less than Rs 2 crore or such other amount not exceeding 15% of total financial assets acquired or to be acquired by the securitisation company or reconstruction company. The NARCL has been incorporated under the Companies Act, and public sector banks will hold 51 per cent in NARCL.

NATIONAL

PM Modi visits Lucknow for “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ Events 

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘Azadi@75 – New Urban India: Transforming Urban Landscape’ Conference-cum-Expo in Lucknow at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan as a part of Azadi@75 celebrations. The theme of the three-day event is “New Urban India”. It will culminate on October 07, 2021. The Conference-cum-Expo is organised by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

•The Conference-cum-Expo is a platform to showcase the prospective transformative urban missions and highlight the achievements and the flagship urban development missions undertaken in the past 7 years of the Modi government.

GI-tagged 'Mihidana' batch from West Bengal exported to Bahrain

•The first consignment of Geographical Indication (GI) tagged sweet dish Mihidana, from Bardhaman, West Bengal has been exported to the Kingdom of Bahrain. This initiative is part of the effort to promote indigenous & Geographical Identification (GI) tagged products of India globally. The product was exported by APEDA registered M/S DM Enterprises, Kolkata.

•West Bengal’s Bardhaman got the GI tag for the Mihidana sweetmeats in 2017. A GI tag is a sign denoting a specific geographical origin and possesses qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.

India joins Seychelles' Tax Inspectors Without Borders program

•The Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) has launched its programme in Seychelles. India has been chosen as the Partner Administration for this programme. The country will be providing its Tax Expert in support of the initiative. The focus of the 12-month programme will be on Transfer Pricing cases of tourism and financial services sectors.

•TIWB is a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), since its launch in 2015.

•The aim of the initiative is to aid countries in strengthening their tax administration by transferring technical know-how and skills to the tax auditors through sharing of best audit practices.

•This is the sixth TIWB programme in which India has supported by providing Tax Expert.

ICMR's drone-based vaccine delivery model launched

•The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya, launched ‘i-Drone’, a drone-based vaccine delivery model for Northeast states. The i-Drone has been developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). i-Drone stands for ICMR’s Drone Response and Outreach in North East.

•The main objective of this tool is to facilitate vaccine delivery to tough and hard-to-reach terrains of India, and to improve healthcare accessibility to the last mile. Currently, the drone-based delivery project is being implemented in Manipur, Nagaland, and the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Island. ICMR collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur for conducting an initial study to test the capacity of drones to carry and transfer vaccines safely.

M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre

•Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has inaugurated the Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre in the presence of Governor Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati in the state of Assam. The centre was originally served as the residence of the British deputy commissioner of Kamrup. Nearly 150 years after it was constructed, the iconic DC Bungalow of Guwahati was opened to the public as a heritage centre.

•After the British annexed Assam in 1826 (after the Treaty of Yandaboo), the post of DC was created for Guwahati in 1839.

•Several sites were surveyed for DC residence before Barphukanar Tilla on the banks of the Brahmaputra, where cannons used in the Battle of Saraighat lay scattered, was chosen. Post-independence, it continued to be the DC’s bungalow until 2011.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Haier''s Eric Braganza appointed as CEAMA president

•The Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA) has appointed Eric Braganza as its president for a two-year term. He succeeds Godrej Appliances Business Head and Executive Vice-President Kamal Nandi for the CEAMA chair. Braganza, an alumnus of Sri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, has over 35 years and has held senior management positions in the consumer electronics and appliances industry in various companies.

•Established in 1978, CEAMA represents the consumer electronics and home appliances industry and aims to enhance the development of the industry and its components manufacturing.

CoinDCX ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador to raise crypto awareness

•Crypto exchange CoinDCX has roped in Amitabh Bachchan as a brand ambassador to spread awareness about cryptocurrencies. Through this collaboration, CoinDCX wants to increase awareness around crypto and popularise it as an emerging asset class. CoinDCX wants to ensure that crypto is accessible to everyone.

•The crypto industry in India is on an exponential climb, rising gradually over the previous few years, with millions of Indians emerging as early adopters of the crypto asset class.

OBITUARY

Shakti Sinha former bureaucrat, and academician passed away

•Shakti Sinha, former bureaucrat, and academician who was private secretary to late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, passed away. Sinha, an IAS officer of the 1979 batch, was also former Director of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML).

•He worked closely with Vajpayee between 1996 and 1999 and had written a memoir titled Vajpayee: The Years That Changed India.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Pratham's Rukmini Banerji And Eric Hanushek Get Yidan Prize 2021

•Professor Eric A. Hanushek and Dr Rukmini Banerji have been awarded the 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Development for improving learning outcomes in schools at scale. Yidan Prize is the world’s highest education accolade, in recognition of their ground-breaking work addressing a crucial piece of the education puzzle: improving quality of education and outcomes for learners at scale.

•The Yidan Prize was founded by Charles Chen Yidan in 2016 to create a better world through education. Yidan Prize Laureate receives a gold medal and a sum of $3.9 million.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

SBI, Indian Navy Launch NAV-eCash Card For Online, Offline Transactions

•State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the launch of SBI’s NAV-eCash card on INS Vikramaditya, the largest naval aircraft carrier of India. The new journey envisioned for the card is set to change the payment ecosystem, while the ship is sailing with no dependency on utilisation of any form of cash to avail any of the services on board.

•The new NAV-eCash card will facilitate both online and offline transactions. The card will obviate the difficulties faced by personnel onboard in handling physical cash during deployment of the ship at high seas. The new journey envisioned in the form of a NAV-eCash Card will change the payment ecosystem while the ship is sailing with no dependency on cash for utilization of any of the services on board. 

INTERNATIONAL

Abiy Ahmed takes oath for second term as Ethiopian Prime Minister

• The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed has been sworn in for a second five-year term. He was administered the oath of office by Supreme Court Chief Justice Meaza Ashenafi. Abiy’s Prosperity Party was declared the winner of June’s parliamentary elections, which were criticised by opposition parties but described by external observers as improved from past elections. He is serving as prime minister of Ethiopia since 2018.

• Mr Abiy won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for restoring ties with neighbouring Eritrea and for pursuing sweeping political reforms. He is dealing with a war that is spreading from the Tigray region and ethnic violence.

NATIONAL

Expo 2020 Dubai: India Pavilion one of the biggest at the event

• The World Expo 2020 has been organised at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. The main theme of the Dubai Expo 2020 is “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. The Expo was originally scheduled to take place from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021 but was postponed due to the C-19 pandemic.

• Expo 2020 is the first to be held in the MENA & SA (the Middle East and North Africa & South Asia) region. World Expos provide a platform to showcase the greatest innovations that have shaped the world we live in today. The grand event will have 191 country pavilions.

David Julius, Ardem Patapoutian win 2021 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch

• The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021 was awarded jointly to David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian “for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch.” These breakthrough discoveries launched intense research activities leading to a rapid increase in our understanding of how our nervous system senses heat, cold, and mechanical stimuli.

• The laureates identified critical missing links in our understanding of the complex interplay between our senses and the environment. The announcement was made by a panel at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

• David Julius of the University of California utilised capsaicin, a pungent compound from chili peppers that induces a burning sensation, to identify a sensor in the nerve endings of the skin that responds to heat.

• Ardem Patapoutian, who is with Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Scripps Research, used pressure-sensitive cells to discover a novel class of sensors that respond to mechanical stimuli in the skin and internal organs.

Union minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurated India’s first Sports Arbitration Centre in Ahmedabad

• The Union Minister of Law and Justice, Kiren Rijiju has inaugurated the first Sports Arbitration Centre of India at Ahmedabad in Gujarat. This Sports Arbitration Centre of India (SACI) will serve as an independent body to fast track disputes in the sports sector and serve as a mechanism to redress issues related to sports.

• The SACI will be promoted by Ahmedabad-based SE TransStadia Pvt Ltd. and all legal backing will be provided by the Ministry of Law and Justice. The SACI will have a far-reaching impact for the sports sector of the country by creating a reputation and establishing credibility for itself through the provision to settle disputes and other issues and concerns of the sports sector in a fast, transparent and very accountable manner.

SPORTS

Asian Table Tennis Championship 2021: Indian men’s team wins bronze medal

• The Indian men’s table tennis team claimed the bronze medal in the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar, after losing to South Korea 0-3 in the semi-finals. The Indian team was assured of a medal after beating Iran 3-1 in the quarterfinals. Both the semifinalists secure a bronze.

• This is the second medal for India at the Asian Championships since 1976. The bronze medal-winning Indian team comprised of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Sharath Kamal, Harmeet Desai, Sanil Shetty, and Manav Thakkar.

Durand Cup: FC Goa lift maiden title with 1-0 win against Mohammedan

• FC Goa beat Mohammedan Sporting to win their maiden Durand Cup football title, 1-0, in the final, held at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata. FC Goa Captain Eduardo Bedia scored the all-important goal in the 105th minute after the final match went into the extra time.

• The 2021 Durand Cup was the 130th edition of the Durand Cup, the oldest football tournament in Asia. The tournament was held from September 05 to October 03, 2021, in West Bengal.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

B. C. Patnaik takes charge as Managing Director of LIC

• BC Patnaik has taken charge as Managing Director of Life Insurance Corporation of India. He was appointed as Managing Director by the Government of India notification dated July 5, 2021.

• Prior to taking charge as Managing Director of LIC, Patnaik was Secretary-General, Council for Insurance Ombudsmen, (CIO) Mumbai. He joined LIC of India in March 1986 as a Direct Recruit Officer.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Ganga River Dolphin Day 2021: 5th   October

• In India, the ‘Ganga River Dolphin Day’ is observed every year on October 5, to raise awareness and encourage conservation of Ganga River Dolphins. It was on this day in 2010, that Ganga Dolphins were declared national aquatic animals. Then, in 2012, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the Uttar Pradesh government jointly began the dolphin conservation campaign in the country.

• The Gangetic Dolphins are included under the First Schedule of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. They have been declared “Endangered” under IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). They are listed under Appendix I as most endangered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). They are listed under Appendix II of Conservation on Migratory Species. The Vikramshila Ganges Dolphin Sanctuary was established in Bihar under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

World Teachers’ Day 2021: 5th   October

• World Teachers’ Day, also known as International Teachers Day, is held annually on October 5 since 1994. The Day aims to focus on appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world and to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching. The Theme for 2021 International Teachers Day is “Teachers at the heart of education recovery”.

• The day was established in 1994, to commemorate the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which is a standard-setting instrument that addresses the status and situations of teachers around the world.

BANKING AND ECONOMIC

GST collection in September crosses Rs. 1.17 lakh crore

• The gross GST revenue collected in the month of September was 1,17,010 crore rupees, which included a CGST component of 20,578 crores, SGST is 26,767 crore and IGST component of 60,911 crore rupees.

• The revenue for September was 23% higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year. During the month, revenue from import of goods was 30% higher.

NATIONAL

World's largest khadi national flag, weighing 1,000 kg, unveiled in Leh

• The world’s largest national flag, made up of Khadi cloth, has been installed in Leh, Ladakh, on the occasion of the 152nd birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 02, 2021. The Khadi national flag was inaugurated by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur. The flag is made by Khadi Dyers and Printers based in Mumbai which is affiliated to the Khadi Village and Industries Commission.

• The Sura-Soi Engineer Regiment was entrusted with the responsibility of bringing the national flag from Mumbai to Leh and also with the task of installing it at the top of the high mountains for the unveiling ceremony.

Umngot river of Meghalaya is India's cleanest river

• The Umngot river in Meghalaya is the cleanest in the country, the Ministry of Jal Shakti said in a tweet. Popularly known as Dawki river, river Umngot is 100 kilometre from Shillong in Meghalaya.

• "It seems as if the boat is in the air; water is so clean and transparent. Wish all our rivers were as clean. Hats off to the people of Meghalaya," The Ministry of Jal Shakti wrote on Twitter. 

Karnataka CM set to inaugurate new district of Vijayanagar

• Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will inaugurate Vijayanagar as the new state district at an event on Saturday. Vijayanagar will become the 31st district of Karnataka.

• According to sources, Bommai is expected to announce a package of Rs 464 crore for various development works in Vijayanagar district. The new district comprises six 'taluks', including the World Heritage site Hampi. The district was carved out of Bellary district.

Mitra Shakti 21: Indian Contingent Leaves For Sri Lanka

• The 8th edition of the India – Sri Lanka bilateral joint Exercise “Mitra Shakti-21” is scheduled to take place at Combat Training School, Ampara in Sri Lanka from October 4 to 15, 2021. The aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability and sharing best practices in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations between Armies of both countries and further strengthen the relationship between both the South Asian Nations.

• The exercise will involve tactical level operations at the sub-unit level in an international Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism environment and will go a long way in further strengthening the relationship between both the South Asian Nations and will act as a catalyst in bringing synergy and cooperation at the grass-root level between both Armies.

SPORTS

Indian star hockey player Birendra Lakra and SV Sunil announced retirement from International Hockey

• S V Sunil, the veteran forward and star striker of India men’s field hockey team and Olympic bronze medal-winning Indian hockey star defender Birendra Lakra have announced their retirement from international hockey.

• The 31-year-old Lakra was part of the bronze medal-winning Indian side in the Tokyo Olympics 2020 as vice-captain. He has represented India in 197 games with 10 goals. The 32-year-old Sunil has scored 72 goals in 264 appearances for the national team.

Italian Sonny colbrelli wins epic Paris- Roubaix classic

• Sonny Colbrelli grew to become the primary Italian to win the Paris-Roubaix Monument basic in 22 years.

• The European champion, of Staff Bahrain Victorious, pipped Belgian Florian Vermeersch (Lotto Soudal) and Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), who have been second and third respectively.

APPOINTMENT & RESIGNATION

Kangana Ranaut becomes brand ambassador of UP govt's 'one district-one product' scheme

• The Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has named veteran Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut as the brand ambassador of the ambitious “One District One Product (ODOP) scheme” of the state. CM Yogi also presented Kangana with a silver coin which was used for ‘Ram Janm Bhumi Pujan’.

• The UP government has launched the one district-one product (ODOP) programme with the aim to create product-specific traditional industrial hubs across 75 districts of the state.

• The scheme encourages such indigenous and specialized products and crafts of UP that are not found anywhere else.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

FSSAI inks MoU with meals processing ministry to assist micro enterprises in sector

• There will likely be two areas of collaboration between FSSAI and Ministry of Meals Processing Industries — meals security coaching and registration of micro enterprises.  

• FSSAI has signed an MoU with meals processing ministry to assist micro-level meals entrepreneurs and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

• The MoU, signed on Friday, additionally goals to assist Self Assist Teams (SHGs) and producers cooperatives to enhance the usual of their meals companies.

• “As a part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, this step will help make micro enterprises enhance the standard of their meals merchandise and develop into aggressive,” Meals Security and Requirements Authority of India (FSSAI) mentioned in an announcement.

KRIBHCO, CSC e-Governance Services India tie up to market agri-input products

• CSC e-Governance Services India has collaborated with Krishak Bharati Cooperative (KRIBHCO) to provide access to fertilisers and agricultural inputs to farmers via four lakh village level entrepreneurs.

• Common Services Centres (CSCs) will facilitate the sale and distribution of KRIBHCO products which include fertilisers like imported urea, DAP, NPK/NPS, bio-fertiliser, city compost, zinc sulphate, certified seeds, hybrid seeds and potash derived from molasses.