Daily GK Update- 31st Oct, 2021

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Maharashtra became 1st state to pass its own Wildlife Action Plan 2021-30: During the 17th meeting of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL), the government of Maharashtra approved its own Wildlife Action Plan (2021-2030), which will be implemented over the next 10 years. Maharashtra became India’s first state to pass its own Wildlife Action Plan. The board has also approved the extension of the boundary of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, in the Chandrapur district of the Vidarbha region, by around 79 sq km.

The plan has suggested integrating climate change adaption in wildlife conservation. “To develop a Climate Action Plan for the Coastal Region of the state in sync with the ‘State Climate Change Action Plan’ with special emphasis on ‘Climate Change Adaptation’ (CCA) and ‘Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR)’,” the plan states.

Note: Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari; Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai; Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.

 

2. India and ADB inks $4.5 million project readiness financing loan for Mizoram: The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a $4.5 million project readiness financing (PRF) loan, for the proposed Aizawl Sustainable Urban Transport Project. The project will support preparation and design activities to improve urban mobility in Aizawl, the capital city of the northeastern state of Mizoram.

 

3. Expenditure Finance Committee approves Rs 2,117 cr Nag River revitalization project: The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) of Department of Expenditure, under Ministry Of Finance has approved the Nag River revitalization project. The project was conceptualised by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for Nagpur in Maharashtra. The Rs 2,117 crore ambitious project includes construction of three STP projects, a 500-kilometer sewerage network, a pumping station and community toilets. The project is proposed to be completed in 8 years.

 

4. Microsoft launches AI Innovate initiative to empower startups in India: Microsoft has announced the launch of a new program to support the startup ecosystem in India. The “Microsoft AI Innovate” is a 10-week initiative that will support startups in India that are leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), to scale operations, drive innovation, and build industry expertise. The new program is open for both B2B and B2C startups, from diverse industries including financial services, healthcare, education, agriculture, space, manufacturing and logistics, retail, and e-commerce. The program has been launched in collaboration with TiE Mumbai.

 

5. Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day: 31st October: In India, the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day is observed every year on October 31 since 2014, to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. This year marks the 146th anniversary of the great leader who played an instrumental role in India’s struggle for independence, and later during the integration of the country.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi participates 18th ASEAN-India summit virtually: Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has attended the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-India Summit virtually. This was the 9th ASEAN-India Summit attended by PM Modi. The Summit was held under the chairmanship of the Sultan of Brunei. The Heads of State/Government of the ASEAN Countries participated in the Summit to review the status of the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership and progress made in key areas of Covid-19 & Health, Trade & Commerce, Connectivity, and Education & Culture. The year 2022 will mark 30 years of ASEAN-India relations partnership, and will be celebrated as ‘ASEAN-India Friendship Year’.

 

2. Mansukh Mandaviya addresses CII Asia Health 2021 Summit: The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya participated in the CII Asia Health 2021 summit on October 28, 2021, through video-conferencing. The theme of the two-day summit is ‘Transforming Healthcare for a better tomorrow. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has organised the summit to provide a centralised forum to deliberate on the most critical challenges that India and the world face in delivering healthcare, with a focus on the digital transformations that result in improved patient outcomes and experience.

The Union Health Minister highlighted the successful initiatives taken by the Hon’ble Prime Minister during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase public awareness. He mentioned how campaigns like ‘Dawai Bhi Kadai Bhi’ and ‘Do Gaj ki Doori, Mask hai Zaruri’ reached out to the masses and helped curb the COVID-19 infection in the country.

 

3. World Cities Day: 31st October: The United Nations General Assembly has designated the 31st of October as World Cities Day. The Day is celebrated to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in meeting opportunities and addressing challenges of urbanization, and contribute to sustainable urban development around the world. The global theme of World Cities Day 2021 is “Adapting cities for climate resilience”, acknowledging that integrated climate resilience policies and action plans will greatly reduce climate-related risks for urban populations.

History of World Cities Day: Urban October was launched by UN-Habitat in 2014 to emphasize the world’s urban challenges and engage the international community towards the New Urban Agenda. World Cities Day 2021 is the Eighth global celebration since the day was launched on 31 October 2014 in Shanghai, China.

 

4. World Thrift Day: 31st October: World Thrift Day is celebrated every year on October 31, across the world, but in India, the day is celebrated annually on October 30. This day is celebrated to promote the importance of savings and how saving money is important in today’s world. It is an important day to be remembered for individuals as well as the country’s economy. Savings, as we all know, is a necessity for every depositor who contributes to economic development.

History of the day: World Savings Day was first introduced in 1924 as World Thrift Day at the first International Thrift Congress held in Milan, Italy. It was decided that the day will be marked across the globe to encourage the idea of saving money and restore the public’s confidence in banks. The day was established in 1925 during the 1st International Savings Bank Congress (World Society of Savings Banks). As people were not sure about saving after the First World War, the idea was to make people aware of the significance of saving money.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Netherland’s Ryan ten Doeschate retired from International Cricket: Ryan ten Doeschate, the 41-year-old Cricket all-rounder from the Netherlands, announced retirement from International Cricket after Netherland failed to qualify for the Super 12 stage of the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup. During the qualifiers, Netherland lost to Namibia and failed to enter the Super 12 stage, which was his last international match. Ryan ten Doeschate has scored 2074 runs from 57 international Test matches, 1541 runs from 33 One Day Internationals & 533 runs from 24 T20 internationals, since his debut in 2006.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. AU Small Finance Bank launches QR Code Sound Box: The AU Small Finance Bank has announced the launch of a QR Code Sound Box, to provide instant voice-based payment alerts to merchant partners. It is a first-of-its kind product launched by a bank. What is QR code sound box: It is a small and portable speaker, having a dedicated SIM slot for data connectivity, to give voice notification. The device will help the small merchants to run their operations smoothly without the need to read SMS every time when a customer makes a payment.

 

2. K V Kamath named as chairperson of NaBFID: The government of India has appointed K V Kamath as chairperson of the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID). He is a well-known banker in India and is the first head of the New Development Bank (NDB). NaBFID is a newly set up development financial institution (DFIs) in India. It has been set up for infrastructure financing as per the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Act 2021. The authorized share capital of the NaBFID is Rs one lakh crore. The initial paid-up capital of NaBFID is Rs 20,000 crore.

Note: The headquarters of NaBFID is in Mumbai.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Mark Zuckerberg changes Facebook’s name to Meta: Facebook is now called Meta, in a rebrand that focuses on building the “metaverse,” a shared virtual environment that it bets will be the successor to the mobile internet. The name change, the plan for which was first reported by the Verge, is a significant rebrand for Facebook, but not it’s first. In 2019 it launched a new logo to create a distinction between the company and its social app.

Metaverse: The metaverse is a term coined in the dystopian novel “Snow Crash” three decades ago and now attracting buzz in Silicon Valley. Zuckerberg said the new name, coming from the Greek word for “beyond,” symbolized there was always more to build. It refers broadly to the idea of a shared virtual realm that can be accessed by people using different devices.

Reason to change its name: The name change comes as the world’s largest social media company battles criticisms from lawmakers and regulators over its market power, algorithmic decisions and the policing of abuses on its services.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. TVS Motor Company awarded India Green Energy Award 2020: TVS Motor Company has been awarded the ‘Outstanding Renewable Energy User’ at the third Edition of India Green Energy Award 2020 by the Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE). The award was presented by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. IFGE has recognized the efforts of TVS Motor in researching and implementing the use of alternative power sources in the renewable energy domain while ensuring their longevity and stability.