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Thursday, October 20, 2022

Daily GK Update- 20th Oct, 2022

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Amit Shah inaugurates ‘Gatha Swaraj Ki’ gallery in Scindia Museum, Gwalior: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has inaugurated a gallery-cum-exhibition depicting the history of prominent Maratha commanders at the sprawling Jai Vilas Mahal of Scindias, the erstwhile rulers of Gwalior. Shah was in Gwalior to lay the foundation for the terminal building and expansion of the Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Airport. Shah visited the museum in the palace and inaugurated the ‘Gatha Swaraj ki-Maratha Gallery’ depicting the history of the main Maratha rulers including the Scindias, Gaikwads, Holkars, Nevalkars, Bhosales and the Pawar.

About the Jai Vilas Palace: Jai Vilas Palace was built in 1874 by Jayajirao Scindia, the ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Gwalior in the British period. The major portion of the palace is now called the “Jiwajirao Scindia Museum”. A large portion of the palace is still the residence of some of his descendants including Jyotiraditya Scindia.

 

2. India Stands 3rd in the World in Terms of Fish Production: Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Dr. L Murugan has recently said that India stands third in the world in terms of fish production. India is the 3rd largest fish producing and 2nd largest aquaculture nation in the world after China. He said, India stands third in the world in terms of fish production. Making specific reference to Karnataka, the Union Minister said that 734.77 crore rupees was allocated to the state under the flagship scheme of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) from 2020-21 till date for the development of infrastructure facilities. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY):

a)      The vision is to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector.

b)      The main motto of PMMSY is ‘Reform, Perform and Transform’in the fisheries sector. Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is the implementing agency.

c)       The PMMSY is an umbrella scheme with two separate components – Central Sector Scheme and Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

 

3. Times Higher Education Rankings 2023: IISc tops among Indian Universities: Times Higher Education Rankings 2023 has been announced. This year, the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore has secured the top place among Indian universities. Five Indian universities made it into the world’s top 500 varsities. IISc has been placed under the 251-300 bracket. The complete list of the top 10 Indian Universities is enlisted below.

In total, 22 Indian universities made it below rank 800 – three of which were debutant entries. DTU, Graphic Era University, IIT Indore, IIIT, Delhi, Jamia Hamdard University, JNU, Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, and KIIT University also have been put under the 601-800 bracket. Top 10 Indian universities:

Bracket

Name of the Institute

251-300

IISc

351-400

JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research

351-400

Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences

401-500

Alagappa University

401-500

Mahatma Gandhi University

501-600

IIT Ropar

501-600

International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad

501-600

Jamia Millia Islamia

501-600

Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences

601-800

Banaras Hindu University (BHU)

 

Globally: Globally, the University of Oxford continued to retain the top spot for the seventh consecutive year, while the University of Cambridge jumped to joint third from joint fifth last year. The US is the most-represented country overall with 177 institutions in the overall ranking list. A record number of 1,799 universities from 104 countries and regions are ranked, 137 more than last year. The number of US universities represented in the top 100 continues to fall, from a peak of 43 in 2018 to 34 this year.

 

4. Justice DY Chandrachud named as 50th Chief Justice of India: President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Dr Justice DY Chandrachud as the new Chief Justice of India. He will succeed the present Chief Justice of India Justice Uday Umesh Lalit. Justice Chandrachud’s appointment will come into effect from the 9th of next month. Justice DY Chandrachud would be the 50th Chief Justice of India. While Justice Lalit has a tenure of 74 days, Justice Chandrachud will serve as the CJI for two years. Justice Chandrachud will demit office on November 10, 2024.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. NATO announced its annual nuclear exercise “Steadfast Noon”: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance announced had started its annual nuclear exercise code-named “Steadfast Noon”. The week-long exercise is taking place over Southern Europe and involves aircraft and personnel from 14 NATO countries. Steadfast Noon involves training flights with dual-capable fighter jets, as well as conventional jets, backed by surveillance and refuelling aircraft. No live weapons are used. This exercise helps to ensure that NATO’s nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective.

Notably: Steadfast Noon, as the exercise is known, runs from October 17 to October 30 and will involve 14 countries and up to 60 aircraft of various types, including fourth and fifth-generation fighter jets, as well as surveillance and tanker aircraft. Key Points:

a)      As in previous years, US Air Force B-52 long-range bombers will take part. This year, they will fly from Minot Air Base in North Dakota. Training flights will take place over Belgium, which is hosting the exercise, as well as over the North Sea and the United Kingdom.

b)      The nuclear bases in southern Europe have received several upgrades during the past few years. This includes adding additional security perimeters to strengthen the protection of the nuclear weapons stored at the bases. Two of these bases – Aviano in northeast Italy and Incirlik in southern Turkey, were upgraded over the past five years.

c)       The second nuclear base in Italy – Ghedi near Brescia – that might be part of Italy’s hosting of this year’s Steadfast Noon exercise, is currently undergoing several important nuclear weapons-related modernizations that are intended to serve the NATO nuclear strike mission for years.

 

2. Global Hunger Index 2022: India ranks 107th out of 121 countries: India ranks 107 out of 121 countries on the Global Hunger Index in which it fares worse than all countries in South Asia barring war-torn Afghanistan. India’s score of 29.1 places it in the ‘serious’ category. India also ranks below Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84), and Pakistan (99). Afghanistan (109) is the only country in South Asia that performs worse than India on the index.

China is among the countries collectively ranked between 1 and 17 having a score of less than five. India’s child wasting rate (low weight for height), at 19.3%, is worse than the levels recorded in 2014 (15.1%) and even 2000 (17.15%) and is the highest for any country in the world and drives up the region’s average owing to India’s large population.

 

3. World Osteoporosis Day: 20th October: World osteoporosis day is a global healthcare event observed every year on 20 October. The day is observed to promote the early diagnosis of osteoporosis, its treatment and preventive tips for strong bones. The campaigns are mainly focused on encouraging people to take preventative measures for their bone health to avoid any risk of osteoporosis and associated complications in the future. This year 2022, the World Osteoporosis Day theme is “Step Up For Bone Health”, intending to encourage people around the world to check for bone density and bone health status regularly (especially people above 50) and inculcate healthy lifestyle to strengthen the bone health.

World Osteoporosis Day History: The first occurrence of World Osteoporosis Day was noticed on October 20, 1996, held by the United Kingdom’s National Osteoporosis Society with the collaboration of the European Commission. Later on, in 1997 International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) organized World Osteoporosis Day (WOD).

Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which bones become very weak and brittle. In the case of osteoporosis, the bone becomes so fragile that a fracture can occur with a minor fall, bump or sudden movement.

Note: International Osteoporosis Foundation Headquarters location: Nyon, Switzerland; International Osteoporosis Foundation Founded: 1998; International Osteoporosis Foundation President: Prof. Cyrus Cooper.

 

4. World Statistics Day: 20th October: World Statistics Day 2022 is celebrated annually on October 20th to recognize the importance of statistics in our daily lives. The United Nations Statistical Commission has been at the forefront of advocating for the use of statistics to track progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The theme of Statistics Day, 2022 is “Data for Sustainable Development”.

History of World Statistics Day: The United Nations Statistical Commission proposed celebrating 20 October 2010 as World Statistics Day. The General Assembly adopted on 3 June 2010 resolution 64/267, which officially designated 20 October 2010 as the first-ever World Statistics Day under the general theme “Celebrating the many achievements of official statistics. In 2015, with resolution 96/282, the General Assembly decided to designate 20 October 2015 as the second World Statistics Day under the general theme “Better data, better lives,” as well as to celebrate World Statistics Day every five years on 20 October.

Note: United Nations Statistical CommissionFounded: 1947; United Nations Statistical Commission Parent organization: United Nations Economic and Social Council; United Nations Statistical Commission Chair: Shigeru Kawasaki (Japan).

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Women Asia Cup 2022: Indian Women’s Team Beats Sri Lanka by 8 Wickets: India defeated Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in the finals of the Women’s Asia Cup 2022. India has bagged the position for the 7th time. Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first. Sri Lanka made 65 runs in 20 overs losing 10 wickets. India chased the target in 8.3 overs making 71 runs with a loss of only 2 wickets. Smriti Mandhana made 51 runs not out in 25 balls. Renuka Singh Thakur claimed three wickets against Sri Lanka while Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Sneh Rana claimed two wickets each. The final match of India vs Sri Lanka Asia Cup 2022 took place in Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet.

 

2. ICC tie-up with UNICEF to promote gender equality: The International Cricket Council (ICC) and UNICEF have launched a global partnership to empower women and girls and promote inclusion and gender equality through cricket. The initiatives to drive greater gender equity along with advocacy campaigns involving some of the world`s best players will form the basis of the partnership, which aims to mobilise the “power of cricket to driving positive social change”. Key Points:

a)      UNICEF and ICC will also launch `Criiio 4 Good`, a cricket-for-development curriculum giving girls and boys the opportunity to have a fun first experience of the game whilst learning gender-based life-skills essential for gender equity.

b)      The Criiio 4 Good programme will be an eight-week lesson plan on the fundamentals of batting, bowling and fielding. Each lesson plan has a life-skill module attached to teach participants core life skills that will promote greater gender equity.

c)       These skills include leadership, problem-solving, self-esteem, negotiation, empathy, decision-making, teamwork and goal-setting.

d)      The ICC will also use its global platform to drive greater awareness of the importance of empowering women and girls and gender equity, giving some of the world`s best players the opportunity to get involved in driving greater social change.

Note: ICC Founded: 15 June 1909; ICC Chairman: Greg Barclay; ICC CEO: Geoff Allardice; ICC Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

UNICEF Founded: 1946; UNICEF Headquarters: New York City, USA; UNICEF Director General: Catherine M. Russell; UNICEF Membership: 192.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Bandhan Bank ropes in Sourav Ganguly as its brand ambassador: Bandhan Bank has announced that it has roped in Sourav Ganguly as it’s Brand Ambassador. Sourav Ganguly will help amplify the brand message of the Bank and endorse the products and services of the Bank. Ganguly led the transformation of the Indian cricket team in the early 2000s, just like Bandhan led the transformation of not-so-privileged households in rural and semi-urban India. Both are iconic brands that have origins in Eastern India.

Another appointment: The Indian Test specialist, Cheteshwar Pujara, has been roped in by the fantasy sports platform, Fantasy Dangal, as its brand ambassador. In this development, Pujara will be seen in forthcoming campaigns of Fantasy Dangal and promote the platform.

Note: Bandhan Bank Founded: 2001; Bandhan Bank CEO: Chandra Shekhar Ghosh; Bandhan Bank Headquarters: Kolkata.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India’s WPI inflation falls to 10.7% in Sep from 12.41% in Aug: India’s WPI inflation falls to 10.7% in Sep: Inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index(WPI) decreased to 10.70% in September. According to official figures, the WPI-based inflation rate was 12.41% in August. High-speed diesel (HSD) saw the highest inflation rate at 65.96%. (YoY). It was followed by price increases of 44.72 percent for crude oil and natural gas and 49.79 percent for potatoes.

Key Points:

a)      Only the category of fuel and power experienced an increase in inflation month over month (MoM). The prices fell in all the others.

b)      Inflation was also down in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) Food Index.

c)       The index for this important group dropped from 178.6 (provisional) for the month of August 2022 to 176.2 (provisional) in September 2022, a (-1.34%) decrease.

d)      When compared to August 2022, food item prices rose by 0.28 percent in September 2022.

e)      In September 2022 compared to August 2022, prices for non-food items dropped by 3.60 percent, crude oil and natural gas prices dropped by 6.38 percent, and the price of minerals dropped by 6.45 percent.

 

2. Piyush Goyal: India to achieve USD 2 trillion export target by 2030: Piyush Goyal, the minister of commerce and industry, expressed confidence that the nation will reach its goal of 2 trillion USD in products and services exported by 2030. The Union Commerce and Industry minister was addressing at the Chennai-based Exporters Conclave.

Piyush Goyal Predicts the Growth of Economy and Exports:

a)      Piyush Goyal stressed the need of maintaining the export momentum and expressed his confidence that Indian exports will be able to weather the global challenges and will far outpace export growth.

b)      Piyush Goyal predicted that the nation’s economy will reach USD 30 trillion by 2047, with exports accounting for 25% of total output.

c)       He predicted that India’s exports will reach USD 2 trillion by 2030.

d)      The government has promised to resolve the problems brought up by the industry participants.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. YSR Lifetime Achievement Awards recipient announced: The State Formation Day, November 1, will mark the presentation of the YSR Lifetime Achievement and YSR Achievement-2022 Awards, according to the State government. The Dr. YSR Achievement Award comes with a cash award of Rs. 5 lakh, a souvenir, and a commendation letter, while the Dr. YSR Lifetime Achievement Award comes with a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh, a bronze figurine of Dr. YSR, and these items. YSR lifetime achievement awards recipient: Recipients

a)      Mouktika, representing the Amrutha Phala Producers Company, Sabbavaram, Anakapalle district; and Kattaman will receive the YSR Achievement Awards in Agriculture.

b)      The recipients of the YSR Lifetime Achievement Awards in Fine Arts and Culture are veteran film director K. Viswanath and veteran actor and director R. Narayana Murthy.

c)       Stage artist Nayudu Gopi, kalamkari saviour Pitchuka Srinivas, and Shaik Gousia Begum from Udayagiri received YSR Achievement Awards in Fine Arts and Culture for their contributions to the development of wooden kitchen utensils.

d)      The recipients of the YSR Lifetime Achievement Awards in Literature are Visalandhra Publishing House, Emesco Publishing House, and author Dr. Santi Narayana.

e)      The Siireesha Rehabilitation Center in Vuyyuru and Sunita Krishnan of the Prajwala Foundation have been recognised with the YSR Lifetime Achievement Awards in women’s empowerment and safety.

f)        Five Disha police officers—Ravada Jayanti, S.V.V. Lakshminarayana, Rayudu Subrahmanyam, Hajtraiah, and P. Srinivasulu—have received joint YSR Achievement Awards.

g)      The recipients of the YSR Achievement Awards in Education include the Rishi Valley Educational Institution in Madanapalli, the Jawahar Bharati Educational Institution in Kavali, and personality development trainers B.V. Pattabhira and Dastagiri Reddy from Nandyala who trained thousands of applicants for bank jobs.

h)      The recipients of the YSR Lifetime Achievement Awards in Journalism are M.E.V. Prasada Reddy, Satish Chandra, Bhandaru Srinivasa Rao, and Mangu Rajagopal.

i)        The recipients of the YSR Lifetime Achievement Awards in Medical and Health are B. Nageswara Reddy of the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Varaprasada Reddy of Shanta Biotech, Krishna Yella and Suchitra Yella of Bharat Biotech, Pratap C. Reddy, founder-chairman of Apollo Hospitals, and Gullapalli Nageswara Rao from LV Prasad Eye Institute.

 

2. Telangana’s Hyderabad honoured with AIPH ‘World Green City award 2022’: The city of Hyderabad, Telangana, has been honoured as the Grand winner of the AIPH (International Association of Horticultural Producers) World Green City Awards 2022, the most prestigious award of the Inaugural AIPH World Green City awards (2022 edition), for its initiative titled “Green Garland to the State of Telangana”. Hyderabad also won the award under the ‘Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth’ category.

Hyderabad has been awarded for its initiatives relying on greater use of plants and nature to create better city environments and helps fulfil local aspirations for improved economic, social and environmental resilience. The award acknowledged Telangana’s programme of ‘Telangana Ku Haritha Haram’s large­scale tree­planting program taken up from 2015-­2016.

The program aims to increase the tree cover of the state from 24% to 33% of total area of the state. Other Awards: 6 Category-wise winners:

 

Category

Winners

Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth

Green Garland to the State of Telangana, City of Hyderabad, India

Living Green for Biodiversity

Reverdecer Bogotá, Bogota D.C, Colombia

Living Green for Climate Change

Mexico City’s Environmental and Climate Change Program, Mexico City, Mexico

Living Green for Health and Wellbeing

Transforming degraded land into Urban Micro Parks, City of Fortaleza, Brazil

Living Green for Water

The Phytotechnology Stations at the Montréal Botanical Garden / Space for Life, City of Montreal, Canada

Living Green for Social Cohesion

OASIS Schoolyard Project, City of Paris, France


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