NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
‘Mission Schools of Excellence’ launched by PM Modi in Gujarat: The ‘Mission Schools of Excellence’ is an ambitious project in
Gandhinagar with the dual goals of reforming the curriculum in Gujarat’s public
schools and countering the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) criticisms of the State
government for the low quality of education. Key Points:
a) The ‘Mission Schools of Excellence’ has a budget of 10,000 crore and is
partially supported by the World Bank.
b) It was designed to improve the state’s educational infrastructure by
constructing new classrooms, smart classrooms, computer labs, and other
improvements.
c) Over 5,567 crore worth of school infrastructure upgrades would be
carried out during its first phase.
d) In addition to 1.5 lakh smart classrooms, 50,000 classrooms, 20,000
computer labs, and 5,000 Atal Tinkering labs will be built as part of the
project in government schools.
e) Earlier, Mr. Modi had opened a school monitoring centre in Gandhinagar
and urged all States to establish such cutting-edge facilities to raise the
standard of instruction in classrooms.
2.
Wildlife Board Approves Durgavati Tiger Reserve as New Tiger Reserve: The Durgavati Tiger Reserve is a 2,339 square kilometers new tiger
reserve that will spread across Narsinghpur, Damoh, and Sagar districts. Madhya
Pradesh Wildlife Board has approved the making of a new tiger reserve of Panna
Tiger Reserve (PTP), one-fourth of which will get submerged due to the Linkin
of the Ken-Betwa rivers. Key Points:
a) The new tiger reserve will be known as Durgavati Tiger Reserve and it
will spread across Narsinghpur, Damoh, and Sagar districts.
b) A green corridor linking PTR with Durgavati will be developed for the
natural movement of the tiger to the new reserve.
c) The Madhya Pradesh Wildlife Board was chaired by Madhya Pradesh Chief
Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He approved a notify 1,414 sq km area as the
core area and 925 sq km as a buffer in the new tiger reserve.
d) The new tiger reserves are a part of a wildlife management plan for
Panna for the Ken-Betwa rivers linking project.
e) The two state governments with the center are implementing a ₹44,605
crore river-linking project to end the water crisis in the Bundelkhand region.
3. UIDAI
topped Grievance Redressal Index for second consecutive month: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which oversees
Aadhaar, has once again topped the September rankings report published by the
Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), for
resolving most public grievances among all government ministries and government
departments. This is the second consecutive month UIDAI has topped the
rankings. Key Points:
a) UIDAI has been a top performer in the resolution of Public Grievances
received through the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System
(CPGRAMS), and making continuous efforts to make Aadhaar holder’s experience
better.
b) UIDAI has a strong grievance redressal ecosystem in place comprising of
UIDAI HQ, its Regional Offices, Technology Centre, and engaged contact centre
partners. A coherent system is enabling UIDAI to resolve around 92% of CRM
Grievances within a week.
c) The organization is facilitating ease of living and is further committed
to strengthening its Grievance Redressal Mechanism. UIDAI is gradually rolling
out state-of-the-art Open-Source CRM solutions. The new Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) solution has been designed with advanced features to enhance
UIDAI service delivery to residents.
d) The new CRM Solution has the capability to support multi-channels like
phone call, emails, chatbots, web portals, social media, letters, and walk-ins
through which the grievances can be lodged, tracked and resolved effectively.
Note: UIDAI CEO:
Dr. Saurabh Garg; UIDAI Founded: 28 January 2009; UIDAI Headquarters: New
Delhi.
4. Centre
appoints Sanjay Malhotra as new Revenue Secretary: The Centre has appointed Sanjay Malhotra, a 1990 batch Indian
Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Rajasthan cadre, as the new revenue
secretary. He will replace Tarun Bajaj who will superannuate at the end of
November. Malhotra, currently serving as secretary in the Department of
Financial Services (DFS), will join the Revenue Department as an officer on
special duty. The centre has announced new secretaries for 16 ministries and
departments. Another appointment:
a) Aramane Giridhar, 1988 batch IAS of Andhra Pradesh cadre, currently
secretary in the Ministry of Road, transport and Highways (MoRTH) will be the
new defence secretary on superannuation of Ajay Kumar on October 31.
b) Manoj Govil, 1991 batch IAS of Madhya Pradesh Cadre, will be the new
secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. He is currently serving in his
home cadre.
c) Tarun Bajaj currently has additional charge of secretary corporate
affairs ministry.
d) Vivek Joshi, 1989 batch lAS officer of the Haryana cadre, will take over
as secretary in the Department of Financial Services. He is currently Registrar
General of India and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs.
e) Nagendra Nath Sinha, 1987 batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre,
currently serving as secretary in the Department of Rural Development, will be
the new steel secretary on the superannuation of Sanjay Kumar Singh.
f)
Shailesh Kumar Singh, 1991 batch IAS of Jharkhand
cadre, will take over as secretary in the Department of Rural Development.
g) Kamran Rizvi, 1991 batch IAS of UP cadre, will be the new secretary in
the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
5. Dr.
Sankarasubramanian K. named Principal Scientist of ISRO’s Aditya-L1 mission: The Indian Space Research Organisation has designated Dr.
Sankarasubramanian K as the Principal Scientist of the Aditya-L1 mission.
Sankarasubramanian has contributed to AstroSat, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2
missions of ISRO in several capacities.
About
Aditya-L1:
a) Aditya-L1 is the first observatory-class space-based solar mission from
India. The spacecraft will be placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrange
point, L1, of the Sun-Earth system.
b) A satellite around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously
viewing the Sun without occultation/eclipses. This position provides a greater
advantage of observing solar activities continuously.
c) Aditya-L1 carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere,
chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using
electromagnetic and particle detectors.
d) Four payloads directly view the Sun from the unique vantage point of L1,
and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and
fields at the Lagrange point L1.
Note: ISRO
Chairman: S. Somanath; ISRO’s foundation Date: 15th August, 1969; ISRO’s Founder:
Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India,
France Re-Elected as President, and Co-President of International Solar
Alliance: In the third assembly of ISA, Union Power and New
and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh has been re-elected as the President of
International Solar Alliance. France Minister of State for Development
Chrysoula Zacharopoulou has been re-elected as Co-President. Key Points:
a) The Third Assembly of the International Solar Alliance has been attended
by 34 ISA Members ministers. 53 Member countries and 5 Signatory and
Prospective Member countries participated to the Assembly.
b) India and France were re-elected as the President and Co- President of
the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for a term of two years at the virtual
meeting of the Third Assembly.
c) Four new Vice-Presidents were also chosen to represent the four regions
of ISA. The representatives of Fiji & Nauru for Asia Pacific Region;
Mauritius & Niger for Africa Region; UK & Netherlands for Europe and
others Region, and Cuba and Guyana for Latin America and Caribbean Region
assumed the vice presidency.
2. Ookla
Report: India Drops Down in Rankings for Mobile, Fixed Broadband Speeds
Globally: India drops three spots in the Global Ranking for
median mobile speed. It went from 115th to 118th in June from May. According to
the Ookla Speedtest Global Index report, India’s median mobile download speed
has decreased from 14.28 Mbps in May to 14.00 Mbps in June.
Key
Points:
a) India improved its global ranking in June for the median download speeds
on fixed broadband by going three spots forward from 75th to 72nd.
b) In May, the overall fixed median download speed in India was 47.86 Mbps
as compared to 48.11 Mbps in June.
c) In the overall global median mobile speed, Norway is in the top spot and
was joined by Chile.
d) The second spot is bagged by Singapore in terms of overall global fixed
broadband speeds.
e) In June, Papua New Guinea and Gabon registered the highest growth for
mobile download speeds and fixed broadband speeds.
3. Global
Media and Information Literacy Week: 24th to 31st October: Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week 2022 is observed from
October 24 to October 31. The Global MIL Week 2022 focuses on trust and
solidarity as it relates to people, media, digital platforms, governments, the
private sector, and non-governmental organizations. It highlights some
promising actions in connection with media and information literacy in the last
year and how media and information literacy helps with nurturing trust and
countering mistrust.
UNESCO has
announced the theme for this year’s MIL week as “Nurturing trust: A Media and
Information Literacy Imperative.” The eleventh Global Media and Information
Literacy (MIL) Week is hosted by Nigeria and is taking place in Abuja, as well
as online.
Note: UNESCO
Founded: 16 November 1945; UNESCO Headquarters: Paris, France; UNESCO Members:
193 countries; UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay.
4.
Disarmament Week: 24th to 30th October: Disarmament
Week is celebrated from October 24 to 30 each year. Week seeks to promote
awareness and a better understanding of disarmament issues and their
cross-cutting importance.
Disarmament
Week History: Starting on 24 October, the anniversary of the
founding of the United Nations, the week-long annual observance was first
called for in the Final Document of the General Assembly’s 1978 special session
on disarmament (resolution S-10/2). In 1995, the General Assembly invited
governments, as well as NGOs, to continue taking an active part in Disarmament
Week (resolution 50/72 B, 12 December 1995) in order to promote a better
understanding among the public of disarmament issues. The United Nations Disarmament
Commission (UNDC) was established in 1952. It was tasked with creating proposal
documents for treaties to regulate and reduce the number of armed forces and
weapons possessed by nations.
Note: United
Nations Disarmament Commission Founded: 11 January 1952; United Nations
Disarmament Commission Headquarters location: New York, New York, United
States; United Nations Disarmament Commission Head: Han Tae-song.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. FIFA:
Tazuni unveiled as mascot for 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Tazuni, a fun, football-loving penguin is unveiled as the Official
Mascot of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. Tazuni
will become an important symbol for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia &
New Zealand, appearing on official tournament merchandise and media platforms,
as well as in real life in community activities ahead of the event.
Tazuni, a
15-year-old midfielder whose story involves her falling in love with football
after playing with a group of children on a beach, is set to feature on
merchandise, media platforms and community activities in the build-up to the
FIFA Women’s World Cup. The name Tazuni is a fusion of the Tasman sea, the home
of penguins and Unity, which is the key value of the event.
About
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: The 2023 FIFA Women’s
World cup will be the 9th edition in the series and this is the first time that
2 nations cohost the tournament. The tournament will be split between
Australia and New Zealand and in total, there will be 64 games played across 10
different venues in 9 different cities (5 in Australia and four 4 in New
Zealand).
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. HDFC
Securities Opens Women-Only Digital Centre in Bengaluru: Leading stock brokerage firm, HDFC Securities, announced the opening of
the first-ever Women-Only Digital Centre (DC) in India. This pioneering centre,
staffed with a team of women, will serve both male and female investors. This
closely follows the company’s announcement regarding the opening of multiple
DCs across India to ease access to services and promote digital adoption.
The Women-Only
DC is another step in HDFC Securities’ aim to foster diversity within the
organization, while also empowering its customers with technology that eases
their journey to financial freedom. The company’s digital focus is also driven
by the fact that India has among the largest populations of young adults in the
world, with Gen Z making up 27% of them. This is why the company intends to
hire women aged below 30 years for this revolutionary digital centre. HDFC
Securities plans to hire more than 100+ relationship managers for the
Women-Only DC in Bengaluru.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Reliance Jio to deploy 5G gear from Nokia & Ericsson: European telecom gear makers, Nokia and Ericsson have inked multi-year
supply contracts with Reliance Jio for supplying 5G network equipment to the
country’s largest carrier for deploying standalone or 5G SA. With the deals,
both Nokia and Ericsson are supplying to India’s three largest mobile operators
including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea. While Vodafone Idea is yet to
announce its 5G strategy, both Airtel and Jio have said that they will provide
pan-India 5G coverage by 2024.
Future
plans of Reliance Jio:
a) Reliance Jio plans to deploy a 5G standalone network which will
interwork with its 4G network. The network will enable Reliance Jio to deliver
advanced 5G services such as massive machine-to-machine communications, network
slicing, and ultra-low latency.
b) Swedish supplier Ericsson said that its long-term strategic 5G contract
with Jio will include the deployment of its energy-efficient 5G Radio Access
Network (RAN) products and solutions from the company’s portfolio and E-band
microwave mobile transport solutions will be deployed in the 5G network for
Jio.
c) Finnish supplier Nokia said it will provide 5G Radio Access Network
(RAN) equipment from its AirScale portfolio including base stations,
high-capacity 5G Massive MIMO antennas and Remote Radio Heads (RRH) to support
different spectrum bands, and self-organizing network software.
2.
MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, OYO fined Rs 392 crore by CCI: Make My Trip, Goibibo (MMT-Go), and OYO were fined Rs 392 crore by the
Competition Commission of India (CCI). CCI fined these companies which were
spelled out in a 131-page order which is for “unfair business practices”. Make
My Trip and Goibibo will pay a fine of Rs 223.48 crore while OYO will pay Rs
168.88 crore. Key Points:
a) MMT-Go alleged that it imposed a price parity in its agreements with
hotel partners.
b) These deals restrict the hotel to not sell its rooms on any other
platform or its online portal at a price below the price at which it is being
offered on the two entities.
c) Make My Trip accorded preferential treatment to OYO on its platform
which caused a denial of market access to other companies.
d) The findings are the results of a detailed investigation into the matter
that was on since 2019.
e) The CCI also directed MMT-GO to suitably modify its agreements with
hotels/chains hotels to remove/abandon the price and room availability parity
obligations imposed by it on its hotel/chain hotel partners.
3.
Reliance Jio surpasses BSNL to become largest landline service provider in
August: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio became the largest
landline service provider in the country for the first time, in August. With
7.35 million landline connections as on August 31, Reliance Jio beat
state-owned telecom operator and hitherto market leader BSNL’s 7.13 million
connections, according to the latest data released by the Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India (Trai). Third-placed MTNL provided 2.6 million connections. Key
Points:
a) The number of landline connections rose to 25.97 million in August (according
to Trai’s data released on Tuesday), from 25.62 million in July). This has been
attributed to better connection plans, the reopening of offices after the
pandemic, and more importantly, higher uptake of landline-based broadband
connections.
b) However, of total 1.17 billion telecom connections in the country, less
than 2 per cent are currently landlines. BSNL and MTNL together held 37.4 per
cent of the landline market share as on August 31. Jio still leads the wireless
segment
c) Reliance Jio cemented its lead in the wireless segment, gaining 3.2 million mobile-phone subscribers in August. Jio’s onboarding of new users gained pace over the three months until August — with 2.9 million new users in July, and 0.4 million new subscribers in June.
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