Daily GK Update- 28th Oct, 2022

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Karnataka cabinet increased reservation for SC, ST community: The Karnataka cabinet decided to promulgate an ordinance to raise reservations for Scheduled Caste (SCs) by 2 percent and for Scheduled Tribe (STs) by 4 percent. The Karnataka cabinet is chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. The decision by the Karnataka government aims to uplift the ST/SC community in the state and provide adequate opportunities in the education and employment sector. Key Points:

a)      The files related to the reservation will be submitted to Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot for approval.

b)      The hike in the reservation will benefit the 103 communities classified as SCs and 56 communities among STs.

c)       The initiative to increase the reservation for SC/STs by the state government implies that reservation will cross the Supreme Court’s 50 percent limit and go up to 55 percent in Karnataka.

d)      The BJP government in Karnataka decided to increase the quota based on a report prepared by a community headed by retired High Court Judge H.N. Nagmohan Das.

 

2. India’s first ‘Migration Monitoring System’ inaugurated in Mumbai: India’s first ‘Migration Monitoring Systems’ was inaugurated by the Maharashtra Women and Children Development Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha in Mumbai. The website-based Migration Tracking System will track the movement of vulnerable seasonal migrant beneficiaries. The Migration Monitoring Systems aims to provide information about migrant pregnant women, lactating women, and children. Key Points:

a)      The system provides updated information about migrant pregnant women, lactating women, and children in a single system.

b)      Maharashtra Women and Children Development Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha launched the ‘Migration Monitoring Systems’

c)       The state department has created website-based Migration Tracking System (MTS) to track the movements of vulnerable seasonal migrant beneficiaries through individual unique identification numbers.

d)      The information about seasonal migrant women and children will be available on a single platform with the ‘Migration Monitoring Systems’.

 

3. Odisha’s Jeypore Airport gets license from DGCA: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) granted Jeypore Airport the license to carry out commercial flight operations under the regional connectivity scheme. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has described it as a milestone. The airport is 33km northwest of Koraput town and 500km southwest of Bhubaneswar.

The Jeypore Airport of Odisha gets a license to carry out scheduled air operations under the UDAN. The license authorizes the aerodrome to be used as a regular place of landing and departure. The license would be liable to suspension, modification, or withdrawal of the provisions of the aircraft act, and the aircraft rules were violated.

 

4. Honesty Shops has been opened in Kerala: Honesty Shops have been opened in 15 schools in the Ernakulam district of Kerala. The Honesty Shops are a part of the Student Police Cadet (SPC) project which aims to provide valuable lessons on truth, and integrity for students. In these honestly shops there is no salesman at the counters and students can drop the money for each item in the collection box kept in the shop. Key Points:

a)      The SPC project was conceived to inculcate better civic sense among students and mold them as responsible youth.

b)      The objective of the Honestly shops is to provide students a chance to experience the virtue of honesty.

c)       The schools have switched off the CCTV facilities towards the shop to instill confidence among the students.

d)      The honesty shop has mainly school-based items such as notebooks, pens, pencil boxes, erasers, chart papers, and other essentials.

 

5. Dr Bimal Jalan authored a book titled “From dependence to Self­Reliance”: Economist Dr Bimal Jalan authored the book “From dependence to Self­Reliance: Mapping India’s Rise as a Global Superpower”, a stocktaking of India’s growth trajectory, benefits from Bimal Jalan’s deep insights. The book is written lucidly, with the general reader in mind. Bimal Jalan breaks his book into 3 parts: 4 chapters on the economy, and 3 each on governance and politics. The primary focus shared by Bimal Jalan is to promote India’s national interests, irrespective of any party’s political agenda announced during elections. Essence of the book:

a)      From Dependence to Self-Reliance sheds light on some of the priorities that the government can implement at present, as well as in the future, in light of past experience.

b)      Written by the former governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), this book is based on extensive research and data, and provides a way forward to developing India as an economic stronghold.

c)       From Dependence to Self-Reliance is divided into three sections: Economy, Governance and Politics. It covers a gamut of changes that have taken place since India gained independence and how these changes have had a ground-breaking impact on the development of the nation. It is a must-read to gain an in-depth understanding of India’s rise to power in the realm of economy, politics and technology.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Diwali to Be a Public School Holiday in New York City from 2023: Diwali will be a holiday for the New York City public school starting next year in 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced. Adams, joined by New York Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar, who had introduced the legislation to recognize Diwali as a holiday.

Addressing a press conference, Rajkumar said, “The time has come to recognize over 200,000 New Yorkers of the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain faiths who celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights.” She called Anniversary Day “an obscure and antiquated day,” as compared to Diwali, which is celebrated by a “growing number of New Yorkers.

Rajkumar further added that the new school schedule will still have 180 days, as is required by the state’s education laws. During the conference, Adams called the decision a “long overdue” acknowledgment of Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities.

 

2. Chinese President Xi Jinping wins record third term in power: Chinese President Xi Jinping has created history, becoming the first leader of the ruling Communist Party after party founder Mao Zedong to get re-elected for an unprecedented third term in power with the prospect of ruling China for life. He was elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party for 3rd five-year tenure by the new seven-member Standing Committee packed with his supporters who appeared before the local and foreign media here to herald the new era, widely termed ‘Xi era’.

Notably: Xi’s “election” for the third term in power formally ends the over three decades of rule followed by his predecessors, barring Mao, of retiring after a 10-year tenure. Xi was first elected in 2012 and will be completing his 10-year term this year. Other Points:

a)      With moderates like Premier Li Keqiang, who was ranked number two, eased out in the election to over 300-member Central Committee by the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Committee elected a 25-member Political Bureau.

b)      The Political Bureau elected a seven-member Standing Committee, which in turn elected Xi for a third five-year term as General Secretary.

c)       Xi was elected to the Central Committee, to the Political Bureau and the Standing Committee and then as General Secretary with relative ease as the Congress passed the key amendment to the Party’s constitution reinforcing his “core” status with the directive that all party members have the “obligation” to follow his directives and doctrines.

Note: China Capital: Beijing; China Currency: Renminbi; China Official language: Mandarin

 

3. Anna May Wong set to become first Asian American to feature on US currency: Ground-breaking actor Anna May Wong (1905-1961) is set to become the first Asian American to appear on US currency. The actor who broke into Hollywood during the silent film era will be featured on the US currency a century after she landed her first leading role. Anna May Wong's image, with her iconic blunt bangs and pencil-thin eyebrows, will feature on the back of new quarters. The design has been introduced after the American Women Quarters Program which aims to highlight pioneering women in their respective fields.

This year, four other quarters were into production featuring poet and activist Maya Angelou; the first American woman in space, Sally Ride; Cherokee Nation leader Wilma Mankiller; and suffragist Nina Otero-Warren. Anna May Wong:

a)      Anna May Wong was born with the name Wong Liu-Tsong. Wong began her film career at the age of 14 as an extra in The Red Lantern. Anna May Wong was born in Los Angeles to second-generation Chinese immigrants (1919).

b)      Anna May Wong, only three years later, in one of the earliest Technicolor movies, The Toll of the Sea (1922), in which she starred, received critical praise.

c)       Anna May Wong was also The Gallery of Madame Liu-first Tsong’s Asian American lead actor on television (1951).

 

4. International Animation Day: 28th October: International Animation Day is celebrated on 28 October every year. It was in this year when the International Animated Film Association (ASIFA) declared International Animation Day (IAD) as a worldwide occasion to commend the speciality of animation. This day is celebrated in more than 50 distinct nations throughout the world. IAD was started by ASIFA, an individual from UNESCO.

The day is celebrated to commemorate the first public animation performance, Theatre Optique at the Musée Grévin in Paris. The moving picture technology utilised in the animated performance was developed by Charles-Emile Reynaud. There are various animation styles, including traditional 2D animation, 3D animation, stop motion animation, and typographic animation.

Note: President of ASIFA: Deanna Morse; ASIFA Founder: John Halas; ASIFA Founded: 1960, Annecy, France.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Formula-1 Racing: Max Verstappen wins action-packed US Grand Prix 2022: Belgium’s Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing won the 2022 Formula 1 Aramco United States Grand Prix 2022 which was held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, United States (US). With this, he equalled Germany’s Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher’s record of 13 wins in a Formula 1 season. He defeated the UK’s Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes. Hamilton had to settle for second place, with Mercedes’ wait for a 2022 victory continuing, while Charles Leclerc salvaged a podium finish for Ferrari as the Italian team mathematically dropped out of contention for the constructors’ crown.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India fines Google Rs.1337 crore for abusing its dominant position: The nation’s competition watchdog has fined Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Rs 1,337 crore for engaging in anti-competitive behaviour with regard to Android mobile devices. Google was penalised by India’s Competition Commission (CCI) for “abusing its dominant position in numerous regions within the Android mobile device ecosystem.” Key Points:

a)      The decision to fine Google for alleged anti-competitive practices was described as “a major setback for Indian consumers and businesses” by Google.

b)      Google company said it would review the decision to determine its next course of action.

c)       The Android OS (operating system) is run and managed by Google, and the company also grants licences for its other proprietary programmes. In their mobile devices, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) employ this OS and Google’s apps.

d)      An operating system (OS) is required for running programmes and applications on smart mobile devices. One of these mobile operating systems that Google purchased in 2005 is Android.

e)      The panel looked at Google’s licencing policies for the Android mobile operating system and a number of its own, exclusive mobile applications, including Play Store, Google Search, Google Chrome, YouTube, etc.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Ukrainian people wins EU’s 2022 Sakharov freedom prize: The European Parliament has awarded the people of Ukraine its annual Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to honour their fight against Russia’s invasion. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola announced the 2022 laureate in the Strasbourg plenary chamber, following a decision by Parliament’s Conference of Presidents (the President and political group leaders).

About the Sakharov Prize: The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is awarded each year by the European Parliament. It was set up in 1988 to honour individuals and organisations defending human rights and fundamental freedoms. It is named in honour of Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov and the prize money is 50 000 euros. The award comes with prize money of 50,000 euros ($49,100), which will be distributed to representatives of Ukrainian civil society.

Note: European Parliament Headquarters: Strasbourg, France; European Parliament Founded: 19 March 1958, Europe.

 

2. National Intellectual Property Award won by IIT Madras for 2021 and 2022: The national award for intellectual property was given to the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) for 2021 and 2022. The prize was established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Key Points:

a)      Applications, grants, and commercialization for patents served as the evaluation criteria. The award was given out by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

b)      Upon receiving the trophy, citation, and cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, institute director V. Kamakoti commended the professors, researchers, students, and other stakeholders for their accomplishment. This award has encouraged IIT Madras to produce and safeguard more and more intellectual property with societal effect.

The yearly award honours those who have excelled, including individuals, institutions, organisations, and businesses, for their intellectual property innovations and commercialization that support the development of the nation’s IP ecosystem and promote innovation.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. National Film Award Recipient Bengali Film Director Pinaki Chaudhuri passes away: Bengali film Director and National award recipient Pinaki Chaudhuri, has passed away at the age of 82. He died due to lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. He made his debut in the world of films in 1983, directing ‘Chena Achena’. At a young age, he was a tabla player, trained by Ustad Karamatullah Khan. After some time he gave up playing the Tabla and began producing films in 1977.

His other notable films are ‘Kakababu Here Gelen?’ (Kakababu defeated?), ‘Ek Tukro Chand’ (A slice of the moon) and ‘Arohan’ (Ascension). Pinaki Chaudhuri received 2 National Film Awards for Best Feature Film in Bengali for ‘Sanghat’ (Conflict) in 1996 and for ‘Ballygunge Court’ in 2007.