Daily GK Update- 9th Oct, 2022

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Election Commission launched Matadata Junction awareness program: The Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar launched a yearlong Voter Awareness Program ‘Matdata Junction’ during an event organized at Akashvani Rang Bhavan. The launch event was also facilitated by Election Commissioner Shri Anup Chandra Pandey. The Matdata Junction is a 52-episode radio series produced by the election commission of India, in collaboration with All India Radio. Key Points:

a)      Matdata Junction is produced in collaboration with All India Radio.

b)      The Matdata Junction aims to connect with the voters across the country with the help of radio.

c)       The programs will be a combination of information and entertainment which will help to address the lack of concern of urban people and inform the audience.

d)      The information will be related to the election process in the conduct of free, fair, transparent, inducement-free, accessible, and inclusive elections.

e)      Shri Pankaj Tripathi would be the National Icon for the Election Commission of India.

f)        The 52 episodes will cover various aspects of the election and related processes from voters’ perspectives.

g)      The programs will be for 15 minutes and will be broadcast every Friday during the 7-9 PM slot on All India Radio.

 

2. Actor Pankaj Tripathi declared ‘National Icon’ by Election Commission of India: Election Commission of India (ECI) in creating awareness amongst voters, Actor Pankaj Tripathi has been declared as the ‘National Icon’ of ECI. The actor was chosen for the honour by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar for keeping in view his commitment to the cause and wide appeal across the country.

One of Pankaj’s most acclaimed roles involved the electoral process in the 2017 film Newton, for which he won the National Award. He played the role of a CRPF officer, who was tasked with conducting elections in a conflict-ridden zone in the jungles of Chhattisgarh.

Note: Election Commission of India Formed: 25 January 1950; Election Commission of India Headquarters: New Delhi; Chief Election Commissioner of India: Rajiv Kumar.

 

3. Amit Shah Announces ST Status for Paharis in Jammu And Kashmir: Union Home Minister Amit Shah announces that Pahari Community in Jammu and Kashmir will get a Scheduled Tribe (ST) status and political reservations before Assembly elections. The abolition of Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019 paved the way for providing reservations to deprived sections of Jammu and Kashmir. Key Points:

a)      The ST quota in J&K carries 7% spots in government jobs and educational institutions.

b)      The Gujjars and Bakerwals community were getting ST benefits since 1991.

c)       The Paharis were given a 4 percent quota in the OBC category from January 2020.

d)      The Centre formed the Justice Sharma Commission in March 2020, however it seemed to upset the Gujjars and Bakerwals.

e)      There were also protests performed by the Gujjars and Bakerwals in Jammu and Kashmir regarding the implementation of Status to Paharis.

f)        40 percent of the population in the border districts are Gujjar and Bakerwal, and Paharia lives in a few numbers.

g)      PM Narendra Modi has promised to invest Rs 56,000 crore for the overall development.

 

4. Government approves ₹26,000 crore for installation of 25,000 mobile towers in 500 days: The government has approved Rs 26,000 crore for the installation of 25,000 mobile towers in 500 days. According to the Telecom Ministry, the financial support for the project will be provided by the Universal Services Obligation Fund and it will be implemented by Bharat Broadband Network. Key Points:

a)      The project was announced by Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnav at a three-day long ‘Digital India Conference of State IT Ministers’.

b)      In the three-day long Digital India Conference of State IT Ministers, IT ministers from 12 states and UTs were present.

c)       The 12 states include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Manipur, Uttrakhand, Telangana, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Puducherry.

d)      Along with IT ministers of several states Minister of State of Electronics and Information Technology and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and MoS Communication Devusinh Chauhan were also present

 

5. UNESCO publishes a list of 50 exclusive Indian heritage textile crafts: UNESCO has released a list of 50 exclusive and iconic heritage textile crafts of the country. According to UNESCO, one of the major challenges to the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South Asia is lack of proper inventory and documentation. The publication, which aims to bridge this gap, brings together years of research on the 50 selected textiles.

Safeguarding Traditional Indian Textiles lists the histories and legends behind the textiles describes the complicated and secret processes behind their making, mentions the causes for their dwindling popularity, and provides strategies for their preservation.

Some of the Important Textiles Crafts Listed:

a)      Toda embroidery and Sungudi from Tamil Nadu

b)      Himroo weaves from Hyderabad

c)       Bandha tie and dye weaving from Sambalpur in Odisha

d)      Kunbi weaves from Goa

e)      Mashru weaves and Patola from Gujarat

f)        Himroo from Maharashtra

g)      Garad-Korial from West Bengal

h)      Ilkal and Lambadi or Banjara embroidery from Karnataka

i)        Sikalnayakanpet Kalamkari from Tamil Nadu

j)        Khes from Haryana

k)      Chamba rumals from Himachal Pradesh

l)        Thigma or wool tie and dye from Ladakh

m)    Awadh Jamdani from Varanasi

 

6. Sanjeev Kishore named as Director General of Indian Ordinance Factory: A 1985 batch officer of the Indian Ordnance Factory Service (IOFS), Sanjeev Kishore has taken over as the Director General of the Indian Ordinance Factory with effect from 01-10-2022 upon the superannuation of M K Grag. Before taking over the charge of DGO (C &S), Kishore was the Additional Director of General Ordnance at the Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services), Kolkata.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Majestic Hindu temple opens in Dubai: A majestic new Hindu Temple has been inaugurated in Jebel Ali Village, Dubai. The temple combines both Indian and Arabic architectural designs and gives a powerful message of tolerance, peace, and harmony. The temple is located in a neighborhood that is generally known as the ‘Worship Village’ of UAE. Key Points:

a)      The temple was inaugurated by the Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir.

b)      The ‘Worship Village’ of UAE now has nine religious’ shrines, including seven churches, the Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh Gurudwara, and the new Hindu House of Worship.

c)       The inaugural ceremony was facilitated by the CEO of the Social Regulatory and Licensing agency for the Community Development Authority (CDA) Dr. Omar Al Muthanna, trustee of the Hindu Temple Dubai Raju Shroff, and Director General of the Community Development Authority Ahmed Abdul Karim Julfar.

d)      In the opening ceremony, more than 200 dignitaries were present including diplomatic missions, religious leaders of several faiths, business owners, and Indian community members.

e)      The temple is 70,000 square feet which were announced in 2020.

f)        The temple has detailed hand carvings, ornate pillars, brass spires, and striking lattice screens that blend Indian and Arabic architecture.

 

2. World Post Day: 9th October: 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. This day celebrates the role of the post in people’s and businesses’ everyday lives. 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. The Posts in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services. The theme for World Post Day 2022 is ‘Post for Planet’.

Note: Universal Postal Union Headquarters: Bern, Switzerland; Universal Postal Union Founded: 9 October 1874; Universal Postal Union Director-General: Masahiko Meteko.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Saudi Arabia win bid to host 2029 Asian Winter Games at desert megacity: Saudi Arabia has won the bid to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games at a planned Mountain Resort in the Gulf Arab State. The Asian Games will be held at a $500 billion futuristic megacity in the desert that will feature a year-round winter sports complex. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said that the deserts and mountains of Saudi Arabia will be turned into a playground for winter sports.

Key Points:

a)      The bid by Saudi Arabia was approved without any opposition.

b)      The Megacity known as NEOM will be the first West Asian City to host the event.

c)       The Asian winter games will take place in Trojena, an area of NEOM.

d)      During winter temperature drop below zero and generally is 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the region in Trojena.

e)      Trojena will include year-round skiing, a man-made freshwater lake, chalets, mansions, and ultra-luxury hotels, which are said to be completed in 2026.

f)        The Asian Winter Games include skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, and figure skating.

g)      In total there are 47 events in the Asian Winter Games and out of that 28 are on snow, and 10 are on ice.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Historic MoU signed to launch India’s Rupay debit card in Oman: National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Central Financial institution Of Oman signed a historic MoU to launch the Rupay debit card in Oman, paving the best way for a brand new period of monetary connectivity. Key Points:

a)      Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan witnessed the signing of the MoU and met Tahir Al Amri, Govt President, Central Financial institution of Oman.

b)      UPI acceptance has also gone live with the UAE’s Mashreq Bank, which deploys QR code in UAE. 

c)       In the P2M space, Indian travellers and tourists in the UAE can now make payments through BHIM UPI across 10,000 shops and merchant stores via NEOPAY, the payment subsidiary of Mashreq Bank.

d)      In November, NIPL also tied up with the UAE’s largest merchant acquirer–Network International–to help Indian travellers visiting the UAE by allowing them to make payments seamlessly through UPI-based mobile applications in retail merchant partners, such as jewellers, supermarkets, and duty-free shops.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. India’s Economic growth to Decline to 5.7% in 2022: UNCTAD report: India’s economic growth is expected to decline to 5.7 per cent this year from 8.2 per cent in 2021, citing higher financing cost and weaker public expenditures, according to the forecast by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Trade and Development Report 2022.

The country’s GDP will further decelerate to 4.7 per cent growth in 2023, the top UN agency projected. India experienced an expansion of 8.2 per cent in 2021, the strongest among G20 countries. As supply chain disruptions eased, rising domestic demand turned the current account surplus into a deficit, and growth decelerated, the report stated.

 

2. WTO Forecast a Slowdown Of Global Trade Growth: World merchandise trade volume growth is likely to slow to 1 per cent in 2023, down from the previous forecast of 3 per cent made in April this year, per fresh estimates released by the WTO . This is due to multiple shocks including the Ukraine war, high energy prices, inflation, and monetary tightening, it said.

Key Points:

a)      While global trade in goods in 2022 is now predicted to grow at 3.5 per cent–better than the 3 per cent estimated in April–it is expected to lose momentum in the second half of 2023. Slowdown in exports is expected in 2023 as import demand is likely to soften in major economies with growth slowing down for different reasons.

b)      “In Europe, high energy prices stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war will squeeze household spending and raise manufacturing costs. In the United States, monetary policy tightening will hit interest-sensitive spending in areas such as housing, motor vehicles and fixed investment,” the WTO report said.

c)       China’s continued struggle with COVID-19 outbreaks and production disruptions paired with weak external demand has also been identified as a major factor for trade growth slowing down. 

d)      Growing import bills for fuels, food and fertilizers could lead to food insecurity and debt distress in developing countries, the report warned.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. PR Sreejesh, Savita Punia voted FIH Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia have been voted FIH Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year for the second year in a row. Savita Punia, the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, and veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh both received the FIH goalkeeper of the year title in the men’s and women’s categories on the strength of their performances beneath the bar. Savita is just the third athlete to win Goalkeeper of the Year (Women) for three years in a row since the award’s debut in 2014.

The International Hockey Federation announced that young Indian forward Mumtaz Khan, and France’s Timothée Clément have been named the FIH Rising Stars of the Year 2021-22 in the women’s and men’s categories respectively.

Note: International Hockey Federation President: Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra; International Hockey Federation Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland; International Hockey Federation Founded: 7 January 1924, Paris, France; International Hockey Federation CEO: Thierry Weil (Apr 2018–); International Hockey Federation Founder: Paul Léautey; International Hockey Federation Motto: FairPlay Friendship Forever.

 

2. IITM scientist Roxy Mathew Koll awarded Devendra Lal Memorial Medal 2022: Roxy Mathew Koll, a scientist at the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), received the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) 2022 Devendra Lal Memorial Medal. Koll was selected for his outstanding research in Earth and space sciences. He will also be conferred as a Fellow of the AGU. AGU is a non-profit organisation that annually recognises a select number of individuals as part of its honours and recognition programme in Earth and space sciences.

Koll has made breakthrough contributions to science, monitoring, forecasts, and climate change projections for South Asia and the larger Indo-Pacific region. His research provides insights into the mechanisms and impacts of climate change on monsoon floods and droughts, cyclones, heat waves, and the marine ecosystem.

 

3. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wins UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award: Former German chancellor Angela Merkel won the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) prestigious Nansen award for her “leadership, courage and compassion” in ensuring the protection of hundreds of thousands of desperate people at the height of the Syria crisis. Dr. Angela Merkel is the 2022 Nansen Award global laureate for her political courage, compassion and decisive action as Federal Chancellor of Germany to protect people forced to flee. The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award selection committee also honoured four regional winners for 2022:

a)      The Nansen Award 2022 regional winner for Africa was given to The Mbera Fire Brigade, an all-volunteer firefighting group in Mauritania led by Ahmedou Ag Albohary.

b)      The award for the Americas went to Vicenta González, a women’s rights advocate and activist whose cacao cooperative in Costa Rica empowers local and asylum-seeking women.

c)       Meikswe Myanmar, a humanitarian organization that assists communities in need, including internally displaced people was announced as the regional winner for Asia and the Pacific and the regional winner for the Middle East and North Africa was given to Dr.

d)      Nagham Hasan, a gynaecologist from Iraq who helps fellow Yazidi women who were forced into slavery by ISIS to recover from their trauma.

About UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award: It is the annual award established in 1954, named after the Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen. Fridtjof Nansen was the first High Commissioner for Refugees. He was awarded the 1922 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to repatriate prisoners of war and to protect millions of refugees of the Romanov, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires.

Daily GK Update- 8th Oct, 2022

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Telangana government launched ‘Aasara’ pension for poor: The Telangana government has introduced ‘Aasara’ pensions as a part of the state’s welfare measures and social safety net strategy. The ‘Aasara’ pensions aim to secure life for all the poor. It is a welfare scheme for the older section of the state, widows, physically disabled, and beedi workers to avail pension facilities. Under the Asif Nagar Mandal jurisdiction 10,000 new Aasara pensions have been sanctioned. Key Points:

a)      The scheme provides pensions to old people, windows, patients suffering from elephantiasis or AIDS, physically disabled persons, beedi workers, and single women.

b)      On 7th March 2022, the Finance Minister of Telangana allocated Rs. 11,728 crores to the Aasara Pension scheme.

c)       The Pension has been increased from Rs 200 to Rs 2,016 per month by the state government given to the elderly, widows, AIDS patients, handloom workers, and toddy tappers.

d)      The pension for the differently-abled has been increased from Rs 500 to Rs 3,016 per month. The pension for single women, beedi workers, and filarial patients would be Rs 2,016 per month.

 

2. Kerala’s Pullampara named first fully digital literate panchayat: The Pullumpara village panchayat in the Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala achieved the distinction of becoming the first totally digitally literate panchayat in the country. The announcement was made by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a public event. The mission to achieve total digital literacy was aimed at empowering the residents to get access to over 800 government services available through the online mode. The residents were also trained to use social media platforms and basic banking services during the training. Key Points:

a)      Around 250 engineering college students and members of Kudumbashree trained the residents while the process was monitored by the Kerala Technological University (KTU).

b)      A total of 3,174 in the age group of 14-65 cleared the evaluation test held after the training, enabling the local body to become totally digitally literate.

c)       The left democratic front (LDF) government in Kerala had announced to extend digital literacy to all the residents. The government has also created Kerala – Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) to provide an internet connection to all and to ensure its promise of making access to the internet a basic right.

 

3. Fit India Freedom Run 3.0 introduced by Anurag Singh Thakur and Kiren Rijiju: Fit India Freedom Run 3.0: In honour of Gandhi Jayanti, Fit India Freedom Run 3.0 was officially introduced at the Major Dhyanchand National Stadium in New Delhi. The third edition of Fit India Plog Run, one of the largest national activities initiated by the Government of India at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic in 2020, was jointly introduced by Union Ministers of Law and Justice Shri Kiren Rijiju and Shri Anurag Singh Thakur. Key Points:

a)      October 2, marked the beginning of the third iteration of the Fit India Freedom Run, which will last until October 31.

b)      Along with a sizable number of participants, the event also included the former health minister of India, Shri Harshvardhan Goel, the secretary of sports, Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi, the director general of the Sports Authority of India, Shri Sandip Pradhan, and the ambassador for Fit India, Ripu Daman Bevli.

c)       The Indian Army, including the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indian Railways, CBSE and ICSE schools, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs’ youth wings Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and “National Service Scheme,” have all participated in the Fit India Freedom Run over the past two years (NSS).

 

4. YUVA 2.0 programme to encourage aspiring writers introduced by PM: The Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors, known as YUVA 2.0 (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors), was launched by the Department of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education. In order to promote India and Indian literature abroad, it is an author mentoring programme for young and aspiring writers (under 30 years old). Key Points:

a)      YUVA 2.0 aims to artistically and ingeniously emphasise the viewpoints of the younger generation of authors on the issue of “Democracy (institutions, events, people, constitutional ideals – past, present, future)” as part of the India@75 Project (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav).

b)      In light of the last edition’s enormous effect, which includes broad participation from young and aspiring authors in 22 more Indian languages in addition to English, YUVA 2.0 is now being produced.

c)       75 authors will be chosen as part of an All India Contest that will be held on https://www.mygov.in/ between October 2 and November 30, 2022.

d)      The received ideas would be assessed between December 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023, with the winners being revealed on February 28, 2023.

e)      The young authors will receive instruction from renowned authors and mentors from March 1 through August 31, 2023.

f)        On October 2, 2023, the first batch of books will be released under the supervision.

 

5. Senior bureaucrat Ajay Bhadoo appointed as Deputy Election Commissioner: Senior bureaucrat, Ajay Bhadoo has been appointed as the Deputy Election Commissioner as part of a senior-level bureaucratic reshuffle by the Centre. Bhadoo, a 1999 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Gujarat cadre, has been appointed to the post up to July 24, 2024. His two-month extension as Joint Secretary in the President’s Secretariat ended on September 25. He was appointed as Joint Secretary to former President Ram Nath Kovid in July 2020. Earlier, Bhadoo served as Gujarat’s Vadodara Municipal Commissioner.

Other Important appointments:

a)      Akash Tripathi, a 1998 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MyGov, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

b)      Basant Garg, a 2005 batch IAS officer of Punjab cadre, has been named Additional CEO, National Health Authority under the Department of Health & Family Welfare.

c)       Lochan Sehra, a 2002 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, will be joint secretary, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Ahmedabad for a tenure of five years.

d)      Franklin L Khobung and Pankaj Yadav have been appointed as joint secretaries in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Rahul Sharma will be joint secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Ajay Yadav as the joint secretary, Cabinet Secretariat and Deepak Mishra will be joint secretary, Department of Chemicals & Petro-Chemicals.

e)      Indu C Nair has been appointed as joint secretary, Department of Commerce, Gurmeet Singh Chawla and Mugdha Sinha will be joint secretaries in the Ministry of Culture, Ajay Kumar as joint secretary in the Department of Defence and Manoj Kumar Sahoo, will be joint secretary in the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation.

f)        D Senthil Pandiyan has been appointed as joint secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Hanish Chhabra and Surbhi Jain as joint secretaries in the Department of Economic Affairs, Satyajit Mishra, as joint secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Mukesh Kumar Bansal as the joint secretary in Department of Financial Services and T J Kavitha as joint secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution.

g)      Sachin Mittal and Manashvi Kumar will be joint secretaries in the Department of Health & Family Welfare, Hanif Qureshi as the joint secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Ravi Kumar Arora and Deepak Agarwal will be joint secretaries, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Rahul Jain as joint secretary, Department of Investment & Public Asset Management.

h)      Rupesh Kumar Thakur and Nandita Gupta have been named joint secretaries in the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Farida Mahmood Naik as the joint secretary, Ministry of Mines, Ajay Yadav will be joint secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Rajat Kumar has been named joint secretary, Department of Personnel & Training and Priyanka Basu lngty will be Regional Director (JS level), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Kolkata.

i)        Mohammad Afzal has been appointed as joint secretary, Ministry of Power, Amit Shukla as joint secretary, Department of Rural Development and Indira Murthy will be joint secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment.

 

6. Indian Air Force celebrates its raising day on 8th October: Indian Air Force was raised on October 8, 1932, and it is completing 90 years. The day and its observance is a matter of pride for Indians and inspire a patriotic zeal among the citizenry for the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-chief of the IAF. This time Air Force Day flypast is scheduled to take place over Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh this afternoon.

Indian Air Force Day History: 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.

Note: Indian Air Force Headquarters: New Delhi; Indian Air Force Founded: 8 October 1932, India; Indian Air Force Air chief Marshall: Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World Migratory Bird Day: 8th October: Since its creation in 2006, World Migratory Bird Day has been commemorated twice a year. It is supposed to be celebrated on the second Saturday of May and the second Saturday of October. This year, it was previously celebrated on 14 May and for the second time, the world marks this day again today, 8 October. The purpose of World Migratory Bird Day is to increase public awareness on the issues migrating birds encounter, their ecological importance, and the need for global cooperation to safeguard them. They migrate in search of food. Twice a year, these birds spend the winter in warmer regions before coming home to reproduce.

History of World Migratory Bird Day: World Migratory Bird Day was established as a result of the United Nations Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds. However, the concept of World Migratory Bird Day was born in the US in 1993 when a number of organisations and agencies began commemorating the day. The United Nations (UN) chose to promote awareness of migratory birds’ linkages to various geographic areas around the world in 2006. Since then, 118 nations have engaged in and attended the event.

On the second Saturday in October, people all around Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean commemorate World Migratory Bird Day. In the United States and Canada, the day is marked on the second Saturday in May.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. National Games 2022: U20 World Champion Antim Panghal wins wrestling gold: Antim Panghal, the World under-20 champion, made an impressive debut at the National Games 2022 as she won the gold medal in women’s 53kg wrestling. Haryana’s Antim Panghal, who made history in August by becoming the first Indian to become U20 world champion in women’s wrestling, beat Priyanshi Prajapati of Madhya Pradesh by fall in the final.

In National Games, Services lead the medals tally with 51 medals including 23 Gold, 14 silver, and 14 bronze followed by Haryana with 49 medals including 22 gold, 16 silver, and 11 bronze. Uttar Pradesh has won 13 gold, 9 silver, and 8 bronze medals while Tamil Nadu has won 12 gold, 9 silver, and 11 bronze medals. Other winners:

a)      Gujarat’s Hina Khalifa and Swati Sanjay of Maharashtra won the bronze medals in the women’s 53kg.

b)      Meanwhile, Olympian gymnast Pranati Nayak picked up two gold medals at the Sama Indoor Sports Complex in Vadodara.

c)       The West Bengal gymnast collected her first gold – the uneven bars – in the morning and rounded off her campaign by clinching the floor exercise crown in the evening.

d)      In men’s 200m cycling, Ronaldo Singh, David Beckham, and Esow Alben clinched the three podium finishes.

About the National Games 2022: The National Games 2022 is being held across six cities, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar, in Gujarat. The National Games 2022 will conclude on the 12th of October.

 

2. ATP 250 Tel Aviv Watergen Open: Rohan Bopanna & Matwe Middelkoop clinch Men’s Doubles title: India’s Rohan Bopanna and Dutch player Matwe Middelkoop cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 victory over third seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in the doubles final of the $1,019,855 ATP tennis tournament in Tel Aviv. It was the third title of the season for the 42-year-old Bopanna, who had won the other two, early in the season with Ramkumar Ramathan in Adelaide and Pune. The champion team collected $50,000 and 250 ATP points, and the runner-up, $26,850 and 150 points.

 

3. Formula-1 Racing: Sergio Perez won Singapore F1 GP 2022: Red Bull’s driver, Sergio Perez has won the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix 2022. Perez finished 7.5 sec ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who came at the second position. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz grabbed the third position. Perez’s teammate & Italian GP 2022 winner Max Verstappen finished seventh in the race. Hamilton secured ninth. Verstappen needed a win, and other results to go his way, to become world champion for the second successive time.

 

4. Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma becomes 1st Indian cricketer to play 400 T20s: Indian Skipper, Rohit Sharma has achieved yet another milestone in his T20 career and has become the first-ever Indian to play 400 T20s. The India captain has achieved the milestone in the 2nd T20I of the series against South Africa in Guwahati. The first Indian to hit a century in T20 cricket, Rohit had made his shortest format debut for Mumbai against Baroda in April 2007. Among Indians, Rohit is followed by Dinesh Karthik, who has played 368 T20s. MS Dhoni sits at the 3rd spot with 361 caps. Virat Kohli is playing his 354th T20.

Other players: The list of players who have donned most T20 caps is topped by Kieron Pollard, who has played 614 matches. He is followed by Dwayne Bravo, who has donned 556 caps. Shoaib Malik (481), Chris Gayle (463), Sunil Narine (435), Ravi Bopara (429), Andre Russell (428) and David Miller (403) sit ahead of Rohit.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. SBI launches ‘Gram Seva Program’ across six states of India: State Bank of India launched the SBI Foundation’s Gram Seva Program across six states of India. On Gandhi Jayanti this year, the State Bank of India announced that it will adopt 30 remote villages across India under the 4th phase of the ‘SBI Gram Seva’ Program. The bank will adopt remote villages across Aspirational Districts in Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.

Key Points:

a)      The Gram Seva Program was launched under the Corporate Social Responsibility of the bank. The program emphasizes a comprehensive development of villages by active intervention in areas like education, healthcare, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

b)      Till now, the program has adopted 100 villages across 16 states in 3 phases.

c)       Gram Seva is one of the flagship CSR programs of the SBI foundation.

d)      The program’s outreach will expand to a total of 130 villages, of which 75 villages are from Aspirational Districts.

e)      The SBI foundation is actively working on areas like rural development, healthcare, education, Sustainability, environment, livelihood, skill development, etc.

 

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

 

1. Inflation Likely to come down to 5.2% Owing to Normal Rains, Ease in Supplies: RBI report: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expecting retail inflation to come under control at 5.2 per cent in FY24, down from the 6.7 per cent forecast for FY23, revealed the banking regulator in its ‘Monetary Policy Report September 2022’. In addition to this, RBI has also cut India’s GDP growth forecast for FY23 to 7 per cent from its earlier projection of 7.2 per cent. Key Points:

a)      The RBI, in its report, said, “For 2023-24, assuming a normal monsoon, a progressive normalisation of supply chains, and no further exogenous or policy shocks, structural model estimates indicate that inflation will average 5.2 per cent.”

b)      The central bank expects inflation to remain above the upper tolerance level of 6 per cent in the first three-quarters of FY23.

c)       RBI also expects inflation to come under control from January 2023 onwards.

d)      RBI projects the retail inflation to average 5.8 per cent in Q4 FY23 and further down to 5 per cent in Q1 FY24.

e)      In addition to this, RBI has also cut India’s GDP growth forecast for FY23 to 7 per cent from its earlier projection of 7.2 per cent.

 

2. Adani Green commissioned world’s largest wind-solar power plant: Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) has commissioned the world’s largest wind-solar power plant of 600 MV capacity in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The plant has a power purchase agreement with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) at Rs 2.69/kWh for 25 years. Key Points:

a)      The project consists of 600 MW solar-wind plants.

b)      In May 2022, AGEL operationalized India’s first hybrid power plant with a capacity of 390 MW in Jaisalmer.

c)       The commencement of the 600 MW plant AGEL has a total operational generation capacity of 6.7 GW.

d)      This includes an operational hydropower generation capacity of 1 GW, the largest in the world.

e)      AGEL’s total renewable portfolio goes up to 20.4 GW to reach its vision of 45 GW capacity by 2030.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Valley of Words Book Awards: ‘Tagore & Gandhi’ wins in English non-fiction: Anees Salim’s The Odd Book of Baby Names (English fiction) and Rudrangshu Mukherjee’s Tagore & Gandhi: Walking Alone, Walking Together (English non-fiction) were among the eight that were adjudged the best books of the year at the ‘Valley of Words Book Awards. The PFC-VoW Book Awards, currently in its sixth edition, is considered one of the most comprehensive independent literary award programmes in India.

The total listing of the PFC-VoW E-book Award winners for 2022:

a)      English fiction: The Odd E-book of Child Names by Anees Salim (Penguin Random Home)

b)      English non-fiction: Tagore & Gandhi: Strolling Alone, Strolling Collectively by Rudrangshu Mukherjee (Aleph E-book Firm)

c)       Hindi fiction: Khela by Neelakshi Singh (Setu Publications)

d)      Hindi non- fiction: Jeete Ji Allahabad by Mamta Kalia (Rajkamal Prakashan)

e)      Writings for younger adults: Savi and the Reminiscence Keeper by Bijal Vachharajani (Hachette)

f)        Writings/image books for kids: Aai and I by Mamta Nainy (Pickle Yolk Books)

g)      Translation to Hindi: Yaadon Ke Bikhre Moti: Batware ki Kahaniyan by Aanchal Malhotra, translated by Brig Kamal Nayan Pandit (HarperCollins)

h)      Translation to English: Amader Shantiniketan by Shivani, translated by Ira Pande (Penguin Random Home)

 

2. Indian American Dr Vivek Lall receives Lifetime Achievement award in US: Vivek Lall, an Indian-origin General Atomic Global Corporation Chief Executive is honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by US President Joe Biden with the citation of ‘With Grateful Recognition’. This citation was given to Vivek Lall, who has done a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University in Kansas, by the AmeriCorps and the office of the President.

Dr. Vivek Lall is an Industry leader and scientific community giant, who works as Chief Executive at General Atomics. General Atomics is a global leader in the specialized field of nuclear technology and has developed state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like the predators, repeats, and guardian drones.