NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Invest India elected as President of Geneva-based WAIPA: Invest India, a
young startup within the Government of India has been unanimously elected as
the President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA)
for 2021-2023. Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and
Facilitation Agency to help investors looking for investment opportunities and
options in India.
The members of the Steering Committee of
WAIPA for 2021-23 includes:
President: Invest India
Two Vice Presidents: Egypt and Switzerland
9 Regional Directors: Brazil, South Korea,
Finland, Kuwait, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Ghana, and Samoa.
Note: World Association of Investment
Promotion Agencies Founded: 1995.
2.
NITI Aayog launches “Innovations for You” Digi-Book: The Atal Innovation
Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog has launched a Digi-book named “Innovations for
You”. The sector in focus in this Digi-book is Healthcare. “Innovation for you”
is an initiative of Niti Aayog to share success stories of Atal Innovation
Mission’s Startups in different domains. The Digi-book was launched with the
aim of serving as an encouragement for upcoming entrepreneurs in order to work
on the path of creativity and imagination for addressing some of the pressing
challenges in India. It also aims to showcase the best innovations and
entrepreneurs to bring them to the forefront.
NITI Aayog’s Digi Book:
(1) NITI aayog has launched the DIGI book,
as India is celebrating the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
(2) Digi-book is a compilation of 45 health
tech start-ups. These start-ups have been incubated at the Atal Incubation
Centres across the country.
(3) These start-ups have been leveraging
technologies such as AI, IoT, ICT and others for providing socially relevant
solutions to health issues like neonatal & child care, mental health,
dental care, anaemia and monitoring human vitals.
3.
India’s first ‘test tube’ Banni buffalo calf born in Gujarat: The first IVF calf
of “Banni” breed of buffaloes, found primarily in Gujarat’s Kutch region, was
born at a farmer’s house in the state’s Gir Somnath district. The process was
carried out to enhance the number of genetically superior buffaloes to increase
milk production. Banni buffalo is known for its resilience and higher
milk-producing capacity in an arid environment. The breed had achieved six
pregnancies from 18 recipient buffaloes at his farm, which were implanted with
embryos through IVF technology, and the process was carried out by JKBovagenix
of NGO JK Trust. India has more than 109 million buffaloes that are 56 per cent
of the world’s buffalo population.
4.
U.P. govt renames Faizabad station as Ayodhya Cantt: The Uttar Pradesh
government has decided to rename the Faizabad Junction to Ayodhya Cantt
railways station. Opened in 1874, the Faizabad railway station comes under the
Northern Railway zone. It falls under the Lucknow-Varanasi section. Earlier in
2018, the Yogi Adityanath government had renamed Faizabad Ayodhya on the
occasion of Diwali. The BJP government also changed the name of Allahabad to
Prayagraj and Mughalsarai railway junction as Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay junction.
Note: UP Capital: Lucknow; UP Governor:
Anandiben Patel; UP Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath.
5.
Indian Army celebrates 75th Infantry Day on 27 October: The Indian Army
celebrates October 27 every year as the ‘Infantry Day’. This year nation
celebrates its 75th Infantry Day on October 27, 2021. On this day that the 1st
Battalion of the Sikh Regiment landed at Srinagar airbase and displayed
resoluteness and extraordinary courage and became ‘The Wall’ to thwart the evil
designs of the Pakistan Army, who had invaded Kashmir with the help of tribal
raiders in 1947.
History of Infantry Day: Infantry Day is
celebrated as a remembrance of the first military event of independent India,
when the First Battalion of the Sikh Regiment of Indian Army fought battle to
accomplish victory over the first attack on the Indian soil by the Pakistan
Army and Lashkar invader on October 27, 1947, in the Kashmir valley, who tried
to grab J&K.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
South Korea flight tests first homegrown space rocket “Nuri”: South Korea
recently launched its first indigenously developed rocket, known as “Korean Satellite
Launch Vehicle II” or “Nuri”. The launch vehicle lifted off from the Naro Space
Center, in Goheung, built on an island nearly 300 miles (500 kilometres) south
of Seoul. Nuri rocket is 47.2 metres long and weighs 200 tons. The three-stage
rocket is fitted with six liquid-fuelled engines. It has been built at an
estimated cost of 2 trillion won (£1.23bn or $1.6bn).
Note: South Korea President: Moon Jae-in;
South Korea Capital: Seoul; South Korea Currency: South Korean won.
2.
China launches satellite ‘Shijian-21’: China successfully launched a new satellite
named Shijian-21. The satellite will be used to test and verify space debris
mitigation technologies. Shijian-21 was launched from the Xichang Satellite
Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on a Long March-3B carrier
rocket. The satellite will be mainly used to test and verify space debris
mitigation technologies. This launch marked the 393rd mission for the Long
March series carrier rockets.
Note: China Capital: Beijing; China Currency:
Renminbi; China President: Xi Jinping.
3.
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage: 27th October: The World Day for
Audiovisual Heritage is observed every year on 27 October. The World Day for
Audiovisual Heritage is a key initiative for both UNESCO and the Coordinating
Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) to honour audiovisual
preservation professionals and institutions that safeguard our heritage for
future generations. The day was chosen to raise awareness of the significance
and preservation risks of recorded sound and audiovisual documents. The theme
of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2021: “Your Window to the World”.
History of the day: The 33rd session
of UNESCO’s General Conference adopted 33 C/Resolution 53 to proclaim 27 October
as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, in commemoration of the adoption, in
1980 by the 21st session of the General Conference, of the Recommendation for
the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images.
Note: UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France;
UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Nagaland to host 56th National Cross Country Championship: The 2022 South
Asian Federation Cross Country Championships is scheduled to be held in Kohima,
Nagaland on January 15, 2022. Besides this, the 56th National Cross Country
Championships will also be clubbed with the South Asian Federation Cross
Country Championships. This will be the first-ever national athletics event
hosted by Nagaland. Top athletes from the eight South Asian countries will take
part in the day-long international sports event. The championship will involve
running on different types of terrain including sprint over dirt, jog downhill
and mounting uphill.
Note: Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu
Rio; Governor of Nagaland: Jagdish Mukhi.
2.
Hyderabad Cricket Association unveiled World’s biggest cricket bat: Former India
captain and now Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Mohd Azharuddin
has unveiled what is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the
biggest cricket bat, designed by Pernod Ricard India (P) Ltd, on Tank Bund. The
bat measures 56.10 feet, weighs 9-tonnes and is made of poplar wood. This was
to convey best wishes to the Indian cricket team and bring back the T-20 World
Cup in Dubai.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
ICICI Bank surpasses HUL to occupy 5th spot in m-cap: Private sector
lender ICICI Bank has crossed the market capitalisation of Hindustan Unilever
to become the fifth-largest company by market value. According to BSE data,
ICICI Bank’s market capitalisation (m-cap) stood at ₹5.83 lakh crore, just
above HUL’s ₹5.76 lakh crore. This follows the bank posting its highest ever
quarterly net profit in the July to September 2021 quarter.
The bank’s scrip touched a 52-week high of
₹859.70 on the BSE before ending at ₹841.05, registering a gain of 10.8 per
cent over the previous day’s close. ICICI Bank becomes the second lender after
HDFC Bank to break into the top five companies on the BSE in terms of m-cap.
Note: ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep
Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum
Hai Na, Khayal Apka.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Ramnath Krishnan appointed as MD and Group CEO of ICRA: Ramnath Krishnan
has been appointed as the new Managing Director and Group Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of rating agency ICRA. He replaces N Sivaraman, who resigned with
immediate effect citing personal reasons on October 23, 2021. Gurgaon based
ICRA is a unit owned by global rating agency Moody’s Corporation.
2.
Adidas ropes in Deepika Padukone as Global brand ambassador: German sportswear
brand Adidas has roped in Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone as global
ambassador for women sports. She will represent Adidas women globally. She
joins the elite list of female brand ambassadors of Adidas in India, including
Mirabai Chanu; boxers Lovlina Borgohain, Nikhat Zareen and Simranjeet Kaur;
sprinter Hima Das, and squash player Dipika Pallikal.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1.
Rajinikanth honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Actor Rajinikanth
was honoured with the prestigious 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 67th
National Film Awards ceremony, for his contribution as an actor, producer and
screenwriter. He received the prestigious award from Vice President M Venkaiah
Naidu for his stupendous contribution to Indian cinema.
Instituted in 1969, the award is the
highest honour for an artiste in Indian cinema. The award was decided by a jury
consisting of five members: Asha Bhonsle, director Subhash Ghai, Mohanlal,
Shankar Mahadevan and actor Biswajeet Chatterjee. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award
for 2019 was to be announced last year but was postponed because of the
Covid-19 pandemic, as were the National Film Awards for 2019.
Some of the winners:
|
Best Feature Film: |
Marakkar: Lion of the
Arabian Sea (Malayalam) |
|
Best Actor (shared): |
Manoj Bajpayee for Bhonsle (Hindi), and
Dhanush for Asuran (Tamil) |
|
Best Actress: |
Kangana Ranaut for
Panga (Hindi) and Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (Hindi) |
|
Best Supporting
Actress: |
Pallavi Joshi for The
Tashkent Files (Hindi) |
|
Best Supporting Actor:
|
Vijay Sethupathi for
Super Deluxe (Tamil) |
|
Best Director: |
Sanjay Puran Singh
Chauhan for Bahattar Hoorain (Hindi) |
|
Best Action Direction:
|
Avane Srimannarayana
(Kannada), Vikram Mor |
|
Best Choreography: |
Maharishi (Telugu),
Raju Sundaram |
|
Best Special Effects: |
Marakkar: Lion of the
Arabian Sea (Malayalam), Siddharth Priyadarshan |
|
Special Jury Award: |
Oththa Seruppu Size 7
(Tamil), Radhakrishnan Parthiban |
|
Best Lyrics: |
Prabha Varma for
Kolaambi (Malayalam) |
|
Best Music Direction: |
D. Imman for Viswasam
(Tamil) |
|
Best Background Music:
|
Prabuddha Banerjee for
Jyeshthoputro (Bengali) |
|
Best Children’s Film: |
Kastoori (Hindi) |
|
Best Film on
Environment Conservation: |
Water Burial (Monpa) |
|
Best Film on Social
Issues: |
Anandi Gopal (Marathi) |
|
Best Female Playback
Singer: |
Savani Ravindra for
Bardo (Marathi) |
|
Best Male Playback
Singer: |
B Praak for Kesari
(Hindi) |
|
Best Hindi Film: |
Chhichhore |
|
Most Film Friendly
State: |
Sikkim |
|
Best Book on Cinema: |
A Gandhian Affair:
India’s Curious Portrayal of Love in Cinema, by Sanjay Suri |
1.
Invest India elected as President of Geneva-based WAIPA: Invest India, a
young startup within the Government of India has been unanimously elected as
the President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA)
for 2021-2023. Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and
Facilitation Agency to help investors looking for investment opportunities and
options in India.
The members of the Steering Committee of
WAIPA for 2021-23 includes:
President: Invest India
Two Vice Presidents: Egypt and Switzerland
9 Regional Directors: Brazil, South Korea,
Finland, Kuwait, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Ghana, and Samoa.
Note: World Association of Investment
Promotion Agencies Founded: 1995.
2.
NITI Aayog launches “Innovations for You” Digi-Book: The Atal Innovation
Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog has launched a Digi-book named “Innovations for
You”. The sector in focus in this Digi-book is Healthcare. “Innovation for you”
is an initiative of Niti Aayog to share success stories of Atal Innovation
Mission’s Startups in different domains. The Digi-book was launched with the
aim of serving as an encouragement for upcoming entrepreneurs in order to work
on the path of creativity and imagination for addressing some of the pressing
challenges in India. It also aims to showcase the best innovations and
entrepreneurs to bring them to the forefront.
NITI Aayog’s Digi Book:
(1) NITI aayog has launched the DIGI book,
as India is celebrating the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
(2) Digi-book is a compilation of 45 health
tech start-ups. These start-ups have been incubated at the Atal Incubation
Centres across the country.
(3) These start-ups have been leveraging
technologies such as AI, IoT, ICT and others for providing socially relevant
solutions to health issues like neonatal & child care, mental health,
dental care, anaemia and monitoring human vitals.
3.
India’s first ‘test tube’ Banni buffalo calf born in Gujarat: The first IVF calf
of “Banni” breed of buffaloes, found primarily in Gujarat’s Kutch region, was
born at a farmer’s house in the state’s Gir Somnath district. The process was
carried out to enhance the number of genetically superior buffaloes to increase
milk production. Banni buffalo is known for its resilience and higher
milk-producing capacity in an arid environment. The breed had achieved six
pregnancies from 18 recipient buffaloes at his farm, which were implanted with
embryos through IVF technology, and the process was carried out by JKBovagenix
of NGO JK Trust. India has more than 109 million buffaloes that are 56 per cent
of the world’s buffalo population.
4.
U.P. govt renames Faizabad station as Ayodhya Cantt: The Uttar Pradesh
government has decided to rename the Faizabad Junction to Ayodhya Cantt
railways station. Opened in 1874, the Faizabad railway station comes under the
Northern Railway zone. It falls under the Lucknow-Varanasi section. Earlier in
2018, the Yogi Adityanath government had renamed Faizabad Ayodhya on the
occasion of Diwali. The BJP government also changed the name of Allahabad to
Prayagraj and Mughalsarai railway junction as Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay junction.
Note: UP Capital: Lucknow; UP Governor:
Anandiben Patel; UP Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath.
5.
Indian Army celebrates 75th Infantry Day on 27 October: The Indian Army
celebrates October 27 every year as the ‘Infantry Day’. This year nation
celebrates its 75th Infantry Day on October 27, 2021. On this day that the 1st
Battalion of the Sikh Regiment landed at Srinagar airbase and displayed
resoluteness and extraordinary courage and became ‘The Wall’ to thwart the evil
designs of the Pakistan Army, who had invaded Kashmir with the help of tribal
raiders in 1947.
History of Infantry Day: Infantry Day is
celebrated as a remembrance of the first military event of independent India,
when the First Battalion of the Sikh Regiment of Indian Army fought battle to
accomplish victory over the first attack on the Indian soil by the Pakistan
Army and Lashkar invader on October 27, 1947, in the Kashmir valley, who tried
to grab J&K.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
South Korea flight tests first homegrown space rocket “Nuri”: South Korea
recently launched its first indigenously developed rocket, known as “Korean Satellite
Launch Vehicle II” or “Nuri”. The launch vehicle lifted off from the Naro Space
Center, in Goheung, built on an island nearly 300 miles (500 kilometres) south
of Seoul. Nuri rocket is 47.2 metres long and weighs 200 tons. The three-stage
rocket is fitted with six liquid-fuelled engines. It has been built at an
estimated cost of 2 trillion won (£1.23bn or $1.6bn).
Note: South Korea President: Moon Jae-in;
South Korea Capital: Seoul; South Korea Currency: South Korean won.
2.
China launches satellite ‘Shijian-21’: China successfully launched a new satellite
named Shijian-21. The satellite will be used to test and verify space debris
mitigation technologies. Shijian-21 was launched from the Xichang Satellite
Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on a Long March-3B carrier
rocket. The satellite will be mainly used to test and verify space debris
mitigation technologies. This launch marked the 393rd mission for the Long
March series carrier rockets.
Note: China Capital: Beijing; China Currency:
Renminbi; China President: Xi Jinping.
3.
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage: 27th October: The World Day for
Audiovisual Heritage is observed every year on 27 October. The World Day for
Audiovisual Heritage is a key initiative for both UNESCO and the Coordinating
Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) to honour audiovisual
preservation professionals and institutions that safeguard our heritage for
future generations. The day was chosen to raise awareness of the significance
and preservation risks of recorded sound and audiovisual documents. The theme
of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2021: “Your Window to the World”.
History of the day: The 33rd session
of UNESCO’s General Conference adopted 33 C/Resolution 53 to proclaim 27 October
as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, in commemoration of the adoption, in
1980 by the 21st session of the General Conference, of the Recommendation for
the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images.
Note: UNESCO headquarters: Paris, France;
UNESCO Head: Audrey Azoulay; UNESCO Founded: 16 November 1945.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
Nagaland to host 56th National Cross Country Championship: The 2022 South
Asian Federation Cross Country Championships is scheduled to be held in Kohima,
Nagaland on January 15, 2022. Besides this, the 56th National Cross Country
Championships will also be clubbed with the South Asian Federation Cross
Country Championships. This will be the first-ever national athletics event
hosted by Nagaland. Top athletes from the eight South Asian countries will take
part in the day-long international sports event. The championship will involve
running on different types of terrain including sprint over dirt, jog downhill
and mounting uphill.
Note: Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu
Rio; Governor of Nagaland: Jagdish Mukhi.
2.
Hyderabad Cricket Association unveiled World’s biggest cricket bat: Former India
captain and now Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Mohd Azharuddin
has unveiled what is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the
biggest cricket bat, designed by Pernod Ricard India (P) Ltd, on Tank Bund. The
bat measures 56.10 feet, weighs 9-tonnes and is made of poplar wood. This was
to convey best wishes to the Indian cricket team and bring back the T-20 World
Cup in Dubai.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1.
ICICI Bank surpasses HUL to occupy 5th spot in m-cap: Private sector
lender ICICI Bank has crossed the market capitalisation of Hindustan Unilever
to become the fifth-largest company by market value. According to BSE data,
ICICI Bank’s market capitalisation (m-cap) stood at ₹5.83 lakh crore, just
above HUL’s ₹5.76 lakh crore. This follows the bank posting its highest ever
quarterly net profit in the July to September 2021 quarter.
The bank’s scrip touched a 52-week high of
₹859.70 on the BSE before ending at ₹841.05, registering a gain of 10.8 per
cent over the previous day’s close. ICICI Bank becomes the second lender after
HDFC Bank to break into the top five companies on the BSE in terms of m-cap.
Note: ICICI Bank MD & CEO: Sandeep
Bakhshi; ICICI Bank Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra; ICICI Bank Tagline: Hum
Hai Na, Khayal Apka.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Ramnath Krishnan appointed as MD and Group CEO of ICRA: Ramnath Krishnan
has been appointed as the new Managing Director and Group Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of rating agency ICRA. He replaces N Sivaraman, who resigned with
immediate effect citing personal reasons on October 23, 2021. Gurgaon based
ICRA is a unit owned by global rating agency Moody’s Corporation.
2.
Adidas ropes in Deepika Padukone as Global brand ambassador: German sportswear
brand Adidas has roped in Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone as global
ambassador for women sports. She will represent Adidas women globally. She
joins the elite list of female brand ambassadors of Adidas in India, including
Mirabai Chanu; boxers Lovlina Borgohain, Nikhat Zareen and Simranjeet Kaur;
sprinter Hima Das, and squash player Dipika Pallikal.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1.
Rajinikanth honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Actor Rajinikanth
was honoured with the prestigious 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 67th
National Film Awards ceremony, for his contribution as an actor, producer and
screenwriter. He received the prestigious award from Vice President M Venkaiah
Naidu for his stupendous contribution to Indian cinema.
Instituted in 1969, the award is the
highest honour for an artiste in Indian cinema. The award was decided by a jury
consisting of five members: Asha Bhonsle, director Subhash Ghai, Mohanlal,
Shankar Mahadevan and actor Biswajeet Chatterjee. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award
for 2019 was to be announced last year but was postponed because of the
Covid-19 pandemic, as were the National Film Awards for 2019.
Some of the winners:
|
Best Feature Film: |
Marakkar: Lion of the
Arabian Sea (Malayalam) |
|
Best Actor (shared): |
Manoj Bajpayee for Bhonsle (Hindi), and
Dhanush for Asuran (Tamil) |
|
Best Actress: |
Kangana Ranaut for
Panga (Hindi) and Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi (Hindi) |
|
Best Supporting
Actress: |
Pallavi Joshi for The
Tashkent Files (Hindi) |
|
Best Supporting Actor:
|
Vijay Sethupathi for
Super Deluxe (Tamil) |
|
Best Director: |
Sanjay Puran Singh
Chauhan for Bahattar Hoorain (Hindi) |
|
Best Action Direction:
|
Avane Srimannarayana
(Kannada), Vikram Mor |
|
Best Choreography: |
Maharishi (Telugu),
Raju Sundaram |
|
Best Special Effects: |
Marakkar: Lion of the
Arabian Sea (Malayalam), Siddharth Priyadarshan |
|
Special Jury Award: |
Oththa Seruppu Size 7
(Tamil), Radhakrishnan Parthiban |
|
Best Lyrics: |
Prabha Varma for
Kolaambi (Malayalam) |
|
Best Music Direction: |
D. Imman for Viswasam
(Tamil) |
|
Best Background Music:
|
Prabuddha Banerjee for
Jyeshthoputro (Bengali) |
|
Best Children’s Film: |
Kastoori (Hindi) |
|
Best Film on
Environment Conservation: |
Water Burial (Monpa) |
|
Best Film on Social
Issues: |
Anandi Gopal (Marathi) |
|
Best Female Playback
Singer: |
Savani Ravindra for
Bardo (Marathi) |
|
Best Male Playback
Singer: |
B Praak for Kesari
(Hindi) |
|
Best Hindi Film: |
Chhichhore |
|
Most Film Friendly
State: |
Sikkim |
|
Best Book on Cinema: |
A Gandhian Affair:
India’s Curious Portrayal of Love in Cinema, by Sanjay Suri |
