PREFACE
It gives us great pleasure to release the monthly edition of the PRAVAHINI - Monthly e-Compendium & Weekly e-Periodicals of Current Affairs. The magazine’s members have shown considerable cooperation as well as devotion. We at successmantra.in work tirelessly to create this magazine and bring it to you with a great sense of gratitude.
The PRAVAHINI October-2021 eBook covers the current events that happened in the month of October. Current Affairs is a crucial component of any competitive exams including CLAT, AILET, DU-LLB, HM, CAT, IAS, PCS, SSC, Banking, MBA and various other competitive examinations.
Current Affairs play the bigger role in many competitive and government exams. It holds the power of making or breaking your chance of success. Therefore, the candidates should cover the Current Affairs thoroughly and smartly.
The PRAVAHINI October-2021 eBook is divided into different sections keeping in mind the need of various exams. The sections covered namely International, National, Economy, Ecology and Environment, Science & Technology, Legal Affairs, Sports, States News Makers and few others.
We would also be pleased to receive any suggestion that could assist us with the upcoming editions.
Success Mantra (GTB Nagar, Delhi)
Website: www.successmantra.in
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. National Affairs
2. International Affairs
3. Economic Affairs
4. Appointments
5. Awards And Honors
6. Important Dates & Sports
7. Reports And Indexes
8. Science & Technology
9. Miscellaneous
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
PM MODI TO ATTEND 16TH G20 & COP-26 SUMMIT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Rome and Glasgow from 29 October to 2 November to attend the 16th G-20 Summit and the World Leaders’ Summit of COP-26.
Modi will participate in the 16th G-20 Summit in Rome from 30th and 31st October, the 8th G-20 Summit that the prime minister will be attending at the invitation of Prime Minister of Italy, Mario Draghi.
The Summit will also be attended by Heads of State and Heads of Government of G-20 Member Countries, the European Union and other invited countries and International Organizations.
India is scheduled to host the G-20 Summit in 2023 for the first time.
The Summit under the Italian Presidency focuses on the theme ‘People, Planet, Prosperity, focussing on Recovery from the Pandemic and Strengthening of Global Health Governance, Economic Recovery and Resilience, Climate Change and Energy Transition and Sustainable Development and Food Security.
PM Modi will travel to Glasgow to attend the World Leader’s Summit of the 26th Conference of Parties COP-26 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the UK Boris Johnson.
COP-26 is being held from 31 October to 12 November this year under the Presidency of the UK partnering with Italy.
The high-level segment of COP-26 titled the World Leaders’ Summit will be held on 1st and 2nd November 2021.
COP-26 was initially slated to be held in 2020 but was delayed to 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The UNFCCC embodies the global will and vision to combat climate change. The Prime Minister last visited the COP-21 in Paris in 2015, when the Paris Agreement ended.
At COP-26, the Parties will work on the completion of Paris Agreement implementation guidelines,
• The mobilization of climate finance
• Actions to strengthen climate adaptation
• Technology development and transfer
• Keeping in reach the Paris Agreement goals of limiting the rise in global temperatures.
DELHI GOVT. SET TO LAUNCH ROJGAR BAZAAR 2.0
The Delhi Government is set to launch the Rojgar Bazaar 2.0 portal that will be a digital job matching platform for entry-level jobs in India.
The government had launched the Rojgar Bazaar 1.0 in 2020 that served as a useful platform for youths looking for jobs and small businesses looking for skilled workers in Delhi.
Rojgar Bazaar 2.0 is a digital job matching platform in India that will offer entry-level jobs. The app will work on an Artificial Intelligence-based job matching system to offer end-to-end employment-related information to job seekers in Delhi.
The app will be launched by the Delhi Government. Tenders for the app has issued by the Delhi Government on October 14, 2021.
The app will offer services relating to skill training, job-matching, and career guidance. The platform will also offer a range of other critical services including skilling, skill credentialing, career guidance, and automated analytics services.
The Rojgar Bazaar 2.0 aims at enhancing the job-matching process as well as the ability of job seekers to find meaningful employment opportunities.
Services such as career guidance and skilling will help to find an aspirational career while a strong analytics platform will offer the Government data to frame policies in a better way.
PM MODI TO ATTEND 18TH ASEAN-INDIA SUMMIT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 18th ASEAN-India Summit Virtually on 28 October in Brunei.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will review the status of the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership and assess progress made in critical areas including Covid-19 and health, trade, education and culture with his counterparts from ASEAN nations at the 18th ASEAN-India Summit.
According to an official statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Summit will be attended by Heads of State/Government of the ten ASEAN countries.
Significant regional and international developments, including post-pandemic economic recovery, will also be discussed at the Summit.
At the India-ASEAN business summit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had remarked that India’s ties with ASEAN have grown over the years, connectivity and security being the latest addition to the areas of collaboration.
The ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ASEAN-India Summits are held every year and provide opportunities for India and ASEAN to engage at the highest political level.
PM AYUSHMAN BHARAT HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE MISSION
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 'PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission & Release of Operational Guidelines' on October 25, 2021. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was also present on the occasion.
The Prime Minister had earlier inaugurated nine medical colleges in Siddharthnagar. PM Modi will also inaugurate various development projects worth more than Rs 5200 crore for Varanasi.
Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana will be one of the largest pan-India schemes that will focus on strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country. It will be launched in addition to the National Health Mission.
The key objective of PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY) will be to fill critical gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in primary care and critical care facilities in both urban and rural areas.
The scheme will provide support to set up 17,788 rural Health and Wellness Centres in 10 high focus states. Besides this, 11,024 urban Health and Wellness Centres will be established in all the States.
This will enable people to have full access to a wide range of diagnostic services in the Public Healthcare system through a network of laboratories across the country.
Integrated Public Health Labs will be set up across all the districts.
RK SINGH LAUNCHED 'GREEN DAY MARKET AHEAD'
Power Minister RK Singh launched the green day-ahead market (GDAM), In a bid to further deepen the electricity trade in India.
The launch will also present competitive price signals, besides offering an opportunity to the market participants to trade in green energy in the most transparent, flexible, competitive, and efficient manner.
The big industries can go green, and the Government would make efforts to simplify business, and GDAM is a step in that direction. The Centre is working to implement the Green Hydrogen Mission.
The market-based competitive prices will provide another option to renewable generators to sell power and accelerate the renewable capacity.
The distribution utilities would also be able to sell surplus renewable power generated in their area.
The obligated entities would also meet the RPO target by directly buying green power from the power exchange(s).
The non-obligated entities will be able to buy power voluntarily and help increase the share of green power.
Green Day Ahead Market
GDAM will operate in an integrated way with the conventional day-ahead market. The Exchanges will allow market participants to submit bids together for conventional and renewable energy through the separate bidding windows.
The clearance will consecutively take place - renewable energy bids will be cleared first with the must-run status by the conventional segment.
This mechanism will allow renewable energy sellers to bid in the conventional segment if their bids remain voluntarily in the green market. There will be separate price discoveries for both conventional and renewables.
GOVT. OF INDIA LAUNCHED 'HAR GHAR DASTAK' CAMPAIGN
The Union government will soon start a mega vaccination campaign called 'Har Ghar Dastak' to boost COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the poor-performing districts.
The Har Ghar Dastak campaign aims to achieve full vaccination by November end, informed Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on October 27, 2021.
Under the campaign, the healthcare workers will go door-to-door to vaccinate those who are due to take their second dose and also those who have not taken the first dose.
The Har Ghar Dastak campaign will be launched over the next one month to administer COVID-19 vaccine to those who have not yet taken it, especially in the poor performing districts.
The campaign aims to encourage people to take the COVID vaccine. The health minister stated during the national review meeting that no district should be without full vaccination.
The centre further identified around 48 districts where less than 50 percent of the eligible population has been vaccinated against COVID-19.
ICGS SARTHAK DEDICATED TO THE NATION
A new Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Sarthak’ has been dedicated to the nation on October 28, 2021. It will be based at Porbandar in Gujarat.
The indigenously built ship was commissioned by the Director-General of Indian Coast Guard, K Natarajan, at Goa.
ICGS Sarthak is commanded by Deputy Inspector General MM Syed and has a complement of 11 Officers and 110 men.
About the ICGS Sarthak: ICGS Sarthak is fourth in the series of five Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) being built by Goa Shipyard Limited for the ICG, to boost maritime safety and security of India.
The 105-meter-long ship displacing 2,450 tons is propelled by two 9,100 kilowatt diesel engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots.
The ship is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, machinery, sensors and weapons which enables it to function as a command platform and undertake mandated Coast Guard charter of duties including search & rescue, combating maritime crimes and preserving & protecting the marine environment.
Indian Coast Guard is a pioneer in inducting indigenous platforms and ICGS Sarthak is a glowing example of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
KRISHI UDAN 2.0 LAUNCHED BY AVIATION MINISTRY
The Civil Aviation Ministry on October 27, 2021, launched Krishi Udan 2.0 scheme.
While launching the scheme, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the scheme will give significant focus on optimizing and incentivizing air transportation of agricultural produce from hilly areas, northeastern states, and tribal regions across India.
The scheme is a testament to the commitment of the Indian government towards doubling farmers' income.
What is Krishi Udan 2.0?
The Krishi Udan 2.0 scheme proposes to optimize and incentivize transport Agri-produce by air transportation.
The scheme shows the vision of improving value realization through better integration and optimization of Agri-harvesting and air transportation and contributing to Agri-value chain sustainability and resilience under different and dynamic conditions.
The Krishi Udan 2.0 reflects the collaborative approach of the government towards policymaking.
The scheme will boost the growth avenues for the agriculture sector and help them attain the goal of doubling farmers’ income by optimizing the supply chain, logistics, and transportation of farm produce.
The first phase of the Krishi Udan 2.0 scheme will be implemented across 53 airports in India with the main focus on the Northeast and tribal regions. Apart from the primary focus on the Northeast region, the scheme will additionally cover the North, entire Western coast, and Southern India (including two islands).
These airports have been strategically selected to offer access to the regional domestic markets and international markets as well.
The scheme initially is expected to benefit farmers, freight forwarders, and Airlines. The Civil Aviation Ministry aims to launch a pilot scheme in 6 months. Based on the results, it will introduce amendments.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
TURKEY IN FATF'S GREY LIST ALONG WITH PAKISTAN
Global terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has retained Pakistan on its ‘Grey List’ of countries.
In a briefing, FATF president Marcus Pleyer also said that three new countries Turkey, Jordan, and Mali have also been added to the Grey List.
In June this year, the FATF had retained Pakistan on its ‘Grey List’ for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing.
The FATF asked Islamabad to investigate and prosecute UN-designated terror terrorists including Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar. It also asked Pakistan to work to address its strategically important deficiencies.
Pakistan was placed on the Grey List by the FATF in June 2018. Since then, Pakistan continues to be in the list due to its failure to comply with the FATF mandates.
Due to its placing on the Grey List, it has become increasingly difficult for Pakistan to get financial aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Union.
COUNTRIES OF CONCERN ON CLIMATE LISTED BY US
India is categorized in the Countries of Concern on climate list by an American Intelligence Community report called National Intelligence Estimate on climate.
India was put on this list with 10 other countries- Afghanistan, Haiti, Colombia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iraq, North Korea, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
These countries will show the brunt of global warmings such as intensifying & more frequent heat waves & droughts, and water & power scarcity.
Frequent heat waves and droughts will build water supply problems. They might strain their electric utility operations while growing population & economies will increase the electricity demands to handle rising temperatures.
Frequent and intense cyclones will contaminate water sources and increase disease transmission in some 11 countries. The instances of dengue will probably increase in countries like India, Haiti, Afghanistan, Guatemala, Iraq, Honduras, and Pakistan.
The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report was the first-ever “National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on climate”. It was put together by the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
SANDRA MASON ELECTED AS 1ST PRESIDENT OF BARBAROS
Sandra Mason was elected as the first-ever President of Barbados, with a two-thirds vote during a joint session of the country's House of Assembly and Senate.
The 72-year-old Mason will replace Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state of Barbados, in a decisive step towards abolishing the monarchy and bringing the nation out of its colonial past.
Mason will be formally sworn in as President on November 30, 2021, on the occasion of the nation's 55th anniversary of independence from Britain.
Sandra Mason has been serving as the eighth governor-general of Barbados since 2018. She is a former jurist and first-ever woman to serve on the Barbados Court of Appeals.
She has formerly also served as a High Court judge in Saint Lucia. She was the first woman to be admitted to the Bar in Barbados.
Barbados Political History
Barbados is a small island country that is located in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, in the Caribbean region of the Americas. It is located towards the east of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Initially, in the late 15th century, the Spanish had briefly claimed Barbados but it became an English and later British colony from 1625.
Barbados gained its independence from the British on November 30, 1966. Barbados has since then maintained its historical linkages with Britain by becoming a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The nation became a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as its monarch. It is a member of the United Nations.
The nation is now planning to abolish its constitutional monarchy and become a republic.
CHINA PASSED NEW LAND BORDER LAW AMID STANDOFF
Amid the military standoff with India in eastern Ladakh, China’s national legislature on October 23, 2021, adopted a new Land Border Law for the protection and exploitation of the land border areas.
The law states that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China are sacred and inviolable. The Land Border Law will come into effect from January 1, 2022.
The Law reflects the growing confidence of China in its capability to manage its 22,000-km land border with 14 countries.
The Land Border Law was approved by the members of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee at the closing meeting of the 31st session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee.
The meeting was presided over by the NPC Standing Committee’s Chairman Li Zhanshu. President Xi Jinping signed orders to promulgate the law.
The Land Border Law reflects the growing confidence of China in its capability to manage its 22,000-km land border with 14 countries including Russia, North Korea, Mongolia, India, and Bhutan.
China has land border disputes with India (3,488-km along LAC) and Bhutan (400-km) while it has resolved boundary disputes with 12 countries.
The Law states that China shall follow the principle of equality, mutual trust, and friendly consultation.
It will conduct negotiations with neighbouring countries to manage land border-related affairs and resolve longstanding border issues and disputes. Though the law also states that China can close its border if it recognizes a war or any armed conflict as a threat to its border security.
India-China border dispute: India-China border disputes run 3,488-km along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). On June 15, 2020, the India-China border witnessed the worst violence since 1967 that killed 20 Indian soldiers.
The clash occurred in the Galwan Valley which is strategically located between Ladakh on the Indian side of LAC and Aksai Chin on China’s side of the LAC.
Following the clash in Galwan Valley, China claimed that the entire valley belongs to China while India termed the claim as exaggerated.
As per experts and scholars, the LAC claims and territorial claims are different. The LAC claims refer to the territory which is under the effective control of each country. India refers to China’s claim to the entire Galwan Valley as unilaterally altering the LAC.
IND, AUS & UK TO LAUNCH IRIS INITIATIVE AT COP-26
India, Australia, and the UK in collaboration with small island developing states (SIDS), have planned to launch a new initiative “Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS)”, on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties (COP26).
The IRIS platform aims at creating an infrastructure that can withstand disasters and lessen economic losses in island nations.
The IRIS initiative will be launched with initial funding of $10 million from Australia, India and the UK.
The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is scheduled to take place from October 31 to November 12, 2021.
TRUMP TO LAUNCH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM 'TRUTH SOCIAL'
Donald Trump has announced plans to launch a social media platform called TRUTH Social that will be rolled out early next year.
The former US president, who was banned from Facebook and Twitter earlier this year, says his goal is to rival the tech companies that have denied him the megaphone that was paramount to his rise.
Truth social will be a product of a new venture called the Trump Media & Technology Group. He wants to create a platform that rivals Twitter or Facebook, but that simply won’t happen.
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
GITA GOPINATH TO LEAVE INT. MONETARY FUND (IMF)
Gita Gopinath, the first-ever woman chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is set to leave her post in January 2022. This was announced by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on October 19, 2021.
The 49-year-old had made history by becoming the first-ever woman chief economist of IMF when she joined the fund in October 2018. She has played a major role in leading IMF's analytical research, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She had a significant part in drafting a $50 billion proposal on ending the Covid-19 pandemic by vaccinating at least 40 percent people of all countries by the end of 2021 and 60 percent by the first half of 2022.
Her proposal later received the backing of the World Health Organisation, World Bank and the World Trade Organization.
Gita Gopinath is currently on a public service leave of absence from the university. The leave, which was already extended by one year, is scheduled to end soon.
She will continue to be a part of the IMF to oversee the release of its next World Economic Outlook forecasts in January 2022.
Gita Gopinath was appointed as the Chief Economist of IMF in October 2018. Before that, she taught International Studies and Economics at Harvard University.
She had been named as a young global leader by the World Economic Forum in 2011. Gopinath was born in India to Malayalee parents and did her schooling in Kolkata and graduated from the Lady Shri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi.
MICROSOFT BECOMES WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE COMPANY
Microsoft passed Apple in market cap making it the world's most valuable publicly traded company, after Apple missed earnings expectations on Thursday.
Microsoft had a market cap of nearly $2.49 trillion at market close, while Apple's stood at about $2.46 trillion.
Microsoft became the second US public firm to surpass a $2 trillion market value in June, driven by expectations that its dominance in cloud computing and enterprise software will expand further in a post-coronavirus future.
This year, its stock has outpaced Apple and Amazon.com Inc. on forecasts of long-term earnings and revenue growth, as well as expansion in areas such as machine learning and cloud computing.
Microsoft is up more than 49%, Apple is up around 13%, and Amazon is up more than 3%.
Apple was the first company to reach a $1 trillion and $2 trillion market cap. It became the world's most valuable publicly traded company when it surpassed state oil giant Saudi Aramco in market cap last year.
Microsoft last topped Apple in market cap in 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on supply chains. It first closed above a $2 trillion market cap in June after revealing the first major update to Windows in more than five years.
APPOINTMENTS
ASHOK BHUSHAN APPOINTED AS. CHAIRPERSON OF NCLAT
The Centre has appointed former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ashok Bhushan as the new Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), for a period of four years or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is the earliest.
He was the former Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. NCLAT was formed by the government under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013.
Apart from this, Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar has been appointed as the new President of the quasi-judicial body, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for five years or till he attains the age of 67 years.
Justice Sudhakar was the former Chief Justice of Manipur High Court.
ANITA ANAND AS CANADA'S NEW DEFENCE MINISTER
Anita Anand, Indian-Origin Canadian politician, announced to be the new Defence Minister of Canada.
The decision was taken in a cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a month after his liberal party returned to power in snap polls and amid the calls for the major military reforms.
The 54-year old Anita Anand will replace a long time Defence Minister of India-Origin Harjit Sajjan, who has been under criticism for his handling of military sexual misconduct.
The new Cabinet of Canada maintains the gender balance and has 39 members, up one person from before the election. The new Cabinet was sworn in at the Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
The new Defence Minister of Canada, Anita Anand, has a deep background as a corporate lawyer. She has worked extensively on corporate governance, which refers particularly to the laws and rules in place to manage the operations of the business.
Anand was first elected as the rookie Member of Parliament in 2019 representing Oakville in Ontario Province. She served as the procurement minister throughout the Coronavirus pandemic in Canada.
Reportedly, the top priority of Anita Anand as the new Defence Minister of Canada is to make everyone feel safe in the armed forces. Notably, the former Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan was criticized for his handling of sexual misconduct.
Anand has been seen as a strong contender for weeks among the defence industry experts. According to them, moving Anand into the role will send a powerful signal to the survivors and the victims of the military sexual misconduct that the Canadian Government is serious about implementing major reforms.
The latest reshuffling of Canadian Cabinet ministers is being done after Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a comeback by winning the recently held parliamentary elections in September 2021.
He won against the Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, however, Trudeau failed to gain an absolute majority.
AWARDS & HONOURS
PEACE PRIZE OF THE GERMAN BOOK TRADE 2021
The Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2021 has been awarded to the Zimbabwean author and a filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga for a “new Enlightenment”
It is a work on violence in her country and all over the world by Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, an association of German book publishers and booksellers.
Dangarembga is the first black woman to win the German Peace Prize.
She has won the PEN Pinter prize 2021. Her debut novel, Nervous condition was the first to be published in English by black women from Zimbabwe.
About German Peace Prize:
Awarded by: Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, Germany
MAJOR DHYAN CHAND KHEL RATNA AWARD
India’s inspiring show at the Paralympics and Tokyo Olympics has reflected in an unprecedented 11 recommendations for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
Indian athletes Neeraj Chopra, Lovlina Borgohain, Ravi Dahiya and Mithali Raj are among those who have been named for the highest honour.
Apart from Khel Ratna Award, the selection committee has also recommended 35 athletes for Arjun Honour, which is eight more than the last year’s pick.
Dronacharya Award, on the other hand, will be awarded to TP Ouseph, Radhakrishna Nair, Sandeep Sangwan among others.
Athletes recommended for Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
The 23-year old Neeraj Chopra had become the only second Indian to win an individual Olympic Gold Medal in the recently held Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Besides Chopra, silver-medal winning wrestler Ravi Dahiya, woman boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who won a bronze have been recommended for the country’s highest sports honour.
Women’s Cricket Team ODI and Test Match Captain Mithali Raj and seasoned Hockey Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has been selected with Sunil Chhetri, who is set to become India’s first footballer to receive Khel Ratna Award.
Recommendation for Arjuna Award
35 athletes have been recommended for the Arjuna Award. Para table tennis player Bhavina Patel, cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, para shuttler Suhas Sathitraj and High Jumper Nishad Kumar are among those who have been selected for the award for their outstanding performances.
Shikhar Dhawan has become the 57th cricketer to be awarded the Arjuna Honour.
All the members of the men’s Hockey team, who won the historic Tokyo Olympics bronze medal, have been recommended for recognition. However, it doesn’t include those who have already won the honour.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award carries a prize of Rs. 25 lakh and a citation, while the Arjun Award winners will receive Rs. 15 lakh each and a citation.
Renaming of Khel Ratna Award
In August 2021, Prime Minister Modi had announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award has been renamed as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
The Prime Minister said that the highest sporting honour in India which was named after the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has been rechristened in the honour of Hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand.
And also the decision of renaming the award has been taken on the requests of citizens from all over the country.
PARAMBIKULAM FOUNDATION BAGS EARTH AWARD
The Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundation has bagged the Earth Guardian Award instituted by the NatWest Group.
The eight winners of the award were felicitated by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora secretary-general Ivonne Higuero through a virtual ceremony.
About the Earth Guardian Award: These awards were instituted by NatWest Group India. They are part of an initiative which recognises the efforts of individuals and institutions that are working to subvert climate change by conserving & preserving biodiversity in India.
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve: Parambikulam Tiger Reserve also includes erstwhile Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, which is spread across 391 square kilometres.
It is a protected area in Palakkad district of Kerala. It was established in 1973. The sanctuary lies in the Sungam range of hills in between Anaimalai Hills and Nelliampathy Hills.
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a part of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in 2010. Tiger reserve implements the Participatory Forest Management Scheme (PFMS).
ALEXEI NAVALNY AWARDED WITH SAKHAROV PRIZE
Imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been awarded the European Union's highest award for human rights-Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
The Russian political leader was nominated for the award along with Afghan women and Bolivian political leader Jeanine Áñez, who had served as the interim president of the nation in 2019 after alleged electoral fraud by Evo Morales.
Jeanine Áñezwas was later arrested on charges of plotting a coup against Morales.
Navalny was selected for the honour by the leaders of the political parties represented in the European Parliament during a plenary session on October 20 in Strasbourg.
The Sakharov Prize is supposed to be presented during a European Parliament session in Strasbourg on December 15. However, this seems unlikely in the case of Navalny as he is currently serving a two-and-a-half-year jail term in Russia.
Alexei Navalny is a Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist. He is the leader of Russia of the Future party and founder of the Anti-Corruption Foundation.
He had organised several anti-government demonstrations and had also run for office to advocate for reforms against corruption in Russia and against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government.
The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was set up in 1988 by the European Parliament to honour individuals or groups who have dedicated their lives in the defense of human rights and freedom of thought.
The Sakharov Prize has been named in the honour of Soviet physicist and political dissident Andrei Sakharov, who was an advocate of civil liberties in the former Soviet Union.
51ST DADASAHEB PHALKE AWARD TO RAJNIKANTH
Legendary actor Rajnikanth was honoured with the 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 67th National Film Awards ceremony held in Delhi.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu conferred the prestigious award upon the actor for his outstanding contribution to the world of Indian cinema.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2019 was supposed to be announced last year along with the 2019 National Film Awards but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dadasaheb Phalke is awarded for excellence in cinematic achievement by the union government. It is India's highest honour in films.
Rajinikanth, who enjoys a demigod status in the south, has now become the 12th South Indian to win the prestigious film award.
The award has honoured several other legends in the past including K Balachander, Akkineni Nageshwar Rao and Dr. Rajkumar.
Rajnikanth was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and Padma Vibhushan in 2016.
Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2018 winner: The 50th Dadasaheb Phalke Award was conferred upon another Legendary Indian actor-Amitabh Bachchan for his immense contribution to Indian cinema.
The megastar had shared screen space with Rajinikanth in the 1991 action-drama film 'Hum'.
SPORTS
INDIA RANKED AT 106TH FIFA IN MEN'S RANKINGS
Belgium has retained the top rank in FIFA Men's rankings October 2021 with a total of 1832.33 points, followed by Brazil at second rank with 1820.36 points.
Defending World Champions France has moved up the FIFA men's rankings list to the third position with 1779.24 points, followed by Italy which has also moved up to the fourth rank with 1750.52 points.
England has dropped two positions to fifth rank with a total of 1750.16 points, followed by Argentina at the sixth position with 1738.79 points.
India is ranked at the 106th position with a total of 1182.75 points. India has moved up on the list. Senegal, which is ranked at the 20th position, is the best-ranked African nation in the latest FIFA men's ranking list.
Iran is the highest-ranked Asian nation in the FIFA men's ranking with 22nd rank. 2022 FIFA World Cup host Qatar, the 2019 Asian Cup champion, is ranked at the 46th position.
The FIFA Men's rankings in October 2021 will likely come to play when FIFA makes the seedings for the 2022 World Cup draw. So far only, three teams have qualified for the 2022 World Cup and they include hosts Qatar, Germany and Denmark.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in Qatar from November 21- December 18, 2022.
The World Cup will be the first one to be held in the Arab world and the second to be held entirely in Asia after the 2002 World Cup hosted by Japan and South Korea.
AHMEDABAD & LUCKNOW TO BE TWO NEW IPL TEAMS
Ahmedabad and Lucknow are the two new teams that will be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2022.
Hence taking the total number of teams in the competition to ten. RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group (RPSG) is the owner of the Lucknow team while CVC Capital Partners is the owner of the Ahmedabad team.
RPSG group has won the bid for Lucknow at Rs. 7090 crore, while CVC Capitals a.k.a Irelia has won the bid for Ahmedabad at Rs. 5625 crore.
The IPL’s first season was played in 2008. There have been fourteen seasons of the IPL tournament. The 15th season will see 10 teams competing for the IPL title.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
INTERNATIONAL SNOW LEOPARD DAY: 23RD OCTOBER
Every year, October 23 has been observed as International Snow Leopard Day.
The International Snow Leopard day was first celebrated in 2014. The day commemorates the Bishkek Declaration's anniversary, which celebrates this endangered cat, and raises awareness of its conservation and protection.
On October 23, 2013, political leaders from 12 countries came together to endorse the 'Bishkek Declaration on the conservation of snow leopards.
Snow Leopard is found in 12 countries - India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The Snow Leopard, also known as Ghost of the mountains, acts as a symbol of health for the mountain ecosystem.
The Snow Leopard lives at high altitudes in the steep mountains of Central and Southern Asia and in a freezing climate.
They inhabit the higher Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape in Jammu and Kashmir's states/union territories, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
India is a unique country to have a good presence of 5 big cats, including Snow Leopard. The Snow Leopard capital of the world is Hemis, Ladakh.
The Hemis National Park is the biggest national park in India and has a good presence of Snow Leopard.
WORLD POLIO DAY CELEBRATED ON 24TH OCTOBER
World Polio Day is celebrated on 24 October to raise awareness for polio vaccination and eradication of Polio.
The Day was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, He led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.
The 2021 theme for World Polio Day is “Delivering on a Promise.”
Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure, but there are safe and effective vaccines. Polio can be prevented through immunization.
The Polio vaccine, given multiple times, almost always protects a child for life. Therefore, the strategy to eradicate Polio is based on preventing infection by immunizing every child until transmission stops and the world is polio-free.
Polio is caused by an RNA virus, where 85% of the infections are paralytic. Poliovirus is most commonly spread in areas where there is poor sanitation.
The use of the poliovirus vaccine and subsequent widespread use of the oral poliovirus, developed by Albert Sabin, led to the establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988. As of 2013, GPEI had reduced Polio worldwide by 99%.
UNITED NATIONS DAY OBSERVED ON 24TH OCTOBER
The 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948 to observe the establishment of the United Nations Organization.
On this day in 1945, the Charter of the United Nations came into force with the acceptance of the UN Charter by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council.
It was declared to be an international observance in 1971 by UNGA and that it should be recognised as a public holiday by United Nations member states.
The year 2021 marks the 76th anniversary of the United Nations and its founding Charter. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries.
Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States.
The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and by many other signatories.
The name “United Nations” was coined by the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and was first used in the Declaration by the United Nations of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War.
• United Nations Headquarters is in New York, USA.
• Mr Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
INTERNATIONAL INTERNET DAY OBSERVED ON 29TH OCTOBER
International Internet Day is marked annually on 29 October.
The day commemorates the anniversary of the first message that was sent between two computers on 29 October 1969 through ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet.
Since then, technology has become an indispensable part of our lives.
The first message exchange through the network was to programmer Bill Duvall at Stanford Research Institute by UCLA professor Leonard Kleinrock and his student and programmer Charley Cline.
The duo attempted to send the word “login” as the first message.
However, the system crashed after they wrote the letters l and o, resulting in the first-ever message sent on the network being the word “lo”.
The word “login” was sent an hour later by the programmers.
Since then, the Internet has transformed our lives in a monumental way, making it unthinkable to imagine a world without it. From smartphones and social media to cyber security, the network is present everywhere.
History of the day: Charley Kline, a student programmer at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), transmitted the first-ever electronic message ‘LO’ on October 29, 1969.
The first International Internet Day was celebrated on October 29, 2005, to celebrate this momentous event in the history of telecommunications and technology.
REPORTS AND INDEXES
12TH UNEP EMISSIONS GAP REPORT RELEASED
The 12th edition of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2021 titled ‘The Heat is On’ was released on October 26, 2021, in an annual series that gives an overview of the difference between where the greenhouse gas emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avert the worst impacts of climate change.
The report comes during a fraught year such as 2021 that has been witnessing extreme weather events around the world including droughts, floods, wildfires, heatwaves, and hurricanes.
Five days ahead of COP26, the Emissions Gap Report 2021 shows that the climate action is still inadequate.
The report clearly states that the world needs to cut greenhouse emissions by half in the next 8 years to reach the 1.5 degrees Celsius target. This means removing an additional 28 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent from annual emissions.
UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2021 – Summary
The Emissions Gap Report 2021 confirms the findings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) report that holds the new and updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as insufficient for the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.
The Emissions Gap Report 2021 explains that the new climate pledges along with other mitigation measures are putting the world at the risk of a global temperature rise of 2.7 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. This level of rise in temperature is way above the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The report states that new climate pledges for 2030 have only limited impact on global emissions resulting in a reduction of projected 2030 emissions by only 7.5 per cent.
Whereas a 30 per cent reduction in emissions is needed to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius and a 55 per cent reduction in emissions to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The report also noted that if countries achieved their net-zero pledges, it could help in limiting warming to about 2.2 degrees Celsius which is closer to the 2 degrees Celsius goal of the Paris Agreement.
However, the current 2030 commitments and lack of policies do not put G20 member countries on the track of achieving even their climate pledges, let alone net-zero pledges.
INDIA RANKED AT 71ST IN GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY INDEX
India has achieved the 71st position within the Global Food Security (GFS) Index 2021 from among a listing of 113 countries.
The GFS Index is meant and constructed by London-based Economist Impact and is sponsored by Cortewa Agri-science. The general score of India is 57.2 points on the GFS Index 2021.
According to the report, India held 71st position with an overall score of 57.2 points on the GFS Index 2021 of 113 countries.
Over the past 10 years, India’s incremental gains in overall food security score were lagging behind that of Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
The GFS Index measures the factors affecting food insecurity around the world based on 4 main factors and 58 unique food security indicators.
Factors behind the report
• Affordability
• Availability
• Quality and safety
• Natural resources and resilience.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SOUTH KOREA LAUNCHED COUNTRY'S 1ST SPACE ROCKET
South Korea has launched the country's first space rocket, which was designed and produced entirely in the country. However, following its launch, the rocket failed to successfully release a test satellite into orbit.
Nuri is the name of the rocket. It took off from South Korea's Naro Space Center, which is located on a small island off the country's southern coast.
The rocket, however, failed to deliver the test satellite into orbit, according to Moon. Unfortunately, we fell short of our objective.
The rocket was planned to launch a payload of up to 1.5 tonnes into an orbit 600 to 800 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
NASA SET TO LAUNCH 'DART MISSION'
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is preparing to launch the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission that is a planetary defense-driven test of technologies to prevent collision of Earth with an asteroid.
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission directed by NASA is the first demonstration of the kinetic impactor technique to change the motion of an asteroid in space.
The target of the DART Mission is the binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos and its moonlet.
The DART spacecraft will have an onboard camera called Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for OpNav (DRACO).
It will use Roll Out Solar Arrays (ROSA) to supply solar power for its electric propulsion system after launch. The spacecraft will be equipped with advanced autonomous navigation algorithms.
The spacecraft will also test the Evolutionary Xenon Thruster – Commercial (NEXT-C) solar electric propulsion system by NASA.
How will NASA's DART Mission crash benefit?
The kinetic impact caused by the collision will aid to modify the speed of the moonlet in its orbit around the parent asteroid Didymos by a fraction of a percent and alter the orbital period of the moonlet by several minutes. This alteration of the orbital period will be viewed and recorded by telescopes on Earth.
DRDO SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED 'ABHYAS'
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) tested the high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT) called ABHYAS on 22 October.
ABHYAS high-speed expendable aerial target will be used to estimate several missile systems. It experimented from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, off the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Odisha.
ABHYAS has been created and improved by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) of DRDO in Bengaluru.
The flight test of ABHYAS was displayed as a part of developmental flight trials. ABHYAS is powered by a gas turbine engine, which will help the aircraft sustain a long endurance flight at a subsonic speed.
This target aircraft has been provided with a MEMS-based Inertial Navigation System (INS) to navigate with Flight Control Computer (FCC) for guidance and control.
It has been programmed for fully autonomous flight, and the check-out of air vehicles is completed through a laptop-based Ground Control Station (GCS).
ADA was established in 1984 under the Department of Defence Research and Development (DR&D) of the Ministry of Defence. It looks after the growth of India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program.
CHINA LAUNCHED NEW SATELLITE NAMED 'SHIJAN-21'
China successfully launched a new satellite named Shijian-21 on October 23, 2021, to test and verify space debris mitigation technologies.
The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
Launched aboard the Long March-3B carrier rocket, satellite Shijian-21 is now successfully situated in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
Though there were no prior announcements, the launch of the Shijian-21 satellite was confirmed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) within an hour of the launch.
The Shijian-21 satellite will test and verify space debris mitigation technologies. Except for the Y83 serial number of the satellite, other details such as weight, final orbit.
The Shijian-21 satellite has been developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology. This mission has marked the 39th space launch for China in 2021.
The Long March-3B carrier rocket used to launch Shijian-21 is expected to carry out three more launches before January 2022.
About Shijian satellite series of China
The name Shijian translates to ‘practice’ or ‘experiment’ in English. It is a series of satellites that are broadly technology demonstration satellites which means these satellites are used to practice, test, verify new technologies.
The Shijian satellite series of China is a scientific and technology demonstration minisatellite series of CAST (Chinese Academy of Space Technology) which was started in the early 1970s. The first Shijian satellite (Shijian-1) was launched in March 1971.
FRANCE LAUNCHES MILITARY COMMUNICATION SATELLITE
France has successfully launched a state-of-the-art satellite namely ‘Syracuse 4A’ into orbit which was carried off by Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, in French Guiana.
It is designed to allow France’s armed forces across the globe to communicate swiftly and securely. The satellite can survey its close surroundings and move itself to escape an attack.
Syracuse IV produces a throughput three times higher (1.5 Gbit/sec) than Syracuse III by operating in two bands: X and Ka.
Three satellites are to be placed in orbit: the second in 2022 and the third on an unknown date. The total cost of the Syracuse IV programme is EUR3.6 billion (nearly USD 4.2 billion).
Syracuse IV is the first French military satellite with the ability to detect other satellites that are trying to gather information from it or to destroy it.
DRDO SUCCESSFULLY TEST-FIRED AGNI-5 BALLISTIC MISSILE
DRDO’s Agni -5 Ballistic Missile was tested successfully on 27th October.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the surface-to-surface ballistic missile Agni-5 on 27 October.
The test-fire happened from APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. Agni-5 is a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine.
The missile can strike targets at ranges up to 5,000 km with a very high degree of accuracy. The indigenously-developed surface-to-surface missile, Agni-5, is capable of striking a target of more than 5,000 km.
The missile can carry a nuclear warhead of more than one tonne. The successful test of Agni-5 is in line with India’s declared policy to have ‘probable least deterrence’ that underpins the delegation to ‘No First Use’.
Agni-V is the most advanced surface-to-surface indigenously built ballistic missile. It is a three-stage, solid-fuelled, 17-metre tall missile, and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of about 1.5 tonnes.
Agni-V is a fire and forget missile, which once fired cannot be stopped, except by an interceptor missile. It has been developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
What is IGMDP?
IGMDP was conceived by Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to enable India to attain self-sufficiency in the field of missile technology. It was approved by the Government of India in 1983 and completed in March 2012.
The 5 missiles (P-A-T-N-A) developed under this program: Prithvi, Agni, Trishul, Nag, Akash.
Range of all Agni Missiles:
• Agni I: Range of 700-800 km.
• Agni II: Range more than 2000 km.
• Agni III: Range of more than 2,500 Km
• Agni IV: The range is more than 3,500 km and can fire from a road-mobile launcher.
• Agni-V: The longest of the Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km.
Agni-P (Prime): It is a canister missile with a range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 km. It will replace the Agni I missile.
MISCELLANEOUS
FACEBOOK NAME CHANGED TO 'META'
Facebook is now called Meta, in a rebrand that focuses on building the “metaverse,” a shared virtual environment that it bets will be the successor to the mobile internet.
The name change, the plan for which was first reported by the Verge, is a significant rebrand for Facebook, but not it’s first. In 2019 it launched a new logo to create a distinction between the company and its social app.
Did metaverse derive from?
The metaverse is a term coined in the dystopian novel “Snow Crash” three decades ago and now attracting buzz in Silicon Valley.
Zuckerberg said the new name, coming from the Greek word for “beyond,” symbolized there was always more to build. It refers broadly to the idea of a shared virtual realm that can be accessed by people using different devices.
Why did Facebook change its name?
The name change comes as the world’s largest social media company battles criticisms from lawmakers and regulators over its market power, algorithmic decisions and the policing of abuses on its services.
INDIA COMPLETED 100 CRORE VACCINATION MARK
India completed 100 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines on 21st October, in about 9 months since the drive began.
PM Modi called the achievement “the triumph of Indian science, enterprise and collective spirit of 130 crore Indians”.
The Prime Minister visited the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here and interacted with healthcare workers and people receiving the vaccine.
To mark the occasion, the Union Health Ministry held a series of events and released a two-minute and four-second video with rap and visual representation of the country’s fight against COVID-19.
Some important facts about Vaccine drive:
India took 85 days to touch the 10-crore vaccination mark, 45 more days to cross the 20-crore mark and 29 more days to reach the 30-crore mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data.
The country took 24 days to reach the 40-crore mark from 30-crore doses and then 20 more days to surpass the 50-crore vaccination mark on August 6. It then took 76 days to go past the 100-crore mark.
The top five States which have administered the highest number of doses are Uttar Pradesh followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The countrywide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with health care workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started on February 2.
'INNOVATION FOR YOU' DIGI BOOK BY NITI AAYOG
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: NITI aayog has launched the DIGI book, as India is celebrating the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
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.
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.
SM Current Affairs OCTOBER 2021 Set 01 - CLICK HERE
