Current Affairs 19th October 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

India to hosts ‘Gen Next’ leaders from 75 democratic countries

• Chairman of Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, India will host young leaders from 75 democracies under the initiative Gen-Next Democratic Network.
• Briefing media in New Delhi, Sahasrabuddhe, young leaders below the age of 35 from the ruling party, opposition party and other key parties are being invited and the first batch will include leaders from Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan, Indonesia, Chile and Zambia.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will inaugurate the event on 25th November Sahasrabuddhe, the objective behind the event is to give the young leaders a comprehensive idea about India’s rich democratic culture.

India, UK hold inaugural maritime dialogue, discuss cooperation in Indo-Pacific

• India and UK held their inaugural maritime dialogue in a virtual format as agreed in the India-UK Roadmap 2030 for future relations.
• The India-UK Roadmap 2030 was adopted at the Virtual Summit between the two Prime Ministers in May this year.
• The consultations were led by the two Foreign Ministries. They involved exchanges on cooperation in the maritime domain, Indo-Pacific and regional and multilateral cooperation.

India’s Steel Ministry Signed MoU with Russia’s Minister of Energy for Collaboration in Coking Coal Sector

• Ministry of Steel, Government of India(GoI) and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration in the mining and steel sectors, with special focus on coking coal, in Moscow during the Russian Energy Week(REW)13-15 October 2021.
• The MoU was signed by Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, Union Minister of Steel, India and Nikolay Shulginov, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.
• Objective is” Collaboration in coking coal used in steel making and Research and Development (R&D) in steel sector”.

About Russian Energy Week:

• Russian Energy Week International Forum was established by the Russian Government in 2016 and held since 2017.
• The Forum is held to demonstrate the prospects of the Russian fuel and energy industry and unlock the potential of international cooperation in energy
• The forum is organized by the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and the Government of Moscow.
• The Forum is operated by the Roscongress Foundation.

PM Narendra Modi Launched 7 DPSUs Carved out of OFB

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 7 newDefence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) that were carved out of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and dedicated them to the nation.
• Note: The MoD has set a target of achieving a turnover of Rs 1.75 lakh crore in aerospace, defence goods and services by 2024, including exports of Rs 35,000 crore.

Addl.Info:

• In September 2021, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had dissolved the OFB and transferred the OFB’s employees, management, and assets to the 7 DPSUs.
• The 7 DPSUs include – Munitions India Ltd (MIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Ltd (AVANI), Gliders India Limited (GIL), Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Ltd (AWE India), Troop Comforts Ltd (TCL), Yantra India Ltd (YIL), and India Optel Ltd (IOL).
• R. Sheikh Assumed Charge as 1st Director-General of the Ordnance Directorate
• The 1984 batch Indian Ordnance Factory Service (IOFS) officer, E.R. Sheikh assumed charge as 1st Director-General of the Ordnance Directorate (Co-ordination and Services), which is the successor organization of OFB.

RailTel & C-DOT Signed MoU to Boost Expansion of Telecom Services in India

• RailTel Corporation of India Ltd (RailTel), under the Ministry of Railways,has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a research centre under the Department of Telecommunication, Ministry of Communications, to cooperate in diverse areas of telecom with a focus on boosting modernisation and expansion of community networks in India.
• The MoU signed at the C-DOT; Delhi campus is a part of the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

About the MoU:

• TheMoU will enable both RailTel and C-DOT to leverage their expertise in their respective domain.
• C-DOT will bring its Research and Development(R&D) expertise in designing state-of-the-art indigenous technologies and RailTel will be deploying these solutions.
• Under this MoU, the synergy between C-DOT and RailTel will support providing affordable broadband services to the people in rural areas by reducing the cost of equipment, using C-DOT’s home-grown technology.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Foreign Ministers of India, US, Israel and UAE hold virtual meeting

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Minister of Israel Yair Lapid, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a meeting through video conferencing.
• They discussed working together more closely on economic growth and global issues. The leaders also agreed on expeditious follow-up.
• They also discussed “expanding economic and political cooperation in the Middle East and Asia, including through trade”
• This is a collection of four countries — the US, the UAE, Israel and India — with whom we share many interests.” India has close relations with all three countries. After the US pulled out its troops from Afghanistan, China, which borders that country, is exerting its influence there with an eye on projecting its power beyond.

India, Israel agreed to resume negotiations on Free Trade Agreement

• India and Israel have agreed to resume negotiations on Free Trade Agreement next month and the confidence that negotiations will be concluded by June next year.
• Both Ministers has a wide range of regional and global issues. They agreed in principle on mutual recognition of Covid vaccination certification. Jaishankar also welcomed Israel as the newest member of International Solar Alliance.
• The External Affairs Minister also paid homage to the victims of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem and this memorial is a testimony to the human spirit of resilience and strengthens the resolve to fight evil.
• He also visited the Kadavumbagam Synagogue at the Israel Museum and met younger members of the Cochini-Jewish community there.

About Israel:

• Capital: Jerusalem
• President: Isaac Herzog
• Prime minister: Naftali Bennett

India Worst-hit in TB elimination – ‘Global TB report’ by WHO

• The World Health Organisation (WHO) released the ‘Global TB report’ for 2021, where it highlighted the effects of COVID-19 which led to a huge reversal in the progress of Tuberculosis (TB) elimination.
• The report also mentioned India as the worst-hit country in TB elimination, where the detection of new TB cases saw a huge impact in 2020.
• A dramatic reduction of 20% TB cases were witnessed in 2020 as compared to 2019, ie; a gap of 4.1 million cases.

About World Health Organisation (WHO):

• Established – 7 April 1948
• 1st Director-General – Brock Chisholm (Canada)
• Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

J&K and Dubai Govt signed an MoU for Industrialization and sustainable growth in Union Territory

• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the J&K administration and the Dubai Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Srinagar and entered into an agreement that will help Jammu and Kashmir union territory to scale new heights in Industrialization and sustainable growth.
• The MoU covers many fields and areas including real estate development, industrial parks, IT towers, multipurpose towers, logistics, medical college and super speciality hospital.
• Home Minister Amit Shah for the Unprecedented development of Jammu & Kashmir and maintained that the MoU reaffirms the commitment of the Government to build Aatm Nirbhar Jammu & Kashmir.
• Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles was also present on the occasion.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI imposes penalty of 1 crore on SBI, 1.95 crore on Standard Chartered Bank

• The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty of one crore rupees on the State Bank of India and 1.95 crore rupees on Standard Chartered Bank.
• In different notifications issued from Mumbai by RBI, State Bank has been penalised for violating norms related to delay in reporting of fraud while Standard Chartered Bank has been penalised for violating norms related to customer protection and cyber security framework. 
• It added that Standard Chartered Bank had shown deficiencies while crediting back the amount involved in unauthorised electronic transactions, not reporting cyber security incidents within the prescribed time period, authorising the direct sales agents to conduct KYC verification and failure to ensure integrity and quality of data submitted in ‘Central Repository of Information on Large Credits.
• RBI, the action is based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered by the bank with its customers.

About SBI:

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Tagline: With You all the way, Pure Banking Nothing Else, The Nation Ban on us, The Banker to Every Indian
• CEO: Dinesh Kumar Khara

NABARD and Government has signed a Trust deed to promote farmer produce organisations

• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) had a ₹ 1,000-crore dedicated fund for providing credit guarantees to 10,000 farmer produce organisations (FPOs) will be housed in “Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for FPOs” (CGFTFPO) under the trusteeship of NABSanrakshan Trustee Private Limited (NTPL).
• The Trust has been registered at Mumbai and signed by officials of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India and NABSanrakshan, Nabard said in a statement. NTPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nabard.
• It is expected that the credit guarantee offered through the Trust will enhance the credit worthiness of FPOs besides facilitating cost-effective production and productivity leading to higher net income to farmers who are members of FPOs
• According to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, FPOs are to be developed in produce clusters, wherein agricultural and horticultural produces are grown / cultivated for leveraging economies of scale and improving market access for members

About NABARD:

• Founded: 12 July 1982
• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Agency executive: Harsh Kumar Bhanwala (Chairperson)

RBI Withdrew all Restrictions Imposed on Hindu Cooperative Bank; Authorised KVB to Collect Direct Taxes

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the exercise of power under sub-section (2) of Section 35 A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, RBI withdrew all restrictions imposed on Hindu Cooperative Bank Limited, Pathankot, Punjab.

Addl.Info:

• RBI had issued ‘Directions to stipulate certain restrictions on Hindu Cooperative Bank Ltd’ in the exercise of powers vested under sub-section (1) Section 35 A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• The directions were modified from time to time and were last extended up to October 24, 2021.

Note: 

• RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 lakh on KurlaNagarikSahakari (KNS) Bank Ltd., Mumbai, Maharashtra, for contravention of certain norms related to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme, 2014.

About KarurVysya Bank (KVB):

• Tagline – Smart Way to Bank
• MD & CEO – B. Ramesh Babu
• Establishment – 1916
• Headquarters – Karur, Tamil Nadu

BSE Signs MoU With Business Leadership League To Help SMEs

• The BSE (Formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Business Leadership League (BLL). 
• This will help the aspiring SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) to align and strategize about their innovative solutions and to get prepared for listing on BSE SME Platform.
• Objective is to provide benefit to SMEs by education and knowledge to function efficiently.

About Business Leadership League (BLL):

• Founder & Chief Executive Officer-Swetapadma Mohanty
• Headquarters- Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra

About BSE SME and Startups:

• Head- Ajay Thakur
• Deputy General Manager– Anand Chari
• Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

SEBI Formed 4-Member Advisory Committee on Settlement Orders Chaired by Vijay C Daga

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted a 4-member advisory committee on settlement orders and compounding of offences. 
• The advisory committee will be chaired by Vijay C Daga, retired judge of the High Court of Bombay.
• The other members of the panel include PK Malhotra, the former law secretary in the Ministry of Law & Justice, PR Ramesh, ex-Chairman of Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP and DN Raval, Partner at Raval&Raval Associates.
• The committee will work as per the SEBI (Settlement Proceedings) Regulations, 2018.
• Note: The provisions of the Settlement Proceedings regulation will not apply in the case of proceedings pending before the Tribunal or any court.

About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):

• Establishment – 1992
• Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman– Ajay Tyagi

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS

Alexander Schallenberg Sworn in as Austria’s New Chancellor; Replaced Sebastian Kurz

• Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen Presided over the Swearing in Ceremony of Alexander Schallenberg as the new Chancellor of Austria at the Hofburg palace in Vienna, Austria.
• Alexander Schallenberg, who is currently serving as the foreign minister, has replaced Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who stepped down amid corruption allegations.
• Sebastian Kurz was the youngest chancellor in Austrian history.
• He was first elected into office in 2017 at the age of 31.

About Alexander Schallenberg:

• Alexander Schallenberg, born in Bern, Switzerland, joined the diplomatic service in 1997.
• He is a member of the Austrian People’s Party.
• He was appointed as the foreign minister in June 2019.

About Austria:

• President– Alexander Van der Bellen
• Capital– Vienna
• Currency– Euro

Sajjan Jindal-1st Indian Appointed as Chairman of World Steel Association

• The World Steel Association (WSA) appointed Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director of JSW Steel Limited as the Chairman of WSA for the period 2021-22.
• Jindal will be the first representative from India to serve as Chairman of the WSA.
• Yu Yong, chairman of BHIS Group Ltd was heading as the chairman of World steel for the last two years and he is now appointed as the vice-chairman, succeeded by Jindal.

India in Steel Production

• According to the World Steel Association (WSA) data, India now ranks as the second-largest producer of crude steel after China.

About World Steel Association (WSA)

• Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
• Founded– 10 July 1967

Balasubramanian has elected as Chairman of Association of Mutual Funds

• Balasubramanian has been elected Chairman of Association of Mutual Funds in India, at the recently concluded board meeting of AMFI.
• Balasubramanian is Chief Executive Officer of Aditya Birla Sun Life Asset Management. He would take over from Nilesh Shah, Managing Director, Kotak Mutual Fund.
• Balasubramanian earlier served as AMFI Chairman between 2017 and 2019 and now would continue to hold the office till the conclusion of the next AGM.
• Radhika Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Edelweiss Asset Management has been elected as the Vice-Chairperson of AMFI.
• A Balasubramanian was also appointed as the ex-officio Chairman of AMFI Financial Literacy Committee, being the Chairman of AMFI.
• Shah was elected to be the Chairman of AMFI Valuation Committee.Radhika Gupta has been re-elected as Chairperson of AMFI ETF Committee.
• Sanjay Sapre, President, Franklin Templeton Asset Management (India) was re-elected as the Chairman of AMFI Operations and Compliance Committee.
• Vishal Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer, IDFC Asset Management has been elected as the Chairman of AMFI Standing Committee of Certified Distributors (ARN Committee).
• These decisions were taken by AMFI, the industry body of SEBI-registered mutual funds at its Board

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

4th International Solar Alliance General Assembly starts             

• The fourth general assembly of The International Solar Alliance (ISA), is to be held virtually between October 18 to 21, 2021.
• It will be presided over by  Shri R.K. Singh, Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy, Government of India and the President of the ISA Assembly.

The Fourth Assembly of the ISA will deliberate on the key initiatives : 

1. Operationalisation of the OSOWOG (One Sun One World One Grid) initiative, the $1-trillion Solar Investment Roadmap for 2030
2. Approval for a Blended Financial Risk Mitigation Facility
3. Strategic plan of the ISA for the next five years
4. Country Partnership Framework
5. Strategy for Private Sector Engagement
6. Viability Gap Financing scheme to facilitate affordable finance for solar energy projects across ISA’s membership
7. Discuss partnership with Global Energy Alliance (GEA) to scale up technical and financial support to LDCs and SIDS

• The Assembly is the apex decision-making body of ISA, in which each member country is represented.

About OSOWOG :

• OSOWOG is an initiative by India to interconnect global renewable energy systems with the vision ‘The Sun Never Sets’.
• The concept of OSOWOG is simply a single global grid for solar energy.
• The initiative was outlined by PM Narendra Modi during the 1^st General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in October 2018.

Aim :

• To build and scale-up inter-regional energy grids to share solar energy across borders, leverage the differences between time zones, seasons, pricing, and resources of different countries.

About ISA :

• Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
• Founded: 30 November 2015
• Director General: Ajay Mathur
• Membership : 124 members of UN
• Founders: Narendra Modi, François Hollande
• The ISA is an alliance of 124 countries initiated by India.
• The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Army team wins gold medal in the Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2021 in UK

• The Indian Army has been awarded the gold medal at the 2021 Cambrian Patrol Exercise, held at Brecon, Wales, in the United Kingdom from October 13 to 15, 2021.
• The Indian Army was represented by a team from 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) which competed against a total of 96 teams which included 17 international teams representing Special Forces and prestigious Regiments from around the world.
• General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, the Chief of General Staff of the British Army presented the Gold Medal to the team members.
• Ex Cambrian Patrol organised by the UK Army is considered the ultimate test of human endurance, team spirit and is sometimes referred to as the Olympics of Military Patrolling.

About Exercise Cambrian Patrol :

• Exercise Cambrian Patrol is an annual international military patrolling exercise in which the teams have to cover a 50-mile (80 km) course in less than 48 hrs while performing numerous types of military exercises placed throughout the rugged Cambrian Mountains and swamplands of mid-Wales, UK.
• The aim of the exercise is to test their leadership, self-discipline, courage, physical endurance, and determination.

About Indian Army :

•  Founded: 1 April 1895, India
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind
•  Chief of Defence Staff : General Bipin Rawat
• Chief of the Army Staff : General Manoj Mukund Naravane
• Vice Chief of the Army Staff : Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty

About UK :

• Prime minister: Boris Johnson
• Queen: Queen Elizabeth II
• Currency: Pound sterling
• Capital: London

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPS & SERVICES

Assam launches India’s first e-fish market app Fishwaale                                                  

• Assam Minister for Fisheries, Environment and Forest and Excise Parimal Suklabaidya launched Fishwaale, India’s first e-fish market app.
• The app has been developed by Aqua Blue Global Aquaculture Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in collaboration with the Fisheries department.

About Fishwaale :

• Fishwaale will provide a one-stop solution for aquaculture.
• It will help both buyers and sellers to place orders and sell fish, aquaculture equipment and medicine, fish feed and fish seed online.
• Table size fish such as bhangon, mrigal and rohu and freshwater and seawater frozen fish (ice box) will be available coupled with dry fish packets, dry fish raw, fish pickles and processed fish products.
• Accessories such as aquarium tanks, ornamental fish and equipment will also be a part of the app and consumers would be able to place their orders online.
• It will help members of the fish farming community get reasonable prices for their produce and lead to elimination of middlemen.
• The app will boost Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.

About Assam :

• Chief minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Capital: Dispur
• Rivers : Brahmaputra River, Barak River, Dhansiri River, Manas River, Iril River

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCHEMES

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi Launches “Mera Ghar Mere Naam” Scheme

• On Oct 17, 2021, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi launched a new scheme titled ‘Mera Ghar Mere Naam’.

Aim :

• To confer proprietary rights on the people living in the houses within the ‘Lal Lakir’ of villages and the cities.
• ‘Lal lakir’ refers to land that is part of the village habitation and is used for non-agriculture purposes only.
• The state government will ensure ownership rights to people under this scheme.
• The people residing in the houses in old localities for generations would also be covered
• The Revenue department has been mandated to undertake drone surveys of such residential properties both in rural and urban areas for digital mapping following which all eligible residents would be given the property cards, after proper identification or verification,  to confer proprietary rights upon them in a time-bound manner.
• The property card will serve the purpose of a registry against which they can avail loans from the banks or even sell their properties.

Note :

• Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi also informed that another scheme ‘Basera’ has been providing relief to the people residing in slum areas outside the ‘lal lakir’.

About Punjab :

• Governor: Banwarilal Purohit
• Capital: Chandigarh
• Chief minister: Charanjit Singh Channi
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Abohar WLS, Bir Aishvan WLS, Bir Bhadson WLS, Bir Bunerheri WLS, Bir Dosanjh WLS, Bir Gurdialpura WLS, Bir Mehaswala WLS, Bir Motibagh WLS, Harike Lake WLS, Jhajjar Bacholi WLS, Kathlaur Kushlian WLS, Takhni-Rehampur WLS, Nangal WLS.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China Launched 1st Solar Exploration Satellite 

• China has successfully launched its 1st solar exploration satellite into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province aboard a Long March-2D rocket. 
• The Satellite has entered its planned orbit.
• 10 small satellites, an orbital atmospheric density detection experimental satellite, and a commercial meteorological detection constellation experimental satellite were also sent into space with the use of the same Long March-2D rocket.

China launches historic Shenzhou-13 crewed mission

• On Oct 16, 2021, China launched Shenzhou-13 crewed mission, the country’s first long-duration stay aboard, carrying three astronauts – two men and one woman.
• The Shenzhou-13 crewed spaceship launched by a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, located in Inner Mongolia.
• Shenzhou-13 is the 5th mission to the structure and it means ‘Divine Vessel’.
• The three-person crew are expected to spend six-months in space, to set up a new record for the time spent in space by Chinese astronauts.
• The members of the crew includes Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guanfu.
• China also landed its Tianwen-1 space probe on Mars, whose accompanying Zhurong rover has been exploring for evidence of life on the red planet.
• China has launched seven crewed missions with a total of 14 astronauts aboard two have flown twice since 2003.

Note :

• China became only the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to put a person in space on its own.

About China :

• President: Xi Jinping
• Currency: Renminbi
• Capital: Beijing

NASA launches Lucy spacecraft to study the Jupiter Trojan asteroids

• NASA has launched a first-of-its kind mission called ‘Lucy Mission‘ to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.
• The Lucy probe was launched on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
• Over the next 12 years, Lucy will fly by one main-belt asteroid and seven Trojan asteroids.
• It’s NASA’s first-ever single-spacecraft mission to explore so many different asteroids
• Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids – two large clusters of rocks that are believed to be remnants of primordial material that formed the solar system’s outer planets.

About NASA :

• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Administered by: Steve Jurczyk, Bill Nelson
• Founded: 29 July 1958, United States

About United Launch Alliance :

• Founded: 1 December 2006
• Headquarters: Centennial, Colorado, United States
• President: Tory Bruno
• Founders: Boeing, Lockheed Martin

Hubble finds evidence of persistent water vapour in Jupiter’s moon ‘Europa’

• NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope observations of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa have revealed the presence of persistent water vapor  in ‘Europa’, the icy moon of Jupiter.
• The water vapor was only present in one hemisphere.
• It may further help to explore whether Europa’s atmosphere could support life.
• However, the new results show similar amounts of water vapor spread over a larger area of Europa in Hubble observations spanning from 1999 to 2015.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BOOKS & AUTHORS

Shafey Kidwai authors a book titled Sir Syed Ahmad Khan; Reason, Religion and Nation

• A New book titled Sir Syed Ahmad Khan; Reason, Religion and Nation authored by Shafey Kidwai.
• The Book is Published by Routledge India.
• Professor Shafey Kidwai has penned an objective analysis of the man who was undoubtedly more than the founder of the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College that grew into Aligarh Muslim University

About the Book :

• The book deals with Sir Syed’s attitude towards Congress leaders, his shifting concepts of watan (nation) and qaum (community) and his views on girl education.

About Shafey Kidwai :

• Shafey Kidwai is an Indian academic, communication scientist, translator, columnist, and author.
• He is the chairman of the Department of Mass Communications at Aligarh Muslim University.
• His Book Titled Sawaneh-e-Sir Syed: Ek Bazdeed – a biography of Sir Syed won the 2019 Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu.
• He has written twelve books in Urdu and English.
• He is the chief editor of Aligarh Journal of Communication.

Awards & Honours :

• In 2018, Kidwai was awarded the Iqbal Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh for his service to promotion of Urdu literature.
• UP Urdu Academy has also conferred its highest literary honour Khusro Award to him in 2018.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Nagaland to host South Asian Cross Country Championship 2022                                

• Nagaland capital Kohima will host the South Asian Cross Country Championship on 15 th January 2022.
• While the 56th National Cross Country Championships which is also being hosted by Nagaland will be clubbed with the South Asian Federation Cross Country Championships.
• The training and capacity building would be led by federation’s head coach and head coach of Team India (Athletics) at Tokyo Olympics P Radhakrishnan Nair.
• This will be perhaps the biggest ever international event to be hosted in Nagaland and it will bring athletes, officials and delegates from the entire South Asian convention to the state.

About Athletics Federation of India :

• Founded: 2018
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• President : Adille J Sumariwalla
• It is associated with both Asian Athletics Association (AAA) and World Athletics.

About Nagaland :

• Chief minister: Neiphiu Rio
• Capital: Kohima
• Governor : RN Ravi
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Ghosu Bird Sanctuary, Rangapahar Reserve Forest, Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary, Pulie Badze Wildlife Sanctuary

ICC & UNICEF to Partner For Mental Wellbeing of Children And Adolescents

• The ICC has partnered with UNICEF, has announced their partnership to raise awareness about the mental health issues and wellbeing amongst children and adolescents.
• Under this, ICC will promote the #OnYourMind campaign of UNICEF at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, beginning on October 17, 2021.
• The event is the biggest ever in the UAE and Oman comprises 45 matches across four venues and features cricket’s biggest names and best teams.
• Through this initiative ICC will use its global platforms, including its broadcast and digital channels to support UNICEF’s work.
• It will urge for greater commitment, connection and conversation around mental health and physical wellbeing.

About ICC :

• CEO :  Geoff Allardice
• Chairman: Greg Barclay
• Deputy Chairman : Imran Khwaja
• Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Founded: 15 June 1909
• Membership : 106 members

About UNICEF :

• Headquarters: New York, United States
• Executive Director & Head: Henrietta H. Fore
• President: Tore Hattrem
• Founded: 11 December 1946

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Saurashtra wicket-keeper Avi Barot passes away                      

• On Oct 15, 2021, A former India Under-19 captain and Saurashtra cricketer Avi Barot passed away.
• He was 29 years old.

About Avi Barot :

• Avi Barot born on 25 June 1992, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
• He has represented Haryana and Gujarat in his career.
• He is a member of the Ranji Trophy-winning team in the 2019-20 season.
• Avi had played 38 first-class matches, 38 List A matches and 20 Domestic T20.
• The right-handed batter had played 21 Ranji Trophy matches, 17 List A matches and 11 domestic T20 matches.
• He was a wicket-keeper-batsman and scored 1,547 runs in first-class matches, 1,030 runs in list-A games and 717 runs in T20s.

Note :

• Saurashtra cricket team is one of the three first-class cricket teams based in Gujarat.

About Saurashtra Cricket Association :

• President: Jaydev Shah
• Secretary : Himanshu Shah
• Headquarters: Rajkot
• Founded: 1950

Daily CA On Oct 17 & 18 :

• Every year, October 17 is observed as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty with the theme of Building Forward Together: Ending Persistent Poverty, Respecting all People and our Planet”.
• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) launched India’s 1st ‘One Health’ consortium to carry out surveillance of important bacterial, viral and parasitic infections of zoonotic as well as transboundary pathogens.
• India signed a long-term Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia for DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) fertilizer supply. 
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on a five day official visit to Israel at the invitation of Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel Yair Lapid. 
• World Bank President David Malpass met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Washington and discussed India’s efforts on climate change action.
• The second edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2021 will be held in New Delhi from Oct 18th to 22.
• The 8th Edition of joint military exercise MITRA SHAKTI between the Indian Army and the Sri Lankan Army culminated in Ampara, Sri Lanka.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the ‘Global Financial Stability Report-2021’, that discusses the adaptation of cryptocurrencies in emerging markets, the report mainly discusses ‘Cryptoization’.
• Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated the 29th Hunar Haat at Rampur in Uttar Pradesh.
• Kerala Bank has sought the permission of the Reserve Bank of India to collect deposits from NRI’s, eyeing the ₹1,50,000,000 crore NRI deposits credited to various commercial and PSU and private sector banks in the State.
• Bank of India (BoI) has announced a 35 basis points (bps) reduction in home loan interest rate and a 50 bps reduction in vehicle loan interest rate.
• Vested Finance, a platform for investing in foreign stocks for Indians has partnered with SBM Bank, the Indian subsidiary of State Bank of Mauritius and launched a new solution named ‘Vested Direct’ for facilitating forex transfers at low costs.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB) increased its ambition to deliver climate financing to its Developing Member Countries (DMCs) from 2019–2030 by $20 billion to $100 billion.
• The Central Government gave Navrang Saini, Whole Time Member, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), an additional charge as the Chairperson of IBBI. 
• The Director General (DG) of World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus honoured the late, Henrietta Lacks with a ‘WHO Director-General’s award’, for recognizing her world-changing legacy, who died of cervical cancer, 70 years ago, on 4 October, 1951.
• An Indian-American astronaut is part of NASA-SpaceX’s third mission to the International Space Station (ISS). 
• OneWeb has partnered with Galaxy Broadband, a Canadian distribution partner, to deliver OneWeb’s high-speed, low-latency communications services across Canada and the wider Arctic Region.
• On Oct 14, 2021, Russia and China’s navies kicked off at Russia’s Peter the Great Gulf, joint naval maneuvers in the Sea of Japan.
• NITI Aayog and UNDP ( United Nations Development Programme )India launched a handbook titled ‘NITI Aayog-UNDP Handbook on Sustainable Urban Plastic Waste Management’ in New Delhi.
• 90-year-old Canadian actor William Shatner has become the oldest person ever to fly to space.
• On Oct 15, 2021, Chennai Super Kings clinched their fourth Indian Premier League title after beating Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the summit clash at Dubai International Stadium .
• Amy Hunter (16)  became the youngest-ever batter to score an international century in Ireland Women’s clash against Zimbabwe.
• On Oct 16, 2021, India beat Nepal, 3-0, to win the 2021 SAFF Championship final title at the National Football Stadium in Male, Maldives.

Daily CA On Oct 19 :

• Chairman of Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICCR Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, India will host young leaders from 75 democracies under the initiative Gen-Next Democratic Network.
• India and UK held their inaugural maritime dialogue in a virtual format as agreed in the India-UK Roadmap 2030 for future relations.
• Ministry of Steel, Government of India(GoI) and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration in the mining and steel sectors, with special focus on coking coal, in Moscow during the Russian Energy Week(REW)13-15 October 2021.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 7 newDefence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) that were carved out of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and dedicated them to the nation.
• RailTel Corporation of India Ltd (RailTel), under the Ministry of Railways,has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a research centre under the Department of Telecommunication, Ministry of Communications, to cooperate in diverse areas of telecom with a focus on boosting modernisation and expansion of community networks in India.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Minister of Israel Yair Lapid, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a meeting through video conferencing.
• India and Israel have agreed to resume negotiations on Free Trade Agreement next month and the confidence that negotiations will be concluded by June next year.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) released the ‘Global TB report’ for 2021, where it highlighted the effects of COVID-19 which led to a huge reversal in the progress of Tuberculosis (TB) elimination.
• In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the J&K administration and the Dubai Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Srinagar and entered into an agreement that will help Jammu and Kashmir union territory to scale new heights in Industrialization and sustainable growth.
• The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a monetary penalty of one crore rupees on the State Bank of India and 1.95 crore rupees on Standard Chartered Bank.
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) had a ₹ 1,000-crore dedicated fund for providing credit guarantees to 10,000 farmer produce organisations (FPOs) will be housed in “Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for FPOs” (CGFTFPO) under the trusteeship of NABSanrakshan Trustee Private Limited (NTPL).
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the exercise of power under sub-section (2) of Section 35 A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, RBI withdrew all restrictions imposed on Hindu Cooperative Bank Limited, Pathankot, Punjab.
• The BSE (Formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Business Leadership League (BLL). 
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted a 4-member advisory committee on settlement orders and compounding of offences. 
• Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen Presided over the Swearing in Ceremony of Alexander Schallenberg as the new Chancellor of Austria at the Hofburg palace in Vienna, Austria.
• The World Steel Association (WSA) appointed Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director of JSW Steel Limited as the Chairman of WSA for the period 2021-22.
• Balasubramanian has been elected Chairman of Association of Mutual Funds in India, at the recently concluded board meeting of AMFI.
• The fourth general assembly of The International Solar Alliance (ISA), is to be held virtually between October 18 to 21, 2021.
• The Indian Army has been awarded the gold medal at the 2021 Cambrian Patrol Exercise, held at Brecon, Wales, in the United Kingdom from October 13 to 15, 2021.
• Assam Minister for Fisheries, Environment and Forest and Excise Parimal Suklabaidya launched Fishwaale, India’s first e-fish market app.
• On Oct 17, 2021, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi launched a new scheme titled ‘Mera Ghar Mere Naam’.
• China has successfully launched its 1st solar exploration satellite into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province aboard a Long March-2D rocket. 
• On Oct 16, 2021, China launched Shenzhou-13 crewed mission, the country’s first long-duration stay aboard, carrying three astronauts – two men and one woman.
• NASA has launched a first-of-its kind mission called ‘Lucy Mission‘ to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.
• NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope observations of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa have revealed the presence of persistent water vapor  in ‘Europa’, the icy moon of Jupiter.
• A New book titled Sir Syed Ahmad Khan; Reason, Religion and Nation authored by Shafey Kidwai.
• Nagaland capital Kohima will host the South Asian Cross Country Championship on 15 th January 2022 & meanwhile the 56th National Cross Country Championships which is also being hosted by Nagaland will be clubbed with the South Asian Federation Cross Country Championships.
• The ICC has partnered with UNICEF, has announced their partnership to raise awareness about the mental health issues and wellbeing amongst children and adolescents.
• On Oct 15, 2021, A former India Under-19 captain and Saurashtra cricketer Avi Barot passed away.