Current Affairs 23rd October 2021| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Snow Leopard Day- Oct 23

• October 23 has been observed as International Snow Leopard Day since 2014.
• The day also emphasizes the importance of taking measures to stop poaching, as well as consolidating efforts in terms of an environmental organization in the countries of the snow leopard range.
• World Snow Leopard Day is observed globally on 23rd October.
• The main Aim of this day is to show the importance of snow leopard conservation and raise awareness about this incredible animal.
• It was on October 23, 2013, when 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. They are India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Indian Navy conducts Offshore Sailing Regatta from Kochi to Goa

• As part of commemorative activities of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Indian Navy is conducting an Offshore Sailing Regatta from Kochi to Goa under aegis of Indian Naval Sailing Association, INSA.
• Six Indian Naval Sailing Vessels Mhadei, Tarini, Bulbul, Neelkanth, Kadalpura and Hariyal will participate in the event. 
• The race is scheduled to start on 24th october for a tentative duration of five days and would cover an approximate distance of 360 nautical miles between the start point at Naval Base, Kochi to Goa.
• The expedition is aimed at fostering the spirit of adventure and ocean sailing for the participating crew.
• It also enhances Indian Navy’s ability to project its benign presence across the globe by participating in sailing expeditions like Sagar Parikrama and Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro races and IONS sailing expedition.
• The Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav Offshore Race will be flagged off from Kochi by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (South). The Flagging in ceremony of the race will be presided over by Commandant, Naval War College at Goa.

Rajnath Singh has inaugurated Swarnim Vijay Varsh Conclave in Bengaluru

• Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated a three-day conclave organised by the Indian Air Force to commemorate ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’.
• The event took place at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru to mark the Golden Jubilee year of 1971 Indo Pak war.
• The Raksha Mantri termed it as a just war fought to liberate people in the then East Pakistan from the oppressive and autocratic rule that violated the basic human rights of people in the present day of Bangladesh.
• The integration of capabilities, procurements and the formation of a national defence strategy. The Chief of the Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat has emphasised on synergising operations between Army, Air Force and Navy
• India has taken up modernisation of its defence forces in the last five years and improving infrastructure in the border areas.

Defence Ministry has signed an MOU worth Rs 423 Cr with US for procurement of Arms for Indian Navy

• The Defence Ministry has signed a contract with the US Government under Foreign Military Sale (FMS) for procurement of MK 54 Torpedo and Expendable Chaff and Flares for the Indian Navy.
• These weapons are the outfit of P-8I Aircraft which is used for Long range Maritime Surveillance, Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare. The ministry will spend 423 crore rupees for the Torpedos.
• The Indian Navy has a total of 11 P-8I aircraft, which are manufactured by US aerospace company Boeing, in its fleet.
• In addition to anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the P-8I aircraft is known for its advance maritime reconnaissance capabilities.

DA for central govt employees hiked 3%

• The union government has approved a 3% hike in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for central government employees.
• The new rate of dearness allowance will now be 31% from 28% earlier. The increase in allowance amount will benefit 1.13 crore central government employees including 47.14 lakh central government employees and 68.62 lakh pensioners.
• Union Minister Anurag Thakur has announced the development will cost ₹9,488 crore to the government. The new rate will be applicable from July 2021.
• Dearness Allowance means an allowance paid by the government to its employees as well as pensioners to curb the impact of inflation.
• Prior to this, the Centre had approved an increase in DA and DR given to central government employees and pensioners from 17% to 28%.

Textile Ministry issues notification for setting up seven PM MITRA Parks

• The Textiles Ministry has issued notification for setting up of seven PM MITRA Parks.
• The scheme is aimed at realising the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and to position India strongly on the Global textiles map.
• PM MITRA is inspired by the 5F vision of Prime Minister. The ‘5F’ Formula encompasses – Farm to fibre; fibre to factory; factory to fashion; fashion to foreign.
• The seven PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks will be setup at Greenfield or Brownfield sites located in different willing States.
• For a Greenfield PM MITRA Park, the Union Development Capital Support will be thirty per cent of the Project Cost, with a cap of 500 Cr rupees and for Brownfield sites 30 per cent of project cost of balance infrastructure and restricted to a limit of 200 crore rupees.

Cost of energy should not be allowed to outstrip paying capacity of consuming nations: Govt

• Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has said that the cost of energy should not be allowed to outstrip the paying capacity of consuming nations
• This imperative needs to be configured by the consuming countries in planning their production profiles for future
• The World Bank had stated that the surge in energy prices poses significant near-term risks to global inflation and, if sustained, could also weigh on growth in energy-importing countries.

Addl.Info:

• Currently in India, only 6 out of the 26 sedimentary basins have been explored and the government is looking for international partners to participate in the exploration journey of India.
• Minister said that the government is working to promoting low carbon pathways through biofuels and increase Ethanol blending to 20 per cent by 2025.

PM Modi interacts with beneficiaries & stakeholders of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Swayampurna Goa’ programme

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with the beneficiaries and stakeholders of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Swayampurna Goa’ programme is underway via video conferencing.
• The initiative of ‘Swayampurna Goa’, launched on October 1, 2020 was inspired by the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
• Under this programme, a state government officer is appointed as ‘Swayampurna Mitra’ who ensures that various government schemes and benefits are available to the eligible beneficiaries through coordination between multiple departments.

Govt notifies rules for the sustainability of electricity sector & promotion of clean energy

• The Ministry of Power has notified rules for the sustainability of electricity sector and the promotion of clean energy. 
• These rules are Electricity (Timely recovery of costs due to Change in Law) Rules, 2021 and Electricity (Promotion of generation from renewable sources of energy by addressing Must Run and other matters) Rules, 2021.
• Ministry of Power has said that these Rules would help in creating an investment friendly environment in the country.
• It said that these Rules will help in achieving India’s international commitments of renewable energy generation.
• It added that this will ensure that consumers get green and clean power and secure a healthy environment for future generations.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

 Poland recognizes India’s Serum Institute-manufactured Covishield vaccine

• Poland has recognized the Serum Institute of India (SII)-manufactured Covishield vaccine as an equivalent to those recognized by the European Union.
• With this, those who have taken the Covishield vaccine will be exempted from quarantine after entering the country.
• “Poland has recognized #Covishield as a vaccine equivalent to those recognized by the European Union, exempting from quarantine after entering the territory of the Republic of Poland
• Meanwhile, emphasising on the scientific approach of India amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a matter of pride that the vaccination programme was “science-born, science-driven and science-based
• Meanwhile, more than 100.59 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far to eligible beneficiaries, as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

About Serum Institute of India (SII):

• CEO: Adar Poonawalla
• Founder: Cyrus S. Poonawalla
• Founded: 1966

UK Navy Chief Admiral meets Indian counterpart in New Delhi

• United Kingdom Navy Chief Admiral Sir Tony Radakin met Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh in New Delhi.
• Amongst other naval bilateral cooperation issues, the Chiefs emphasised on collaborative mechanisms towards ensuring peace and security in the region. 
• Admiral Radakin is on a three-day visit to India.
• He is also scheduled to visit Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command at Mumbai wherein Admiral Radakin will interact with Vice admiral R. Hari Kumar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.

India hands over Jaynagar-Kurtha cross-border rail link to Nepal govt

• India handed over 9 km long cross-border rail link connecting Jayanagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal-to-Nepal government.
• The handing over ceremony took place in the presence of Nepal minister for physical Infrastructure and transport Renu Kumari Yadav and Indian ambassador to Nepal Vinay M. Kwatra.
• The Jaynagar – Kurtha section is part of the 68.7 km Jaynagar – Bijalpura- Bardidas rail link built under the Government of India’s grant assistance programme.
• Under the grant assistance of India, the gauge conversion of 34.9 km narrow gauge, from Jaynagar in India to Kurtha in Nepal, has now been completed.
• Railway Sources said once operationalised the cross-border rail link is expected to enhance trade and commerce activities as well as people to people linkage between the two countries.

G-7 nations agree on principles to govern cross-border data use & digital trade

• The Group of Seven nations agreed on principles to govern cross-border data use and digital trade.
• Trade ministers from the G7 reached the agreement at a meeting in London.
• Britain described it as a breakthrough that could liberalise hundreds of billions of dollars of international commerce.
• The deal sets out a middle ground between highly regulated data protection regimes used in European countries and the more open approach of the United States.
• In statement, Britain said we have adopted the G7 Digital Trade Principles that will guide the G7’s approach to digital trade.
• G7 comprises the US, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada.

France to pay 38m citizens €100 each to help counter surge in fuel, energy prices

• The French government has announced a one-off payment of €100 ($116) for each citizen whose monthly net income is €2,000 or less, to help counter the surge in fuel and energy prices.
• The inflation allowance will go to about 38 million French people automatically, including those who do not drive a car or ride a motorbike.
• The first payments will go to business employees in late December.
• Civil servants, students and pensioners will get theirs in early 2022
• Europe is facing widespread discontent after world energy prices spiked, largely a result of huge demand from businesses recovering from the long Covid paralysis.
• The energy market turmoil has had a knock-on effect, disrupted supply chains and caused some shortages of fuel and other consumer goods.

Ethiopian authorities confirm national air force shelled Tigray regional capital of Mekelle

• Ethiopian authorities have confirmed the national air force shelled the Tigray regional capital of Mekelle
• The ongoing struggle in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has killed thousands of people and displaced more than two million.
• Tigray media has also shown footage of what appeared to be child soldiers allegedly fighting on the government’s side.
• Meanwhile the Ethiopian government has been accusing the Tigrayan fighters of using child soldiers since they recaptured Mekelle in June.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

J&K police launches dedicated 24×7 public toll-free helplines at PCR Jammu and PCR Kashmir-Srinagar

• Jammu and Kashmir Police has launched dedicated 24×7 public toll-free helplines at PCR Jammu and PCR Kashmir-Srinagar for the public to share timely information regarding militancy, Narcotic-drug peddling, or any other anti-national, anti-social activities.
• Police said that the identity of the person will be kept secret. They will also be rewarded depending on quality of information.
• The landline number include PCR Kashmir 0194 2455798, toll free number 18001807193 and PCR Jammu 0191 2520309, toll free number 18001807192. This is in addition to the already existing helpline system of dial 100, 112, 1090, 1091 and dozens of landline numbers.
• This will help the J&K Police to fight the inimical forces with a stronger punch and this is in an effort to increase the sense of security among the businessmen, tourists, transporters, students and other sections of the society.

Telangana IT minister says more than 24 % of 32 billion dollars’ worth of investments in last 7 years came from existing investors

• Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) has said more than 24 percent of 32 billion dollars’ worth of investments that the state attracted in the last seven years have come from the existing investors. Participating virtually as the chief guest in the Public Affairs Forum of India’s 8th national forum, he said often states overlook the existing investors and that is where Telangana does best.
• He said the existing investors were taken care of, they become biggest brand ambassadors.
• He further added that when institutions outlive individuals and perceptions, it brings in predictability, comfort and policy continuity.
• He further said the state government has appointed young professionals who guide the investors with the policies and infrastructure in a very professional manner while working under the banner of ‘Invest Telangana’.

J&K LG Manoj Sinha e-inaugurates “Jashn-e-Zafraan”

• Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha e-inaugurated the “Jashn-e-Zafraan”, Harvesting Saffron in presence of Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Kailash Choudhury.
• it is due to farmer-centric policies of the government that the income of the Saffron farmers in Jammu and Kashmir has doubled in 2021, a year before the deadline.
• The recent data of the National Statistical Survey shows that after Meghalaya, Punjab, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh, the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir have the highest monthly income of 18,918 rupees, way above the national average of 10,218 rupees.
• Under the vision of Prime Minister Modi, Saffron of Jammu Kashmir would reach every corner of the world. He stressed on the use of quality seed, cold storage facilities and best marketing linkages facilities provided by the government.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI caps IPO funding by NBFCs at ₹1 crore per borrower

• Non-banking finance companies (NBFC) cannot lend more than Rs 1 crore to investors seeking to buy stocks in initial share sales from April 1,2022, tightening capital adequacy and provisioning rules for last-mile lenders to reduce risks to the broader financial system.
• The Reserve Bank of India has announced a scale-based regulation of non-banking finance companies, which include a ceiling on IPO funding per borrower as well as changes in the minimum net owned fund, classification of non-performing assets, and capital requirements.
• The RBI set a framework for NBFCs, dividing them in four distinct categories, to bring regulatory parity with bank regulations. These are Base Layer, Middle Layer, Upper Layer and Top Layer.
• NBFCs marked as investment and credit firms, micro finance institutions and factoring companies will have to raise net owned funds – the sum total of equity capital and free reserves – to ₹10 crore by March-end, 2027, from the existing ₹2-5 crore.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Myntra CEO Amar Nagaram quits

• The Chief Executive Officer of Myntra, Amar Nagaram, has quit his post according to an email sent by Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy to employees. 
• Myntra is an online fashion retailer which is owned by Flipkart.
• Nagaram had become the CEO of Myntra in January 2019 after the exit of his predecessor Ananth Narayanan.
• After nearly three years of leading Myntra, Amar has decided to leave the Flipkart Group to pursue his own venture.
• However, to ensure a smooth transition, Nagaram will be associated with the group till December. No successor has been named till now.

K Madhavan re-elected as President of Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation

• K Madhavan, Country Manager & President – The Walt Disney Company India and Star India, has been re-elected as president of the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF).
• This is the second consecutive term for Madhavan, who was re-elected in the 22nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the body,
• During the AGM, the members also re-elected TV Today Network Chairman Aroon Purie, Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi S Vempati, Viacom 18 Managing Director Rahul Joshi, and Star and Disney India President and Head – Network Entertainment Channels, Kevin Vaz, as members on the board of IBDF.
• India TV Chairman Rajat Sharma, Rahul Joshi and Shashi Vempati have been also elected as Vice Presidents of IDBF, which was formerly known as the Indian Broadcasting Foundation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Poaching leads to more elephants being born tuskless: Research

• New research indicates poaching has led to more elephants being born tuskless.
• During the Mozambican civil war, 90% of elephants in Gorongosa National Park were killed for their ivory.
• When the population recovered after the conflict, a larger proportion of female elephants were born tuskless.
• The scientists say most of those who survived the poaching carried a rare genetic mutation that stops tusks from growing, and passed the trait on to their offspring.
• The scientists say the spread of the mutation shows how human interference can have an impact even on animal anatomy.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

Rajnath Singh attends 2nd edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi                                       

• The second edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2021 commenced on 18 Oct 2021 at New Delhi.
• Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh addressed the Naval Commanders during the inaugural session and interacted with them on matters pertaining to national security.
• The conference is attended by all Operational and Area Commanders of the Indian Navy.

Purpose :

• To review major operational, materiel, logistics, Human Resource Development, training, and administrative activities.

About the Conference :

• The conference serves as a platform for Naval Commanders to discuss important maritime matters at the military-strategic level as well as interact with Senior Government Officials through an institutionalised forum.
• It is an institutionalised platform to deliberate, direct, devise and decide issues of utmost importance, which will shape the future course of the Indian Navy.
• The Raksha Mantri also launched the ‘Integrated Unmanned Road Map for Indian Navy’.

Aim :

• To provide a comprehensive Unmanned Systems Roadmap in consonance with the Indian Navy’s Concept of Operations and chart out a capability development plan for the Indian Navy.

Food Tech Summit 2021 organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries

• To commemorate World Food Day (on 16th October 2021) , the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, organised the Food Tech Summit.

Aim :

• To set the stage for all food-tech stakeholders to impart, discuss and acquaint micro enterprises on the new emerging trends in food processing and technological innovation.
• Minhaj Alam, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries addressed the Food Tech Summit.
• The summit witnessed the presence of eminent industry speakers sharing insightful pieces for micro enterprises and to pave a way in the food processing sector at the domestic and global level.

About PMFME Scheme :

• The Scheme Launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
• The Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme

Aim :

• To enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and to promote formalization of the sector and provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations, Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain.
• With an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25
• The scheme envisions to directly assist the 2,00,000 micro food processing units for providing financial, technical, and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.

About Ministry of Food Processing Industries :

• Founded: 1988
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Minister :  Pashupati Kumar Paras
• Minister of state : Prahlad Singh Patel

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Navy receives 11th P-8I anti-submarine aircraft from Boeing

• On Oct 18, 2021, The Indian Navy received the 11th anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I from the US-based aerospace company Boeing.
• This is the third aircraft to be delivered under the option contract for four additional Boeing aircraft ordered by India.
• The aircraft has unmatched maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
• The P-8I has been deployed to assist during disaster relief and humanitarian missions.
• It is important for the Indian Navy, which has increased its presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in light of the increasing Chinese dominance in the region.
• India’s Defence Ministry had signed a contract for the procurement of eight Boeing P-8i aircraft in 2009.
• In 2016, a contract for an additional four P-8is was signed.

Note :

• The first P-8i aircraft was inducted into the Indian Navy in 2013.
• The ninth P-8i aircraft, the first of the four additional aircraft, was delivered to India in November 2020.
• The 10th P-8i aircraft was delivered to the Indian Navy in July 2021.

About Indian Navy :

• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind
• Chief of Defence Staff : General Bipin Rawat
• Chief of the Naval Staff : Admiral Karambir Singh
• Vice Chief of the Naval Staff : Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade
• Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff : Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Reliance Brands acquires 40% stake in designer Manish Malhotra’s MM Styles

• Reliance Industries Ltd’s Reliance Brands Ltd (RBL) acquired 40 percent stake in famous designer Manish Malhotra’s MM Styles Pvt Ltd.
• It is the first “external investment” for MM Styles Pvt Ltd & Till Now it is one of the most prominent investments by RBL in the luxury ethnic wear market.

Aim :

• To accelerate the 16-year-old couture house’s growth plans in India and across the globe.
• The partnership will work on creating a strong technology backbone for the business, developing phygital and experiential e-commerce opportunities.

About Manish Malhotra luxury retail :

• Launched : 2005
• It is spanned across four flagship stores in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Hyderabad, 2 SIS, besides a virtual store and over 12 million social followers across various channels.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : RANKING & INDEX

India Ranks 79th in World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2021; Denmark tops

• India has been ranked at 79th spot among 139 countries with an overall score of 0.50 in the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2021.
• The index is prepared by the Washington DC based World Justice Project.
• It ranks the countries based on scores ranging from 0 to 1, with 1 indicating the strongest adherence to the rule of law.

Top 3 Countries in WJP Rule of Law Index 2021 :

1. Denmark – 0.90
2. Norway – 0.90
3. Finland – 0.88

• Venezuela, RB is the least ranked country at 139th spot with an overall score of27.
• The index measures how the rule of law is experienced and perceived across the world by the general public, legal practitioners and experts, in practical and everyday situations.

The WJP Rule of Law Index 2021 based on eight factors:

1. Constraints on Government Powers,
2. Absence of Corruption,
3. Open Government,
4. Fundamental Rights,
5. Order and Security,
6. Regulatory Enforcement,
7. Civil Justice
8. Criminal Justice

About World Justice Project Rule of Law Index :

• World Justice Project Rule of Law Index is the world’s leading source for original and independent data on the rule of law.

About World Justice Project :

• The World Justice Project (WJP) is an international civil society organization with the stated mission of “working to advance the rule of law around the world”.
• Chairman : William C. Hubbard
• CEO : William H. Neukom
• Founders : William H. Neukom William C. Hubbard
• Founded: 2006

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ENVIRONMENT

New Micro snail species Georissa mawsmaiensis discovered from Meghalaya cave

• A New micro snail species named Georissa mawsmaiensis has been discovered from Mawsmai, a limestone cave in Meghalaya.
• The discovery has been reported in the Journal of Conchology.

Research Team :

• Team of researchers involved in the discovery are Nipu Kumar Das and NA Aravind of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bengaluru.

About Georissa mawsmaiensis :

• The snails, ‘Georissa mawsmaiensis’ are so small in size that an adult measures less than 2 millimeters in length.
• The species of the Georissa genus are widely distributed across and reported from Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
• The discovered species was unique from Georissa sarrita in its shell morphology, starting from shell size variation to the presence of four very prominent spiral striations on body whorls of the shell.
• The snails collected on the moist limestone rocks, 4-5m inside the cave entrance.

Note :

• Until now, five snail species have been found from the Meghalaya caves.

About Mawsmai cave :

• Meghalaya’s Mawsmai Cave is one of the major tourist attractions of Sohra, erstwhile Cherrapunji.
• The Mawsmai’ means ‘Oath Stone’ in the Khasi language.
• Mawsmai cave is located at an altitude of 1,195 metres above sea level.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

Karnataka swimmer Ridhima Veerendrakumar bags gold medal in swimming

• Karnataka swimmer Ridhima Veerendrakumar won the gold medal in 50m backstroke for group II girls in Bengaluru, a record-breaking performance at the 37th Sub Junior and 47th Junior National Championships 
• Shalini Dixit of Karnataka bagged the silver medal in this event while Sri Nitya Sago of Telangana took the bronze
• Ridhima got off to a quick start and built on her lead with powerful strokes to clock 29.94 seconds to erase Maana Patel’s record of 30.37 seconds created in 2014.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Former Tamil Nadu batter R.C. Vasanth Kumar passes away

• Former Tamil Nadu top-order batter C. Vasanth Kumar passed away.
• He was 45.

About R.C. Vasanth Kumar :

• Vasanth, was the Secretary of the Magnet Cricket Club, was active in the cricketing circles.
• Vasanth made 1097 runs in 22 first class games at 32.26.
• He notched up three hundreds and an equal number of 50s, with a highest of 151.

Daily CA On Oct 22 :

• The International Stuttering Awareness Day is annually Observed on 22 October & the theme is “Speak the change you wish to see”
• UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Elizabeth Truss will arrive in New Delhi on a three-day visit to India. 
• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has retained Pakistan on its Grey List.
• The United Nations says more than 700,000 people have been displaced by the worst floods to hit South Sudan in decades.
• The Himachal Pradesh government has procured a record amount of apple this season in over a decade.
• Centre in consultation with RBI has decided to issue four tranches of Sovereign Gold Bonds from October 2021 to March 2022. 
• Capital markets regulator Sebi has asked investment advisers to refrain from dealing in digital gold, which is an unregulated product.
• Central Board of Direct Taxes, CBDT has issued refunds of over 92 thousand 961 crore rupees to more than 63 lakh 23 thousand taxpayers between 1st of April to 18th of October this year
• Oil futures now rose and were near multi-year highs as an energy supply crunch continued across the globe. 
• Secretary of Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Tuhin Kanta Pandey has said that dividend tranches of about 296 crore rupees have been received from Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC) and 233 crore rupees from Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO).
• Barbados has elected its first ever president as it prepares to become a republic, removing Queen Elizabeth as head of state.
• The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is hosting a Hackathon titled “Aadhaar Hackathon 2021”  for young innovators.
• On Oct 19, 2021, European commercial drone and software developer FIXAR tied up with Paras Aerospace, a subsidiary of Paras Defence.
• The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune has developed a new ‘Decision Support System’ (DSS) and enhanced the existing ‘Air Quality Early Warning System’ (AQEWS) for Delhi-NCR.
• South Korea has launched its first homegrown rocket in space.
• A Russian actress Yulia Peresild and a film director Klim Shipenko spent 12 days on the International Space Station (ISS) filming 30 minutes duration scenes for the film “The Challenge”. 
• Australia fast bowler James Pattinson has retired from international cricket ahead of the 2021–22 Ashes series.
• Indonesia beat defending champion China, 3-0, to win the Thomas Cup final played at the Ceres Arena in Aarhus, Denmark &  In the Uber Cup, China beat defending champions Japan 3-1, to clinch their 15th Uber Cup trophy.
• On Oct 18, 2021, Sri Lanka’s first Test captain and a former coach and administrator, Bandula Warnapura Passed away.
• On Oct 18, 2021, The first Black U.S. secretary of state, a top military officer and a national security adviser Colin Powell Passed away.
• Former hockey international Saranjeet Singh has passed away

Daily CA On Oct 23 :

• October 23 has been observed as International Snow Leopard Day since 2014 & The main Aim of this day is to show the importance of snow leopard conservation and raise awareness about this incredible animal.
• As part of commemorative activities of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Indian Navy is conducting an Offshore Sailing Regatta from Kochi to Goa under aegis of Indian Naval Sailing Association, INSA.
• Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated a three-day conclave organised by the Indian Air Force to commemorate ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ & the event took place at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru to mark the Golden Jubilee year of 1971 Indo Pak war.
• The Defence Ministry has signed a contract with the US Government under Foreign Military Sale (FMS) for procurement of MK 54 Torpedo and Expendable Chaff and Flares for the Indian Navy.
• The union government has approved a 3% hike in dearness allowance (DA) and dearness relief (DR) for central government employees.
• The Textiles Ministry has issued notification for setting up of seven PM MITRA Parks, it is aimed at realising the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and to position India strongly on the Global textiles map.
• Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has said that the cost of energy should not be allowed to outstrip the paying capacity of consuming nations
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with the beneficiaries and stakeholders of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Swayampurna Goa’ programme is underway via video conferencing.
• The Ministry of Power has notified rules for the sustainability of electricity sector and the promotion of clean energy. 
• Poland has recognized the Serum Institute of India (SII)-manufactured Covishield vaccine as an equivalent to those recognized by the European Union.
• United Kingdom Navy Chief Admiral Sir Tony Radakin met Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh in New Delhi.
• India handed over 9 km long cross-border rail link connecting Jayanagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal-to-Nepal government.
• The Group of Seven nations agreed on principles to govern cross-border data use and digital trade.
• The French government has announced a one-off payment of €100 ($116) for each citizen whose monthly net income is €2,000 or less, to help counter the surge in fuel and energy prices.
• Ethiopian authorities have confirmed the national air force shelled the Tigray regional capital of Mekelle
• Jammu and Kashmir Police has launched dedicated 24×7 public toll-free helplines at PCR Jammu and PCR Kashmir-Srinagar for the public to share timely information regarding militancy, Narcotic-drug peddling, or any other anti-national, anti-social activities.
• Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) has said more than 24 percent of 32 billion dollars’ worth of investments that the state attracted in the last seven years have come from the existing investors. Participating virtually as the chief guest in the Public Affairs Forum of India’s 8th national forum, he said often states overlook the existing investors and that is where Telangana does best.
• Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha e-inaugurated the “Jashn-e-Zafraan”, Harvesting Saffron in presence of Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Kailash Choudhury.
• Non-banking finance companies (NBFC) cannot lend more than Rs 1 crore to investors seeking to buy stocks in initial share sales from April 1,2022, tightening capital adequacy and provisioning rules for last-mile lenders to reduce risks to the broader financial system.
• The Chief Executive Officer of Myntra, Amar Nagaram, has quit his post according to an email sent by Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy to employees. 
• K Madhavan, Country Manager & President – The Walt Disney Company India and Star India, has been re-elected as president of the Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF).
• New research indicates poaching has led to more elephants being born tuskless.
• The second edition of Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2021 commenced on 18 Oct 2021 at New Delhi.
• To commemorate World Food Day (on 16th October 2021) , the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, organised the Food Tech Summit.
• On Oct 18, 2021, The Indian Navy received the 11th anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I from the US-based aerospace company Boeing.
• Reliance Industries Ltd’s Reliance Brands Ltd (RBL) acquired 40 percent stake in famous designer Manish Malhotra’s MM Styles Pvt Ltd.
• India has been ranked at 79th spot among 139 countries with an overall score of 0.50 in the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2021.
• A New micro snail species named Georissa mawsmaiensis has been discovered from Mawsmai, a limestone cave in Meghalaya.
• Karnataka swimmer Ridhima Veerendrakumar won the gold medal in 50m backstroke for group II girls in Bengaluru, a record-breaking performance at the 37th Sub Junior and 47th Junior National Championships 
• Former Tamil Nadu top-order batter C. Vasanth Kumar passed away.