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
Mail Id: [email protected]
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 LAUNCHED GATI SHAKTI MASTER PLAN
In order to develop multi-modal connectivity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Gati Shakti Master plan, a Rs 100-lakh crore national master plan to develop infrastructure in the country that will reduce logistic costs and boost the economy.
The GatiShakti plan involves the creation of a common umbrella platform through which infrastructure projects can be planned and implemented in an efficacious manner by way of coordination between various ministries on a real-time basis.
The project aims to connect two lakh km of national highways, doubling the gas pipeline network to 35,000 km, increasing the number of airports, and developing 11 industrial corridors, with an expected investment of Rs 100 lakh crore.
The plan involves creation of a common platform through which infrastructure projects can be planned and implemented in an efficacious manner by way of coordination between ministries.
Under the new project:
A centralised portal will be set up to bring together the infrastructure schemes (which are to be completed by 2024-25) of as many as 16 Ministries & State Governments on a common platform, for integrated planning and coordinated implementation, instead of planning & designing separately by each ministry and department.
Through the PM Gati Shakti campaign, the government aims to lend more speed (Gati) and power (Shakti) to infrastructure connectivity projects by connecting all concerned departments on one platform.
INDIA INVITED TO BECOME FULL TIME MEMBER OF IEA
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has invited India to become its full-time member.
This membership invitation was given in the light that India is the world’s third-largest energy consumer. If this proposal is accepted, it will require India to increase its strategic oil reserved to 90 days requirement.
Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri held discussions with IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.
During the discussion, IEA executive director invited India to deepen its cooperation with IEA by becoming its full member.
• International Energy Agency Members: 30 (eight associate nations).
• International Energy Agency Full membership: Colombia, Chile, Israel and Lithuania.
• International Energy Agency Headquarters: Paris, France.
PM MODI TO INAUGURATE KUSHINAGAR INT. AIRPORT
PM Modi will inaugurate Kushinagar International Airport on October 20, 2021. The event will be attended by the President of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa and a 125-member delegation from Sri Lanka.
Kushinagar airport will be the third international airport in Uttar Pradesh after Lucknow and Varanasi. The international airport at Kushinagar is spread over an area of 590 acres and boasts world-class facilities.
The eight-storied state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower which has been built at the cost of Rs. 17.5 crores, has become fully operational at the airport.
The navigation system for safe landing and take-off flights at the airport has also passed the trial successfully.
Because of the better connectivity, six Buddhist sites in UP- Sarnath, Kushinagar, and Shravasti- as well as the Buddhist sites in North Bihar will see a free and easy movement of tourists from countries with large Buddhist populations in East Asia and South-East Asia.
Kushinagar International Airport will facilitate the inflow of international tourists as well as outbound tourism in the coming years due to its strategic location near Buddhists sites in both north Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier, the entry point of the Buddhist tourists was Delhi, Kolkata, Gaya, and Varanasi, which are situated far away from one another.
Because of lack of connectivity, it was time taking and most of the tourists were not able to complete the circuit in one go.
However, with the opening of the International Airport at Kushinagar, foreign tourists will be able to complete their pilgrimage in considerably less time.
Historical significance of Kushinagar: Kushinagar is a place where Gautam Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana. It is a town in the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh.
Kushinagar is a significant Buddhist pilgrimage site, where the Buddhists believe that Gautam Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana after his death.
PM MODI LAUNCHED INDIAN SPACE ASSOCIATION (ISPA)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Indian Space Association (ISpA) via videoconferencing.
Its founding members include Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, Nelco (Tata Group), OneWeb, Mapmyindia, Walchandnagar Industries and Ananth Technology Limited.
Other core members include Godrej, Hughes India, Azista-BST Aerospace Private Limited, BEL, Centum Electronics and Maxar India.
About the board members:
• First Chairman: Jayant Patil, L&T-NxT Senior Executive Vice President for Defence
• Vice-President: Rahul Vatts, Bharti Airtel’s chief regulatory officer
• Director-General: Lt Gen. A.K. Bhatt (Retd.)
About the ISpA: The ISpA is a private industry body that will act as a premier industry body for space and satellite companies in the country.
ISpA will be represented by homegrown and global corporations with advanced capabilities in space and satellite technologies.
ISpA will work towards boosting space technology in India, with focus on capacity building and space economic hubs and incubators in India.
4TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE
The 4th General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) will be held virtually from October 18 to 21, 2021, that will deliberate on key initiatives in the solar energy sector including the operationalization of India’s One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) initiative.
Union Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy R K Singh and the President of ISA will preside over the Assembly.
The Assembly will also deliberate on the USD 1 trillion Solar Investment Roadmap for 2030 and approval of a Blended Financial Risk Mitigation Facility.
OSOWOG, known as the One Sun One World One Grid, 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 1st General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in October 2018.
OSOWOG aims 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.
The initiative will also aid in decarbonizing energy production which is a major source of global greenhouse gas emissions today.
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is the nodal agency for implementing India’s OSOWOG initiative.
The task to create the roadmap for the global grid OSOWOG has been given to a consortium led by French state-run power utility firm EDF and AETS (France) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI India). The 4th General Assembly of the ISA is expected to deliberate on the detailed report on OSOWOG.
ISA was co-founded by India during the 2015 Climate Change Conference in Paris. The ISA has taken charge of strengthening India’s attempts at a global climate leadership role.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
INDIA RE-ELECTED TO UNHRC FOR RECORD 6TH TERM
India was re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2022-2024 term with an overwhelming majority in the General Assembly.
India’s re-election for the record sixth term to the UN body has been described by New Delhi’s envoy as a robust endorsement of the country’s strong roots in pluralism, democracy, and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.
The elections were held by the United Nations General Assembly on October 14 for 18 new members of UNHRC who will serve for the period of three years, starting in January 2022.
India was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council with 184 votes in a 193-member assembly, while the required majority was 97.
India’s current term at UNHRC was to end on December 31. 2021. For the election for the term 2021-24, there were five vacant seats in the Asia-Pacific States Category- India, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
The 193-member UN General Assembly elected by secret ballot Benin, Argentina, Cameroon, Finland, Eritrea, Gambia, India, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Malaysia, Paraguay, Montenegro, Qatar, UAE, Somalia, and the USA for the 2022-2024 term on UN Human Rights Council.
The members of the UN Human Rights Council will serve for a period of three years and will not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms.
As of January 2021, 119 of the 193 UN Member states will have served as a member of the Human Rights Council. As per the United Nations, this broad membership not only reflects the UN’s diversity, but it gives the Council legitimacy when speaking out on Human Rights violations in all the countries.
A. SCHELLENBERG ELECTED AS AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR
On October 11, 2021, Alexander Schellenberg was elected as Austrian Chancellor after the resignation of Sebastian Kurz.
Sebastian Kurz resigned because of his involvement in a corruption scandal. Apart from Alexander, Michael Linhardt joined in for the role of foreign minister. He was the former ambassador to France.
Appointment of both the persons helped in ending the crisis within the Austrian government, Austrian People’s Party and Green Party Coalition.
Investigation against Kurz was related to a poll and was commissioned by the Austrian Ministry of Finance, which supports the Austrian People’s Party and Kurz.
As per investigators, misappropriation of funds from the Ministry of Finance for conducting public opinion surveys is in the interest of the party’s political progress.
Publication of allegations in the media group comes with more than 1.1 million euros for cooperation. However, allegations were denied by the media group. Kurz was accused for inciting bribery.
He is an Austrian diplomat, jurist and politician of Austrian People’s Party. He currently serves as the Chancellor of Austria. In the second Kurz government, he served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
He is a member of the Schallenberg family. He is a graduate from College of Europe.
He was a career diplomat & became a mentor to Sebastian Kurz when he became foreign minister. Kurz selected him as the director of strategic foreign policy planning as well as the head of the European department.
JONAS GAHR STORE TAKE CHARGE AS PM OF NORWAY
Jonas Gahr Store, the Leader of the Labour Party in Norway, has assumed the charge of the Prime Minister of Norway with effect from October 14, 2021.
In September 2021, Store’s Labour Party won the parliamentary elections, following which incumbent Prime Minister Erna Solberg and her government stepped down.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, the leader of Norway’s centre-left Labor Party, stood outside the royal palace with his 19-member team — 10 women and nine men — that includes the leader of the Euroskeptic Center Party, Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, who becomes finance minister.
Emilie Enger Mehl became Norway’s youngest-ever justice minister at age 28, while the foreign minister portfolio went to another woman — Anniken Scharning Huitfeldt.
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
RELIANCE NEW ENERGY ACQUIRED REC SOLAR HOLDINGS
Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd, a wholly-owned unit of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd, announced two acquisitions for nearly ₹8,600 crore as part of its ₹75,000-crore green energy transition plan.
The company has acquired 100 per cent stake in Norway-based solar cell, panel and polysilicon maker REC Solar Holdings AS for an enterprise value of $771 million (₹5,792 crore).
It also announced plans to buy a 40 per cent stake in Shapoorji Pallonji-backed Sterling and Wilson Solar Ltd (SWSL) for ₹2,845 crore.
In August, Reliance New Energy, along with strategic investors Paulson & Co Inc and Bill Gates, and a few other investors, had announced an investment of $144 million in Ambri Inc, an energy storage company based in Massachusetts, US.
These acquisitions are part of Mukesh Ambani’s plan to pivot from the traditional fossil fuel-based business to green energy.
About the acquisition: This acquisition will enable Reliance to move closer to achieve the goal of generating 100GW of solar energy by 2030, and in turn, support the country’s global goal to produce 450GW of renewable energy by 2030.
REC Group has three manufacturing facilities, two in Norway for making solar-grade polysilicon and one in Singapore making PV cells and modules. With this acquisition, RNESL will become the owner of REL’s three manufacturing facilities.
INDIA & ISRAEL TO RESUME FTA NEGOTIATIONS
The Free Trade Agreement negotiations between India and Israel are set to resume from November.
India and Israel will negotiate on FTA to conclude a long-pending deal by June 2022. Discussions regarding FTA have been going on between India and Israel for over a decade, and a definite deadline has been set for the first time.
India is the third-largest Asian trade partner of Israel as of 2014 and the tenth-largest trade partner of Israel.
The bilateral trade between the countries stands at $4.52 billion, excluding military sales. Both countries are negotiating a comprehensive bilateral free-trade agreement that focuses on biotechnology, information technology and agriculture.
Israel is represented by an embassy in New Delhi, while consulates in Mumbai & Bangalore and India have set up their embassy in Tel Aviv.
India is the most comprehensive buyer of military equipment from Israel, while Israel is the second-largest supplier of military equipment to India, following Russia.
APPOINTMENTS
KV SUBRAMANIAN RESIGNED AS CHIEF ECONOMIC ADVISER
The Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) KV Subramanian has decided to return to academia after the completion of his three-year term in the Finance Ministry of India.
KV Subramanian had taken over the charge of Chief Economic Adviser on December 7, 2018. The appointment was made nearly five months after his predecessor Arvind Subramanian had stepped down.
KV Subramanian, earlier in his career, had been part of the expert committees for the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Subramanian has also been well-versed with the private sector, with brief stints in top corporates including ICICI Bank, JPMorgan Chase, and Tata Consultancy Services.
Role of Chief Economic Adviser:
CEA (Chief Economic Adviser) is a post in the Government of India. It is equivalent to the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
The Chief Economic Adviser is head of the Economic Division of the Economic Affairs Department, Ministry of Finance.
The extent to which the Indian Government takes into account the advice of CEA has generally been considered to be open-ended.
HIGH COURTS OF INDIA TO GET NEW CHIEF JUSTICE
The Government notified the appointments of eight and transfers of five chief justices of high courts. Eight High Courts will get new Chief Justices, and five Chief Justices have been transferred.
The clearance in the 13 High Courts was considered crucial as some of them have been making do with Acting Chief Justices.
Five Chief Justices have been transferred:
• The government cleared the transfer of Tripura High Court Chief Justice A.A. Kureshi to the Rajasthan High Court.
• Justice Indrajit Mahanty, Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, would take over as Tripura Chief Justice.
• Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq of Madhya Pradesh has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
• Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder of the Meghalaya High Court has been transferred as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court.
• Justice A.K. Goswami has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court. He is presently the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Newly appointed Chief Justice:
• Justice Rajesh Bindal, Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
• Justice Ranjit V. More has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.
• Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, Acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.
• Justice Prakash Srivastava, a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.
• Justice R.V. Malimath has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
• Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
• Justice Aravind Kumar has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court.
• Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra would take over as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
AWARDS & HONOURS
NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS 2021
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2021 with one half to David Card (University of California, Berkeley, USA) “for his empirical contributions to labour economics”.
The other half jointly to Joshua Angrist (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA) and Guido Imbens (Stanford University, USA) “for their methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships”.
This year’s Laureates – David Card, Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens – have provided us with new insights about the labour market and shown what conclusions about cause and effect can be drawn from natural experiments.
Their approach has spread to other fields and revolutionised empirical research.
About the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences: In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central bank) established the Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize.
The Prize is based on a donation received by the Nobel Foundation in 1968 from Sveriges Riksbank on the occasion of the Bank’s 300th anniversary.
The first Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen in 1969.
The Prize in Economic Sciences is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden, according to the same principles as for the Nobel Prizes that have been awarded since 1901.
ARYABHATTA AWARD CONFERRED TO G. SATHEESH REDDY
Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO Dr G Satheesh Reddy has been conferred the prestigious Aryabhata Award by the Astronautical Society of India (ASI) for his outstanding lifetime contribution to the promotion of astronautics in India.
Dr Reddy is a pioneer in the area of R&D of advanced avionics, navigation, and missile technologies.
Dr Reddy has contributed immensely to strategic and tactical missile systems and helped the country become self-reliant in critical defence technologies.
He is an institution builder and has set up mechanisms to establish robust defence development and the productive ecosystem.
About the ASI: The ASI is engaged in the dissemination of technical and other information related to astronautics by conducting technical meetings, bringing out technical publications and organising exhibitions.
• President of Astronautical Society of India: Dr K Sivan.
• The Astronautical Society of India (ASI) was set up in 1990.
• Astronautical Society of India HQ: New Delhi.
MICROSOFT TEAM AWARDED WITH CK PRAHLAD AWARD
Indian American Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella has won the prestigious C K Prahlad award for Global Business Sustainability Leadership for the year 2021, along with three other top leaders of Microsoft.
The four top Microsoft leaders have received the Award for their collaborative leadership to transform Microsoft into a carbon negative company by 2030 and remove all its historical emissions by 2050.
Apart from Nadella, Microsoft’s President and Vice-Chair Brad Smith, Chief financial officer Amy Hood and chief environment officer Lucas Joppa have shared the award for Global Business Sustainability Leadership.
About C K Prahlad Award: The award was created in 2010 by the Corporate Eco Forum (CEF) in honour of its founding Advisory Board member C.K. Prahalad.
The award recognizes winners for exemplifying the fundamental connection between sustainability, innovation and long-term business success in a globalizing world.
SPORTS
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS WINS 4TH IPL TITLE
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the finals to win the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
This was the 14th edition of IPL which is an India-based Cricket league in 20-20 format.
This was the 4th win of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL, having previously won the tournament in 2010, 2011, and 2018.
Here are some important points from exam point of view:
M.S. Dhoni is the captain of CSK which is the winning team. Eoin Morgan is the captain of the Runner up team i.e Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He is from England.
The first half of IPL was played in India, while the second half was played in UAE. The finals were held at Dubai International Stadium.
• Player of the Tournament: Harshal Patel (RCB)
• Highest Run Scorer (Orange Cap): Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) (635 runs)
• Highest Wicket Taker (Purple Cap): Harshal Patel (RCB) (32 wickets)
• Mumbai Indians team has won the IPL title the highest number of times, i.e 5 times.
FIFA UNVEILED MASCOT OF U-17 WOMEN'S WC 2022
World football body, FIFA has unveiled the official mascot of the U-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022 “Ibha” an Asiatic lioness representing women power.
The tournament will be held in India from October 11-30 next year. The announcement coincided with the International Day of the Girl Child.
According to a release issued by the global body, Ibha aims to inspire women and girls across India and around the world to realise their potential.
Ibha is a strong, playful and charming Asiatic lioness that aims to inspire and encourage women and girls by using teamwork, resilience, kindness and empowering others.
INDIA BAGS 43 MEDALS AT ISSF CHAMPIONSHIP
Indian Shooters bagged 43 medals in the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championship happened in Lima, Peru.
The Indian Shooters won 43 medals and took the top of the table with 17 Gold, 16 Silver and 10 Bronze medals. USA won 21 medals with six gold, eight silver and six bronze and took second place on the Medal Table.
Manu Bhaker won the highest number of medals, that is 5 Medals, in a single edition of the ISSF Junior World Championships.
Bhaker won 4 gold medals and a bronze and became the first Indian shooter to win the highest number of medals in a single edition of the ISSF Junior World Championships.
RAHUL DRAVID AS COACH OF SENIOR INDIAN CRICKET TEAM
In one of the biggest developments in Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid has agreed to become the coach of the Indian senior team during the IPL final.
The development happened in Dubai when BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah held a meeting with Dravid and persuaded him to become the coach of the Indian team after the T20 World Cup in UAE.
As per reports, Dravid, also known as ‘The Wall’ of Indian cricket, has been roped in on a two-year contract and he will draw a salary of INR 10 crores.
Team India has also appointed Lieutenant Paras Mhambrey as their bowling coach, replacing Bharat Arun.
Even as Vikram Rathour has been persisted with as the batting coach, the decision on who should replace fielding coach R Sridhar hasn’t been made just yet.
IMPORTANT DAYS AND DATES
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF GIRL CHILD OBSERVED GLOBALLY
International Day of Girl Child was declared by the United Nations to amplify the voices of young girls around the world and increase awareness of issues faced by them.
According to the United Nations, achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is an integral part. The International Day of the girls is celebrated annually on October 11.
History of International Day of Girl Child 2021: In 1995, at the World Conference on Women in Beijing, the need for an event focused on young and vulnerable girls was identified.
The initiative began as a non-government international plan of action to address the challenge faced by young women.
A resolution to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girls Child was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 19, 2011. In 2020, this marked 25 years of the adoption of the Beijing declaration.
Significance of International Day of Girl Child 2021: Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and it is crucial to accelerate their development.
The world needs to pledge to empower young girls and women and give them proper healthcare, skill-based learning facilities and equal opportunities and a world free from gender-based violence and discrimination.
It is celebrated for empowering and amplifying the voices of young girls around the world. The theme for International Day of Girl Child 2021 is ‘Digital generation'. Our generation’.
The reason behind the celebration of International Day of the Girl Child is to give proper education, healthcare, learning, opportunities to young girls and women.
They should be safe from gender-biased violence and discrimination. According to the United Nations, girls are more likely to be cut off, pointing to a gender divide within the digital divide.
It was also stated that girls are less likely than boys to be given devices, which affects their numbers in tech-related skills and jobs.
WORLD FOOD DAY OBSERVED ON OCTOBER 16TH
Every year World Food Day is observed on October 16 and is celebrated to raise awareness on the issue of hunger and healthy food habits for all. It marks the founding day of the Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO).
World Food Day is celebrated by organisations like the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agriculture Development.
But this year the day will be jointly led by organisations like FAO, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and the World Food Programme (WFP).
According to the United Nations, this year's events will take place in around 150 countries across the world with multiple partners and government involvement.
Originally, the day was marked to celebrate the establishment of FAO in the year 1979, as recommended by former Hungarian minister of agriculture and food Dr. Pal Romany.
Gradually, over a course of time, it led to raising awareness for hunger, malnutrition, sustainability, and food production.
The theme for World Food Day 2021 is “Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow”. The theme of this year is based on appreciating the individuals who have contributed to creating sustainable surroundings where no one is left hungry.
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY OBSERVED ON 10TH OCTOBER
World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 every year. The day aims to spread awareness about mental health and advocate against the social stigma around mental health issues.
The day was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organisation.
World Mental Health Day 2021 theme: This year, the theme of World Mental Health Day is 'Mental Health in an Unequal World'.
Humans are social beings and what connects us all are bonds of empathy and awareness—skeins of concern through which international fora attempt to mitigate the taboo that once used to shroud discussions on mental health disorders.
While there has been a marked improvement in the landscape of understanding mental health disorders in the past ten years, it is only in the past year that everyone truly understood what it meant to be ‘mentally unwell’.
The unprecedented nature of the pandemic and the conditions it spawned bore a significant impact on mental health across society. The result was a sharp rise in fear, paranoia, intense phobias, general anxiety and mood disorders, namely depression.
The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.
INTERNATIONAL E-WASTE DAY (IEWD): 14TH OCTOBER
The International E-Waste Day (IEWD) is celebrated on 14 October every year since 2018, to promote the correct disposal of e-waste throughout the world with the aim to increase re-use, recovery and recycling rates.
2021 is the fourth edition of the International E-Waste Day.
This year’s International E-Waste Day will focus on the crucial part each of us has in making circularity a reality for e-products. The theme for 2021 International E-waste day is “Consumer is the key to Circular Economy!”
The day was developed in 2018 by the WEEE Forum, an international association of e-waste collection schemes, with the support of its members.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF RURAL WOMEN: OCTOBER 15TH
International Day for Rural Women is a day that focuses on gender equality and empowering women in rural areas.
It recognises the huge role that rural mothers, daughters and grandmothers play in producing food and building agricultural and rural development worldwide.
The United Nations general assembly had established this day on December 18, 2007, to stress the importance of equal opportunities for women and girls in rural areas.
The UN believes that structural barriers and discriminatory social norms continue to constrain women’s decision-making power and rural political participation in rural households and communities.
Women and girls in rural areas lack equal access to productive resources and assets, public services such as education, healthcare and infrastructure, including water and sanitation.
According to the UN, women make up more than 40% of the agricultural labour force in developing countries. Despite the same, women face challenges when it comes to land ownership, equal pay, participation in decision-making entities and access to resources, credit and the market for their farms to flourish.
The report further stated that providing these women with equal opportunities can increase agricultural production by 2.5 to 4%. It can also reduce the number of people with malnourishment from 12-17%.
Theme: This year, the theme of the day is ‘Rural women cultivating good food for all. The theme aims to eradicate discrimination faced by women in rural areas.
WORLD STUDENT'S DAY: OCTOBER 15TH
World Student’s Day is celebrated every year on October 15. The day is celebrated in honour of the birth anniversary of the former president of India, Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Since 2010, the United Nations Organisation (UNO) has marked October 15 as World Student’s Day in an attempt to acknowledge the efforts of Dr Kalam toward education and his students.
The current year’s (2021) theme of World Students’ Day is “Learning for people, planet, prosperity and peace“.
About A.P.J Abdul Kalam: A.P.J Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 at Dhanushkodi, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. His full name was Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam.
In 2002, he was elected as the President of India and before becoming president he was working with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as an aerospace engineer.
As a scientist, he began his career at the Aeronautical Development Establishment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Also, he had served as the project director of India’s first Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) at ISRO.
Lists of Awards and Honours:
A.P.J Abdul Kalam had received several awards including Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Bharat Ratna, Veer Savarkar Award, Ramanujan Award, etc.
Various educational, scientific institutions and some locations are named in honour of Dr Abdul Kalam like Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) were renamed as “A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University”, Kerala Technological University was renamed to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University” after his death etc.
INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR ERADICATION OF POVERTY
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed every year on October 17 and aims to raise awareness about people living in poverty.
According to the United Nations’ website, the day is a chance to acknowledge the efforts and struggles of people living in poverty, a chance for them to make their concerns heard, and a moment to recognise that poor people are the first ones to fight against poverty.
The day also reflects the willingness of those living in poverty to utilise their expertise to contribute towards its eradication.
History of International Day for Eradication of Poverty: The observance of this day goes back to 1987 when more than 100,000 people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger at the unveiling of a commemorative stone by a French priest and humanitarian activist Joseph Wresinski.
Proclaiming that poverty is a violation of human rights, such people affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected.
Four years after Wresinski’s demise in 1988, the general assembly, through a resolution adopted on 22 December 1992, declared October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
All states were invited to present and promote activities regarding the eradication of poverty and destitution.
This year’s theme is “Building forward together: Ending Persistent Poverty, Respecting all People and our Planet.”
REPORTS AND INDEXES
INDIA RANKED THIRD IN 2021 EY INDEX
India has retained the third rank in the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index released by consultancy firm EY.
India remained at the third position in the 58th edition of EY's ‘Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index' (RECAI), which ranks the world's top 40 markets (nations) on the attractiveness of their renewable energy investment and deployment opportunities.
The 2021 RECAI ranks the world’s top 40 global markets (nations) on the attractiveness of their renewable energy investment and deployment opportunities.
With the environment, social and governance (ESG) measures soaring to the top of the agenda for companies and investors, RECAI also highlights that corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) are emerging as a key driver of clean energy growth.
About the power purchase agreements Index: A new PPA Index – introduced in this edition of RECAI – focuses on the attractiveness of renewable power procurement and ranks the growth potential of a nation’s corporate PPA market. India is ranked sixth among the top 30 PPA markets.
INDIA RANKED 90TH IN HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX 2021
The Henley passport index 2021 was published recently by Henley and Partners, and India ranks 90th position in the list.
Henley Passport Index ranks the most travel-friendly passports of all the countries, and India has been ranked 90th.
Henley Passport Index ranks the passports of nations based on the number of destinations their holders can visit without getting a visa in advance.
Rankings are decided by analysing the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’ data. India was at 84th position in 2020. But in 2021, its position has decreased to the 90th position.
India’s passport holders can travel to 58 countries visa-free and share this rank with Tajikistan and Burkina Faso.
The Henley Passport Index was designed by London-based Henley and Partners, a global citizenship and residence advisory firm. It covers 199 passports and 227 destinations.
WHO RELEASED 'GLOBAL TB REPORT FOR 2021'
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has 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.
The progress in TB detection has gone back to the levels of 2012, with India accounting for 41% of the total case drops in 2020.
• WHO Director General: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
• WHO Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
NASA'S LUCY MISSION TO STUDY JUPITER'S TROJAN ASTEROIDS
NASA is set to launch Lucy, the first spacecraft to study Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids.
The Lucy spacecraft is scheduled to be launched on an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016 but the Lucy spacecraft will be the first expedition by NASA to study the Trojan asteroids that orbit the Sun in two swarms, one leading ahead of Jupiter and other trailing behind the planet.
The spacecraft will be launched on a 12-year mission to help scientists gain an up-close view of the Trojan asteroids.
The study of Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids will help scientists to understand how the Solar System and its planets were formed approximately 4.5 billion years ago and why did they end up in the current sequence.
The Lucy spacecraft is designed to travel nearly 4 billion miles. The Lucy spacecraft and a remote-sensing instrument will study geology, physical properties, and surface composition of the Trojan asteroids.
The Lucy mission has been named after the discovered partial skeleton from a human ancestor that is believed to have lived more than 3 million years ago.
The fossilized remains were named Lucy. Just as the fossil remains named Lucy offered insights into human evolution, the Lucy mission to Trojan asteroids is expected to help in understanding the planetary origins and the formation of the Solar System, including Earth, said NASA.
The Trojan asteroids have been named after characters in Greek mythology. They orbit the Sun in two swarms, one ahead of Jupiter and the other trailing behind it.
These asteroids were formed in the aftermaths of the leftovers of the primordial material from which Jupiter and the other outer planets were formed.
CHINA LAUNCHED FIRST SOLAR OBSERVATION SATELLITE
China launched its first solar observation satellite by a Long March 2D rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in northern Shanxi province into a 571-km altitude orbit.
The 550-kg Xihe satellite will monitor the Sun for three years. Until now, China has had a solar monitoring network on the ground however it did not get access to the optical data outside the atmosphere.
The Xihe satellite, the first solar observation satellite of China will aid the country to fill that gap.
The Xihe satellite is China’s first solar observation satellite. It is equipped with an imaging spectrometer known as the Chinese H-alpha Solar Explorer (CHASE) that will enable observation of the deep-red H-Alpha line of the solar spectrum thereby providing data for scientists to study solar flares or eruptions on the surface of the Sun.
The Xihe satellite has been developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The model of the satellite was put up for a showcase at the Zhuhai Air Show in September 2021.
The satellite has been named after a Chinese mythological figure Xihe, the Mother Goddess of the Gods of the Sun.
The Xihe satellite weighing 550-kg (110 lbs) has been designed for a lifespan of three years. It will observe the Sun until the solar maximum in 2025. It will be in a Sun-synchronous orbit around the Earth.
NITI AAYOG LAUNCHED GEOSPATIAL ENERGY MAP OF INDIA
A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Energy Map of India was launched by NITI Aayog on October 18, 2021.
The Geospatial Energy Map has been developed by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and with the support of central government's energy ministries
The GIS-based Energy Map of India will provide a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country.
This will enable visualisation of energy installations across India including conventional power plants, petroleum refineries, oil and gas wells, coal fields and coal blocks and district-wise data on renewable energy power plants. It will include 27 layers of data from multiple sources.
About the Map: The comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India was jointly launched by Dr Rajiv Kumar (Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog), Dr V K Saraswat (Member, NITI Aayog), and Shri Amitabh Kant (CEO, NITI Aayog) on 18 October 2021.
The map will help to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transportation/transmission networks to provide a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in a country, which would further help in planning and making investment decisions.
The map will also integrate energy data scattered across multiple organizations and present it in a consolidated and more visually appealing and graphical form.
MISCELLANEOUS
UNHRC RECOGNIZED 'RIGHT TO CLEAN ENVIRONMENT'
The United Nations Human Rights Council recognized access to a clean and healthy environment as a fundamental right.
The move by the global body has added its weight to the global fight against climate change as well as its devastating consequences on humans.
The vote was passed in UNHRC with overwhelming support, despite the criticism in the lead-up from some of the nations, notably the United States and Britain, the highly-developed countries in the world.
The resolution declaring a clean and healthy environment as a fundamental right was first discussed in the 1990s.
Even though the recently passed resolution is not legally binding, it has the potential to shape global standards. Lawyers who have been involved in the climate litigation said that the resolution can help them in building arguments in cases involving the environment and human rights.
The resolution, proposed by Costa Rica, Morocco, the Maldives, Switzerland, and Slovenia, was passed with 43 votes in favour and 4 abstentions from India, Russia, Japan, and China prompted a rare burst of applause in the Geneva Forum.
The UK, which was among the critics of the proposal in recent intense negotiations, voted in favour of, last-minute move. The United States did not vote since it is not currently a member of the 47-member council.
SM Current Affairs OCTOBER 2021 Set 03 - CLICK HERE
