National
1. NITI Aayog released its "State Nutrition Profile" report on 1 October, 2021. In the report, nineteen States and Union Territories received their nutrition profiles. The State Nutrition Profiles (SNPs) report comprises of a comprehensive compilation of crucial data that can positively affect policy decisions and facilitate research in that area.
2. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic related situation and concerns regarding increasing pollution due to firecrackers during festive season, many states have imposed certain rules on fireworks in the year 2021. States have imposed either a complete or partial ban on firecracker sales. In these states, government has permitted the sale of 'green crackers' instead.
3. New species of blind freshwater eel has been by four scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). Eel species was discovered from a well in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As per scientists, eel is a blind freshwater hypogean. This is the first such discovered species from Maharashtra and Northern western Ghats.
4. Odisha government has allocated Rs 445.75 crore to the distribution companies in order to increase ground clearance of electrical networks with the objective of preventing Elephant electrocution. With the help of allocated funds, distribution companies would also replace bare conductors across elephant corridors and movement areas.
5. Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, inaugurated the Wildlife Week 2021 on 2 October, 2021 at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar. Wildlife Week 2021 is being observed from 2 to 8 October, 2021. This week is a sincere effort that raise awareness among people for the protection of wildlife resources.
6. On 2 October, 2021, World's largest national flag was inaugurated in Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh. It is made up of Khadi. The flag was inaugurated by Ladakh’s Lieutenant Governor R. K. Mathur, to mark the 152th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, who gifted Khadi to the world.
7. Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways notified to set up a "National Road Safety Board" recently. The National Safety Board will be responsible for promotion of road safety, innovation and adoption of new technology. It will also regulate traffic and motor vehicles.
8. On 2 October, 2021, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav started off tiger rallies in 18 tiger range States in India. Tiger Rallies were started across 51 reserves as a part of "Wildlife Week Celebration" and "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav". In seven days, from 2 October to 8 October, these rallies would cover a distance of about 7,500 km.
9. Uttar Pradesh government has set up a one-member Commission for probing "the Lakhimpur Kheri incident" that took place recently in the state. In the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, eight people were killed. The Judicial Commission has been given two months time to probe the incident. Governor has appointed the judicial commission by exercising the powers conferred by section 3 of the Commissions of Enquiry Act, 1952.
10. The Standing Committee on Information Technology has decided to review ethical standards in the media coverage. The standing committee also examines issues related to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Committee took this decision after looking at several public complaints in functioning of media.
11. The Union environment ministry has released a draft notification to regulate the extended producer responsibility (EPR) under the "Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016". The draft provides that, quantity of waste will have to be managed by producers, brand owners and importers, who are generate plastic packaging waste across India.
12. Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change released the "Vision Plan: 2021-2031" for Indian zoos. This plan was released during a two-day National Conference for zoo directors & veterinarians in Gujarat. The two-day conference was organized by Central Zoo Authority and was hosted by Sardar Patel Zoological Park, Kevadia in Gujarat.
13. Supreme Court in a landmark judgement noted that, "National Green Tribunal does have suo moto powers and it can hear environmental issues on its own". This order came even though Union government said NGT does not have powers to hear environmental cases on its own.
14. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has proposed an amendment to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, in a bid to liberalise the forest laws. Ministry has sent the proposed amendments to all the state governments, asking for their objections and suggestions within 15 days. The draft proposal will be drawn and placed before Parliament after taking suggestions from states into consideration.
15. On 6 October, 2021, "National Mission on Edible Oil- Oil Palm Business Summit" was held at Guwahati for North Eastern States. The summit was organised in line with Prime Minister’s vision for holistic and balanced progress of North East. Summit was started under the chairmanship of Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
16. India has officially joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, on 7 October, 2021. India Joined the coalition at ceremony held between the French and Indian governments in New Delhi. "High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People" is a group of more than 70 countries which encourages the adoption of global goal to protect 30×30.
17. Central Government has given its approval to invite the expression of interest for installation of pilot 1000 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project. This pilot project is the joint effort of "Ministry of New & Renewable energy" and Ministry of Power. Both the ministries have been working on this in order to provide a road map for installation of energy storage system in India.
18. The Government of Gujarat has decided to give a financial assistance of Rs 5000 per person belonging to tribal community for pilgrimage Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. This announcement was made at a gathering in "Shabari Dham" which is a pilgrim site in Dangs district of Gujarat. Shabari Dham is associated with Lord Sri Ram.
19. Under the new initiative called "Gen-Next Democratic Network" initiative, India is set to host young leaders aged under 35. It has been planned by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). ICCR is an autonomous body working under the Ministry of External Affairs. It deals with the policies related to India’s external cultural relations.
20. Union Cabinet given its approval for affiliation of one hundred government sector as well as private sector schools with the Sainik School Society. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal on 12 October, 2021. In line with the approval, affiliated Sainik Schools will be launched under Sainik Schools Society of Ministry of Defence.
21. The Union Home Ministry started tripartite talks with "Gorkha representatives" from Darjeeling Hills, Terrai & Dooars region as well as the Government of West Bengal on 12 October, 2021. Tripartite talks were started in a bid to resolve long-standing demand of statehood in North Bengal region.
22. The Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Rajiv Kumar, launched the "NITI Aayog – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Handbook on Sustainable Urban Plastic Waste Management" on 12 October, 2021. This handbook was launched in New Delhi.
23. As per Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Commission for Backward Classes, Justice A. Sankara Narayana, the enumeration & enlistment programme has been undertaken for the enrolment of deserving castes and remove inequity.
24. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has launched a toll-free helpline number for job aspirants, recently. This facility can be used by the government job aspirants belonging to economically weaker sections and backward classes. Helpline number will be operational on all the working days in office hours.
25. The central government has planned to set up a committee for National Employment Policy (NEP), which seeks to create a roadmap for improving job opportunities in India. The committee will comprise of representatives from Ministry of labour and other ministries.
26. Global Hunger Index 2021, which is prepared jointly by Irish aid agency called ‘Concern Worldwide’ and German organisation called ‘Welt Hunger Hilfe’, was released on 14 October, 2021. The Index termed the hunger level in India as alarming. In the index, India has been placed to 101st position out of 116 countries.
27. The Henley Passport Index 2021 was released recently in which India’s rank has dropped by six places as compared to 2020 index. Henley Passport Index lists the most travel-friendly passports of the world. This year India has been ranked at 90th.
28. Climate tech start-up, Blue Sky Analytics, published its report on emissions related to crop burning. In the report, India has been ranked at the top position. As per report, India accounted for 13 per cent of total global emissions in the period of 2015-2020.
29. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Prerna Sthal was inaugurated on 15 October, 2021 at Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam. Prerna Sthal was inaugurated to commemorate 90th birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as well as to commemorate 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.
30. In the recent study of Public Affairs Centre (PAC) on governance performance, Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Telangana have emerged as the toppers. Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Telangana emerged as winners among 18 large states in governance performance. Telangana has replaced Andhra Pradesh at the third spot as compared to 2020 ranking.
31. Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2021 was released by "United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)" and "Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI)". This report examines the level and composition of multidimensional poverty across 109 countries covering 5.9 billion people. Scheduled Tribe group in India, which accounts for 9.4 percent of the population, is poorest. Out of 129 million people, 65 million are living in multidimensional poverty.
32. Union Minister Piyush Goyal, during his two-day visit to Pahalgam district in Kashmir, inaugurated a 250 mm Seer Water Supply Scheme. The two-day visit of the minister concluded on 20 October, 2021 as part of public outreach programme of the central government.
33. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, delivered a video message to the joint conference of CVC and CBI on 20 October, 2021. The conference took place at Kevadia, Gujarat. During the conference, Prime Minister noted that, deliberations of the conference are taking place in Kevadia which is a place marked by the presence of Sardar Patel.
34. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is set to visit Uttar Pradesh on 20 October, 2021 to attend Abhidhamma Day Programme. On the occasion, Prime Minister will inaugurate the Kushinagar International Airport. After this launch, he will participate in an event at Mahaparinirvana Temple, marking Abhidhamma Day.
35. As a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate 75 years of Independence, Union Minister of Culture & Tourism G. K. Reddy launched "Amrit Mahotsav Podcast". Ministry of culture is organising Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav for celebrating 75 years of Independence.
36. Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has decided to request the Centre to take up caste-based census to mention other backward classes (OBCs) in the national census for 2021. Cabinet authorized the state backward classes minister Venugopala Krishna, for moving a request resolution in upcoming assembly session to take up caste census of OBCs.
37. Indian government notified "Indian Telegraph Right of Way (Amendment) Rules, 2021" on 22 October, 2021, for incorporating provisions related to nominal one-time compensation. The rules also seek to incorporate "uniform procedure for establishing overground telegraph line in Indian Telegraph Right of Way Rules, 2016".
38. India is in the final stage of clearing the National Cybersecurity Strategy in the aftermath of increasing cyber-attacks and threats from nation-state actors against India. India has become one of the most cyber-attacked nations across the world. About 4 million malwares are detected here on daily basis.
39. Indian state of Karnataka is celebrating "Kittur Rani Chennamma Jayanthi" on 23 October, 2021. On the occasion, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S. Bommai garlanded the statue of Queen in Hubbali in Dharwad district. A sum of 50 crore rupees will be sanctioned in the year 2021 for the Kittur Development Authority.
40. Tenth edition of the Global Food Security Index was published recently. In the index, India has been ranked at 71th position. The Global Food Security (GFS) Index 2021 was prepared by analysing data from 113 countries. On the other hand, recently, India was ranked at 101st position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021.
International
1. India and United States (US) held their Industrial Security Agreement (ISA) summit between 27 September to 01 October, 2021 at New Delhi. The summit was organised in order to develop a protocol to exchange classified information between the defence industries of both the countries.
2. American Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently decided to stop sending active commands to its missions on the MARS for next few weeks till the time "Mars solar conjunction" remains in effect. As per NASA, during the Mars solar conjunction period, Earth and the MARS will be on opposite sides of the Sun.
3. Union Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated India's Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, on 1 October, 2021. At the expo, India has deployed the largest number of participants. It has a state-of-the-art 8,750 square metre pavilion with the message that "India is out to grab once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in order to explore solutions to challenges that hampers its growth".
4. World Bank has approved about $150 million program to support Chennai's Sustainable Urban Services and to turn it into a "world-class city". This programme will fulfil Tamil Nadu’s vision of making Chennai into a city which is more green, liveable, and resilient towards climate change.
5. 8th Edition of the "India Sri Lanka bilateral joint Exercise" called Mitra Shakti will be conducted from 4 October to 15 October, 2021 at Combat Training School, Ampara in Sri Lanka. In the joint exercise, all arms contingent of 120 personnel from the Indian Army will participate along with the battalion of the Sri Lankan Army.
6. Russia has successfully test-fired Hypersonic missile from a nuclear submarine for the first time on 4 October, 2021. The missile, named Zircon missile, was launched from the Severodvinsk submarine. Zircon hit a designated target in the Barents Sea. It was Zircon’s first launch from a submarine.
7. European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved the booster doses of Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for people aged 18 and above on 4 October, 2021. This approval given as data for the vaccine showed a rise in antibody levels when a booster shot was administered to the people aged 18 to 55, approximately six months after the second dose.
8. Pandora Papers have come to spotlight after millions of documents related to hidden world of offshore wealth got leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism (ICIJ). These are the 11.9 million leaked papers from 14 companies, in offshore tax havens, comprising of details of ownership of 29,000 offshore companies and trusts from countries like Vietnam, Belize and Singapore.
9. Union Health Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, released a report titled "The State of the World’s Children 2021: On My Mind: promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health" on 5 October, 2021 in New Delhi. The state of World’s Children 2021 report is UNICEF’s global flagship publication.
10. The Indian Navy and The Japan maritime Self-Defence Force is scheduled to start the Fifth edition of India – Japan Maritime Bilateral Exercise called in the Arabian Sea from 6 October, 2021. During the three-day exercise, Indian navy will be represented by indigenously built Guided Missile Stealth Destroyer Kochi and Guided Missile Frigate Teg.
11. On the occasion of World Teacher’s Day, "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)" released its "State of the Education Report (SOER)-2021 for India: No Teachers, No Class", on 5 October, 2021. This report is the annual flagship publication of UNESCO New Delhi. Report is prepared on the basis of extensive research.
12. The Nobel Prize 2021 for physics was awarded to three scientists from Japan, Germany and Italy. Secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Goran Hansson, announced the winners on 5 October, 2021. Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann were awarded for their work in "physical modelling of Earth's climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming".
13. In order to promote indigenous Geographical Identification (GI) tagged products, first consignment of GI tagged sweet dish Mihidana from West Bengal was exported to Bahrain. GI tagged Mihidana was sourced from Bardhaman, West Bengal. Consignment of the sweet dish Mihidana was exported by APEDA registered M/S DM Enterprises, Kolkata.
14. The World Health Organization (WHO) on 6 October, 2021 endorsed the Malaria Vaccine called "RTS,S/AS01". RTS,S/AS01 is the world’s first vaccine against the mosquito-borne disease which kills around 400,000 people in a year. Most of the deaths are report among African children.
15. United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced its plan to send a probe on an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter for collecting data regarding origins of the universe. If this mission is successful, UAE will join the elite club of the European Union, Japan and the United States. These countries have already completed its mission either an asteroid or a comet.
16. 13th Annual International G-20 conference was held on 6 October, 2021. India was represented by Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman. During the conference, FM noted that, India is working for identifying the vacuum areas in international policy coordination, in the backdrop of assuming the G20 presidency in 2023.
17. Rating agency Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the sovereign rating outlook of India to stable from negative. This rating was upgraded citing reduced risks from COVID-19 as well as negative feedback between real economy & financial system. Moddy’s has retained India’s rating at Baa3. It reflects the lowest investment grade rating.
18. India has officially joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, on 7 October, 2021. India Joined the coalition at ceremony held between the French and Indian governments in New Delhi. "High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People" is a group of more than 70 countries which encourages the adoption of global goal to protect 30×30.
19. India and the United Kingdom have inked pact on "Forward Action Plan on power & clean transportation, renewables, green finance, and green energy research" under its 2030 roadmap. 'Forward Action Plan' was discussed at the "3rd India-UK Energy for Growth Partnership – Ministerial Energy Dialogue", in the backdrop of "United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-26)" which is set to start from 31 October in Glasgow.
20. India joined hands with Croatia and inked a MoU for research & development in Indian traditional medicine systems and for promoting Ayurveda in Europe. Croatian government is planning to package Ayurveda and Yoga from India, along with its tourism.
21. The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) unanimously voted to recognise a clean, healthy & sustainable environment as a universal right. This right was recognised by UNHRC on 8 October, 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland. Right to a clean environment was first rooted in 1972 "Stockholm Declaration".
22. According to External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar, India has agreed on USD 200 million Line of Credit support for the developmental projects in Kyrgyzstan. This line of credit was agreed upon after meeting between EAM S. Jaishankar and Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbaev in Bishkek.
23. Three United States-based economists namely, David Card, Joshua D. Angrist and Guido W. Imbens have been conferred the "Nobel prize in Economics 2021". They were conferred with the prize for their work on “use of natural experiments” on the impact of minimum wage, immigration and education on the labour markets.
24. On 11 October, 2021, Alexander Schellenberg was elected as Austrian Chancellor after 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.
25. German rail operator, Deutsche Bahn and industrial group, Siemens launched the first automated & driverless train of the world on 11 October, 2021. The self-driving train was launched in the city of Hamburg. This train is more punctual and energy efficient as compared to traditional trains.
26. International Energy Agency (IEA) has invited India to become its full-time member. This membership invitation was given in the light that, India is 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.
27. President of Tunisia, Kais Saied, unveiled a new government on 11 October, 2021. He also did not give any hint to start reforms which are required for a financial rescue package to avert economic disaster.
28. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the G20 Extraordinary Leaders’ Summit on 12 October, 2021. G20 Extraordinary Leaders’ Summit will be organised to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. This event will be convened by the G20 Italian Presidency in virtual mode.
29. Iran started a massive, two-day air defence drill in its sprawling central desert, on 12 October, 2021. In the annual manoeuvres called Velyat, both the army and the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard were taking earlier. Now, elite air force, air defense units and the Guard’s airspace division would participate in the drill.
30. India is set to submit its covid-19 vaccination plan and targets to the World Health Organization (WHO). India will submit an updated national vaccination trajectory and plans that defines the dose requirements for guiding investment. Guiding investments are required to manufacture the vaccines and their distribution by the government.
31. American President, Joe Biden, has proclaimed 11 October as "Indigenous Peoples’ Day". He has become the first U.S. president to formally recognize this day. The day was proclaimed after recognising the Indigenous peoples’ resilience and strength along with the immeasurable positive impact that these people have made on every aspect of American society.
32. The European Union (EU) attracted huge demand from investors for its first green bond on 12 October, 2021. Huge demand was there as Brussels kicked off its efforts for becoming world’s biggest issuer of sustainable debt. Euro 12 billion sale of 15-year debt attracted about Euro 135 billion of orders.
33. The Indian Navy is set to take part in "Second Phase of multilateral maritime exercise" called "Exercise Malabar" along with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and the United States Navy (USN). Malabar exercise is being conducted in the Bay of Bengal from 12 October to 15 October 2021.
34. The Northern Ireland protocol was designed to prevent checks across the border between Northern Ireland (US) and the Republic of Ireland (EU), following Brexit. The Protocol came into force in the beginning of 2021. It has resulted into disagreements between the UK and EU as it disrupted trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
35. China pledged to inject $233 million into a new fund called "Kunming Biodiversity Fund" for the protection of biodiversity in developing countries, recently. This decision was taken during a key UN conservation summit, even though major donors disagreed on it. China pledged as it the world’s biggest polluter and seeks to play a prominent role internationally on biodiversity conservation.
36. India and the United States are set to start a 15-day mega military exercise in Alaska from 15 October, 2021 in a bid to further deepen bilateral military cooperation between both the countries. Year 2021 will mark the 17th edition of the exercise "Yudh Abhyas".
37. China and Russia are holding Joint naval drills called "Joint Sea 2021 naval exercise" in the Sea of Japan. The joint naval drill was kicked off from 14 October, 2021. It highlights the latest sign of growing political and military alignment between Russia and China.
38. India got re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for 2022-24 term on 14 October, 2021 with the overwhelming majority in United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Envoy from New Delhi described the election as "robust endorsement" of India’s strong roots in democracy, fundamental rights and pluralism as enshrined in the Constitution.
39. Eighth ministerial meeting of "India-United States of America (US) Economic and Financial Partnership Dialogue" was held on 15 October, 2021 at Washington D.C. Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman and Secretary of Treasury of the United States, Dr. Janet Yellen, chaired the meeting.
40. China launched a three-person crew for a mission of six-month on board the Shenzhou-13 spaceship to its space station on 16 October, 2021. The crew is planned to set up new record for the time spent in space by Chinese astronauts as China moves for completing the orbiting structure. Shenzhou-13 spaceship is carrying three astronauts.
41. The Italian Presidency of the G20 grouping has unveiled "G20 Innovation League", in a bid to create a sustainable future. It is a new and unique initiative that have been designed to drive forward innovative projects, which in turn will help in creating a sustainable future.
42. An Indian Project, Takachar's Innovation, that recycles agricultural waste into fuel has won the "Prince William's inaugural Earthshot Prize", which is also called as "Eco Oscars". Eco Oscars honour people who are trying to save the planet Earth.
43. American Space Agency, NASA, launched the first-of-its kind mission on 16 October, 2021 to study the Trojan asteroids of Jupiter. Trojan asteroids are two large clusters of space rocks, which are believed to be remnants of primordial material forming the outer planets of the solar system. The space probe is called as Lucy.
44. Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference was recently concluded, in which India strongly opposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC projects of China. The UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference was held between 14 October to 16 October.
45. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. have launched a new server chip on the basis of advanced 5-nanometer technology. This marks a milestone in light of semiconductor self-sufficiency of China. The newest chip was launched on the basis of micro-architecture provided by SoftBank Group Corporation, it is owned Arm Ltd.
46. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and other agency released its new report on 19 October, 2021. In its report, these agencies warned that, Africa’s rare glaciers are going to disappear in next two decades because of climate change. The report was released ahead of "U.N. climate conference" which is scheduled for 31 October, 2021 in Scotland.
47. India and Taliban are set to meet face-to-face at the "Moscow Format" meeting which will be hosted by Russia on 20 October, 2021. India and Taliban meeting is expected to focus on formation of an inclusive government and security situation in Afghanistan.
48. India and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in mining and steel sector. MoU was signed between Union Minister of Steel, Ram Chandra Prasad and Russia’s minister of energy Nikolay Shulginov. The MoU specially focuses on coking
49. The South American Country, Ecuador, has declared a state of emergency because of crime wave. President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, announced a 60-day state of emergency on 19 October, 2021 because of rise in violent drug crimes. The announcement was made on the eve of a visit by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
50. Prestigious "Martial Arts Education Prize 2021" was conferred to the world-renowned Kung Fu Nuns of Drukpa order of Buddhism. Prize was given to them from the UNESCO International Centre for Martial Arts to honour their brave acts of service. The Prize recognises the historic "acts of service and championing of gender equality in Himalayas" by the Kung Fu Nuns.
51. Technology giant, Microsoft, has launched a programme called "AI Innovate Programme", to nurture and scale start-ups. The programme was launched in its efforts of supporting the start-up ecosystem in India. Programme will support those start-ups that are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI).
52. India, Israel, United States and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are ready to build on momentum created by "Abraham Accords" by holding the first meeting of their foreign ministers on 18 October, 2021. The meeting is being described in some quarters as a "new Quad".
53. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released its report called "2021 Production Gap Report". According to the report, government’s plan to produce fossil fuels will evade the Paris Deal limits. Report measures the gap between "governments’ planned production of coal, gas & oil" and "global production levels in consistent with the limits of Paris Agreement".
54. Mount Aso volcano in Japan, erupted on 20 October, 2021 and emitted a giant column of ash to about thousands of metres into the sky. No injuries were reported immediately and People were warned not to go towards volcano as it ejected hot gas and ash.
55. Sri Lanka has received the first consignment of non-harmful Nano Nitrogen liquid fertiliser from India on 20 October, 2021. Of all, India sent 3.1 million litres of high quality non-harmful Nano Nitrogen liquid fertiliser. The fertilizer will help Sri Lanka in the cultivation of maize and paddy.
56. Former US President, Donald Trump, has launched his own social media network called "TRUTH Social". This platform was launched after Donald Trump faced bans from Facebook and Twitter. Trump’s social media platform will stand up to the pattern of Big Tech.
57. The United Kingdom (UK) and India are set to launch their biggest joint military exercise called "Konkan Shakti". In the exercise, there will be re-entry of UK’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) into western Indian Ocean waters. The CSG, along with HMS Queen Elizabeth, has been on deployment in the Indo-Pacific waters for all summer.
58. The United Nations has set up a special trust fund on 21 October, 2021 for Afghanistan, in order to provide urgently needed cash directly to Afghans. It was set up with the aim of injecting liquidity into Afghan households in a bid to permit them to survive the upcoming winter and remain in their homeland.
59. The Caribbean Island called Barbados, in a bid to become a republic, has elected its first ever president. This is a key step in preparations for becoming a republic. This move will also remove Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as head of state of Barbados.
60. Global terror financing watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF), retained Pakistan on the ‘Grey List of countries’. This time, the watchdog had added three new countries namely Turkey, Jordan & Mali, to the Grey List. As per FATF, there was no question of blacklisting Pakistan for now as Pakistan is cooperating and only four action items remain to be completed.
61. South Korea has launched its first ever space rocket on 21 October, 2021. This is the first rocket completely developed and built in South Korea. However, it failed to successfully deploy a test satellite into orbit. The rocket is called as "Nuri". It is a 47-meter rocket that was lifted off, with bright yellow fire shooting from the engines.
62. The United States has successfully tested the hypersonic missile technology on 20 October, 2021. Hypersonic Missile Technology is a new weapons system which is already being deployed by Russia and China. The test was conducted at a NASA facility in Wallops, Virginia. The test was conducted at a NASA facility in Wallops, Virginia.
63. We Protect Global Alliance recently released its Global Threat Assessment report 2021. The report notes that, Child sexual abuse is a chronically underfunded issue. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of child sexual exploitation and abuse online have increased.
64. Fourth general assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held virtually between 18 October to 21 October, 2021. Assembly was presided by Union Minister of power, new & renewable energy, R.K. Singh and President of ISA Assembly. 108 countries participated in the ISA Assembly, including 34 observer & prospective countries and 74 Member Countries.
65. External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar and British Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss held talks on Infrastructure and Defence on 22 October, 2021. The talk was focused on infrastructure investment, defence cooperation and security cooperation.
66. China passed its New Education Law on 23 October, 2021 with the aim of cutting the "twin pressures" of homework and off-site tutoring in the core subjects. The new law has made the local governments responsible to ensure that the twin pressures on children are reduced. It also asks parents to arrange the time of their children to account for reasonable rest and exercise in order to reduce pressure and avoid overuse of the internet.
67. India has handed over 34.9 km long cross-border rail link to Nepal government, that connects Jayanagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal. The ceremony took place on 22 October, 2021 in the presence of Indian ambassador to Nepal Vinay M. Kwatra and Nepal minister for physical Infrastructure & transport Renu Kumari Yadav.
68. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has opened the "Saudi Green Initiative forum" on 23 October, 2021. The forum was launched in Riyadh, along with the announcement of Saudi Arabia’s new "green" objectives. The forum will discuss the environmental efforts made by Saudi Arabia with guests including international personalities and high-profile government leaders.
69. Bangladesh has planned to present its "climate prosperity plan" at the upcoming United Nations climate talks in Glasgow. Climate prosperity plan will be presented with the aim of mitigating the effects of global warming on economic development. This plan will also visualise boosting the renewable energy.
70. The United States issued first passport with an "X" gender marker, marking a milestone in recognising the rights of people who are not identified as male or female. This step was taken following the fight of Dana Zzyym, who is an intersex activist from Fort Collins. Zzyym has battling legally with the US State Department since 2015 to get a passport that did not require Zzyym to lie about gender by selecting either male or female.
71. India applied for a $2 billion loan from Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to purchase about 700 million Covid-19 vaccines. India applied for the loan as it seeks to boost immunisation rate of eligible population here.
72. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Sushil Chandra, led a three-member delegation to Uzbekistan to oversee the presidential election, that was held on 24 October, 2021. Indian delegation was present in Uzbekistan, from 21 to 25 October to oversee the presidential election, as an international observer.
73. UN's World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released its annual report titled "State of the climate in Asia" on 25 October, 2021. As per report, in 2020, Asia suffered its hottest year on record. Report notes that, extreme weather is taking a heavy toll on development of the continent.
74. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed an India-ASEAN start-up festival on 28 October, 2021. This announcement was made in a virtual meeting of leaders of ASEAN at "18th India-ASEAN Summit".
75. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, recently. As per Bulletin, abundance of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record again in the year 2020. Annual rate of increase was above the 2011-2020 average. Report notes that, the trend has continued in 2021.
76. The Information and Broadcasting minister of Bangladesh, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, inaugurated Bangabandhu Sambad Kendra on 28 October, 2021. Bangabandhu Sambad Kendra was inaugurated at the Kolkata Press Club. It was inaugurated on the occasion of golden jubilee of the independence of Bangladesh as well as birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
77. World Bank recently published its report titled "The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021". As per report, South Asia suffers the most in terms of loss of human capital loss because of air pollution. Latest edition of the report has measured wealth creation and distribution among 146 countries. It covers a 20-year period from 1995 to 2018.
78. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) published its "UNCTAD Digital Economy Report 2021", recently. In its report, UNCTAD noted the Philippines as one among six countries that allows free flow of data across borders. Free flow of data is required to boost the digital economy.
79. The 13th Meeting of Heads of National Statistical Offices of BRICS Countries was held virtually on 28 October, 2021, under the Chairship of India. Meeting was chaired by Dr. G. P. Samanta, who happens to be the Chief Statistician of India & Secretary of Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
80. Facebook Inc. has changed its name and logo to Meta Platforms Inc. on 28 October, 2021. Facebook Inc. has been renamed to Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta to reflect its commitment to develop the new surround-yourself technology called as "metaverse". However, the social network will still be called as Facebook.
Defence
1. On 4 October, 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh felicitated the winners of ‘Dare to Dream 2.0’ Contest organised by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). Awards were given to 40 winners, including 22 in Individual category and 18 in Start-up category.
2. Indian Air Force is celebrating its 89th Foundation Day on 8 October, 2021. Air Force Day parade is being held at the Hindon airbase, Ghaziabad. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh are attending the event. The parade was inspected by IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.
3. The Indian Navy is set to take part in "Second Phase of multilateral maritime exercise" called "Exercise Malabar" along with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and the United States Navy (USN). Malabar exercise is being conducted in the Bay of Bengal from 12 October to 15 October 2021.
4. Home Ministry has enhanced the powers of Border Security Force (BSF). Under the enhanced power, officers will have the power to search and arrest. Officers will also have the power of seizure up to the extent of 50 km in three new states which are sharing international boundaries with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
5. On 15 October, 2021, seven new defence companies were dedicated to the nation by the Defence Ministry. The seven companies that were carved out of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), are: Munitions India Limited (MIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), Troop Comforts Limited (TCL), Gliders India Limited (GIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVANI), Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWE India), India Optel Limited (IOL) and Yantra India Limited (YIL).
6. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT) called ABHYAS on 22 October, 2021. ABHYAS high-speed expendable aerial target will be used to evaluate several missile systems, It was tested from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Bay of Bengal in Odisha.
7. To commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Indian Navy is conducting an Offshore Sailing Regatta under the aegis of Indian Naval Sailing Association (INSA). Offshore Sailing Regatta is being conducted from Kochi to Goa. In the event, Six Indian Naval Sailing Vessels namely, Tarini, Mhadei, Neelkanth, Bulbul, Kadal Pura and Hariyal will participate.
8. First indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) of India, named Vikrant, started its second phase of sea trials on 24 October, 2022, in the backdrop of its planned induction into the Indian Navy by August 2022. INS Vikrant is a 40,000-tonne aircraft carrier. It is the largest and most complex warship that is built in India.
9. India has successfully test-fired a surface-to-surface ballistic missile called Agni-5 on 27 October, 2021. The missile was launched from APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast. The missile uses a three-stage solid-fuelled engine, which can strike the targets up to the range of 5000-km with a very high degree of accuracy.
10. The Director General of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), K Natarajan, commissioned the indigenously built Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) "Sarthak" on 28 October, 2021. Commissioning of the ship is a significant boost for the maritime safety and security of India. ICGS Sarthak will be based at Porbandar in Gujarat.
11. The seventh frigate of P1135.6 class was launched on 28 October, 2021 for the Indian Navy. Frigate was launched at Yantar Shipyard in Russia's Kaliningrad. Indian Ambassador to Russia, D Bala Venkatesh Varma as well as senior dignitaries of the Russian Federation were present on the occasion.
12. Team from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have successfully flight-tested the indigenously developed Long-Range (LR) Bomb on 29 October, 2021. Long-Range Bomb was tested from an aerial platform in Odisha's Balasore.
Business, Economy & Banking
1. International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has constituted an Expert Committee in a bid to recommend approach towards development of Sustainable Finance Hub. The expert committee is being chaired by C.K. Mishra, Former Secretary to the "Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change".
2. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated new auto-debit rules on 1 October, 2021 in order to strengthen the safety and security of card transactions. As per RBI’s directive, there will be no automatic recurring payment for several services like utility bills, DTH, recharge of phone and OTT because additional factor of authentication (AFA) will become mandatory onwards.
3. The International Monetary Funds (IMF) has released its report called "Global Financial Stability Report", highlighting how digital currency assets brings in financial stability challenges. In its report, IMF notes that rapid growing crypto ecosystem presents new opportunities to the world. However, this digital currency assets also pose several financial stability challenges.
4. World Bank has approved about $150 million program to support Chennai's Sustainable Urban Services and to turn it into a "world-class city". This programme will fulfil Tamil Nadu’s vision of making Chennai into a city which is more green, liveable, and resilient towards climate change.
5. Union Ministry of Power has notified new Electricity rules called "Electricity (Rights of consumers) Rules" in India, laying down the rights of power of consumers. These rules will empower the consumers of electricity. Rules originate from the conviction that power systems exist to serve consumers and consumers have rights to get reliable services & quality electricity.
6. Under the "One District, One Product (ODOP) initiative" of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, first consignment of Kashmiri walnuts was flagged off from Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, recently. Truck carrying 2,000 kgs was despatched from Budgam to Bengaluru, Karnataka. 90% of India’s walnut production is from Kashmir.
7. According to rating agency ICRA Ltd., India's electricity demand is expected to increase by 8-8.5% in Financial Year 2022. This increase in demand was supported by a lower base, improvement of economic activity as well as lower than normal monsoons.
8. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated "Azadi@75 – New Urban India: Transforming Urban Landscape conference-cum-expo" on 5 October, 2021 in Lucknow. On the occasion, he digitally interacted with beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) houses and handed over the keys to 75,000 beneficiaries across 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh.
9. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) granted the licence to the Rs 6,000 crore National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd. (NARCL). This move will help in starting operations of the bad bank. IBA has been entrusted with the task to set up the bad bank.
10. Ministry of Textiles has approved the continuation of Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) on 5 October, 2021. CHCDS scheme was approved with a total outlay of Rs 160 crore. Scheme will continue up to March 2026 now. Under the scheme, infrastructural support, design & technology upgradation, market access etc will be provided to handicrafts artisans.
11. Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh, launched state-of-the-art Heli-borne survey technology on 5 October, 2021. Heli Survey Technology was launched for ground water management. In the first phase, the States of Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and Haryana are being taken up for the heli-borne survey. Survey was started from Jodhpur in Rajasthan on 5 October.
12. Department of Ex-servicemen welfare working under ‘Ministry of Defence’ has integrated ‘Electronic Pension Payment Order’ (EPPO) with the Digi Locker. Electronic Pension Payment Order is generated by Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (PCDA) Pension, Allahabad. EPPO has been integrated with Digi Locker for enhancing Ease of Living of Defence Pensioners.
13. Union Cabinet has given its approval, on 6 October, 2021, to set up seven PM MITRA parks, accomplishing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish Atmanirbhar Bharat. PM MITRA parks will be set up with an outlay of Rs 4445 crores in five years. Announcement to establish such parks was made in Union Budget 2021-22.
14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the beneficiaries of Svamitva scheme in Madhya Pradesh on 6 October, 2021. On the occasion, PM also distributed e-property cards to 1,71,000 beneficiaries under the SVAMITVA scheme.
15. As per World Bank's report titled "Shifting Gears: Digitization and Services-Led Development", Indian economy is expected to increase by 8.3% in the fiscal year 2021-2022. As per report, in the next financial year, India’s economic prospects will be determined by its pace of vaccination against covid-19 and successful implementation of agriculture & labour reforms.
16. Central government released an amount of Rs 40,000 crore on 7 October, 2021 to states and union territories (UTs) with legislature. The amount was released under back-to-back loan facility for meeting the shortfall in GST compensation. Amount was released in addition to normal GST compensation which is being released every two months out of actual cess collection.
17. Three-membered Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintained an accommodative stance and kept the repo rate unchanged at 4 per cent, in order to revive & sustain growth and reduce the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. Monetary Policy Committee has also ensured that inflation remains within the target.
18. Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, launched the River Ranching Programme on 8 October, 2021. The programme was launched at Brijghat, Garh Mukteshwar, Uttar Pradesh. Along with Uttar Pradesh, other 4 states namely, Orissa, Uttarakhand, Tripura and Chhattisgarh also participated in the launch of ‘nationwide River Ranching program’.
19. As per data of "Central Electricity Authority of India". India is facing an unprecedented shortage of coal stocks across the thermal plants which might lead to a power crisis. As of now, three thermal power stations in Punjab, thirteen in Maharashtra, four in Kerala are shut due to shortage of coal.
20. The Draft Regional Plan-2041 was approved by the NCR Planning Board on 12 October, 2021. Government has planned to submit the ‘final version of Regional Plan-2041’ by end of March 2022. The Draft Regional Plan-2041 paves the way for a future-ready and slum-free National Capital Region (NCR) comprising of facilities like air ambulance, high-speed connectivity by means of rail, road, Heli taxis, and inland waterways.
21. Railways successfully operated two long haul freight trains called "Trishul" and "Garuda" for the first time in South-Central Railway (SCR). These trains are twice or multiple times longer than normal composition of freight trains. They provides an effective solution for the problem of capacity constraints in critical sections.
22. The traditional dye-painted figurative called Karuppur Kalamkari Paintings, and Kallakuruchi wood carvings have received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Kallakuruchi wood carvings is done using pens, palm stem, date trees, brushes made of bamboo stick and coconut tree stems.
23. The Ministry of Finance recently released its "Monthly Economic Review for September 2021" on 12 October. According to the report, Indian economy is on path of swift recovery from the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. As per economic review report, sustained & robust growth in agriculture sector, rebound in manufacturing & industry sector, resumption of services activity & revenues indicates that the Indian economy is progressing well.
24. Former chief of State Bank of India, Rajnish Kumar, has joined the Board of BharatPe as chairman. Rajnish Kumar will get involved in defining the short-term and long-term strategies of companies. He will also work closely with other Board Members and chief experience officer (CXOs) on key regulatory and business initiatives.
25. Ministry of Civil Aviation has given a no-objection certificate (NOC) to new airline named ‘Akasa Air’ for its operation in India. Akasa Air is baked by Rakesh Jhunjhunwala as well as ex-Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube. The new airline has set its aim to start operations by mid-2022.
26. Union Cabinet given its approval for affiliation of one hundred government sector as well as private sector schools with the Sainik School Society. Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal on 12 October, 2021. In line with the approval, affiliated Sainik Schools will be launched under Sainik Schools Society of Ministry of Defence.
27. Central Government has given "Maharatna" status to Power Finance Corporation (PFC). PFC has become the 11th state-owned entity in India to enter the Maharatna category. PFC now joins the ranks of other companies like ONGC, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), BHEL and Indian Oil Corporation. PFC is the largest infrastructure company of India.
28. In its World Economic Outlook, which was published on 12 October, 2021, International Monetary Fund (IMF) improved its growth forecasts of the Latin American and Caribbean economy in the year 2021. As per IMF report, a recovery of 6.3% is expected by 2021 and 2.5% by 2022.
29. National Statistical Office (NSO) released its data on "retail inflation and Index of Industrial Production (IIP)" on 12 October, 2021. As per IMF, India’s retail inflation relaxed in September 2021, reducing to a five-month low. This was because of favourable comparison with year 2020 and moderating food prices that offset an increase in the cost of crude oil & fuel.
30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch first ever National Infrastructure Masterplan called "Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti". This masterplan will be launched on 13 October, 2021. Gati Shakti scheme was announced by PM Modi on Independence Day, 2021.
31. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a Rs 100 lakh crore national master plan called "Gati Shakti National Master Plan" on 13 October, 2021. This plan was launched for multi-modal connectivity with the aim of developing infrastructure to reduce logistic costs and boost Indian economy.
32. Minister of State of Ministry of Communication, Devusinh Chauhan, launched a Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI Scheme) for Telecom & Networking Products on 14 October, 2021. PLI Scheme in telecom sector was launched for realizing the Prime Minister’s vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. This scheme would help in reducing dependence of India on other countries for importing telecom and networking products.
33. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, launched the ‘MyParkings’ app on 14 October, 2021. MyParkings App is a first-of-its-kind initiative. On this app, people can book parking slots online in areas which are under the jurisdiction of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).
34. As per RBI data, India’s foreign exchange reserves increased by USD 2.039 billion in the first week of October 2021. Foreign exchange now stands at USD 639.516 billion. In the last week of September, reserves had dropped by USD 1.169 billion, accounting for a reserve of USD 637.477 billion.
35. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) published its annual report on 15 October, 2021. In its report, it states that, India’s economy is gradually recovering after it was hit hard by two Covid-19 waves. IMF however cautioned the authorities against inflationary pressures.
36. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has dedicated Rs 1000 crores fund to provide credit guarantees to around 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPOs). This dedicated fund will be housed under the "Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for FPOs" (CGFTFPO), under the trusteeship of NABSanrakshan Trustee Private Limited (NTPL).
37. Government think tank, NITI Aayog, launched the Geospatial Energy Map of India on 18 October, 2021. This Geospatial Energy Map of India provides a holistic picture of all energy resources like oil & gas wells, petroleum refineries, conventional power plants, coal fields and coal blocks.
38. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced for the launch of NPCI Tokenization system (NTS) on 20 October, 2021 in order to provide support to the tokenisation of cards as an alternate for storing card details with merchants. The NTS will support the tokenisation of RuPay cards in order to further enhance the safety of customers as well to provide a seamless shopping experience for the consumers.
39. Indian Railways has ordered to dissolve the "Indian Railways Stations Development Corporation" on the basis of recommendation of Principal Economic Advisor of Finance Ministry, Sanjeev Sanyal. This move is in line with the rationalisation of railway bodies by closing or merging multiple organisations.
40. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed monetary penalty on two payment system operators viz., Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PBBL) as well as Western Union Financial Services Inc. RBI levied a penalty of Rs 1 crore on PBBL. Penalty was imposed because of an offence related to Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (PSS Act).
41. HDFC Bank, Mastercard and USAID have committed $100 million credit facility with the aim to expand lending to small businesses. New credit facility will help small businesses that require financing for maintaining and growing their operations. The credit facility will also enable recovery by means of digitisation.
42. Ministry of Rural Development launched 152 SAKSHAM centres under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). These centres were launched as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. About 152 Centre for Financial Literacy Service Delivery (or SAKSHAM Centres) were launched across 77 districts in 13 states, during October 2021.
43. The ministry of power announced new rules to ensure sustainability in the economic viability of the power sector. New rules will also ease the financial stress of various stakeholders. It will also ensure timely recovery of costs incurred in the electricity generation.
44. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) and HDFC bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for offering home loans to about 4.7 crore customers of the payments bank. IPPB, that leverages its country-wide network of 650 branches and more than 1,36,000 banking access points or Post offices, aims to make home loan products of HDFC available to its customers in India.
45. The Ministry of Civil Aviation launched "Krishi Udan 2.0 scheme" on 27 October, 2021. Under "Krishi Udan 2.0 scheme", cargo-related infrastructure will be built in airports of hilly, tribal, and north-east regions. Such infrastructure will help in assisting farmers to transport agriculture products.
46. Indian government is to set up a private sector-led non-profit company to fast-track the implementation of proposed "Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) initiative". Open Network for Digital Commerce Initiative will be implemented by the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT).
47. Government of India reconstituted the seven-member Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to the prime minister on 27 October, 2021. New EAC was constituted after its tenure ended in the month of September 2021. It has been reconstituted for a period of two years.
48. Indian Railway has introduced a special train 01684/01683 called Gati Shakti Express to ease the extra rush of passengers during festive seasons like Diwali and Chhath Puja. Train will run between Anand Vihar Terminal-Patna-Anand Vihar Terminal. Train has been introduced for the convenience of rail passengers by clearing extra rush of passengers during festivals.
49. Chennai-Mysore-Chennai Shatabdi Express was given IMS certification recently. This train has become the first Integrated Management Systems (IMS) certified train of the Southern Railway. It has also become the first Shatabdi train as well as second mail or express train of Indian Railways to receive this certification.
50. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has proposed to make micro-lending collateral-free for all the lenders, rather than just for microfinance institutions (MFIs). This proposal was announced by RBI deputy governor Rajeshwar Rao while he was delivering the inaugural address at Sa-Dhan National Conference on ‘Revitalising financial inclusion’.
51. According to the financial statement of "Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme", it is running out of funds in 21 states. The scheme has run out of funds halfway in the financial year 2021, and supplementary budgetary allocations will not be provided to compensate till the next Parliamentary session starts.
Science & Technology
1. All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), under the AYUSH ministry, has developed "Bal Raksha Kit" which is an immunity boosting kit. This kit was developed keeping the third wave of the coronavirus disease in mind. This is an immunity booting kit, to protect the children up to the age of 16 from covid-19 infection till the time a vaccine is developed for them.
2. American Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently decided to stop sending active commands to its missions on the MARS for next few weeks till the time "Mars solar conjunction" remains in effect. As per NASA, during the Mars solar conjunction period, Earth and the MARS will be on opposite sides of the Sun.
3. On 1 October, 2021, Pharmaceutical company "Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics" announced the early results of Phase-3 trials of its anti-viral drug called molnupiravir. As per the results, Molnupiravir has reduced the chances of hospitalisation by half among COVID-19 patients with mild or moderate symptoms.
4. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is planning to find a "customer relationship management (CRM) as well as enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions" on the basis of "Free and open-source software (FOSS)". These solutions would be planned in such a way that it could deploy on its own platform and use it in future for developing other citizen-facing interfaces like Aarogya Setu app or a COWIN platform.
5. Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, launched face recognition software on 4 October, 2021 for assisting police officials in their investigation. "Face recognition software" will help the police personnel in comparing the photos of suspects with "data resource" that have been uploaded in Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS).
6. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched an initiative on 4 October, 2021 to facilitate COVID-19 vaccine delivery using "made in India drones" in the tough & hard-to-reach terrains of Northeast. For the purpose, ICMR has designed a delivery model called "Drone Response and Outreach in North East (i-Drone)".
7. American Space Agency, NASA, is set to send its "Psyche Mission" to visit a giant asteroid called Psyche, which could be the frozen remains of molten core of a bygone world. Psyche asteroid orbits around the Sun in main asteroid belt, in between Mars and Jupiter.
8. A team of Indian scientists have developed a non-toxic, environmentally friendly, biodegradable polymer using guar gum and chitosan. Guar gum and Chitosan are polysaccharides that are extracted from guar beans and shells of crab & shrimps. Fabricated guar gum-chitosan film with high water stability, high mechanical strength, and excellent resistance against harsh environmental conditions can be used in packaging applications.
9. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) released "Multilingual Dementia Research and Assessment (MUDRA) toolbox" in five Indian Languages on 5 October, 2021. Toolbox was launched in order to expand the care and outreach to people suffering from dementia.
10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is set to digitally launch the ‘Indian Space Association’ (ISpA) on 11 October, 2021. Indian Space Association (ISpA) is the premier industry association of space and satellite companies. ISpA is represented by leading home grown and global corporations having advanced capabilities in space & satellite technologies.
11. The Telangana State Election Commission has planned to conduct a dry run of a "Mobile-Based e-voting system". The development of this system is guided by the necessity of holding polls in India amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This system, if successful, will facilitate to vote using smartphones from home.
12. Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Giriraj Singh, launched the "Climate Resilience Information System and Planning (CRISP-M) tool" through a virtual event. The CRISP-M tool has been launched in order to integrate the climate information in the "Geographic Information System (GIS) based watershed planning" under the MGNREGA.
13. A bilingual mobile application ‘Healthy Smile’ was launched by AIIMS in a bid to raise awareness on maintaining oral hygiene among children. This app is an initiative of the Department of Paediatric and Preventive Dentistry, with the help of AIIMS intramural research grant.
14. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) has developed a new 'Decision Support System' (DSS) as well as 'Air Quality Early Warning System' (AQEWS). These systems were launched by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Dr. Jitendra Singh.
15. Intel has announced the launch of "Intel Unnati Program" on 21 October, 2021 in order to help equip engineering students in India with data-centric skills that are relevant for industry. Intel has also planned to setup 100 Intel Unnati Data Centric Labs by the year 2022.
16. NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) launched a new digi-book-called "Innovations for You" in a bid to showcase the success stories of start-ups set up under the Atal Innovation Mission in different domains. First edition of the book is focused on innovations in Health Care.
17. On 23 October, 2021, India’s first IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) calf of Banni breed of buffaloes was born at a farmer’s house in Gir Somnath district of Gujarat. Banni breed of buffalo is found primarily in the Kutch region of Gujarat. IVC process was carried out in a bid to enhance the number of genetically superior buffaloes for increasing the milk production.
18. According to the scientists from a city-based International Institute for Population Studies (IIPS), Covid-19 pandemic has affected the lives of people across the world. As per scientists, in India, covid-19 pandemic has resulted a drop in life expectancy by almost two years. Report points out a drop in life expectancy at birth in men as well as women.
19. First case of Zika Virus was reported from Kanpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh on 24 October, 2021. Zika virus is a member of the Flaviviridae virus family. It is spread by daytime-active called named "Aedes mosquitoes" like A. aegypti and A. albopictus. The name of the virus comes from "Zika Forest of Uganda" where it was first isolated in 1947.
20. ESA’s Proba-1 minisatellite was launched two decades ago, on 27 October, into orbit. It has completed 20 years. The minisatellite remains fully operational for 20 years. It is the oldest serving Earth observing mission of the agency. Proba-1 is roughly the size of a hotel fridge. It hosts two Earth-observing instruments together with several technological firsts.
Government Schemes
1. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment operationalised the "SACRED portal" on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons on 1 October, 2021. Portal has been developed in order to provide a platform for senior citizens in India seeking employment opportunities.
2. Delhi Cabinet has given its financial nod for ambitious "Health Information Management System (HIMS) project". Under the HIMS project, each citizen will be provided with a health card, that will act as a repository of their medical information. Using the health card, doctors would be able to see a patient's medical history
3. Ministry of road, transport & highways launched a scheme for "Good Samaritans" on 4 October, 2021. Scheme will be effective from 15 October, 2021 and will run till 31 March, 2026. Under the scheme, a cash award of Rs 5,000 will be provided per accident, to those saving the life of a road accident victim by rushing the person to hospital within the ‘golden hour' of the accident.
4. Ministry of Women and Child Development issued a detailed guidelines for "PM CARES for Children Scheme" on 7 October, 2021. PM CARES for Children Scheme has been launched with the objective of ensuring comprehensive care and protection of those children who lost their parent(s) due to the pandemic, in a sustained manner.
5. The Delhi government launched its "Desh ke Mentors" programme on 11 October, 2021. This programme will be implemented across all the schools in Delhi. This programme was launched with the aim of providing students with young mentors. Young mentors will guide the students from classes IX to XII in navigating their higher education as well as career path.
6. The Central Government has set up a working group, with the aim of rolling out an overhauled Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) from kharif season 2022. This working group has been constituted comprising of officials from Centre, top executives of public sector insurance companies and key crop-producing states.
7. The Delhi government floated tenders for developing a portal called "Rojgar Bazaar 2.0" on 14 October, 2021. The portal will provide employment related services to the youth of Delhi. It will provide end-to-end employment related information and artificial intelligence-based job matching to the youth looking for jobs in the national capital.
8. Kerala Government has planned to start an online platform to market and deliver products manufactured by ‘Micro, Small and Medium production units including Kudumbashree. As per State Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, Kerala government has already started preliminary level talks on this.
9. Chief Minister of Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi, launched "Mera Ghar Mere Naam" scheme on 17 October, 2021. The scheme will give ownership rights to the people who are living in houses within the lal lakir of cities as well as villages. Lal lakir refers to land which is part of the village habitation. Such land is used only for non-agriculture purposes.
10. State cabinet of Madhya Pradesh in its meeting on 19 October, 2021, decided to implement Mukhya Mantri Ration Aapke Dwar scheme. Mukhya Mantri Ration Aapke Dwar Scheme will be implemented to benefit the poor tribal families. It will be implemented in tribal development blocks of state excluding those blocks which fall under districts which are undergoing bypolls.
11. Union Minister Piyush Goyal, during his two-day visit to Pahalgam district in Kashmir, inaugurated a 250 mm Seer Water Supply Scheme. The two-day visit of the minister concluded on 20 October, 2021 as part of public outreach programme of the central government.
12. Ministry of Rural Development launched 152 SAKSHAM centres under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). These centres were launched as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. About 152 Centre for Financial Literacy Service Delivery (or SAKSHAM Centres) were launched across 77 districts in 13 states, during October, 2021.
13. Information and Broadcasting Minister, Anurag Thakur, recently complimented Goa as it achieved ODF and Electricity for every household. Goa has also become the first state to provide tap water to every household under the "Har Ghar Jal Mission".
14. Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, announced a free education scheme in state, to boost the level of education in the state. Scheme has been announced to those whose verified family income is lower than Rs. 1.80 lakh per annum. This announcement was made by CM, while he was interacting with students who have cracked civil services exam-2020 and JEE advance exam-2021, during a felicitation programme held at Panchkula.
15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Uttar Pradesh on 15 October, 2021 and launch Pradhan Mantri Atma Nirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana in Varanasi. Earlier on the same day, he inaugurated nine medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh. PM is also set to inaugurate several development projects worth more than Rs 5200 crore for Varanasi.
16. On 25 October, 2021, a National Steering Committee (NSC) has been formed to implement NIPUN Bharat Mission. NIPUN stands for "National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy".
17. Union Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, inaugurated the first direct flight on Shillong–Dibrugarh sector on 26 October, 2021. This flight was made operational under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN).
18. Swasth Mahila, Swasth Goa initiative was launched by "YouWeCan Foundation" in Goa. The initiative was launched by YouWeCan foundation which is run by international cricket icon and humanitarian Yuvraj Singh. For this purpose, the foundation has partnered with SBI foundation, and state government of Goa. Under the initiative, free breast cancer screening will be done using "iBreast devices".
19. Central government has notified a four-year "Integrated Teacher Education Programme", in line with the New Education Policy (NEP). With this new notification, BEd course will be integrated. It will be of four-year duration. Students pursuing a four-year BEd degree, will get BA & BEd or BSc & BEd or BCom & BEd degrees together.
20. Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises launched the "SAMBHAV National Level Awareness Programme, 2021" in new Delhi on 27 October, 2021. With the launch of programme, Union Minister of MSME Narayan Rane called for engagement of youth in promoting entrepreneurship, which in turn will lead to the economic development of India.
21. As per Minister for Science & Technology and Skill Development, C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Karnataka government is to set up a Centre of Excellence for Fintech or Financial Technology in Karnataka. This move was announced while addressing the inaugural session of Mangaluru Technovanza. Mangaluru Technovanza was organised by Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM).
Awards & Honours
1. India's highest science award called "Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award 2021" was presented to the 11 scientists on the occasion of 80th foundation day of Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR). Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) award has been named after the founder & Director of CSIR, late Dr Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar.
2. On 3 October, 2021, the "Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Award for National Integration and National Contribution 2021" was conferred by the Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. Awards were conferred to "Shillong Chamber Choir", Assam branch of Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust as well as writer Nirod Kumar Baruah.
3. On 4 October, 2021, American scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian won the prestigious "2021 Nobel Prize for Medicine". They won the prize for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch. According to award-giving body, these discoveries could make way for new pain-killers.
4. Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 was conferred to Tanzanian novelist "Abdulrazak Gurnah". The novelist was awarded with the Prize for his uncompromising & compassionate penetration of "effects of colonialism" and fate of refugees in the gulf between cultures & continents.
5. On 11 October, 2021, Alexander Schellenberg was elected as Austrian Chancellor after 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.
6. Former higher education secretary, Amit Khare, was appointed as advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 October, 2021. Amit Khare got retired from IAS position in the month of September 2021. He is a retired IAS officer of 1985 batch from Jharkhand cadre. He has been appointed as advisor to Prime Minister on contractual basis.
7. A team from 5th Battalion-4 (5/4) Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) representing the Indian Army won gold medal at the prestigious Cambrian Patrol Exercise which was held in United Kingdom. Exercise was held from 13th to 15th October 2021 at Brecon, Wales in United Kingdom. Exercise Cambrian Patrol was organised by the UK Army.
8. An Indian Project, Takachar's Innovation, that recycles agricultural waste into fuel has won the "Prince William's inaugural Earthshot Prize", which is also called as "Eco Oscars". Eco Oscars honour people who are trying to save the planet Earth.
9. Commodore Amit Rastogi (Retd), after being into service to Indian Navy for 34 years, has taken charge as Chairman & Managing Director of National Research Development Corporation. He took charges on 18 October, 2021. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from JNU.
10. The Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundation (PaTCoF) has won the "Earth Guardian Award" which was instituted by the NatWest Group. PaTCoF is a non-profit organisation under forest department which seeks to facilitate conservation of tiger and biodiversity in the Parambikulam tiger reserve.
11. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu presented the 67th National Film awards on 25 October, 2021. 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award was conferred to actor Rajinikanth. Manoj Bajpayee, Kangana Ranaut and Dhanush were conferred with acting honours. Best Feature Film award was given to Priyadarshan's Malayalam period epic named 'Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea'. Best Hindi Film Award was presented to Chhichhore movie, starring the late Sushant Singh Rajput.
Sports
1. The Indian men's table tennis team has won bronze medal at the Asian Table Tennis Championships on 1 October, 2021. Indian team won bronze after losing to South Korea by 0-3 in the semi-finals. Team was assured of winning a medal after beating Iran by 3-1 in the quarterfinals on 29 September. Both the semi-finalists won a bronze medal.
2. On 6 October, 2021, Anshu Malik has become the first Indian woman wrestler to reach the final of 2021 World Wrestling Championships. She created this history after outclassing junior European champion Solomiia Vynnyk. The 19-year-old wrestler from India and reigning Asian champion, Anshu, controlled the semi-final from the beginning. She won by technical superiority in the 57 kg category.
3. Sunil Chhetri has equalled the legendary Pele by making the 77th international goal as his 83rd minute strike, on 10 October, 2021. 77th goal by Chhetri during the strike helped India to beat Nepal by 1-0. This goal also saved his side from the verge of elimination in SAFF Championships. This achievement was made by Chhetri while playing in his 123rd match for India.
References:
jagranjosh.com
gktoday.in
business-standard.com
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