Latest Current Affairs For Tuesday 5th October, 2021

Current Affairs in One Minute

1-Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated CIPET: Institute of Petrochemicals Technology, Jaipur and also laid the foundation stone of four new medical colleges in Banswara, Sirohi, Hanumangarh & Dausa districts of Rajasthan via video-conferencing. 

2-REL has signed its first Green Term Loan agreement with Bank of India for its 470 MW Solar Projects in Rajasthan & 200 MW Solar Project in Gujarat. 

3-Union Minister for MSMEs Narayan Rane virtually inaugurated the India Export Initiative and IndiaXports 2021 Portal of India SME Forum in New Delhi. 

4-The ‘Terms of Reference for the Conduct of Navy-to-Navy Talks between the Indian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy’ was signed. 

5-A team of scientists have, for the first time, developed a large-scale reactor which produces a substantial amount of hydrogen using sustainable sources like sunlight and water, which is a cost-effective and sustainable process. 

6-Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Government will be setting up Science Museums across the country to promote scientific temper, particularly among children and the younger generation. 

7-The Union Cabinet approved capital infusion of Rs 4,400 crore in the state-owned Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) and its listing through an initial public offering. 

8-The national Mid-Day Meal Scheme in government and aided schools will now be known as PM POSHAN Scheme and will also cover students of balvatikas or pre primary classes. 

9-Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence minister Rajnath Singh has approved proposals of modernization and operational needs of the Indian Armed Forces amounting to 13,165 crore rupees. 

10-Tunisian President Kais Saied appointed Najla Bouden Romdhane as the first female prime minister in his country to form a new government, according to the presidency. 

CoinDCX ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador

Crypto exchange, CoinDCX, has onboarded Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan as its first-ever brand ambassador.

Through this collaboration, CoinDCX will look to increase awareness around crypto and popularize it as an emerging asset class.

Bachchan will be the face of a new campaign, which will focus on popularizing crypto as an asset class.

CoinDCX is India's largest and safest cryptocurrency exchange.

CEO of CoinDCX: Sumit Gupta

FC Goa clinches maiden Durand Cup football trophy

FC Goa claimed their maiden Durand Cup football title after a 1-0 win over Mohammedan Sporting in the final in Kolkata.

Captain Eduardo Bedia scored the all important goal in the 105th minute after the final match went into the extra time.

The Durand Cup crown also marks FC Goa coach Juan Ferrando Fenoll's first-ever trophy on Indian soil.

FC Goa got 40 lakh rupees for winning the title, while Mohammedan Sporting received 20 lakh rupees.

Mandhana becomes first Indian woman to score Test hundred in Australia

Smriti Mandhana became 1st Indian woman to score a Test hundred on Australian soil.

She completed her century to shape up India’s first innings on the second day of the first pink-ball day and night One-off Test match being played between India and Australia women at the Carrara Oval in Queensland. 

She scored 127 runs with 22 fours and a six.

Both openers Mandhana and Shafali Verma scored together a 93-run partnership. 

Rajasthan Govt launches ‘Mukhyamantri Paryatan Udyog Sambal Yojana’

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot launched ‘Mukhyamantri Paryatan Udyog Sambal Yojana-2021’ to provide relief to the entrepreneurs of the tourism and hospitality sector affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with that the CM also launched a mobile app 'Rajasthan Tourism Official' designed to help tourists visiting Rajasthan.

Beside this, the CM released a collection of various policies, schemes and guidelines issued by the tourism department for tourism development in the state.

IISc-incubated startup L2MRail, SID, IISc sign MoU with Kerala Rail

The IISc, Bangalore, L2MRail and the Society for Innovation and Development signed an MoU with Kerala Rail aimed at enhancing rail safety. 

The L2M Rail and IISc have pioneered Fibre Bragg Grating sensing technology, to develop a Structural Health Monitoring System (SHMS). 

The team uses FBG-sensor technology to ensure the stability and integrity of structures even in vulnerable areas.

It comprise a large part of the terrain covered by the ambitious Silverline project.

Om Birla to participate in G-20 Speakers Summit in Rome

The 7th G-20 Parliamentary Speakers Summit is scheduled to be held in Rome, the capital of Italy.

An 8-member parliamentary delegation from India including Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh to participate in the summit.

Duarte Pacheco President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) will address the Summit.

The Summit is expected to discuss issues including response to the social and employment crisis caused by the COVID -19.

Kamdhenu Deepawali 2021 campaign launched

Kamdhenu Deepawali 2021 campaign was launched to manufacture and market more than 100 Crore Cow dung based Deepak lamps and Laxmi-Ganesh Idols.

Kamdhenu Deepawali is to make Cows to be economically useful by proper economic use of Cow Dung and Cow Urine too along with its Milks, Curd, Ghee.

More than 300 items are getting made now by Panchgavya from Cow.

This includes, Deepak, Lamps, Candles, Sambrani cup, Havansamagri, Laxmi-Ganesh idols etc made up of Cow dung.

Kangana Ranaut becomes brand ambassador of UP’s ‘ODOP’ scheme

The Uttar Pradesh government named actor Kangana Ranaut as the brand ambassador of its ambitious ‘one district-one product’ programme.

The U.P. government has launched the 'one district-one product’ (ODOP) programme  with the aim to create product-specific traditional industrial hubs across 75 districts of the State.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also presented Kangana with a silver coin which was used for 'Ram Janm Bhumi Pujan'.

India Today Healthgiri Awards 2021 announced

The India Today Healthgiri Awards 2021 were presented on Gandhi Jayanti by Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare and Aroon Purie, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, India Today Group.

The award is conferred to salute the invincible spirit of corona warriors who have led the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Healthgiri Awards 2020 is the reincarnated version of the India Today Safaigiri Awards.

India, Sri Lanka joint military exercise “MitraShakti21” begins today

The 8th edition of joint military exercise ‘Mitra Shakti 21’ begun today. 

The 12 days exercise is being conducted at Combat Training School, Ampara, Sri Lanka. 

The aim of the exercise is to promote close relations between armies of both countries and enhance inter-operability and sharing best practices in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.

The 7th edition of the Mitra Shakti exercise was conducted at Foreign Training Node (FTN) in Pune in 2019.

VP Venkaiah Naidu confers Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Award of Assam

VP M. Venkaiah Naidu conferred Assam Government’s biennial Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Award for National Integration and National Contribution.

The awards were conferred to the Assam Branch of Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, Assamese litterateur Dr. Nirod Kumar Baruah and Shillong Chamber Choir at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra.

The award carries five lakh rupees, a citation and an Angabastram.

This award is one of the biggest civilian awards in Assam.

World Animal Day: 4th October 2021

World Animal Day is observed every year on 4th. 

The main goal of World Animal Day is to "raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe."

World Animal Day originated in the year 1925, when cynologist Heinrich Zimmermann organised the first event on 24 March at the Sport Palace in Berlin.

World Animal Day is a global event that unites animal organisations, and animal protection movements from various countries.

Cyclone Shaheen batters the Sultanate of Oman

A cyclone battered Oman lashing the sultanate with high winds and rain as the storm killed five people.

Cyclone 'Shaheen' made landfall just off from Muscat, Oman’s capital, with winds reaching up to 150 kph (93 mph).

The name ‘Shaheen’ is given by Qatar which is a part of the member countries for the naming of a tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean.

It left flooding and other damage, forcing some to evacuate their homes.

Oman Currency: Omani rial

Fumio Kishida elected as the new Prime Minister of Japan

Japan’s parliament elected Fumio Kishida as the new PM. 

He will be tasked with quickly tackling the pandemic and security challenges before an imminent national election.

He replaced Yoshihide Suga, who resigned with his Cabinet.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party used its majority to formally elect Kishida. 

A 3rd-generation politician, Kishida was first elected to Parliament in 1993 representing Hiroshima and is an advocate for nuclear disarmament.

Parliament: Diet 

PM Narendra Modi to be awarded prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award 2023

The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) would confer the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune on August 1, 2023.

Reason: This award recognizes PM Modi's supreme leadership under which India has climbed the ladder of progress

It is presented annually on the occasion of Lokmanya Tilak's death anniversary.

Other awardees: Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sharad Pawar, Cyrus Poonawalla, and Manmohan Singh. 

J&K Bank wins award for Best Performance in CASA

Jammu & Kashmir Bank has been felicitated for the Best Performance in CASA-India (1st Runner up in Small Bank Category) at ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave & Awards 2022.

The event was participated by banks from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Myanmar.

The function was organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Goa.

Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group headquartered in Calcutta.

India poised to become world’s 2nd-largest economy by 2075: Goldman Sachs

According to the Investment Bank Goldman Sachs, India is poised to become the world’s second-largest economy by 2075.

As per the report, India would cross Japan, Germany, and the US With a population of 1.4 billion people.

India’s GDP is estimated to expand remarkably, reaching 52.5 trillion dollars surpassing the US GDP projection.

The labour force participation set to make India the second-largest economy in the world by 2075.

L&T and Spain's Navantia sign agreement for submarine project

L&T has signed a teaming agreement with Spanish-based Navantia for the submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy’s prestigious P75 (India) submarine program.

P75 (India) Submarine Project is expected to be valued at €4.8 billion.

Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines.

The first S80 class submarine was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy. 

India overtakes China as most attractive emerging market for investing

According to a study by Invesco Global Sovereign Asset Management, India has overtaken China to become the most attractive emerging market for investing in sovereign wealth funds this year.

Reason: This is due to its solid demographics, political stability, and proactive regulation. 

Positives for the nation also include the rapidly expanding demography, strong regulatory actions, and a welcoming climate for sovereign investors.

World Population Day 2023: 11 July

World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 in order to raise awareness about global population issues, including population control.

2023 theme: Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities. 

It was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1989, after the day the world approximately reached a population of five billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.

MoHUA conducts SBM-U 2.0 Planning & Implementation Review-cum-Workshop

The Housing Ministry organized a review-cum-workshop to evaluate and accelerate the planning and implementation of the SBM-Urban 2.0.

PM Modi launched the 2.0 versions of SBM-U and AMRUT on October 1, 2021.

SBM-U 2.0: Achieving 100% waste segregation in all households and premises and 100% door-to-door collection of segregated waste from each. 

AMRUT 2.0: To provide complete coverage of water supply to all households and sewerage and septage in 500 AMRUT cities. 

Gujarat CM launches pilot project of ‘Antyodaya Shramik Suraksha Yojana’

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel launched the Antyodaya Shram Suraksha Accident Insurance Scheme from Kheda

All those registered under the e-Shram portal from Nadiad will benefit from the scheme.

It is being implemented through the Indian Postal Department, the IPPB, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Under this scheme, insurance with a premium of Rs. 289 and Rs. 499 per year will be a big support to workers in the event of death or partial disability.

OCA elects Sheikh Talal as the new President

Kuwait’s Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah has been elected as the new President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

He replaced his older brother Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who led the OCA for 30 years until 2021.

The OCA was founded in 1982 by his father Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who led it until 1990.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance wins Insurer Innovation Award 2023

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has won the Insurer Innovation Award 2023 for the APAC region at the 8th World Digital Insurance Awards, hosted by TDI - The Digital Insurer.

Recognition: Bajaj Allianz Life's ground-breaking WhatsApp Conversational Platform - empowering customers to digitally services their policies seamlessly. 

The award entries were shortlisted by industry experts and the winner was selected by the community through pre-voting and live event voting.