Latest Current Affairs For Thursday 28th October, 2021

Current Affairs in One Minute

1-India handed over 34.9 km long cross-border rail link connecting Jayanagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal to Nepal government. 

2-Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has said that India and the UK have agreed to strengthen climate initiatives and further their green partnership. 

3-The UK will host the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Glasgow from 31st of this month to 12th November. 

4-The Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) G Kishan Reddy unveiled the UNESCO World Heritage Listing plaque at Ramappa - Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple in Palampet. 

5-The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with the US Government under Foreign Military Sale (FMS) for procurement of MK 54 Torpedo and Expendable (Chaff and Flares) for the Indian Navy at a cost of ₹ 423 Crores. 

6-ABHYAS - the High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) was successfully flight-tested by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Bay of Bengal in Odisha. 

7-NITI Aayog CEO, Amitabh Kant that India’s real estate sector is expected to reach a market size of 1 trillion dollars and contribute 18-20 percent of the country’s GDP by 2030. 

8-Smartphone brand realme has elevated Madhav Sheth as President of the International Business Unit (IBU), touted as the first Indian global CEO in the smartphone industry. 

9-The Fiji parliament elected Ratu William Katoniware as the new president after securing a majority. 

10-Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs & Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri handed over keys and flagged off Five High-Tech Ambulances, under HUDCO CSR grant to Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences & Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital. 

Disarmament Week 2021: 24th to 30st October

Disarmament Week is observed every year from 24th to 30th October to mark the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

It seeks to promote the awareness and understanding of issues of disarmament in several countries and their cross-cutting importance.

It is a week-long celebration aims to reduce the use of weapons, specifically nuclear weapons, to bring peace in the society.

The observance of disarmament week was initiated by the United Nations. 

Ayush Minister to inaugurate Incubation Centre at AIIA

Ayush Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate Incubation Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (iCAINE) at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA). 

It is being organized as a part of 6th Ayurveda Day on the theme ‘Ayurveda for Poshan’. 

National seminar on Start-ups in Ayush Sector- Scope and Opportunities (AYUR-UDYAMAH) is also being organized on 30th October as a part of the program.

It will witness representatives from Ayurveda Sector across the country.

India sings MoU with ADB for financing loan to support urban mobility

Govt of India has signed $4.5 million project readiness financing (PRF) loan with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the proposed Aizawl Sustainable Urban Transport Project. 

It will support preparation and design activities to improve urban mobility in Aizawl, capital city of the northeastern state of Mizoram. 

It will also conduct feasibility studies for prioritized projects identified in the CMP, and prepare detailed project reports and detailed design for the project.

FM virtually attends 6th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of AIIB

Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman virtually participated in 6th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) from New Delhi. 

Theme of the Annual Meeting of AIIB: Investing Today and Transforming Tomorrow. 

It was jointly organized by AIIB in collaboration with Government of United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Aim: to take key decisions on important matters relating to AIIB, and its future vision.

Civil Aviation Minister flags off direct flight on Shillong-Dibrugarh route

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia virtually flagged off the first direct flight on the Shillong – Dibrugarh route under Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (RCS-UDAN).

Shillong is surrounded by hills from all sides and due to the non-availability of any direct mode of transportation, people were compelled to cover a long 12-hour journey by road & train.

Two cities can be covered in 75 mins by flight.

Ministry of Culture launches Amrit Mahotsav Podcast

Ministry of culture has organized Amrit Mahotsav Podcast as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate 75 years of Independence. 

This podcast series is a tribute to the persons and movements that significantly contributed to India’s freedom struggle, some of which have not found any place in the conventional storyline.

First series is Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani, based on the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj).

New episodes will be added on a weekly basis.

Vigilance Awareness Week 2021: 26th October to 1st November

Vigilance Awareness Week 2021 is being observed from 26th October to 1st November 2021.

It is organized by Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).

It is celebrated during the week in which the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel falls, which is held on October 31.

Theme for Vigilance Awareness Week 2021: ‘Independent India @75: Self Reliance with Integrity‘. 

CVC is an apex Indian governmental body created in 1964 to address governmental corruption.

India’s first state-owned Wildlife DNA testing facility unveiled in Nagpur

Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) in Nagpur, Maharashtra gets India’s first state government-owned Wildlife DNA analysis laboratory. 

Currently, there are two central government-owned Wildlife DNA laboratory, located at Dehradun and Hyderabad. 

This new facility will enable the authorities in Maharashtra to promptly get DNA reports of animals hit by man-wildlife conflict or menaces such as poaching, facilitating speedy results.

India’s first Radio over Internet Protocol system for Major Ports launched

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SPM) in Kolkata got new long-range marine communication technology called as Radio Over Internet Protocol (ROIP) system. 

SPM has become the first Major Indian Port to get a ROIP System.

It is a long-range marine communication solution to aid specially during storms and inclement weather. 

It will cover the entire Hugli River Estuary from Kolkata to Sandheads, and will have 4 base stations: Kolkata, Hugli point, Haldia and Sagar Pilot Station.

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage: 27th October

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is observed every year on 27 October to raise awareness about the need to take measures and acknowledge the importance of preserving audiovisual materials

Theme 2021: Your Window to the World

The day was chosen in 2005 by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). 

Audiovisual documents, such as films, radio and TV programmes, audio-video recording, contain primary records of the 20th and 21st centuries.

AU Small Finance Bank launches QR Code Sound Box

AU Small Finance Bank has announced the launch of QR Code Sound Box to provide instant voice-based payment alerts to merchant partners. 

QR code sound box: It is a small and portable speaker, having a dedicated SIM slot for data connectivity for voice notification. 

It will help the small merchants to run their operations smoothly without the need to read SMS every time.

It has been launched in 5 languages: Hindi, English, Punjabi, Gujarati and Marathi.

Mohd Azharuddin unveils world’s largest cricket bat in Hyderabad

President of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) and former India captain Mohd Azharuddin has inaugurated World’s biggest cricket bat in Hyderabad.

This bat has been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest cricket bat in the world.

It has been designed by Pernod Ricard India (P) Ltd with poplar wood and has been fabricated by BSL Events. 

It is 56.10 feet long and weighs 9 tonnes. 

Currently, it is displayed on Tank Bund, Hyderabad till Nov 16, 20 21. 

India-UK conducts maiden Tri-Service exercise ‘Konkan Shakti 2021’

Armed Forces of India and United Kingdom (UK) are undertaking the sea phase of maiden Tri-Service exercise titled as ‘Konkan Shakti 2021’ off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.

Sea phase of Konkan Shakti is being conducted from 24th to 27th October 2021.

Harbour phase of the seven-day exercise was held in Mumbai from October 21st to 23rd, 2021.

The exercise aims at further strengthening the co-operation between the two countries. 

Sunil Paliwal assumes charge as Chairperson of Chennai Port Trust

Sunil Paliwal (1993 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer) has assumed charge as the Chairperson of Chennai Port Trust.

He is currently serving as Chairman and Managing Director, Kamarajar Port Ltd.

He had also worked as the MD of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. 

Chennai Port is the 2nd largest container port of India, behind Mumbai's Nhava Sheva. It is the 3rd-oldest port among 13 major ports of India with official port operations beginning in 1881. 

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.