Latest Current Affairs For Monday 17th October, 2022

MP Aparajita Sarangi elected to IPU executive committee

Aparajita Sarangi has been elected as a member to the executive committee of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

She is a Lok Sabha member from Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

She has bagged 12 votes out of total 18, in the election to the post, held at Kigali, Rwanda.

She will represent India at the 15-member executive committee of the union.

IPU empowers the parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy, and sustainable development through diplomacy.

Odisha CM releases book on Odisha's lessons in governance during pandemic

Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik has released a book titled ‘Pandemic Disruptions and Odisha’s Lessons in Governance’.

This book was written by Rajya Sabha MP, Amar Patnaik.

The book is a collection of the various essays on pertinent contemporary issues that emerged in India during the pandemic years of 2020-21 and 2021-2022.

The book also highlights the achievements of Odisha's 5-T framework of governance.

5-T: Team work, technology, transparency, transformation and time limit. 

7th edition of IBSAMAR conducted at Port Elizabeth, South Africa

The 7th edition of IBSAMAR, a joint multinational maritime exercise was organised Port Elizabeth, South Africa from 10 - 12 Oct 22.

In the exercise, Indian Navy has represented the Teg class guided missile frigate, INS Tarkash, Chetak helicopter and personnel from the Marine Commando Force.

The harbour phase of 7th edition includes professional exchanges such as damage control and fire-fighting drills, VBSS/cross boarding lectures and interaction among Special Forces.

Nuclear-powered INS Arihant carries out successful launch of SLBM

India’s nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant has carried out a successful launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in the Bay of Bengal.

Reason: To validate the operational and technological parameters of the weapon system.

INS Arihant:

It is a 6,000-tonne submarine.

It is a lead ship of India's Arihant class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.

It is India's first indigenous nuclear submarine that has been inducted in the Indian Navy.

India's forex reserves rise to USD 532.868 billion

Forex reserves of India has been raised by 204 million to USD 532.868 billion for the week ended on 7th October 2022.

Reason: An increase in the value of gold holdings.

Foreign Currency Assets (FCAs) was decreased to USD 471.496 billion.

SDRs has been increased by USD 155 million to USD 17.582 billion.

Reserve position of India with IMF increased to USD 4.836 billion.

Last week, the overall reserves were dropped by USD 4.854 billion to USD 532.664 billion.

International Day of Rural Women 2022: 15th October

The International Day of Rural women is observed across the world on October 15 to promote gender quality and highlight the important role played by women in rural areas.

The United Nations General Assembly has established this day on December 18, 2007.

The theme for 2022 is “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All”.

As per a UN report, approximately 40% of the total agricultural labour force in developing countries comprises women.

Global Handwashing Day 2022: 15 October

Global Handwashing Day is marked on October 15 with the aim of increasing awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap.

2022 theme: Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene. 

The Global Handwashing Partnership has observed the first Global Handwashing Day in 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden.

2008 was also marked the International Year of Sanitation.

Later, the United Nations General Assembly marked it as Global Handwashing Day.

India's Rudrankksh Patil bags Gold medal at ISSF World Championship

Indian shooter, Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil won the gold medal in men's 10m air rifle event at ISSF World Championship held in Cairo, Egypt.

He defeated Danilo Dennis Sollazzo from Italy by 17-15.

This win helped him to secure 2024 Paris Olympics quota for the country.

He is only the second Indian to achieve this feat, after Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, who had won the gold in 2006 in Zagreb, Croatia.

ISSF Headquarters: Munich, Germany; President: Vladimir Lisin.

India defeats Sri Lanka to win Women's Asia Cup 2022

The Indian women's team has clinched the Women's Asia Cup 2022 title, after defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the final, held at  Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh.

India has defeated Sri Lanka for the fifth time in an Asia Cup final.

This is India's record seventh Women's Asia Cup title.

Deepti Sharma has been adjudged Player of the Tournament.

While, Renuka Singh adjudged Player of the Match.

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.