Latest Current Affairs For Tuesday 25th October, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping wins record third term in power

Chinese President Xi Jinping has created history, becoming the first leader of the ruling Communist Party after party founder Mao Zedong to get re-elected for an unprecedented third term.

Chinese President Xi Jinping:

Chinese President Xi Jinping has created history, becoming the first leader of the ruling Communist Party after party founder Mao Zedong to get re-elected for an unprecedented third term in power with the prospect of ruling China for life. He was elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party for 3rd five-year tenure by the new seven-member Standing Committee packed with his supporters who appeared before the local and foreign media here to herald the new era, widely termed ‘Xi era’.

Notably: Xi’s “election” for the third term in power formally ends the over three decades of rule followed by his predecessors, barring Mao, of retiring after a 10-year tenure. Xi was first elected in 2012 and will be completing his 10-year term this year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

With moderates like Premier Li Keqiang, who was ranked number two, eased out in the election to over 300-member Central Committee by the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Committee which met on Sunday elected a 25-member Political Bureau.

The Political Bureau elected a seven-member Standing Committee, which in turn elected Xi for a third five-year term as General Secretary.

Xi was elected to the Central Committee, to the Political Bureau and the Standing Committee and then as General Secretary with relative ease as the Congress passed the key amendment to the Party’s constitution reinforcing his “core” status with the directive that all party members have the “obligation” to follow his directives and doctrines.

Observers say Xi’s emergence as the most powerful leader as President, party leader and head of the military with the prospect of being a leader for life in the footsteps of Mao, whose extremist ideological campaigns like the Cultural Revolution resulting the extermination of millions, is widely expected to be viewed with sense of unease and concern as the one-party state has now become a one-leader state.

Important For All Exam 2022:

China Capital: Beijing

China Population: 140.21 crores (2020) World Bank

China Currency: Renminbi

China Official language: Mandarin

Ayodhya Deepotsav to light over 15 lakh diyas, to make World Record

Ayodhya Ram Mandir- Ayodhya Deepotsav: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present during the sixth Deepotsav in Ayodhya. He carried out a ceremonial coronation of the Lord and inspected the Ram temple’s building. The big “Deepotsav” celebrations began when the PM attended the “aarti” on the banks of the Saryu at approximately 6.30 p.m on Sunday. Over 15 lakh diyas would be lit on the event, breaking its own previous world record.

Ayodhya Deepotsav to light 15.76 lakh diyas

Ayodhya Deepotsav, in the presence of Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and a large crowd on Sunday at the Ram Katha Park, the holy scene of Lord Ram, Sita, and Lakshman returning to Ayodhya by a “Pushpak Viman” after 14 years of exile was recreated.

Ayodhya set a new Guinness World Record for burning the most earthen lamps, 15.76 lakh, on the banks of the Saryu.

Ayodhya Deepotsav: Important Highlights

As part of Ayodhya Deepotsav, around 18 lakh earthen lamps will be kindled on Sunday.

On the occasion of Ayodhya Deepotsav more than 22,000 volunteers will light over 15 lakh earthen lights at Ram ki Paudi on the Saryu bank.

Volunteers were instructed to place 256 earthen lanterns in each square, with a two to three foot gap between each square.

Fireworks, a 3D projection mapping extravaganza, and a musical laser show will also be present.

During the Ayodhya Deepotsav, 11 Ramlila tableaux exhibiting dance styles from various states were presented, along with five animated tableaus.

Lord Ram, Goddess Sita, Lord Lakshman, and Lord Hanuman depicted at the Ram Katha Park coming down from a “pushpak vimana.”

On this day, an aarti of the Saryu river was conducted.

Because Sunday, October 23, Ram Lalla will be donning a red-pink outfit.

Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, has unveiled a new logo for the occasion, which broadcasted live on 30 LED screens throughout the city.

To guarantee tourists’ security and receive the best medical care, 14 health centres had been established.

United Nations Day 2022 celebrates on 24th October

United Nations Day, on 24 October, marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being. In 1945, 50 governments gathered to draft the UN Charter. They have struggled and accomplished great feats to uphold peace, protect human rights, and play a key role in bringing international justice.

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. At present, there are 193 Member States. The UN is guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter which was signed in 1945. The United Nations Day commemorates the signing of that charter. According to their official website, the United Nations is “One place where the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions.”

United Nations Day 2022: Significance

The United Nations plays a crucial role in establishing peace between warring nations and promoting the development of democratic institutions. They have provided economic support and helped in social development, as well as been instrumental in protecting human rights.

The global response to HIV by the UN has prevented 30 million new HIV infections and nearly 8 million AIDS-related deaths since 2000. Tackling multitudes of global issues like climate and water crisis, decolonization, disarmament, ending poverty, to name a few, UN has played a key role in “safeguarding peace, protecting human rights, establishing the framework for international justice”.

The United Nations Day is a celebration of these efforts and a day to raise awareness towards the issues still impacting millions of people around the globe.

United Nations Day 2022: History of the United Nations:

The year 2022 marks the 77th anniversary of the United Nations and its founding Charter. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States.

The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories. The name “United Nations” was coined by the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, during Second World War.

In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly recommended that all countries that are a part of the UN should recognize the United Nations Day as a public holiday. However, it was not until Post Cold War, in 1991, that the Security Council resolutions more than doubled in number and the peacekeeping budget grew.

In the 1990s, the UN faced multiple crises with its new members, Somalia, Haiti, Mozambique, and Yugoslavia. A 2005 study by RAND corporation found that the United Nations has been successful in two-thirds of their peacekeeping efforts around the globe.

Important For All Exam 2022:

United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA.

Mr Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Rishi Sunak bid for prime minister of United Kingdom with over 131 MPs support

Rishi Sunak bid for prime minister of UK: Rishi Sunak formally entered the race to succeed Liz Truss as leader of the Conservative party and the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Rishi Sunak bid for prime minister of UK: Rishi Sunak, the son-in-law of Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy, formally entered the race to succeed Liz Truss as leader of the Conservative party and the next prime minister of the United Kingdom on the day of Diwali. About 131 to 153 MPs have reportedly supported Sunak so far, compared to Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson, who served as Truss’ predecessors, who received 56 to 76 and 22 to 28 MPs, respectively.

Rishi Sunak bid for prime minister of UK: Key Points

Only candidates who have received nominations from 100 or more MPs will advance to the first round.

Rishi Sunak will automatically become the prime minister of the UK on Diwali if he is the only person to cross the finish line.

Ben Wallace, the defence minister, offered that the three candidates establish a tripartite government to prevent political squabbling at a time when risks to UK national security were so high.

After meeting Johnson on Saturday night, Sunak’s associates noted that he already had the necessary numbers and did not need to secure an agreement with Johnson.

Johnson reportedly spent Sunday making phone calls to Conservative MPs to ask them to support him and maybe switch from Sunak.

Suella Braverman, a former home secretary of Goan descent, however, publicly endorsed Sunak, dealing Johnson a severe blow.

UK’s Former prime minister Boris Johnson announced his withdrawal from the race to become the next leader of Britain on Sunday.

Boris Johnson claimed he had garnered enough support from parliamentarians to advance to the next round despite trailing front-runner former finance minister Rishi Sunak by a significant margin.

Important For All Exam 2022:

Capital of the United Kingdom, UK: London

Emperor of the United Kingdom, UK: King Charles III. 

Currency of the United Kingdom, UK: Pound sterling. 

ISRO renamed GSLV Mark-III as LVM-3

ISRO has renamed the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark -III as Launch Vehicle Mark-III.

Reason: To identify its task of placing satellites into a variety of orbits.

The rocket is no longer to the geosynchronous orbit.

This rocket can go anywhere - GEO (Geosynchronous Earth Orbit), MEO (Medium Earth Orbit), LEO (Low Earth Orbit).

It will be used for India's maiden human space flight, Gaganyaan, which is tentatively scheduled for late 2024.

Anna May Wong will become first Asian American featured on US currency

Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, Anna May Wong will be the first Asian-American to feature in US currency.

This will be the fifth coin in the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program and its circulation would start on October 24, 2022.

AWQ program: It is four-year program that honors the achievements of women in the United States from 2022 to 2025.

Till date, Maya Angelou, Dr. Sally Ride, Wilma Mankiller, and Nina Otero-Warren have been featured under the program. 

Western Air Command of IAF wins Air Force Lawn Tennis Championship

Western Air Command of IAF has won the Air Force Lawn Tennis Championship 2022-23, held at Head Quarter MC, Vayusena Nagar, Nagpur.

The team has defeated Training Command in the finals.

While, the final of the open singles was played between Corporal Pradeep (Training Command) and Sergeant Manolin (Western Air Command), where, Corporal Pradeep emerged as the winner.

The Championship was inaugurated by Air Marshal Vibhas Pande, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, HQ MC.

Delhi govt launches ‘Diya Jalao, Patake Nahi’ campaign

Delhi government has launched anti-firecracker campaign named 'Diya Jalao, Patake Nahi'.

Aim: To promote a pollution-free festival of Diwali.

As per the order, those who will be found indulging in storage, production and sale of crackers will have to pay a fine of 5000 rupees and imprisonment of three years as well.

Those who will be found bursting of firecrackers, will be imposed a fine of 200 rupees and imprisonment for six months.

Karnataka Assembly Deputy Speaker Anand Mamani passes away

Deputy Speaker of Karnataka Assembly and BJP legislator, Anand Mamani has been passed away at the age of 56.

He was the three-time MLA, who has represented Saudatti legislative assembly constituency in Karnataka.

In 2020, he was unanimously elected as the deputy speaker of Karnataka legislative assembly.

He was the son of Chandrashekhar M Mamani, who also served as the deputy speaker in the 1990s.

IIT-Madras, NASA researchers study microbes on International Space Station

The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers have studied the interactions between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS).

Finding: A microbe that resides on the ISS, was found to be beneficial to various other microorganisms but hampered the growth of a fungus.

This study would help devise strategies for the disinfection of space stations to minimise any potential impact of microbes on the health of astronauts.

Indian, US militaries conduct 'Tiger Triumph' exercise

The Indian and US militaries have conducted a three-day joint humanitarian assistance exercise, "Tiger Triumph" exercise at Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

Aim: To build strategic cooperation between the two countries.

Focus: Staff planning, with an emphasis on processes for streamlining diplomatic, operational, and logistical coordination.

This exercise is the second collaboration between the Indian and US militaries to coordinate disaster relief in the region. 

Indian shooter Swapnil Kusale wins India’s 3rd Paris 2024 Olympics quota

Indian shooter, Swapnil Kusale has secured the third Paris 2024 Olympics quota for India at the ongoing ISSF World Championship in Cairo, Egypt.

He finished at the fourth position in the men's 50 meter rifle 3 positions event.

He is also an ISSF World Cup gold medalist.

While, Rhythm Sangwan has missed a quota place in the women’s 25 meter pistol for India.

Other two Paris 2024 quota: Rudrankksh Patil (men’s 10 meter air rifle), Bhowneesh Mendiratta. 

Indian Banks’ Association re-elects PNB's AK Goel as chairman

Indian Banks’ Association has re-elected MD and CEO of Punjab National Bank, A K Goel as its new chairman.

He will serve the association for FY 2022-23.

Generally, the senior most MD of a public sector bank is elected as chairman for a period of one year.

IBA has also appointed Dinesh Khara (Chairman of SBI), A S Rajeev (MD & CEO of Bank of Maharashtra), and Madhav Nair (CEO of Mashreq Bank) as deputy chairman.

Honorary secretary: N Kamakodi (CEO of City Union Bank). 

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.