Weekly Current Affairs 16th October- 22nd October 2021

FINANCE AND BANKING

• RBI authorised Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) to collect Direct taxes
  • The Reserve Bank of India has authorised Karur Vysya Bank (KVB) to collect direct taxes on behalf of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

• RBI withdraws all restrictions on Hindu Cooperative Bank, Pathankot
  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently withdrew all restrictions imposed on Hindu Cooperative Bank Limited, Pathankot. The Reserve Bank had issued directions stipulating certain restrictions on the bank in March 2019.

• SEBI forms 4-member high powered advisory committee on settlement orders
  • SEBI has constituted a four-member high powered advisory committee on settlement orders and compounding of offences. The committee will be chaired by Vijay C Daga, retired judge of High Court of Bombay.

ECONOMY

• NITI Aayog Launches Geospatial Energy Map of India
  • NITI Aayog recently launched the Geospatial Energy Map of India.
  • NITI Aayog in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India with the support of Energy Ministries of Government of India.

• CCI approvals
  • The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves Acquisition of the worldwide healthcare BPO services of Hinduja Global Solutions Limited, by Betaine B.V.
  • It also approves the acquisition of Global Content Alpha Partners Holdco Pte. Ltd. (GCAPH) by Starnmeer B.V. (Starnmeer) under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002.

• Sri Lanka seeks $500 mn loan from India for fuel purchase
  • Sri Lanka has sought a USD 500 million credit line from India to pay for its crude oil purchases amid a severe foreign exchange crisis in the island nation.

NATIONAL

• India re-elected to UN Human Rights Council
  • India was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term with an overwhelming majority in the General Assembly.
  • The 193-member General Assembly elected by secret ballot Argentina, Benin, Cameroon, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Honduras, India, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Montenegro, Paraguay, Qatar, Somalia, UAE and the USA for the 2022-2024 term on the Council.

• I&B Minister Launches App That Enables People to Book Parking Slots Online in Delhi
  • Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur launched a mobile application ‘MyParkings’ app that will enable people to book parking slots online in Delhi.
  • This app has been developed by Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) with SDMC with the purpose to digitise all authorised parking under the civic body’s municipal limits.

• Varanasi To Become First Indian City to Start Ropeway Service in Public Transportation
  • Varanasi, the PM Modi’s parliamentary constituency, will soon become the first Indian city to use ropeway services in public transportation.
  • The world’s third and India’s first public transport ropeway is proposed to be constructed from Cantt Railway Station (Varanasi Junction) to Church Square (Godauliya) to ease the traffic congestion. India will be the third country in the world after Bolivia and Mexico City, and Varanasi will be the first city to use a ropeway for public transport.

INTERNATIONAL

• ICC joins hands with UNICEF to raise awareness on children's mental health
  • The ICC has partnered with UNICEF to amplify awareness around mental health and well-being of children and adolescents throughout the men's T20 World Cup.
  • The partnership will amplify UNICEF's global campaign #OnYourMind which calls for commitment, communication and action to promote good mental health for every child.

• Jonas Gahr Støre will be Norway’s new prime minister
  • Labour leader Jonas Gahr Støre will take over as Prime Minister of Norway.
  • He will replace the outgoing Erna Solberg.

• Ecuador announced state of emergency
  • Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso announced a 60-day state of emergency in response to a wave of violent crime.
  • Lasso pointed to the increasing role of Ecuador as a consumer of drugs rather than just a trafficking zone.

STATES

• Punjab CM launches ‘Mera Ghar Mere Naam’ scheme
  • Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi launched 'Mera Ghar Mere Naam' scheme to give ownership rights to people living in houses within the 'lal lakir' of villages and cities.
  • 'Lal lakir' refers to land that is part of the village habitation and is used for non-agriculture purposes only.

• J&K administration signs MoU with Dubai govt to develop real estate, industrial parks
  • Jammu and Kashmir administration signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dubai government for development of real estate, industrial parks, and more.

REPORTS AND INDEXES

• World’s Best Employer 2021 Ranking: Forbes
  • Forbes has come up with World’s Best Employers 2021 rankings.
  • Reliance Industries has topped the Indian corporates and globally it is placed at 52nd position among 750 global corporates.

• Global Hunger Index 2021
  • Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 is released which was prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe.
  • Eighteen countries, including China, Brazil and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI score of less than five.
  • India slipped to 101st position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) of 116 countries.

• Mercer CFS Global Pension Index Survey 2021
  • Mercer Consulting has come up with the 13th edition of the Mercer Global Pension Index (2021 MCGPI).
  • Top Ranked Nations: Iceland has topped this ranking with an index value of 84.2 followed by the Netherlands with 83.5 and Norway with 82.0.
  • India’s Rank: India has been ranked at 40th position out of 43 countries in the survey.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• NASA's 1st mission ‘Lucy’ to distant asteroids launched
  • NASA's newest asteroid probe, named Lucy, blasted off from atop the ULA Atlas V 401 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
  • It embarked on a 12-year mission to study two different clusters of asteroids around Jupiter known as Trojans. These swarms represent the final unexplored regions of asteroids in the solar system. Lucy, acting as a robotic archaeologist, will help to answer questions about how the giant planets formed.

• Water vapor detected on Jupiter's ocean moon Europa
  • The Hubble space telescope has picked up the presence of persistent water vapour on Europa, Jupiter's fourth-biggest moon.

• China launches its first solar exploration satellite
  • China sent its first solar exploration satellite into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province.
  • The satellite was launched aboard a Long March-2D rocket and entered its planned orbit successfully.
  • It was the 391st flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

• In a first, govt fixes subsidy for potash derived from molasses
  • The Central Government recently fixed subsidy on potash derived from molasses (PDM) for the first time under the Nutrient Based Subsidy.
  • It is aimed at reducing the country's dependence on mineral-based potash.

DEFENCE

• 17th Edition of Indo-US Joint Military Exercise “Ex Yudh Abhyas 2021”
  • As part of the ongoing Indo-US Defence Cooperation, the Joint Military Training Exercise “Ex Yudh Abhyas 2021” will be conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) from 15 to 29 October 2021.
  • This will be the 17th Edition of the joint exercise which is hosted alternately between both countries.

• Indian Army Team wins Gold medal in Exercise Cambrian Patrol
  • A team from 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) which represented the Indian Army at the prestigious Cambrian Patrol Exercise at Brecon, Wales, UK has been awarded Gold medal.
  • Ex Cambrian Patrol organised by the UK Army is considered the ultimate test of human endurance, team spirit and is sometimes referred as the Olympics of Military Patrolling among militaries in the world.

EVENTS

• Vishwakarma Vatikas for EBC artisans
  • The Central government will set up Vishwakarma Vatikas at Hunar Haats (talent fairs) in Uttar Pradesh to showcase traditional skills and craftsmanship.
  • Vishwakarma Vatikas will be set up as exclusive enclosures within Hunar Haats to showcase the work that is done by these Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) communities, with demonstrations and sale of their products.

• Food Tech Summit 2021
  • To commemorate World Food Day, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, organised the Food Tech Summit 2021.
  • The Food Tech Summit 2021 aimed at setting the stage for all food-tech stakeholders to impart, discuss and acquaint micro enterprises on the new emerging trends in food processing and technological innovation.

AWARDS AND REWARDS

• C K Prahalad Award 2021
  • Indian American Satya Nadella, the Microsoft CEO, is among the corporate leaders to receive 2021 C K Prahlad Award for Global Business Sustainability Leadership.
  • Four of Microsoft's top leaders -- Nadella along with its president and vice chair Brad Smith, chief financial officer Amy Hood and chief environment officer Lucas Joppa -- received the prestigious honour for their collaborative leadership aimed at transforming Microsoft into a carbon negative company by 2030 and to remove all its historical emissions by 2050.

• Martial Arts Education Prize 2021
  • The world-renowned Kung Fu Nuns of the Drukpa order of Buddhism has won the prestigious Martial Arts Education Prize 2021 from the UNESCO International Centre for Martial Arts for their brave acts of service.
  • The prize recognises the Kung Fu Nuns’ heroic acts of service and championing of gender equality across the Himalayas. Through martial arts, the Drukpa nuns empower young girls to defend themselves, build confidence, and take on leadership roles in their communities.

• Indian American Scientist Instrumental In India-US Defence Trade Gets Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Indian American scientist Dr Vivek Lall was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Ritossa Family Summits in Dubai.
  • Dr Lall, who is known for playing a key role in enhancing India-US defence trade and instrumental in some of the top deals between the two countries was presented with the award in recognition of his outstanding vision, dedication and success.

SPORTS

• Divya Deshmukh becomes India's 21st Woman Grand Master
  • Fifteen-year-old Divya Deshmukh became India's 21st Woman Grand Master (WGM) after achieving her 2nd International Master (IM) at First Saturday Grand Master (GM) in Budapest, Hungary.

• South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship 2021
  • The 2021 SAFF Championship, known as Ooredoo SAFF Championship 2021 was the thirteenth edition of the SAFF Championship, the biennial international men's football championship of South Asia organised by South Asian Football Federation (SAFF).
  • It was hosted by Maldives as host. The National Football Stadium in capital Malé hosted all the matches. The five participating nations are - India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

• Fencer Bhavani Devi won Charlellville National Competition
  • Fencer Bhavani Devi, who made history at the Tokyo Olympics by becoming the first Indian to compete in the sport at the Games, has won the Charlellville National Competition in France in the individual women’s sabre event.
  • She is currently ranked 50th in the world and is the top-ranked fencer from India.