Current Affairs

22^nd October 2022

Top 17 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is the Daily GK Update of the 22nd October 2022 covering the following news headlines: Chandrayaan-3, Hyderabadi Haleem, PMAY-U Awards 2021, DX 2022 Awards, EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List, World Spice Congress, Agni Prime missile.

National News

1.India to Beat US, Europe in Terms of Learners: Coursera chief

India is anticipated to surpass its residence market, the United States, and even Europe in terms of learners over the subsequent 18-20 months, edtech agency Coursera’s chief  Jeff Maggioncalda said.

The firm, which has 17 million learners and content material partnerships with 15 universities in India, is anticipated to overtake the United States and Europe. It has 20 million learners in America and 19 million in Europe.

2.Mission LIFE movement launched by PM Modi at Kevadiya

Mission LIFE movement launched: Mission LIFE movement is launched by PM Modi in order to protect the environment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a stern warning.

After the global launch of Mission LiFE at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat in the presence of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the PM addressed the crowd and asserted that lifestyle changes can help to mitigate climate change.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the audience and urged affluent nations to uphold their climate pledges and give significant financial and technological support to developing nations like India.

He also emphasised the need of people and communities becoming involved in developing environmental protection strategies.

Important Takeaways for All Competitive Exams:

UN Secretary-General: Antonio Guterres;

Chief Minister of Gujarat: Bhupendra Bhai Patel.

International News

3.Pakistan Removed from FATF Grey List on Terror Financing

Pakistan has been removed from the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force(FATF), the Paris-based global watchdog on money laundering and terrorist financing. Pakistan was placed in the grey list in 2018 for failing to keep a check on money laundering and terrorist financing.

Besides Pakistan, Nicaragua was removed from the FATF’s ‘grey list’ while Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Mozambique were added to the list. Myanmar was added to the FATF’s ‘black list’.

In a statement, the FATF said Pakistan made significant progress in checking money laundering and combating financing of terrorism. “They have (Pakistan) been removed from the grey list, however, there’s still work to be done on their part,” FATF president T Raja Kumar said.

State News

4.Punjab Government: Return of Old Pension Scheme for its Employees

The Punjab Government decided to restore the old pension scheme for its employees. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that the government has decided to implement the old pension scheme as a Diwali gift for its employees.

The decision was taken as an in-principle decision to the effect of the cabinet meeting. The decision aims to benefit lakhs of employees.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the employees will be given the option to join the old pension scheme.

The government was considering restoring the scheme for government employees for a month.

Restoration of the old pension scheme was discontinued in 2004 and it has been one of the major demands of state government employees.

Appointments News

5.Quality Council of India appoints Jaxay Shah as new chairman

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Jaxay Shah, founder chairman of Savvy Group and former chairman of CREDAI as the chairman of the Quality Council of India (QCI) for three years, effective 21 October, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

He will succeed former McKinsey India chief Adil Zainulbhai, who served as the chairman of QCI through three terms for eight years from 2014 to 2022. QCI was established in 1997 through a Cabinet note by the Government of India.

QCI is mandated to promote quality in the country through national accreditation of testing, inspection and certification bodies which is internationally recognised, driving third-party assessments across sectors.

Defence News

6.Indian, US Militaries Conduct ‘Tiger Triumph’ Exercise

The Indian and US militaries carried out a three-day joint humanitarian assistance exercise in Vishakhapatnam in line with the growing strategic cooperation between the two countries.

The Tiger Triumph exercise was the second collaboration between the Indian and US Militaries to coordinate disaster relief in the region.

The first exercise took place over the course of nine days in November 2019 and featured more than 500 US Marines and sailors.

The first exercise included 1200 Indian sailors, soldiers, and Airmen.

This year, the military exercise involved fifty combined participants, and it focused on staff planning, with an emphasis on processes for streamlining diplomatic, operational, and logistical coordination.

Tiger Triumph marked the third time in 2022 that Indian and US militaries have worked together in Vishakhapatnam.

7.Nuclear capable Agni Prime missile successfully tested by India

Agni Prime missile successfully tested: The Agni Prime New Generation Ballistic Missile was successfully tested by India on October 21 off the coast of Odisha.

Around 9.45 this morning, a test launch of the ballistic missile took place. The missile successfully completed the test, covering its full range, and all of its test goals were achieved.

This was the missile Agni Prime’s third straight successful flight test.

This test has demonstrated the system’s accuracy and dependability.

Agni Prime underwent its first test on June 28, 2021, and it underwent its second test on December 18, 2021.

Important Takeaways for All Competitive Exams:

Defence Minister of India: Rajnath Singh

ISRO chairman: S Somnath

Summits and Conferences News

8.World Spice Congress 14th edition organized in Maharashtra

World Spice Congress 14th edition: The 14th World Spice Congress will take place in the CIDCO Exhibition and Convention Centre in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, from February 16 to 18, 2023.

Spices Board India in conjunction with a number of trade and export forums is hosting the World Spice Congress during India’s G20 presidency.

The 14th edition of the World Spice Congress (WSC) is going to be all about and only about ‘SPICES,’ after announcing the subject. Vision 2030: SPICES (Sustainability- Productivity- Innovation- Collaboration- Excellence and Safety) has been selected as the subject for the current World Spice Congress (WSC).

Ranks and Reports News

9.HCL’s Shiv Nadar named country’s most generous philanthropist

HCL founder Shiv Nadar topped as the most generous person in the country with an annual donation of Rs 1,161 crore, the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022 revealed. Nadar, 77, has reclaimed the ‘India’s most generous’ title with a donation of Rs 3 crore per day, according to the report.

Wipro’s Azim Premji, 77, slipped to the second position with an annual donation of Rs 484 crore after ruling at the top position for the last two consecutive years, it said. India’s richest man Gautam Adani, 60, ranked seventh in Edelgive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022, with a donation of Rs 190 crore.

Awards News

10.DX 2022 Awards: Karnataka Bank bags digital transformation awards of CII

Karnataka Bank has bagged the National Digital Transformation Awards, “DX 2022 Awards” instituted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for best practices in digital transformation under the BFSI segment.

The awards in recognition of the “Innovative Excellence” in ‘KBL HR NxT – Employee Engagement’, ‘KBL Operations NxT – Operational Excellence’ and ‘KBL Customer NxT – Customer Experience’ were presented to senior executives of the bank at New Delhi.

KBL NxT concept was launched in 2021 under KBL Vikas 2.0 focusing on digitisation of its various verticals, including operations, human resources, customer experience, digital marketing etc.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Karnataka Bank Headquarters: Mangaluru;

Karnataka Bank CEO: Mahabaleshwara M. S;

Karnataka Bank Founded: 18 February 1924.

11.Uttar Pradesh bags top honours at PMAY-U Awards 2021

Under the BJP-led Centre’s flagship, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) housing scheme have been delivered and the rest are under various stages of completion, Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.

PMAY-U Awards 2021 is scheduled annually to recognise the contribution of States, Union Territories and urban local bodies with regard to the implementation of the scheme in Rajkot.

In the awards, Uttar Pradesh bagged the first position followed by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu at second and third place, respectively.

Poll-bound Gujarat saw five special category awards for performance related to Affordable Rental Housing Complexes and ‘Convergence with other Missions’ coming its way.

Madhya Pradesh got three special category awards followed by Jammu and Kashmir, which was adjudged the ‘Best Performing UT’ alongside Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.

Odisha has been felicitated with the prestigious PMAY-U Awards 2021 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for the best policy initiative under a special category.

12.Telangana Hyderabadi Haleem bags ‘Most Popular GI’ award

Telangana’s Hyderabadi Haleem has won the ‘Most Popular GI’ award after beating other food items including Rasgulla, Bikaneri Bhujiya, and Ratlami Sev.

In a rigid competition with more than 15 food items across the country with Geographical Indication (GI) status, the famous Hyderabadi Haleem has bagged the ‘Most Popular GI’ award. GI tag is given to products to ensure that authorised users can only use the popular product name.

For the first time, GI status was accorded to Hyderabadi Haleem in 2010. It expired in December 2019. However, later, the registrar of Geographical Indicator renewed the tag for the dish for 10 years.

Science and Technology News

13.Chandrayaan-3 set for launch in August 2023: ISRO chairman

Chandrayaan-3 set for launch in August 2023: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) plans to launch its third lunar mission in the month of June 2023. The more capable lunar rover that will be carried by Chandrayaan-3, which is essential for future interplanetary explorations, according to S. Somnath, Chairman of the Indian Space Agency, ISRO.

The mission will rely on the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, which is already circling the Moon; the Chandrayaan-3 rover is not a clone of its predecessor, according to the head of ISRO. “C-3 is now prepared.

14.LVM3 Launch to Mark ISRO’s Entry Into Global Commercial Launch Service Market

The heaviest rocket LVM3 of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch 36 satellites of British start-up OneWeb Broadband Communication Satellites from the spaceport in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on October 23, 2022. It will mark the the launcher’s entry into the global commercial launch service market.

New Space India Limited (NSIL), a CPSE under the Department of Space and the commercial arm of the ISRO, has signed two launch service contracts with M/s Network Access Associated Limited (M/s OneWeb), United Kingdom, for launching OneWeb LEO Broadband Communication Satellites on board ISRO’s heaviest launcher LVM3.

Sports News

15.5th Khelo India Youth Games to be held in Madhya Pradesh

The 5th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games will be held in Madhya Pradesh from 31st January to 11th February 2023. The event was felicitated by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur, and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Indigenous games will be a part of the upcoming Khelo India Youth Games. Madhya Pradesh has made the sport of Mallakhamb their state sport for supporting the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support Olympics sports and indigenous sports in the same manner.

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur announced that the 5th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games will be held in Madhya Pradesh.

Miscellaneous News

16.Delhi govt kicks off campaign ‘Diye jalao, patake nahin’ for green Diwali

Delhi government has launched the ‘Diye Jalao, Patake Nahin’ (light up lamps, not firecrackers) campaign at Central Park in New Delhi.

The Delhi government on Friday lit 51,000 diyas at Central Park in Connaught Place here to mark the launch of its campaign for a pollution-free Diwali. The campaign aims at promoting a quieter and pollution-free Diwali.

17.Windergy 2023 to be Held in Chennai in October Next Year

The 5th edition of India’s only comprehensive International Trade Fair and Conference, Windergy India 2023 will be held from 4th October to 6th October 2023.

The Windergy India 2023 will be organized by the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) and PDA Ventures Pvt Ltd, the three-day trade fairs and conference will provide a vibrant platform to meet and interact with policymakers, regulatory authority, international and domestic technology, solution and services providers from the wind power industries.

Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) was established in 1998 and is the apex business association and voice of the Indian wind Industry. IWTMA has been at the forefront of the policy framework and regulatory intervention with proactive engagement with Central and State policymakers, Investors, and Stakeholders.