Current Affairs 16 October 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 16 October 2021, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2021 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Only 25 CPSEs tagged as ‘excellent’ in the Performance Assessment by DPE

i.In accordance with the performance review conducted by the department of public enterprises (DPE) for 2019-2020, only 25 of the 144 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) have been tagged as ‘excellent’.
ii.This figure is down by 10 from 35 as compared to 2018-2019 mainly due to depreciation of the rupee, stricter assessment and drop in net profits.
iii.Among other categories, 28 units are categorised as poor, 34 as very good, 32 as good; and 25 as fair.
About Department of Public Enterprises (DPE):
In July 2021, DPE became part of the Ministry of Finance. Earlier it came under the aegis of the Ministry of heavy industries.
>>Read Full News

India signs MoU with Russia for Di-ammonium Phosphate Fertilizer SupplyIndia signed a long term Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia for DAP (Di-Ammonium Phosphate) fertilizer supply.  The reason behind this agreement is to stabilize the prices of DAP and to reduce dependence on countries like Jordan, Morocco, and China.
Key Points:
i.Earlier, the Ministry of Fertilizer headed by Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya directed all companies not to increase the retail prices of DAP and other phosphatic fertilizers as these are required by farmers during the current Rabi season.
ii.Government also increased the subsidy on DAP by 140% from Rs 500 per bag to Rs 1,200 per bag.
iii.Notably, the Central Government allocated around Rs 79,600 crore for fertilizer subsidy in the budget for 2021-22.
iv.After urea, Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer is the most widely used fertilizer in the country.

Govt launches India’s 1st ‘One Health’ Consortium for Surveillance of Bacterial, Viral InfectionsOn October 14, 2021, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) launched India’s 1st ‘One Health’ consortium to carry out surveillance of important bacterial, viral and parasitic infections of zoonotic as well as transboundary pathogens. It will consist of 27 organizations led by DBT-National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad (Telangana).

• It was launched by Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology through video conferencing.
• It will also look into the use of existing diagnostic tests and the development of additional methodologies to understand the spread of emerging diseases.

Key Points:
i.She also inaugurated the International mini-symposium on ‘Essentials of One Health’.
ii.Emphasis were laid on the need of a holistic approach to understand the health of human, animals and wildlife to minimize the damage caused by future pandemics.
iii.The consortium consists of AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences), Delhi; AIIMS Jodhpur; IVRI (Indian Veterinary Research Institute), Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh); GADVASU (Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University), Ludhiana (Punjab); TANUVAS (Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University), Chennai (Tamil Nadu); MAFSU (Maharashtra Animal & Fishery Sciences University), Nagpur (Maharashtra); and many more ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) centres and wildlife agencies, Assam agricultural and veterinary university.

In a 1st, Govt Fixed Subsidy for PDM under NBS SchemeFor the first time, the Union Government has brought Potash Derived from Molasses (PDM) under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) scheme (since its inception in 2010) to reduce India’s dependence on mineral-based potash. This Fertilizer is known as PDM-0:0:14.5:0.

• Objective: To give a push to PDM manufacturing by Sugar Mills as a byproduct and reduce India’s dependence on 100 percent import of more than 42 LMT of Mineral-based Potash which cost around Rs 7,160 crores annually.

Key Points:
i.Through this initiative government will offer a subsidy of Rs 73 per 50 kg bag of PDM sold at Rs 600-800 by fertiliser companies to farmers.
ii.Union Government is expected to spend ~Rs 156 crore annually as a subsidy on PDM and save foreign exchange of Rs 562 crores.
iii.This inclusion will improve the revenue of mills and the income of sugarcane growers.

iv.Increased variant of Fertiliser: The current inclusion of PDM into NBS made the total variants of fertiliser under NBS scheme 25.

• Till 2020, the government has fixed the subsidy under the NBS scheme for 22 varieties of fertilisers having soil nutrients namely Nitrogen (N), Phosphate (P), Potash (K) and Sulphur (S).
• In May 2021 two complex fertilisers of NPK (8-21-21) and NPK (9-24-24) were included under the NBS (made the count to 24).

v.Background: Earlier in October 2021, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the increase of NBS scheme rates.

• To maintain the prices of fertilizers affordable to the farmers, the Union Government has decided to increase the subsidy per bag of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) to Rs 438 and Rs 100 per bag benefit each on NPK 10-26-26, NPK 20-20-0-13, and NPK 12-32-16.

About Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers:
Union Minister –  Mansukh Mandaviya (Constituency – Gujarat)
Minister of State – Bhagwanth Khuba (Constituency – Bidar, Karnataka)

NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform to Felicitate 75 Women Achievers

To commemorate the 75th year of Independence, NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) will felicitate 75 women achievers on 5th edition of the Women Transforming India Awards 2021-22 as part of the Amrit Mahotsav celebration.

• Women Transforming India Awards (WTI) 2021 will celebrate the contribution of women entrepreneurs towards ‘Sashakt aur Samarath Bharat’ – by building self-sufficient businesses and/or overcoming challenges via unique business solutions.
• WTI Awards are being launched in partnership with the UN, CISCO CSR, FICCI and Grant Thornton Bharat.
• 75 inspiring women entrepreneurs will selected and the selected winners will be felicitated on the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8th March, 2022, celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence – ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
• The application form is available on https://wep.gov.in/, and applications will be accepted till 31st December, 2021.

ICMR releases MUDRA Toolbox in 5 languages

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) released the Multilingual Dementia Research and Assessment (MUDRA) Toolbox in five Indian languages – Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

• MUDRA Toolbox is a project led by the ICMR Neuro-Cognitive Tool Box (ICMR-NCTB) partnership to improve dementia and mild cognitive impairment research and therapeutic practices in India.
• This toolkit has several cognitive tests that can be used to examine many aspects of cognition, including executive functioning, memory, speech, and visuospatial functions.
• The initiative has started when India has over 5.29 million persons living with dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSIDementia). By 2030, the number of dementia patients is predicted to reach 7.61 million.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

GHI 2021: India Slips to 101st Rank out of 116 Countries; behind Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal India ranked 101 out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 with a score of 27.5. India is behind its neighbours Pakistan (92), Bangladesh (76) and Nepal (76).

• The GHI 2021 report was prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation WeltHungerHilfe.
• India ranked 94 in 2020 out of 107 countries (with a score of 27.2) and in 2019 India ranked 102 out of 117 countries.
• In 2021, with a GHI score of 27.5, India’s level of hunger is described as ‘serious’.

India’s GHI Scores and Change Since 2000:

• The level of hunger in India was described as ‘alarming’ with its GHI score decreasing from 38.8 in 2000 to the range of 28.8 – 27.5 between 2012 and 2021.

About Welthungerhilfe:
Establishment – 1962
Headquarters – Bonn, Germany
Chair of the Board – Marlehn Thieme
Patron – Frank-Walter Steinmeier (President of Germany)
>>Read Full News

IMF releases ‘Global Financial Stability Report 2021’ – analyses ‘Cryptoization’The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released the ‘Global Financial Stability Report-2021’, that discusses the adaptation of cryptocurrencies in emerging markets, the report mainly discusses ‘Cryptoization’. The IMF names the potential of macro-financial risks due to asset and currency substitution as ‘cryptoization’.
Report Findings:

• Crypto-adaptation leads to serious challenges to the financial stability of a country.
• Returns from non-stable crypto assets are highly volatile.
• Bitcoin is the most dominant Crypto-currency, while its market share fell sharply in 2021 from 70% to less than 45%.
• Crypto-ecosystem is free of intermediary platforms & links borrowers and lenders without any credit-risk evaluation.

Challenges in Crypto-ecosystem:

• No reliable method for estimating flow of crypto assets across countries.
• Inefficient Payment systems & Unethical macroeconomic policies leading to Cryptoization.
• Risk of Investor protection for crypto-assets.

Note – India ranks 2nd in the ‘Global Crypto Adoption Index 2021’, which was topped by Vietnam
India’s daily Crypto trading volume peaks between $300 -$500 million, with establishment of over 300 new blockchain companies in 2021
Steps for Better Adaptation:

• Framing effective legal and regulatory measures & establishment of central bank digital currencies.
• Adoption of Global standards & deeper regulations in complex areas.

About International Monetary Fund (IMF): 
MD – Kristalina Georgieva
Establishment – 1944
Headquarters – Washington, D.C., USA
Member Countries – 190

India to increase Solar Capacity to 5630 GW to achieve Net Zero Emission by 2070In October 2021, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), an independent think tank, released the “Implications of a Net-zero Target for India’s Sectoral Energy Transitions and Climate Policy” report, which predicts India to increase the total installed Solar Power Capacity to 5630 Giga Watts (GW) by 2070, to achieve Net Zero emission.

• A total land of 4.6% (approx.) of India’s land is required for Solar power generation in 2070.

Note – At present, India has 100 GW of installed Renewable Energy (RE) capacity (40GW Solar) & targets to attain 450GW RE capacity by 2030
About Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW):
CEO – Arunabha Ghosh
Founded – 2010
Head Office – New Delhi
>>Read Full News

IMF Report: Global Debt Increased to $226 trillion in 2020; India’s Debt in 2021 Projected at 90.6%

As per the October 2021 Fiscal Monitor Report of International Monetary Fund (IMF) titled, ‘Fiscal Monitor: Strengthening the Credibility of Public Finances’, the global debt (issued by governments, nonfinancial corporations, and households) in 2020 was increased by $27 trillion (from 2019) to a new high of USD 226 trillion.

• India’s debt in 2021 was projected to rise at 90.6 percent.

• Global debt in 2021 was reported at 97.8 percent whereas the 2022 debt was projected to be 96.9 percent.
• Global government debt is expected to decline in 2021 and 2022 by about 1 percentage point of GDP per year.
• The debt crisis might include more people in poverty in 2021, which is estimated to be around 65 to 75 million higher than pre-pandemic levels.

About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
Establishment –  1944
Headquarters – Washington, D.C., United States
Member Countries – 190
MD – Kristalina Georgieva
>>Read Full News

India gets Re-elected to UNHRC for Sixth Term with ‘Overwhelming Majority’ in UNGAIndia will continue to work for the promotion and protection of human rights after being re-elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the term 2022-24 and shall not be eligible for immediate re-election after two consecutive terms. It was elected for a 6th time with an overwhelming majority in the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Highlights  
i.The UN General Assembly held elections for 18 new members of the UN Human Rights Council who will serve for a period of three years, starting in January 2022.
ii.India got 184 votes in the 193-member assembly, while the required majority was 97.
iii.India will continue to work for the promotion and protection of Human Rights through Samman( Respect), Samvad (Conversation) and Sahyog ( Cooperation).
iv.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.
Distribution of Votes
The membership is based on equitable geographical distribution, and seats are distributed among regional groups Group of African States (13), Group of Asia-Pacific States (13), Group of Eastern European States (6), Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (8) and Group of Western European and other States (7).
About United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
President: Nazhat Shameem Khan
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Founded: 15 March 2006

BANKING & FINANCE

ADB Expanded 2019–2030 Climate Finance Ambition to $100 BillionAsian Development Bank (ADB) increased its ambition to deliver climate financing to its Developing Member Countries (DMCs) from 2019–2030 by $20 billion to $100 billion.

• Objective: To support DMCs that are facing challenges under COVID-19 and the climate crisis.
• Background: In 2018, ADB committed to making its own climate financing of around $80 billion by 2030 and also to ensure at least 75 percent of the total number of its operations support climate action. The current announcement increased this financing commitment.
• ADB forecasts the overall climate financing from its own resources in 2019–2021 to reach about $17 billion.

Support through additional $20 billion:
The additional $20 billion will provide support for the climate agenda in 5 main areas.
i.Climate mitigation: At first the additional support will include new avenues of energy storage, energy efficiency, and low-carbon transport under climate mitigation.

• ADB expects its aggregate climate mitigation finance to reach $66 billion.

ii.Climate adaptation: Projects in climate-sensitive sectors, such as urban, agriculture, and water, will be designed with the primary purpose of effective climate adaptation and enhanced resilience.

• ADB expects its cumulative adaptation finance to reach $34 billion.

iii.Intends to increase the climate financing of private sector operations and initiatives with $12 billion from its own resources and anticipated crowding in of an additional $18 billion to $30 billion.
iv.To support a green, resilient, and inclusive recovery from COVID-19, through innovative financing platforms such as the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Catalytic Green Finance Facility and Green Recovery Platform.
v.To support advance reforms in DMCs to unlock actions through policy-based lending to support policies and institutions.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
Establishment– 1966
Headquarters– Manila, Philippines
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
Managing Director General– Woochong Um
Members– 68 members (49 – Asia & Pacific, 19 – outside)

Vested Finance Partnered with SBM Bank to Facilitate Forex TransferVested Finance, a platform for investing in foreign stocks for Indians has partnered with SBM Bank, the Indian subsidiary of State Bank of Mauritius and launched a new solution named ‘Vested Direct’ for facilitating forex transfers at low costs.

• Using Vested Direct Investors could open a free-of-cost, no-minimum-balance savings account with SBM Bank funds.

Features of Vested Direct:
i.Process: Once the account is opened, the investors could send their funds in Indian rupees to their SBM bank account and place a request to move it to their US brokerage account.

• Further, the amount will be converted into dollars and transferred into their Vested account at low costs.

ii.Benefit:

• Earlier the Indian investors, who invest in US funds (like Apple, Amazon, Facebook & Microsoft), will use their existing bank accounts to transfer funds. The transfer would take up to 5 days along with multiple steps, high foreign exchange markups, and fixed transfer charges.
• Now with Vested Direct, the process could be completed in simple steps at lower charges (only a forex mark-up of 1.2 percent), and a faster deposit timeline (within one day).
• The users could track the entire transaction on the app or website of Vested Finance. Currently, people who have CKYC (Central Know your Customer) only could access Vested Direct.

iii.RBI’s Regulations:

• As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulation, a 12-month bank account statement of Income Tax Return need to be provided to make the first transfer.
• RBI introduced Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) scheme to facilitate Resident Individuals (RI) to freely remit funds (transfer money to abroad) up to USD 2,50,000 outside India in a financial year (April to March).

iv.Vested Finance is registered as an investment advisor with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
About Vested Finance:
Headquarters –  San Francisco, California, USA
CEO – Viram Shah

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS 

WHO’s DG Bestows “WHO Director-General’s Award” Posthumously on Henrietta Lacks in GenevaThe Director General (DG) of World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus honoured the late, Henrietta Lacks with a ‘WHO Director-General’s award’, for recognizing her world-changing legacy, who died of cervical cancer, 70 years ago, on 4 October, 1951.
Key points
i.In honouring Henrietta Lacks, WHO acknowledges the importance of reckoning with past scientific injustices, and advancing racial equity in health and science.
ii.WHO gave recognition to Henrietta Lacks’ contribution by inviting her family members at the WHO office in Geneva, where Lawrence Lacks, son of  Henrietta Lacks, was given recognition on behalf of his mother.
About HeLa cells
i.The researchers named the tissues of  Henrietta Lacks as “HeLa cells”, which became a popular word in the medical world.
ii.Her cells became the first “immortal” cell line, and have allowed for incalculable scientific breakthroughs such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
iii.These cancer cells taken from her body became a research substance for scientists globally, and it was after research on those sample cells that the medical world developed vaccines for dangerous diseases such as polio, cancer, drugs for HIV and COVID-19 research.
About World Health Organization (WHO)
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Founded: 7 April 1948
Director General: Tedros Adhanom  Ghebreyesus       

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Navrang Saini gets additional charge as IBBI Chairperson

On October 13, 2021, the Central Government gave Navrang Saini, Whole Time Member, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), an additional charge as the Chairperson of IBBI.

• He has been appointed for a period of three months or till the joining of a new incumbent to the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier
• He will succeed S. Sahoo who retired on September 30, 2021 after a five-year tenure on.

About IBBI:
Established in 2016, it is a key institution in implementing the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC),
Headquarter– New Delhi

RBI Approves Reappointment of Amitabh Chaudhry as MD & CEO of Axis BankThe Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has approved the reappointment of Amitabh Chaudhry as the Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive officer(CEO) of Axis Bank for a period of three years with effect from 1st January 2022 till December 31, 2024. 

• In April 2021, The Board of Axis Bank approved the extension of Amitabh Chaudhry tenure as MD & CEO for a period of3 years subject to regulatory clearance.

About Amitabh Chaudhry:
i.Amitabh Chaudhry started his career in corporate banking with the Bank of America in 1987,
ii.In 2018 he was appointed as the MD & CEO of Axis Bank for a period of 3 years (1 January 2019 up to 31 December 2021).
iii.Prior to this appointment he has served as the MD & CEO of HDFC Standard Life.
iv.He has also worked with Infosys BPO between 2003 and 2006.
Note:

• The MD & CEO of private banks are appointed by their respective boards, subject to approval by the RBI.
• The post of MD & CEO of a private bank cannot be held by the same individual for more than 15 years and no person can continue on such positions beyond the age of 70 years.

About Axis Bank:
Axis Bank is the 3rd Largest Private Sector Bank in India.
MD & CEO– Amitabh Chaudhry
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Incorporated in 1993
Begun operations in 1994

Amish Mehta Becomes MD & CEO of CRISIL

Amish Mehta became the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of CRISIL Ltd, an S&P Global Company.He succeeded Ashu Suyash.

• Amish Mehta joined CRISIL in October 2014 as President and Chief Financial Officer.
• Amish Mehta was appointed as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) in July 2017, responsible for Global Analytical Center, India Research and SME, Global Innovation and Excellence (GIX) Hub and Corporate Strategy.  

A K Goel MD & CEO of UCO Bank Elected as Chairman of IBA; Replaces Rajkiran Rai Atul Kumar Goel (A K Goel), Managing Director and Chief Executive officer (MD & CEO) of UCO Bank has been elected as the Chairman of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) for 2021-22 at the election held during the Managing committee meeting on 14th October. He replaces Rajkiran Rai G, MD & CEO of Union Bank.
About Atul Kumar Goel:
i.Atul Kumar Goel(A K Goel) is set to take over as the CEO of Punjab National Bank (PNB) with effect from January 2022.
ii.The Banks Board Bureau (BBB) recommended him for the post of MD & CEO of PNB.
iii.Previously AK Goel has served as the Executive Director in Union Bank of India.
iv.He has also served as a General Manager and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Allahabad Bank.
v.He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India(ICAI) and a Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Bankers(CAIIB).
Other appointments:
The IBA has also elected the other office bearers of 2021-2022.

Deputy Chairman:

• Dinesh Kumar Khara, Chairman of State Bank of India,
• L V Prabhakar, MD of Canara Bank,
• Rakesh Sharma MD of IDBI Bank

Honorary Secretary:

• Madhav Nair, Country Head & CEO, Mashreqbank PSC

About Indian Banks’ Association (IBA):
Chief Executive– Sunil Mehta
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Formed on September 26, 1946
Members– 244

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Bharti Group-backed OneWeb Launched 36 Satellites from Vostochny Cosmodrome, RussiaOneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications company owned by the UK Government and Bharti Global has launched 36 satellites by Arianespace from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia.

• With this successful launch and contact with the 36 satellites, the total number of in-orbit constellations of OneWeb has become 358 satellites, more than half of its entire 648 LEO satellite fleet, which will deliver high-speed, low-latency global connectivity.
• OneWeb is now over halfway to deliver global service in 2022.

Key info:
The satellites are manufactured by OneWeb Satellites, a joint venture between OneWeb and Airbus Defence and Space-based in Space Coast, Florida.
About the launch:
i.The satellites were separated from the rocket in 9 batches over a period of 3 hours 52 minutes.
ii.The signal acquisition on all 36 satellites is also confirmed.
Note:
With this launch, OneWeb will start its service demonstrations which will showcase the hardware and capabilities across an array of applications.
Demo centres: 
OneWeb has opened demo centres at its headquarters in London, and at the Westcott Venture Park Innovation Centre in Buckinghamshire as well as in the United States of America (USA), in Talkeetna, Alaska, and Germantown, Maryland.
OneWeb partnership with Galaxy Broadband:
OneWeb has partnered with Galaxy Broadband, a Canadian distribution partner, to deliver OneWeb’s high-speed, low-latency communications services across Canada and the wider Arctic Region.
About OneWeb:
Chairman– Sunil Bharti Mittal
CEO– Neil Masterson
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom(UK)

Indian-American astronaut Raja Chari to command Crew-3 mission of NASA-SpaceX

An Indian-American astronaut is part of NASA-SpaceX’s third mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission is set to be start on October 30^th from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.

• NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission will carry NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the space station.
• Crew-3 is the SpaceX’s 5^th crewed flight to space and fourth to the International Space Station. Indian-American Chari will serve as the commander of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Crew-3 mission.
• Raja Chari also called as “Grinder” was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1978.He is currently a Colonel in the US Air Force.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Sight Day 2021 – October 14World Sight Day is annually observed across the globe on the 2nd Thursday of October to create awareness on the global issue of eye health. The day also aims to focus the attention of vision impairment including blindness.
World Sight Day is coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). 
World Sight Day 2021 was observed on 14th October 2021. 

• World Sight Day 2020 was observed on 8th October 2020.
• World Sight Day 2022 will be observed on 13th October 2022.

The theme of World Sight Day 2021 is “Love Your Eyes”. 
Background:
i.World Sight Day was initiated by the SightFirstCampaign of the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF).
ii.In 2000, the World Sight Day became an official event of IAPB.
iii.The first ever World Sight Day was celebrated on 8 October, 1998.
About International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB):
CEO– Peter Holland
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom
Established on January 1, 1975
>>Read Full News

World Student’s Day 2021:October 15World Students’ Day was observed on October 15 annually. The day marks the birth anniversary of India’s 11th President, Dr. A P J (Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen) Abdul Kalam, the one who gave uttermost importance to students and encouraged them at every event. This year it will be the 90th birth anniversary of the former president of India.
About Dr. A P J (Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen) Abdul Kalam
Born: 15 October 1931, Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu)
Died: 27 July 2015, Shillong (Meghalaya)
Awards: Bharat Ratna, Hoover Medal, Padma Vibhushan and others
>>Read Full News

International Day of Rural Women 2021 – October 15The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Rural Women is annually observed across the world on October 15th to highlight the role of rural women and girls, including indigenous women, in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving rural livelihoods, and overall well-being.

• The day also aims to eliminate gender stereotypes and discrimination against women and girls.

The theme of International Day of Rural Women 2021 is “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All”.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/62/136 on 18th December 2007, and proclaimed the 15th October of every year as the International Day of Rural Women.
ii.The first ever International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15th October 2008. 
About UN Women:
Executive Director– Sima Bahous
Headquarters– New York, United States of America(USA)
Established in July 2010
>>Read Full News

Global Handwashing Day 2021 – October 15The Global Handwashing day is annually observed across the globe on October 15th to create awareness about the importance of washing hands regularly. The day also aims to design, test, and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands with soap at critical times.
The theme of the Global Handwashing Day 2021 is “Our Future is at Hand – Let’s Move Forward Together”.
Background:
i.Global Handwashing Partnership (GHP) initiated the observance of the Global Handwashing Day across the globe on 15th October of every year.
ii.The first ever Global Handwashing Day was observed in 2008. 
State of the world’s hand hygiene:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF) launched the report titled “State of the world’s hand hygiene: A global call to action to make hand hygiene a priority in policy and practice”
>>Read Full News

STATE NEWS

CM N. Biren Singh launches “Chief Minister’s Health for All” scheme in Manipur

The Chief Minister (CM) of Manipur, Nongthombam Biren Singh launched the “Chief Minister’s Health for All” or ‘’Gi Hakchel Gi Tengbal’’ scheme. It will provide door-to-door health screening services and free of cost Jan Aushadhi medicines at the primary healthcare centres (PHCs).
The state government earlier in 2018 launched a scheme under which eligible households were provided health cover up to INR 2 lakh annually for seven critical diseases.
Highlights
i.The CM has distributed Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) Plus devices, smartphones and tablets to Nurses, ASHA workers etc under this scheme.National Health Mission (NHM), eSanjeevani for telemedicine and all these will be combined to give doorstep services to the people of Manipur.
ii.The Screening will be done using a hand-held device known as ASHA Plus for 10 non-communicable diseases such as . Hypertension, Diabetes, Heart Disease, Kidney Ailments, three common Cancers (Oral, Breast and Cervical), Mental Health problems and Stroke/Post Stroke etc.
iii.Around 1628 villages will be selected comprising all 16 districts of Manipur. These villages will be linked to 118 Primary Health Sub Centres, 29 Primary Health Centres and 7 Community Health Centres.
iv.For eligible patients,CM Health Care Scheme and Ayushman Bharat health cards will also be issued to the patients having severe and chronic illness.
About Manipur
Dance– Raas Leela, Pung Cholom, Luivat Pheizak Dance
Ramsar site– Loktak Lake

Kerala Rail Signs MoU with IISc For Rail Safety Tech

IISc-incubated start-up L2MRail, Society for Innovation and Development (SID), and IISc have signed an MoU with Kerala Rail aimed at enhancing rail safety, especially in risk-prone terrains.

• MOU was exchanged between Kerala Rail Managing Director V Ajith Kumar and IISc Registrar Sudhir Warrier in the presence of Govindan Rangarajan, Director, IISc, and B Gurumoorthy, Chief Executive of SID, IISc.
• L2MRail team and IISc have pioneered the Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensing technology for a structural health monitoring system (SHMS) for the civil engineering structures of Kerala Rail’s Silverline project.
• FBG-sensor driven monitoring system will allow rail corporations to embed sensors in rail structures, enabling on-demand and continuous data, as well as 24/7 warning alerts in case of damage detection.

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