Current Affairs 17 & 18 October 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 17 & 18 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

RailTel & C-DOT Signed MoU to Boost Expansion of Telecom Services in India RailTel Corporation of India Ltd(RailTel), under the Ministry of Railways,has signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a research centre under the Department of Telecommunication, Ministry of Communications, to cooperate in diverse areas of telecom with a focus on boosting modernisation and expansion of community networks in India.

• The MoU signed at the C-DOT, Delhi campus is a part of the “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”. 

Aim:
To promote indigenous telecom technologies under “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
Key People:
Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay, Executive Director, C-DOT, and Puneet Chawla, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), RailTel, attended the MoU signing ceremony.
About the MoU:
i.TheMoU will enable both RailTel and C-DOT to leverage their expertise in their respective domain. C-DOT will bring its Research and Development(R&D) expertise in designing state-of-the-art indigenous technologies and RailTel will be deploying these solutions.
ii.Under this MoU, the synergy between C-DOT and RailTel will support providing affordable broadband services to the people in rural areas by reducing the cost of equipment, using C-DOT’s home-grown technology.
Key Points:
i.C-DOT has designed various cutting edge Telecom technologies ranging from Switching, Optical, Wireless, Network Management & Security domains and innovative solutions.
ii.C-DOT has also developed indigenous solutions for Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM).
iii.C-DOT aims to utilise the LTE and DWDM to roll out services for the proposed LTE /4G network for Indian Railways for a high-speed mobile communication corridor.

PM Narendra Modi Launched 7 DPSUs Carved out of OFB; E. R. Sheikh Became 1st Director-General of the Ordnance DirectorateOn October 15, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 7 newDefence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) that were carved out of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and dedicated them to the nation.

• Background: In September 2021, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had dissolved the OFB and transferred the OFB’s employees, management, and assets to the 7 DPSUs.
• The 7 DPSUs include – Munitions India Ltd (MIL), Armoured Vehicles Nigam Ltd (AVANI), Gliders India Limited (GIL), Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Ltd (AWE India), Troop Comforts Ltd (TCL), Yantra India Ltd (YIL), and India Optel Ltd (IOL).

Note – The MoD has set a target of achieving a turnover of Rs 1.75 lakh crore in aerospace, defence goods and services by 2024, including exports of Rs 35,000 crore.
-E. R. Sheikh Assumed Charge as 1st Director-General of the Ordnance Directorate
The 1984 batch Indian Ordnance Factory Service (IOFS) officer, E.R. Sheikh assumed charge as 1st Director-General of the Ordnance Directorate (Co-ordination and Services), which is the successor organization of OFB.
About Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister – Raj Nath Singh (Constituency – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State – Ajay Bhatt (Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
>>Read Full News

India’s Steel Ministry Signed MoU with Russia’s Minister of Energy for Collaboration in Coking Coal Sector

Ministry of Steel, Government of India(GoI) and the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration in the mining and steel sectors, with special focus on coking coal, in Moscow during the Russian Energy Week(REW)13-15 October 2021. 

• The MoU was signed by Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, Union Minister of Steel, India and Nikolay Shulginov, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation
• The MoU was signed during Ram Chandra Prasad Singh’s 2-day visit to Moscow.

This is a part of India’s National Steel Policy 2017 under which the India aims to reach 300 million tonne steel production by 2030.
Objective: Collaboration in coking coal used in steel making and Research and Development (R&D) in steel sector.
Features:
MoU envisages the implementation of joint projects/ commercial activities in coking coal, which includes long-term supplies of high-quality coking coal to India, development of coking coal deposits and logistics development, sharing of experience in coking coal production management, technologies of mining, beneficiation and processing as well as training.
About Russian Energy Week:
i.Russian Energy Week International Forum was established by the Russian Government in 2016 and held since 2017.
ii.The Forum is held to demonstrate the prospects of the Russian fuel and energy industry and unlock the potential of international cooperation in energy

• The forum is organized by the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and the Government of Moscow.
• The Forum is operated by the Roscongress Foundation.

Additional info:
i.India’s large coking coal reserves in Jharia, Jharkhand which continuously suffer from fire is unexplored for mining.
ii.Coking coal accounts for 40% of total cost of production of steel.
iii.India has been annually spending around Rs 75000 crore on import of coking coal.
About Ministry of Steel:
Union Minister– Ram Chandra Prasad Singh(Rajya Sabha- Bihar)
Minister of State– Faggan Singh Kulaste(Constituency- Mandla, Madhya Pradesh)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India Worst-hit in TB elimination – ‘Global TB report’ by WHOOn 14th October 2021, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released the ‘Global TB report’ for 2021, where it highlighted the effects of COVID-19 which led to a huge reversal in the progress of Tuberculosis (TB) elimination. The report also mentioned India as the worst-hit country in TB elimination, where the detection of new TB cases saw a huge impact in 2020.

• A dramatic reduction of 20% TB cases were witnessed in 2020 as compared to 2019, ie; a gap of 4.1 million cases.
• The progress in TB detection has gone back to the levels of 2012, with India accounting for 41% of the total case drops in 2020.

Note – Lakshadweep is India’s 1st TB free Union Territory, which is inline with India’s target of eliminating TB by 2025.

About World Health Organisation (WHO):
Established – 7 April 1948
1st Director-General – Brock Chisholm (Canada)
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
>>Read Full News

Indian Army Team wins Gold in ‘Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2021’

Indian Army’s Team of 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) that represented India in the ‘2021 Cambrian Patrol Exercise’ has won Gold medal. The exercise was organised by the United Kingdom (UK) Army between 13th – 15th October 2021 at Brecon, Wales, UK.

• Exercise Cambrian Patrol is an annual international military exercise conducted to test the ultimate human endurance, thus it is sometimes referred to as the ‘Olympics of Military Patrolling’.

i.On 15th October, the Gold Medal was presented to the Indian team by General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, the Chief of General Staff of the British Army.

ii.The prestigious exercise saw the participation of 96 teams including top Special Forces & Regiments from 17 international teams.

Highlights of the Exercise:

• Teams have to cover a 50-mile (80 km) course in less than 48 hrs while performing numerous military exercises placed throughout the rugged Cambrian Mountains at Wales, UK.
• The exercises are framed to test the team’s leadership, physical endurance, and navigation skills among others.

About Indian Army:
Commander-in-Chief – President of India
Chief of Defence Staff  – Bipin Rawat
Chief of Army Staff – MM Naravane

BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI Formed 4-Member Advisory Committee on Settlement Orders Chaired by Vijay C DagaIn October 2021, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) constituted a 4-member advisory committee on settlement orders and compounding of offences.

• The advisory committee will be chaired by Vijay C Daga, retired judge of the High Court of Bombay.
• Other members: The other members of the panel include PK Malhotra, the former law secretary in the Ministry of Law & Justice, PR Ramesh, ex-Chairman of Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP and DN Raval, Partner at Raval&Raval Associates.
• The committee will work as per the SEBI (Settlement Proceedings) Regulations, 2018.

Key Points:
i.A person against whom any ‘specified proceedings’ that have been initiated and pending/may be initiated, could make an application to SEBI.

• ‘Specified proceedings’ – It means the proceedings that might be initiated before any forum for the violation of securities laws.

ii.Through the application, under the Settlement Proceedings regulation, an alleged offender could settle a pending case with the SEBI without admission or denial of guilt by paying a settlement fee.
iii.Reduced Timeline: 

• As the entities are currently provided with a window of 180 daysto apply for settlement after receipt of the show-cause notice, the applicants mostly apply for settlement at the end of that 180 days.
• To overcome such delays, the time limit for filing settlement applications was recommended to be reduced from 180 to 60 days.

Note – The provisions of the Settlement Proceedings regulation will not apply in the case of proceedings pending before the Tribunal or any court.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Establishment – 1992
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– Ajay Tyagi

 BSE Signs MoU With Business Leadership League To Help SMEsThe BSE (Formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Business Leadership League (BLL). This will help the aspiring SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) to align and strategize about their innovative solutions and to get prepared for listing on BSE SME Platform.
Objective
To provide benefit to SMEs by education and knowledge to function efficiently.
Key points
i.BSE had launched its SME Platform in 2012 and the Startup Platform 2018.
ii.BLL & BSE SME will help in spreading awareness about listing benefits in the stock market.
iii.BSE SME & Business Leadership League will reach out to potential companies through various sessions including online & offline programs.
About Business Leadership League (BLL):
Founder & Chief Executive Officer-Swetapadma Mohanty
Headquarters- Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
About BSE SME and Startups:
Head- Ajay Thakur
Deputy General Manager– Anand Chari
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

RBI Withdrew all Restrictions Imposed on Hindu Cooperative Bank; Authorised KVB to Collect Direct TaxesIn October 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the exercise of power under sub-section (2) of Section 35 A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, RBI withdrew all restrictions imposed on Hindu Cooperative Bank Limited, Pathankot, Punjab.
Background:

• On March 13, 2019, RBI had issued ‘Directions to stipulate certain restrictions on Hindu Cooperative Bank Ltd’ in the exercise of powers vested under sub-section (1) Section 35 A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• The directions were modified from time to time and were last extended up to October 24, 2021.

-RBI Authorised KVB to collect Direct taxes
The Reserve Bank of India has authorisedKarurVysya Bank (KVB) to collect direct taxes on behalf of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

• After obtaining the approval, KVB has started the integration process with the CBDT to collect direct taxes.
• The integration would enable the bank to allow its customers to remit the direct taxes through any branch/net banking/ mobile banking services (DLite Mobile application).

Note – RBI imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 1 lakh on KurlaNagarikSahakari (KNS) Bank Ltd., Mumbai, Maharashtra, for contravention of certain norms related to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme, 2014.
About KarurVysya Bank (KVB):
Establishment – 1916
Headquarters – Karur, Tamil Nadu
MD & CEO – B. Ramesh Babu
Tagline – Smart Way to Bank

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Sona Comstar Partners  with NASSCOM to Enhance Digital Skills of their Employees through Future Skills PrimeSona BLW Precision Forgings Limited (Sona Comstar), an automotive technology company, is collaborating with Future Skills Prime (FSP) – a MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology)-NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) Digital Skilling Initiative to provide technical skills to employees with industry- relevant and government recognised curriculum based courses.
Objective- To provide professional and technical skills and to make India a global digital talent nation.
Key points
i.The Future Skills Prime (FSP) is the first of its kind PPP ( Public Private Partnership) collaboration between MeitY and NASSCOM. They together will create a digital skilling ecosystem for India’s citizens.
ii.It enhances the technological skills and productivity of the employees by giving them valuable and purposeful roles and opportunities.
iii.The advancement of technology and digital transformation compels up-skilling as the natural progression towards a promising future.
About Sona BLW Precision Forgings Limited (Sona Comstar)
Chief Executive Officer– Vivek Vikram Singh,
Founded- 1995
About NASSCOM (The National Association of Software and Service Companies)
President-Debjani Ghosh
Founded: 1 March 1988
Headquarters location: Noida, Uttar Pradesh

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Sajjan Jindal-1st Indian Appointed as Chairman of World Steel Association The World Steel Association (WSA) appointed Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director of JSW Steel Limited as the Chairman of WSA for the period 2021-22.Jindal will be the first representative from India to serve as Chairman of the WSA.
Yu Yong, chairman of BHIS Group Ltd was heading as the chairman of Worldsteel for the last two years and he is now appointed as the vice-chairman, succeeded by Jindal.
Highlights
i.The WSA is the main centre for steel industries. It provides global leadership on all major strategic issues impacting the industry, particularly focusing on economic, environmental and social sustainability.
ii.Worldsteel members represent approximately 85% of the world’s steel production, including more than 160 steel producers, national and regional steel industry associations and steel research institutes.
iii.JSW Group’s flagship JSW Steel is India’s leading and one of the world’s most efficient integrated steelmakers.
India in Steel Production
According to the World Steel Association (WSA) data, India now ranks as the second-largest producer of crude steel after China.
About World Steel Association (WSA)
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
Founded– 10 July 1967

Alexander Schallenberg Sworn in as Austria’s New Chancellor; Replaced Sebastian KurzAustrian President Alexander Van der Bellen Presided over the Swearing in Ceremony of Alexander Schallenberg as the new Chancellor of Austria at the Hofburg palace in Vienna, Austria. Alexander Schallenberg, who is currently serving as the foreign minister, has replaced Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who stepped down amid corruption allegations.

• Sebastian Kurz was the youngest chancellor in Austrian history. He was first elected into office in 2017 at the age of 31.

About Alexander Schallenberg:
i.Alexander Schallenberg, born in Bern, Switzerland, joined the diplomatic service in 1997.
ii.He is a member of the Austrian People’s Party (Österreichische Volkspartei; ÖVP).
iii.He was appointed as the foreign minister in June 2019.
Note:
Michael Linhart, a 63-year-old career diplomat, was appointed as the new Foreign Minister succeeding Alexander Schallenberg.
About Austria:
President– Alexander Van der Bellen
Capital– Vienna
Currency– Euro

Norway’s PM Erna Solberg Resigns; Jonas Gahr Støre SucceedsNorwegian Prime Minister (PM) Erna Solberg, who belongs to Conservative Party, has submitted a petition for the resignation of her government to King Harald V after the ruling party (Conservative Party) was defeated by the Labour Party in the September 2021 elections.Jonas Gahr Støre Succeeds Erna Solberg.
(Note- It is not a member of the European Union (EU) but trades closely with the 27-nation bloc)
Highlights
i.According to the parliamentary form of government, King Harald V of Norway will have the responsibility to task Jonas Gahr Store (Labour party) with forming a new cabinet.
ii.The September 13, 2021 elections resulted in the Labour Party gaining 26.4% of the vote against the Conservative Party 20.5%.
iii.The Labour party leader Jonas Gahr Store and Centre Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum agreed to form a new government and currently he is serving as the Prime Minister of Norway.
Political Scenario in Norway

• The elections to Norway’s 169-seat legislature use the proportional representation system based on party lists in 19 districts.
• The Labour Party has been the largest political force in the kingdom for many years. Since the 1960s, the party has repeatedly been in power, and only in the 2013 elections was it voted into opposition.

About Norway
Prime minister: Jonas Gahr Store
Capital: Oslo
Currency: Norwegian krone

 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

China Launched 1st Solar Exploration Satellite and Shenzhou-13 on a 6-month Space Station MissionChina has successfully launched its 1st solar exploration satellite into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province aboard a Long March-2D rocket. The Satellite has entered its planned orbit.

• 10 small satellites, an orbital atmospheric density detection experimental satellite, and a commercial meteorological detection constellation experimental satellite were also sent into space with the use of the same Long March-2D rocket.

-China Launches Shenzhou-13 with 3 Astronauts on a 6-month Space Station Mission 
China launched a 3-person crew for a 6-month mission aboard its space station. The launch is planned to set a new record for the length of time spent in space (i.e. the longest orbit) by Chinese astronauts.

• The Shenzhou-13 spaceship carrying the three astronauts was launched by a Long March-2F rocket. Shenzhou-13 is the 5th mission to the structure and it means ‘Divine Vessel’.
• The new crew consists of Pilot ZhaiZhigang, Wang Yaping (the only woman on the mission), and Ye Guangfu.

About China:
Capital – Beijing
President – Xi Jinping
Currency –Renminbi
>>Read Full News

SPORTS

Highlights of IPL 2021 – CSK wins 4th IPL Title

On 15th October 2021, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) under the Captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MS Dhoni) won their 4th IPL Title, after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the finals of the 14th Edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) or IPL 2021 or Vivo IPL 2021.Final was held at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, UAE.

Stadiums – M. A. Chidambaram Stadium- Chennai, Tamil Nadu; Wankhede Stadium- Mumbai, Maharashtra; Narendra Modi Stadium -Ahmedabad, Gujarat; Arun Jaitley Stadium – New Delhi, Delhi; Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai; Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi; Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah.

Team Captains – CSK was lead by MS Dhoni, India & KKR was led by Eoin Morgan (Irish-born England cricketer)

i.Faf Du Plessis (South Africa), who played his 100th IPL game, was the top scorer for CSK in the finals. He was awarded the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his match winning 86 runs.

ii.Orange Cap – Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK) scored a massive 635 runs in 16 matches in the 14th IPL to win the Orange Cap which is given to the most run scorer of the tournament.

iii.Purple Cap – Harshal Patel, from Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), won the Purple Cap for picking up the most number of wickets in the current season.

• He picked 32 wickets in 15 matches, to equal Dwayne Bravo’s (CSK) 2013 record for the most wickets in a single IPL edition.

About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
President – Sourav Ganguly
Headquarters – Wankhede Stadium – Mumbai, Maharashtra
About IPL:
Founded – 2008
1st Title Winner – Rajasthan Royals (Captain – Shane Warne)
>>Read Full News

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Food Day 2021 – October 16 The United Nations(UN)’s World Food Day is annually observed across the globe on October 16th to create awareness about the section of people across the globe that suffer from extreme hunger and the need to ensure healthy diets for all.
The day commemorates the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations(FAO) on 16th October 1945.

• 16th October 2021 marks the 76th anniversary of FAO.

The theme of World Food Day 2021 is “Our actions are our future- Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life”.
Background:
i.The observance of World Food Day was unanimously decided by the Conference of the FAO at its 20th session.
ii.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/35/70 and proclaimed the 16th October of every year as World Food Day.
iii.The first ever World Food Day was observed on 16th October 1981. 
About Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations(FAO):
FAO was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Canada.
Director-General– QU Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy
>>Read Full News

International E-Waste Day 2021 – October 14International E-Waste Day (IEWD) is annually celebrated across the globe on October 14th to create awareness about the hazards of Electronic-waste (e-waste) and to promote the proper way to dispose of e-waste.

• International E-Waste Day is annually organised by the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Forum, an international association representing forty producer responsibility organisations across the globe.
• 14th October 2021 marks the observance of the 4th edition of IEWD. 

The theme of IEWD 2021 is “Consumer is the key to Circular Economy!”. 
Background:
i.The International E-Waste Day (IEWD) was developed in 2018 by the WEEE Forum.
ii.The first ever IEWD was observed in 2018.
iii.In 2019, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) joined the WEEE Forum, to mark International E-Waste Day.
E-waste:
i.E-waste contains hazardous substances like lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), mercury, polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and valuable substances such as iron, steel, copper, aluminium and plastics.
ii.According to the UN, in 2021 each person on the planet will produce on average 7.6 kg of e-waste, i.e., 57.4 million tonnes will be generated worldwide.
iii.Only around 17.4% of this e-waste containing a mixture of harmful substances and precious materials will be recorded as being properly collected, treated and recycled.
E-waste in India:
i.India has become the largest producer of e-waste after China and the United States
According to a Central Pollution Control Board report, India generated 1,014,961.2 tonnes of e-waste for 21 types of EEE in the financial year 2019-2020.
ii.Around 95% of this waste are handled by the informal sector.
About WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Forum:
President– Jan Vlak
Headquarters– Brussels, Belgium
Founded in April 2002

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