Current Affairs 19 October 2021

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 19 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

Amit Shah launched Development Projects in Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Mount Harriet to be named Mount Manipuri.On October 16, 2021, Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Cooperation inaugurated 14 projects worth Rs 299 crore and laid foundation stones of 12 projects worth Rs 643 crore from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
ii.With this, a development work of about Rs 1,000 crore is initiated in Andaman Islands.
iii.The Central Government has renamed Mount Harriet, an island peak in Andaman and Nicobar islands as Mount Manipur as a tribute to the freedom fighters of Manipur. Mount Harriet is the third-highest island peak in Andaman and Nicobar islands.
About Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
Lieutenant Governor– Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi
Capital– Port Blair
Zoological Site– Zoological Survey of India Museum
>>Read Full News

Devusinh Chauhan participates in Ministerial Roundtable Session of ITU Digital World 2021

The Minister of State (MoS) for Communication, Devusinh Chauhan, participated in the Ministerial Roundtable Session of the 50th-anniversary edition of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Digital World 2021, which was held in Vietnam and hosted by the government of Vietnam.

• The Prime Ministers of Vietnam and Ministers of Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Lao P.D.R, Myanmar and Vietnam have participated.

Topic of the Discussion: ‘Cutting the cost: can affordable access accelerate digital transformation?’
Highlights: 
i.India has committed to developing the most cost-effective Information Communication Technology (ICT) services for accelerating digital transformation.
ii.The telecom strategy of India is guided by the goals of affordability, accessibility, and availability of ICT services to all citizens.
iii.Reforms in ICT

• Increasing the spectrum tenure from 20 to 30 years.
• Simplifying the bank guarantee requirements for a licence, eliminating the Spectrum Usage Charge (SUC) for spectrum acquired in future spectrum auctions.
• Allowing 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) via the automatic route and addressing liquidity issues of Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).

Note – In September 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Har Gaon Optical Fibre Cable’ project to provide internet services to six lakh villages through optical fibre cable in 1,000 days.
About International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Founded: 17 May 1865
Secretary-General: Houlin Zhao
About Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi
Currency: Vietnamese dong
Prime Minister: Pham Minh Chinh

Interest Rates on ‘Small Savings Schemes’ Unchanged for Q3-FY22 

The Central Government has kept the interest rates on ‘Small Savings Schemes’ (SSS) unchanged for the third quarter of Financial Year 2022, ie; from 1st October 2021 to 31st December 2021. The interest rates on SSS were altered by the Central government on a Quarterly basis & some of the rates allocated for current quarter are:

• Public Provident Fund (PPF) – 7.1%
• National Savings Certificate (NSC) – 6.8%
• Senior Citizens Savings Scheme – 7.4% (5-year scheme, where interest is paid quarterly)
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana account – 7.6%

Note: West Bengal is India’s largest contributor in SSS, followed by Uttar Pradesh.

Small Savings Scheme for Q1-FY22

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Around USD 4 trillion required in clean energy investment to limit global warming: IEAIn accordance with the ‘World Energy Outlook (WEO) 2021 report’ by International Energy Agency (IEA), almost USD 4 trillion investment into clean energy is required by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement pledge to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

• The report is released ahead of the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference, or COP26, which will take place in Glasgow from October 31 to November 12, 2021. WEO 2021 will act as a guidebook to COP26.

4 key areas for 1.5 °C stabilization:
Actions are required in four key areas over the next decade for 1.5 °C stabilisation. These are as follows:
i.Massive push for clean electrification
ii.Renewed focus on realizing the full potential of energy efficiency
iii.Concerted efforts to prevent leaks from fossil fuel operations
iv.Boost to clean energy innovation.
Key Points:
i.The analysis in WEO-2021 is premised upon ‘Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector’, published earlier this year.
ii.The report has highlighted India’s efforts in financing projects catering to the Paris Agreement like  rapid expansion of solar PV (photovoltaic) to achieve 450 GW (Giga Watt) target for renewable energy by 2030.
About WEO:
Launched in 1998, it is the world’s most authoritative source of analysis and projections with respect to energy.

17^th India-US Joint Military Training Exercise ‘Ex Yudh Abhyas 21’ commenced at Alaska, USi.A 14-day long 17th Edition of India-US joint training exercise ‘Ex Yudh Abhyas 21’ was commenced on October 15, 2021 at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska, United States (US). It will culminate on October 29, 2021 after a 48 hours long validation.ii.350 soldiers of 7 MADRAS Infantry Battalion Group of Indian Army and 300 US Army soldiers belonging to First Squadron (Airborne) of the 40th Cavalry Regiment are participating.
iii.This is the only India-U.S. service exercise continuing in bilateral format.
About United States (US):
Capital– Washington, D.C.
Currency– United States Dollar
President– Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.
>>Read Full News

Highlights of FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s Visit to the USA in October 2021In October 2021, the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman made a week-long official visit to the USA (United States of America) to attend the Annual Meetings of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meetings, India-US Economic and Financial Dialogue, and other associated investment meetings.
Key Points:
i.FM Participated in 4th G20 FMCBG Meeting:
On 13th October 2021, the Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the 4th G20 FMCBG Meeting, which was held in Washington D.C under the Italian Presidency.

• Tax Deal: For addressing the tax challenges that are arising from the digitalisation of the economy, the G20 FMCBGs endorsed the final agreement, that was set out in the Statement on a two-pillar solution and the Detailed Implementation Plan released by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting). 

ii.Annual Meetings 2021 of the World Bank Group and IMF:
The Annual Meetings 2021 of the World Bank Group and IMF held in Washington D.C from October 11 to 17, 2021. It includes the 44th Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) of the Board of Governors of the IMF and Development Committee (DC) of World Bank Group-IMF.

• On October 14, 2021, the FM Nirmala Sitharaman attended the 44th Plenary Meeting of the IMFC.
• The meeting was Chaired by Magdalena Andersson, Minister for Finance of Sweden and attended by Governors/Alternate Governors representing 190-member countries of the IMF.

iii.FM Chaired the 8th Ministerial Meeting of the India-U.S.A. Economic and Financial Partnership:
On October 15, 2021, the 8th ministerial meeting of the India-U.S.A. Economic and Financial Partnership Dialogue was held in Washington D.C. The meeting was chaired by Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman and the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States Dr Janet Yellen.

• India and the US reaffirmed their commitment to raising $100 billion annually from public and private sector sources to help the two countries’ efforts to tackle climate change.

About International Monetary Fund (IMF):
Establishment – 1944
Headquarters – Washington, D.C, United States (US)
Managing Director – Kristalina Georgieva
Members – 190 Countries (Including India)
>>Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

NSE Tie-up with Chainflux and Launched Blockchain Platform ‘NSE-Shine’ for Gold Bullion  National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) in collaboration with Chainflux has launched a blockchain platform for gold bullion named ‘NSE-Shine’.

• The platform was inaugurated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)’s Executive Director, VS Sundaresan.
• The platform will provide a data framework for bullion bar integrity for settlement of Gold derivatives contracts.
• Indian Bullion and Jewellers’ Association (IBJA) and the India Gold Policy Centre (IGPC) at the Indian Institute of Management – Ahmedabad (IIM-A) have worked along with the NSE and Chainflux to develop NSE-Shine.

What is Bullion?
Bullion refers to the pure form of physical gold and silver which is often kept in the form of bars, coins, etc.
Key Points:
i.The platform would facilitate the creation of a bullion repository for all bullion bars produced by NSE-approved refiners as per the NSE Refiner Standards (NRS).
ii.The instance of the platform on the NSE software environment was scheduled to be launched in November 2021. It will enable the NSE-approved refiners to use the platform to record details of their produced bullion.
iii.NSE onboarded refiners of Kundan refinery, Augmont refinery, MD Overseas, and Gujarat Gold Centre also supported the launch of NSE-Shine.
Note – In August 2021, Injeti Srinivas, the Chairperson of International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), launched the pilot run/soft of ‘International Bullion Exchange’.
About National Stock Exchange of India (NSE):
Establishment – 1992
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
MD & CEO – Vikram Limaye

IndiaFirst Life Introduces ‘Saral Bachat Bima’ Insurance PlanIndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Limited (IndiaFirst Life) ,a joint venture of Bank of Baroda and Union Bank of India introduced ‘’IndiaFirst Life Saral Bachat Bima Plan’’. It is a savings and protection cover plan for the entire family.
Highlights
i.This plan is a non-linked, non-participating, individual, limited premium policy offers a low salary commitment of five or seven years and it will cover the entire family for 12-15 years.
ii.Tax benefits can be availed as per the existing income tax laws.
iii.Rural/RRB (Regional Rural Bank) customers can buy the product through a simple OTC (Other-Than-Collision) coverage process.
Specifications of the plan
i.Pay for short term and enjoy long term benefits and it will provide consistent protection through insurance cover.
ii.An amount equal to the Sum Assured on Death (SAD) will be paid in case of accidental death during the first policy year. In case of death of the life insured, an advanced payment by way of funeral cover. Flexibility to receive death benefit as a lump sum or regular income for 5 years.
iii.Boost savings with guaranteed additional benefits of 4.75% to 6% per annum. Option to opt for Waiver of Premium Rider.
iv.No medical test and short application form.
About IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Limited (IndiaFirst Life)
MD & Chief Executive Officer(CEO): R. M. Vishakha
Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Founded: 16 November 2009

Tata AIG launches ‘RPAS Insurance’ & appoints ‘TropoGo’ as its Distribution partnerOn 18th October 2021, Tata AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd. launched a ‘Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS)’ Insurance for drone owners & operators. It also announced TropoGo, a deep tech startup on the drone ecosystem, as its distribution partner for the RPAS insurance scheme.
RPAS Insurance:
i.Tata AIG has launched the RPAS Insurance after satisfying the recommendations made by IRDAI’s Working Group on RPAS Insurance, and other valuable inputs from the Drone Federation of India (DFI).
ii.RPAS Insurance Products cover both Hull and Third-Party Liability risks on Drones, optional coverage for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS)operations, night flying, data loss liability, etc.
iii.India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation targets over Rs 5,000 crore investments in the drone manufacturing industry and an annual sales turnover of over Rs 900 crore by FY24. It also targets to make India a drone hub by 2030.
Note – India has made relaxations to the rules for owning and operating drones along with inclusion of drones in Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme
About TropoGo:
Founder – Sandipan Sen
Headquarter – Bangalore, Karnataka
About Tata AIG General Insurance Company:
MD & CEO – Neelesh Garg
Founded – 2001
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Vodafone-Idea Joined Hands With L&T For Testing 5G Based Smart City Solutions

Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL), a Telecom operator and Larsen and Toubro (L&T), an Indian Multinational conglomerate company have joined hands for a pilot project to test 5G-based smart city solutions.
Key points of Collaboration:
i.The two companies would make partnership to address the challenges of urbanisation, safety & security and offering smart solutions to the citizens, leveraging the smart city platform by L&T.
ii.The pilot project will be commenced in Pune,Maharasthra.
iii.Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) launched internet of things (IoT) solutions comprising connectivity, hardware, network, application, analytics, security and support for enterprises that seek to digitize several businesses.
iv.The high speed and low latency characteristics of the 5G network enables capabilities such as improved surveillance and video streaming and broadcast to permit the evolution of 5G smart cities and smart factories.
V.Smart City and Industry 4.0 will accelerate with 5G deployment that couples with a new era of Digital India.
Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G network

• IoT is the network of physical objects or devices (things) that are embedded with sensors, software and other technologies to exchange and transfer data over the internet.
• IoT is transforming the way businesses operate by reinventing processes, operations, customer experiences and developing newer business models and revenue opportunities
• IoT is crucial to the roll-out of 5G as it will enable connecting billions of devices under the service.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS 

India’s Vidyut Mohan wins Inaugural ‘2021 Earthshot Prize’ under ‘Clean Our Air’ CategoryAn Indian Social Enterprise ‘Takachar’, under the leadership of Vidyut Mohan was named as the winner of inaugural ‘2021 Earthshot Prize’ that was created by the United Kingdom’s Prince William to reward people fighting to save planet earth. Takachar won the ‘Earthshot Prize’, also known as ‘Eco Oscars’, under the “Clean Our Air” category for its invention to recycle agricultural waste.
Takachar Invention – A Cheap, small-scale, portable technology that attaches to tractors and converts crop residues to bio-products like fuel & fertilizers.
Prize for Winners:

• Money – 1 million Pound
• Medal – Inspired by ‘Earthrise’ photo from Apollo 8 mission (1968), designed by Christien Meindertsma (Netherlands). The medal is completely made of recycled materials.
• The award is given under 5 broad categories

About United Kingdom:
Prime Minister – Boris Johnson
Currency – Pound sterling
Capital – London
The Thames river flows through the capital city of London.
>>Read Full News

DRDO announces Winners of ‘Dare to Dream 2.0’ & ‘Young Scientist award-2019’

In October 2021, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh awarded the winners of Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO)’s ‘Dare to Dream 2.0’ Contest & 2019’s DRDO Young Scientist awards. The minister also officially launched ‘Dare to Dream 3.0’ to promote innovators & startups.
i.The ‘Dare to Dream 2.0’ awards were issued to 40 winners (22 individuals & 18 Startups), where DRDO provides technical & financial support under Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme.
ii.16 Scientists under 35 years, were awarded with the 2019’s DRDO Young Scientist awards.
iii.During the award ceremony, Indian Armed Forces received 3-indigenously developed product developed by DRDO:

• ARINC 818 Video Processing and Switching Module – Developed for Indian Air Force
• Sonar Performance Modelling System – Developed for Indian Navy
• Bund Blasting Device Mk-II- Developed for Indian Army

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS   

RBI Approves Appointment of Pradeep Kumar Panja as Part-Time Non-Executive Chairman of Karnataka BankThe Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved the appointment of Pradeep Kumar Panja as the part-time non-executive Chairman of the Karnataka Bank Limited for a period of 3 years. The appointment will come into effect from 14th November 2021. He has been serving as a board member of Karnataka Bank since 19th August 2020.

• He will succeed P Jayarama Bhat, whose tenure as Part Time (Non-Executive) Chairman of Karnataka Bank ends on 13th November 2021.
• RBI has approved the appointment under Section 10B(1A)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Note:As a non-executive Chairman, he will take a salary of Rs 15 lakhs per annum, which is subjected to the approval of the shareholders at their annual general meeting to be held in 2022-2023.
About Pradeep Kumar Panja:
i.Pradeep Kumar Panja, a career banker, hails from the Panja Village, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka.
ii.Pradeep Kumar Panja is the former Managing Director(Corporate Banking) of the State Bank of India(SBI).
iii.He has also served as the MD of the State Bank of Travancore.
iv.At present, he is a member of the Banks Board Bureau(BBB) and serves as a director on the board of 7 companies, engaged in the business of asset reconstruction, cement, real estate, Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), Alliance for Financial Inclusion(AFI), etc.
v.The 7 companies include 3 listed companies including the Karnataka Bank.
About Karnataka Bank:
MD & CEO– Mahabaleshwara M.S
Tagline– Your Family Bank across India
Headquarters– Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka.
Incorporated on February 18th, 1924

Sahdev Yadav appointed as President of Indian Weightlifting Federation

In October 2021, Sahdev Yadav, former Secretary General of IWLF, was unanimously elected as the President of the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF). He was appointed for a term of 4 years. The election also saw the appointment of S.H. Anande Gowda and Naresh Sharma as the new Secretary General & Treasurer of IWLF.
i.10 new Vice Presidents, 4 Joint Secretaries & 7 executive committee members were also elected, in the election conducted by Returning Officer Narinder Paul Kaushik, Delhi District Court.

• Rakesh Gupta, Joint Secretary, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was the IOA observer for the election.

   SPORTS

Football: India Won Ooredoo SAFF Championship 2021 Held in the Maldives; 8th SAFF title of India Indian Football team (nicknamed: The Blue Tigers) won the 2021 South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, known as Ooredoo SAFF Championship 2021 for sponsorship reasons, against the Nepal national football team (nicknamed: The Gurkhas) at the National Stadium in Male, Maldives.
SAFF Championship 2021 is the 13th edition of the SAFF Championship.

• The 2021 championship title marks the 8th SAFF Championship title of India.
• India (winners) received a cash prize of 50000 USD (~Rs 37.6 lakhs) and Nepal (Runners) received a cash prize of 25000 USD(~Rs 18.8 lakhs).

Note:
This is the first time for Nepal to reach the SAFF Championship finals.
About Ooredoo SAFF Championship 2021:
i.SAFF Championship 2021 was held from 1st to 16th October 2021 at the National Football Stadium in Male’ City, Maldives.
ii.The teams that participated in the SAFF Championship 2021 were India, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Record of Sunil Chhetri:
i.During the SAFF Championship 2021, Sunil Chhetri broke legendary Brazilian football player Pele’s record of 77 International goals.
ii.With the 5 goals scored during the SAFF Championship, Sunil Chhetri increased his international goal tally to 80 and became the 2nd highest goal scorer equaling Lionel Messi(80) of Argentina.
About South Asian Football Federation (SAFF):
President– Kazi Md. Salahuddin(Bangladesh)
Founding members– Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Members– 7 (Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)
Motto– Unity in Strength
Formed in 1997
>>Read Full News

Nagaland to host SACCC 2022 & 56th NCCCThe Associate Vice President (AVP) of Athletics Federation of India (AFI), Abu Metha has allocated the ‘South Asian Federation Cross Country Championship 2022( SACCC 2022)’ to Nagaland. It will be held in Kohima,capital of Nagaland on 15th January 2022.
The 56th National Cross Country Championships (NCCC) which is also being hosted by Nagaland will be clubbed with the South Asian Federation Cross Country Championships.
Highlights
i.Top  athletes from the eight south Asian countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives will participate in the event.
ii.The capacity building programmes for athletic coaches from Nagaland will be headed by the Head Coach of Team India (Athletics) at Tokyo Olympics, P. Radhakrishnan Nair and others.
iii.This will be  the biggest  international event to be hosted in Nagaland and it will bring athletes, officials and delegates from the entire South Asian convention to the state.
 About Athletics Federation of India (AFI)
President -Adille J Sumariwalla
Founded- 2018
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Note – Dr. Lalit Bhanot is the president of South Asian Athletics Federation (SAAF).

GM Iniyan wins La Nucia Open Chess Tournament in Spain In October 2021, Indian Grand Master (GM) P Iniyan won the ‘2021 La Nucia Open Chess tournament’ title that was held in La Nucia, Valencia, Spain. P Iniyan, 19-year-old, finished with an unbeaten score of 7.0/8, while he was unable to participate in the 8th round due to participation in CoinDCX Chess Super League.The tournament was organized by Chess Federation of the Valencian Community.
i.Along with Iniyan (India), Vasquez Schroeder(Chile) and Andrey Sumets (Ukraine) finished unbeaten with 7.0/9 score, yet Iniyan was selected as the winner on the basis of a better tie-break score.
ii.Iniyan was awarded with a trophy and €2500 (approx.₹218,400) as a prize money.
iii.This is Iniyan’s 3rd win in 2021, after winning a double at Noisiel International Open(France).
iv.It is a nine round tournament which saw the participation from 14 countries with 87 players including 10 GMs, 9 International Master.
Note – International Chess Day is annually celebrated on 20th July, marking the founding day of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1924
About All India Chess Federation (AICF): 
Founded – 1951
President – Sanjay Kapoor
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the book Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launches the book titled “Veer Savarkar: The Man Who Could Have Prevented Partition” authored by Uday Mahurkar and Chirayu Pandit at Ambedkar International Centre,New Delhi.

• Minister Rajnath Singh described Savarkar as an “icon of Indian history” and also described his contributions to a nation which was not yet considered and highlighted the prolonged controversies from time to time on the great leader Savarkar.

About the Book
i.The book reveals the work of great leader savarkar.
ii.The book uncovers Savarkar’s best possible pathway towards one nation that rises above religion and caste discrimination and regional feelings.
iii.It also proves the falsity of charges against Savarkar from time to time and exposes the motives behind them.
About V.D.Savarkar:
i.V.D.Savarkar or Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is born in Maharashtra,India.He is a symbol of India’s integrity and unity.
ii.All the national security related problems of India was predicted by him such as war against China, Pakistan as well as the problem in Assam.
iii.He was also known for the Hindu nationalist political ideology of Hindutva while imprisoned at Ratnagiri in 1922.
iv.He had even predicted the Islam and Hindu issue and tried to prevent the partition of India in 1947.
v.He also inspired people to break the shackles of slavery and revolted against social evils such as untouchability.

Professor Shafey Kidwai’s New Book ‘Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Reason, Religion And Nation’ Sahitya Akademi awardee Professor Shafey Kidwai has authored a new book titled “Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Reason, Religion And Nation”, which is an objective analysis of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan the founder of Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College that grew into Aligarh Muslim University.

• The book is published by Routledge India.
• The foreword of the book is written by professor Irfan Habib.

Note: The book was released ahead of the 204th birth anniversary (17th October 2021) of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
About the book:
i.Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is an Islamic reformer, philosopher and educationist.
ii.The book features the attitude of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan towards the congress leaders and his concepts of Watan(nation) and qaum (community) and his views on girl education.
About Shafey Kidwai:
i.Shafey Kidwai is a reputed scholar, well-known literary critic and columnist who is teaching communication studies at Aligarh Muslim University.
ii.He won the Sahitya Academy Award, India’s highest literary award, for Urdu in 2019 for his book titled “Sawaneh-e-Sir Syed: Ek Bazadeed”, a biography of Sir Syed.
iii.He has also won various awards including the literary award Iqbal Samman (2017), Government of Madhya Pradesh and Amir Khusro Award (2018), UP Urdu Academy.
iv.He has authored around 13 books in Urdu and English.
Some of his books:

• Urdu Literature and Journalism: Critical Perspectives (2014)
• Fiction Motaleat Pase Sakhtiyati Qirat
• Forging Bond with Modernism

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2021 – October 17

The United Nations (UN)’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is annually observed across the globe on October 17th to create awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and to ensure that the human rights of those living in poverty are not violated.
The theme of the 2021 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is “Building Forward Together: Ending Persistent Poverty, Respecting all People and our Planet.”
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/47/196 on 22nd December 1992 and proclaimed October 17th of every year as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
ii.The first ever UN’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was observed on 17th October 1993. 
Poverty & COVID-19:
i.In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people living in poverty is expected to have increased between 143 and 163 million. The pandemic has increased poverty by 8.1% in 2020 compared to 2019.
ii.Around 50% of the new power will be in South Africa and more than one third will be in Sub-Saharan Africa.
>>Read Full News

 National Security Guard(NSG) Observes 37th Raising Day on October 16The National Security Guard (NSG) force celebrated the 37th Raising Day. It is observed on October 16 every year. The year 2021 marks the 37th anniversary of the establishment of the NSG. They are popularly known as ‘’Black Cats’’.
Key points
i.The NSG force was established in 1986 after the Union Cabinet decided to create a ‘Federal Contingency Force‘ in 1984 that was well trained to tackle various manifestations of terrorism.
ii.The SAG (Special Action Group) is formed of army personnel as well as the Special Ranger Groups (SRG), which comprise of personnel drawn from State Police Forces or Central Armed Police Forces.It has six operational centres and seventh one will be set up in Pathankot,Punjab.
iii.The Black Cats played a key role during the ‘Operation Black Tornado‘ of 2008, when NSG commandos stormed the Nariman House, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and the Oberoi Trident hotel, and coordinating with personnel of other forces, killed all terrorists who had laid siege to the sites during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
About National Security Guard (NSG)
Headquarters-New Delhi, Delhi
Established in – 1986
Director General- M A Ganapathy
Motto– Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha.

STATE NEWS

J&K Administration Signed MoU with Dubai Govt for Real Estate DevelopmentJammu and Kashmir(J&K) administration signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with the Government of Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE) for various development projects.

• The MoU was signed at the Event in J&K Raj Bhavan in the presence of J&K LG Manoj Sinha, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta.

Purpose of the MoU:
i.The development projects, under the MoU, includes real estate development, industrial parks, IT Towers, Multipurpose towers, logistics, medical college, a super speciality hospital among other developments in J&K.
ii.This MoU will enable the Union Territory(UT) of J&K to scale up its Industrialization and sustainable growth.
Additional info:
Recently, the Union Cabinet has sanctioned an Industrial Development scheme (IDS) with an outlay of Rs 28,400 crore to attract Rs 20000 crore investments and create around 4.5 lakh job opportunities in J&K.
About Jammu & Kashmir(J&K):
Festivals– Amarnath Yatra; Galdan Namchot
Tribes– Balti, Beda, Bota or Boto.

Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi Launched ‘Mera Ghar Mere Naam’ schemeCharanjit Singh Channi, Chief Minister(CM) of Punjab launched the “Mera Ghar Mere Naam” scheme, a pro-people initiative that aims to give ownership to the people living within the ‘Lal Lakir’, a part of the village habitation used for non-agriculture purposes, of villages and cities.

• The Revenue Department is set to undertake a drone survey of residential properties in both rural and urban areas, for digital mapping.
• Earlier, this scheme was launched only for the residents of villages and later extended to the eligible residents of cities within the lal lakir.

About “Mera Ghar Mere Naam” scheme:
i.Under this scheme, the government of Punjab will ensure the ownership rights to people.
ii.The scheme will also cover the residents residing in the old localities(Mohallas).
iii.Under this scheme, all the eligible residents will be given property cards (sanad) after proper identification and verification.
iv.The sanads give ownership rights to the residents in a time-bound manner.
v.The property cards can be used as a registry against which the residents can avail loans from banks or sell their properties.
Additional info:
The Basera scheme of Punjab provides proprietary rights for slum households outside the lal lakir areas.
About Punjab: 
Governor– Banwarilal Purohit
Capital– Chandigarh
Wildlife Sanctuary– Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary; Jhajjar Bachauli Wildlife Sanctuary; Kathlaur-Kaushlian Wildlife Sanctuary

Assam’s Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Award – Literaturist ‘Nirod Kumar Barooah’ among the 3 recipient 

In October 2021, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu awarded the ‘Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi’ award to 3 recipients – Assam branch of Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust, German based Assamese litterateur Dr. Nirod Kumar Barooah and Shillong Chamber Choir at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra.

• The award, named after Assam’s 1st Chief Minister – Bharat Ratna ‘Gopinath Bordoloi’, is awarded biennially (once in 2-years) for National Integration & notable contributions.

Rajasthan launches ‘Prashasan Gaon ke Sang’ Campaign to Government Services to Remote Villages

Rajasthan, the largest state in India, launched a mega campaign named – ‘Prashasan Gaon Ke Sang’ starting from October 2, 2021(Gandhi Jayanti) till December 17, 2021, to provide local access to government services in the remotest villages of the state. Officials from 22 Departments of the local administration will reach out to the rural parts of every gram panchayat to offer on-spot solutions to the applicants.

• The campaign will be conducted on the observation of the respective district collector, for on spot disposal of applications.

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