Current Affairs Quiz 16th October 2023 Quiz

Exp. Maharashtra government approves to establish Independent ST Commission

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde approved to establish an Independent Scheduled Tribes Commission for Maharashtra on the lines of the Central Government.

The proposal was approved in the State Tribal Advisory Council meeting held in Mumbai.

Along with this, various issues like reorganization of scheduled areas of the state, provision of funds according to population, starting of project office in talukas of tribal districts, and other issues were discussed in the meeting.

About Maharashtra

• Capital – Mumbai
• Chief Minister – Eknath Sindhe
• Deputy Chief Minister – Devendra Fadnavis & Ajit Pawar
• Governor – Ramesh Bais

Exp. Bihar to grant govt employee status to teachers via test

Bihar’s education department has uploaded the draft of the Bihar School Specialist Teachers Rules 2023.

It will pave the way for the absorption of teachers appointed since 2006 through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local bodies (ULBs) as state government employees.

The draft rules have clearly laid down the criteria for seniority and promotion of Specialist Teachers. The seniority list for them will be maintained separately subject-wise for primary, middle, secondary and senior secondary at the district level.

The basic salary will vary from ₹25,000 to ₹32,000 depending on different grades, besides Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance, Medical Allowance and City Transport Allowance, as per the prevailing rates of the State Government.

The Head Teacher (Class I to V) and Headmaster for Higher Secondary School shall be appointed by competitive examinations conducted as per relevant respective rules.

The Specialist Teachers shall normally be transferred within the district, but they can also be transferred outside the district on request or on administrative grounds.

About Bihar

• Capital – Patna
• Chief Minister – Nitish Kumar
• Governor – Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar

Exp. PM inaugurated 141st International Olympic Committee Meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai.

The session serves as a key meeting of the members of the International Olympic Committee.

Important decisions regarding the future of Olympic games are made at IOC sessions. India is hosting the IOC session for the second time after a gap of about 40 years.

The IOC’s 86th session was held in New Delhi in 1983.

The 141st IOC Session, being held in India, embodies the nation’s dedication to fostering global cooperation, celebrating sporting excellence, and furthering the Olympic ideals of friendship, respect, and excellence.

It provides an opportunity for interaction and knowledge sharing among the various sports-related stakeholders.

The session has also been attended by the President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach and other members of the IOC along with prominent Indian sports personalities and representatives from various sports federations, including the Indian Olympic Association.

PM Modi in News

• PM Modi inaugurated 9th ‘G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit in New Delhi
• PM Modi inaugurated the country’s first high-tech sports training center in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
• PM Modi launched 27 thousand crore rupee development projects in Chhatisgarh
• PM Modi has launched a week-long program called “Sankalp Saptah” for aspirational blocks in New Delhi.
• PM inaugurated ‘International Lawyers’ Conference 2023’ in New Delhi

Exp. PM lays foundation stones of various projects worth Rs 4200

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of various development projects worth 4200 crore rupees at Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand.

The Central Government is continuously working to bring development in the border villages by developing them under the Vibrant Village Scheme.

The government took care of people living in remote areas, resulting in 13.5 crore people coming out of poverty in just five years.

In the next five years, 4,000 crore rupees will be spent in the state to prevent natural disasters.

About Uttarakhand

• Capital – Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer)
• Chief Minister – Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Governor – Gurmit Singh

Exp. ‘Women and Water’ Dialogue Series concluding event held at Prayagraj

The 5th and concluding event of the ‘Women and Water Dialogue Series’ was organized at the Boat Club House in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

The ‘Women and Water Dialogue Series’ is a programme started during the Ganga Utsav 2022 to highlight the pivotal role of women in the water sector.

The 4 events of this series were held in Varanasi, Kanpur, New Delhi, and Rishikesh.

The Women and Water Dialogue covered all important towns along Ganga including Varanasi, Kanpur, Delhi, and Rishikesh. All programmes were linked to one or the other important day which helps in connecting with the people.

Exp. SUN Mobility partners with Bluwheelz to deploy over 16,000 EVs

Battery-swapping solutions provider SUN Mobility has partnered with electric vehicle fleet operator Bluwheelz to deploy over 16,000 EVs in the next 12 months.

Under the partnership, the companies are looking to deploy over 15,000 electric two-wheelers and 1,000 electric three-wheelers in all metropolitan cities through the next 12 months.

The deployment in Delhi has already started with almost 500 vehicles on the roads and the operations will start in cities in Bangalore and Hyderabad.

CEO of SUN Mobility – Anant Badjatya

Chairman of Bluwheelz – Sanjiv Gupta

Recent MoU

• India Global Forum signs with World Governments Summit to develop an Emerging Economies Programme
• DMRC sign with BEL to develop Communication Based Train Control system
• Amazon Web Services ties up with ISRO to advance its Al capabilities
• TCS collaborates with Dassault Systems in Living Heart Project
• NGEL partners with Nayara Energy for green hydrogen production

Exp. Nitin Gadkari approves 7 bridge projects worth Rs 118.50 Crore

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has approved 7 bridge projects worth Rs 118.50 Crore under the Setu Bandhan Scheme in the fiscal year 2023-24 for Arunachal Pradesh.

The approved bridges are as follows:

• RCC bridge over Pacha River at Lachang, connecting Laimoya, Nerewa & Sorrowa villages in East Kameng District.
• RCC bridge from Goang to Donigaon village over Pacha river at Goang, on the way to Donigaon in East Kameng District.
• 3 bridges on NH-313, spanning from Roing-Anini road to New Chidu village via NHPC colony in Lower Dibang District.
• Double Lane steel composite bridge with RCC Decking at Kharsa, Dirang in West Kameng District.
• RCC bridge at Pikte Point across the river Sigen to connect Tabiripo Saku village on Koyu-Goye road in Lower Siang District.
• RCC bridge over Ngopok River on Mebo-Dholla road in East Siang District.
• Steel Composite bridge over river Panyor to connect Chullyu & Kebi village near Yazali Agri-Farm in Lower Subansiri District.

Enhancing connectivity across regions, and fostering economic development, these projects align with our commitment to improving the overall quality of life and promoting the socio-economic growth of Arunachal Pradesh.

The scheme is focused on improving connectivity in rural and remote.

About Arunachal Pradesh

• Capital – Itanagar
• Chief Minister – Pema Khandu
• Governor – LG (Retd) Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik

Exp. 6th Annual Technology Conference INFINITY 2023 held in Noida.

Amity University Noida campus organized its 6th annual technology conference ‘INFINITY 2023’ on the theme ‘Digital transformation for futuristic businesses: Emerging technologies leading growth and sustainability’.

the conference was inaugurated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, who interacted with the students during fireside chat and answered their queries.

Students have unprecedented opportunities now in the digital era, as compared to earlier times and also have great responsibility towards the country. The approach of the government is to have absolute citizen participation in policy-making.

INFINITY 2023 will showcase academic and corporate viewpoints, research work and various panel discussions. The conference will act as a platform for eminent speakers from industry, academia and government to share their experience and insights which will be of immense benefit for the participants since the distinguished speakers will be sharing their knowledge and experience with the students.

Exp. Retail inflation eased to 5.02% in September from 6.83% in August

India’s retail inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), declined to a three-month low of 5.02% in September due to easing food prices, according to data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO).

The inflation has come back to the Reserve Bank of India’s comfort level of below 6% after a gap of two months.

In July 2023, India’s CPI stood at 7.44%, while in August 2023, it was at 6.83%.

Industrial output as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) was 10.3% in August 2023. Factory output measured in terms of the IIP had contracted by 0.7% in August 2022.

The data showed that the manufacturing sector’s output increased by 9.3% in August 2023. Mining production rose 12.3% during the month under review.

Power output grew 15.3% in August 2023. The IIP grew by 6.1% in April-August 2023 compared to 7.7 percent in the same period of 2022-23.

The Reserve Bank of India mainly factors in retail inflation while arriving at its bi-monthly monetary policy. Industrial output, or factory output, is the closest approximation for measuring the economic activity of the country’s business landscape.

Recent CPI-based Retail inflation for India

• January 2023 – 52%
• February 2023 – 44%
• March 2023 –66%
• April 2023 – 4.7%
• May 2023 –25%
• June 2023 –81%
• July 2023 –44%
• August 2023 –83%
• September 2023 – 02%

Exp. Indian American Gitanjali Rao honoured by US First Lady Jill Biden

Teenage Indian-American inventor Gitanjali Rao has been honoured by U.S. First Lady Jill Biden, along with 14 other young women leaders, for leading a change and shaping a brighter future in their communities across the nation.

The 17-year-old scientist was honoured in the first-ever “Girls Leading Change” celebration at the White House, marking the International Day of the Girl.

The 15 young women leaders, selected by the White House Gender Policy Council, were honoured by First Lady Jill to recognize their impact on their communities.

These young women are protecting and preserving the earth, writing and sharing stories that change minds, and turning their pain into purpose. Together, they represent the potential of young people across the country.

Recent Awards

• World’s Best Employers 2023 in Forbes World’s Best Employers list 2023 – NTPC Ltd

• Satyajit Ray Lifetime Film Award at 54^th IFFI – Michael Douglas
• Best Asian TV Series at Busan International FF – Hansal Mehta’s newsroom drama series Scoop
• Spinoza Prize for Climate Change in Netherlands – Prof. Dr. Joyeeta Gupta
• Sastra Ramanujan Prize 2023 – Mathematician Ruixiang Zhang Berkeley (USA)
• Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023 – Waheeda Rehman

Exp. 11th Sultan of Johor Cup to be held in Johor, Malaysia

The 11th edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup 2023 will be held in Johor, Malaysia from October 27 to November 4.

The Sultan of Johor Cup is an annual under-21 men’s field hockey event held in Malaysia.

Hockey India has announced the 20-member Indian junior men’s hockey team that will participate in the 11th Sultan of Johor Cup. Uttam Singh was appointed captain while Rajinder Singh will serve as his deputy.

The 11th edition of the tournament will feature eight teams instead of the customary six.

India has been placed in Pool B along with Malaysia, Pakistan, and New Zealand, while Pool A will consist of Germany, Australia, South Africa, and Great Britain.

The tournament is also an opportunity to assess and understand six nations that will be heading to the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023 and it’s being played under the same climate conditions that we can expect at Kuala Lumpur in December.”

Exp. IOC apex body accepts a proposal to include cricket in the 2028 Olympics

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board has accepted a proposal to include T20I Cricket along with squash, lacrosse, flag football, and baseball/softball in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Calling cricket a sport with great potential, IOC President Thomas Bach said that it did not take much thinking to include it in the Games programme.

Organisers of the 2028 Games had recommended a package of five sports, including cricket to be “potential inclusions” in the Games programme last week.

If included, cricket will be making a comeback to the Olympics after a gap of 128 years. Cricket’s only appearance in the event was the 1900 Paris Olympics.

The ICC, in its presentation to LA 2028 organizers, had presented a six-team format in both men’s and women’s categories. All games are to be played in the T20 International format.

Even if cricket gets the final seal of approval in the IOC session vote, its participation will be confined to the 2028 Olympics.

The sport will have to be reconsidered for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics in Australia.

With clamour growing within certain quarters of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to bid for the Games in 2036, cricket could see an extended run in the quadrennial sports event.    

Exp. 15 October – World Students Day

World Students Day is observed every year on October 15. It is a day dedicated to commemorating the birth anniversary of the late Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

This day is a tribute to his remarkable contributions to education and his unwavering commitment to the welfare of children and students across India and the world.

In 2023, World Students Day takes on special significance as we celebrate the 92nd birth anniversary of the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

The United Nations officially designated October 15 as World Students Day in 2010.

Dr Kalam was also awarded India’s highest civilian honour or the Bharat Ratna apart from Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan for his work as the scientific advisor to the government of India.

Exp. 15 October – International Day of Rural Women

The International Day of Rural Women is celebrated annually on October 15.

It is a day dedicated to recognizing the vital contributions of rural women worldwide. they play an essential role in agriculture, food production, and rural development.

Theme 2023 – Rural Women Cultivating Good For All

On 18 December 2007, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 62/136, formally acknowledging the crucial role of rural women in agricultural and rural development, enhancing food security and reducing poverty.

Subsequently, on 15th October 2008, the first-ever International Day of Rural Women celebrated.

Exp. 16 October – World Food Day

World Food Day is observed every year on 16 October.

Objective – To create awareness about the importance of healthy diet and highlight the challenges faced by millions of people across the globe due to lack of access to healthy food.

Theme 2023 – Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind

The main purpose behind celebrating Food Day on a global level is to promote policies and programs for eliminating hunger to ensure that the upcoming generations do not face food-related issues and malnutrition.

World Food Day is an opportunity to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2), which is ‘Zero Hunger’. The day encourages governments, policy makers, stake holders, and other organizations to establish policies and programmes against global hunger issues.

World Food Day was established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1979 to commemorate its establishment in 1945. Its main agenda is to overcome the food related challenges faced by millions of people worldwide.

Exp. Film producer PV Gangadharan passes away at 80

Popular Malayalam film producer and director of the Mathrubhumi group of publications, PV Gangadharan passed away at the age of 80.

Fondly called PVG, Gangadharan made a name for himself in the world of cinema and politics. He was a member of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

Apart from politics, Gangadharan also tasted success in the world of cinema. He floated his banner, Grihalakshmi Productions, and bankrolled many superhit films in the Malayalam film industry.

In 1977, he produced his first film, ‘Sujatha’, and scored hits subsequently with films such as ‘Angadi’, ‘Chiriyo Chiri, ‘Ekalavyan’, ‘Manassa Vacha Karmana’.

His film ‘Kanakkinavu won the Nargis Dutt Award for National Integration and ‘Santham’ won the National Award for Best Film.

‘Oru Vadakkan veeragadha, ‘Achivinte Amma’, ‘Notebook’, and ‘Veendum Chila Vettu Karayanga;’ won State awards in several categories.