Current Affairs Quiz 29th October 2021 : Daily GK Update Quiz

Exp. BSE signed MoU with Chhattisgarh to promote listing of SMEs

The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Chhattisgarh to spread awareness about the benefits of listing SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises).

The Department of Industries and Commerce (DICC) in collaboration will provide support in mobilizing the SME representatives through the District Industries Centre.

Aim: To help the SMEs of the states in getting equity financing and to boost the income of the state and create employment.

Exp. 7 Member Economic Advisory Council to the PM reconstituted under Chairman Bibek Debroy

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved to reconstitute the 7-member Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) following the end of its tenure in September 2021.

The EAC-PM has been reconstituted for a period of two years or until further orders.

Noted economist and NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy who has been serving as the chairman of EAC-PM since 2017 will continue as the Chairman of the reconstituted EAC-PM.

Exp. Civil Aviation Minister launched Krishi UDAN 2.0 to promote Agri-Products Transportation by Air

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched Krishi UDAN 2.0, laying out the vision of improving value realization through better integration and optimization of Agri-harvesting and air transportation.

It proposes to facilitate and incentivize the movement of Agri-produce by air transportation. Krishi UDAN 2.0 will be implemented at 53 airports.

An online platform called e-Kushal (Krishi UDAN for Sustainable Holistic Agri-Logistics) would be developed to facilitate information dissemination to all stakeholders regarding transportation of agricultural produce.

Exp. MSME Ministry launched “SAMBHAV” to promote Entrepreneurship in India

Narayan Tatu Rane, Union Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) launched ‘SAMBHAV’ an e-national level Awareness programme 2021 to promote the role of entrepreneurship towards the development of India.

SAMBHAV will be a one-month-long initiative under the Ministry of MSME (MoMSME).

Under this programme, the students from colleges and ITIs from across India will be encouraged by 130 field offices of the MoMSME to take up entrepreneurship.

Exp. South Korea inaugurated World’s Largest Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of South Korea held that the ‘Shinincheon Bitdream Fuel Cell Power Plant’ at the Shinincheon Bitdream headquarters of Korea Southern Power in Seo-gu, Incheon has been completed and inaugurated.

The power plant is operated by South Korea’s independent power production company, POSCO Energy and Doosan Fuel Cell. It has a capacity of 78 MW constructed in four stages from 2017. The project cost about 340 billion won ($292 million).

Exp. India, ADB signed $100 mn loan to promote agribusiness network, reduce food losses in Maharashtra

Government of India signed $100 million with Asian Development Bank (ADB) to promote Maharashtra Agribusiness Network (MAGNET) Project to boost farm incomes and reduce food losses in Maharashtra.

ADB will provide a $500,000 technical assistance (TA) grant from its Technical Assistance Special Fund and $2 million from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction on a grant basis to improve market linkages for FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations).

It will upgrade 16 existing post-harvest facilities and construct 3 new ones to provide individual farmers and FPOs.

Exp. ADB signed a $251 mn loan for Integrated Urban Flood Management in Chennai

Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed $251-million loan for climate-resilient, integrated urban flood protection and management in Chennai–Kosasthalaiyar basin to strengthen the resilience of Chennai city to floods.

It will help residents of Chennai–Kosasthalaiyar basin to cope with intensifying rainfall, a higher sea level rise, and a storm surge caused by cyclones, and protect lives, economy, and environment.

Exp. SAIPL partnered with SBI to provide financial support to Dairy farmers in Maharashtra

Sunfresh Agro Industries Private Limited (SAIPL) in Maharashtra operating under Global dairy major Lactalis partnered with State Bank of India (SBI) to extend financial support to the dairy farmers in the state.

The loan from SBI helps the farmers to buy cattle that would produce higher quality milk, improve storage and supply-chain.

The company is in the market with brand Parbhat for milk and indegenous products.

Exp. THE’s World Reputation Rankings 2021; IISc Bengaluru among Top 100

4 Indian institutes have made it to the Times Higher Education (THE)’s World Reputation Rankings 2021, the annual ranking of THE that features the top 200 universities based on the votes from leading academics across the globe.

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru ranked among the top 100 (91-100) has topped the Indian Institutes. The other 3 Indian institutes are the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.

Harvard University of the United States of America (USA) has topped the 2021 ranking. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA and University of Oxford from the United Kingdom (UK) has secured the 2nd and 3rd rank respectively.

Exp. THE’s World Reputation Rankings 2021; IISc Bengaluru among Top 100

4 Indian institutes have made it to the Times Higher Education (THE)’s World Reputation Rankings 2021, the annual ranking of THE that features the top 200 universities based on the votes from leading academics across the globe.

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru ranked among the top 100 (91-100) has topped the Indian Institutes. The other 3 Indian institutes are the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras.

Harvard University of the United States of America (USA) has topped the 2021 ranking. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA and University of Oxford from the United Kingdom (UK) has secured the 2nd and 3rd rank respectively.

Exp. Rajesh Gokhale appointed secretary of Department of Biotechnology

Dr Rajesh Gokhale, a professor of Biology at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Biotechnology.

Gokhale will assume charge next month after the superannuation of Dr Renu Swarup scheduled on October 31.

Gokhale, an immunologist known for developing Long-chain Fatty acyl-AMP ligase (FAAL) along with working extensively on tuberculosis, had previously helmed the CSIR – Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB).

Exp. RBI approved appointment of Baldev Prakash as MD & CEO of J&K Bank

Jammu & Kashmir Bank on Wednesday said the Reserve Bank has approved the appointment of Baldev Prakash as its next Managing Director and CEO from the next year.

Presently, RK Chhibber is the Chairman and Managing Director of J&K Bank, who assumed charge of the bank in June 2019.

Exp. S C Khuntia appointed as Jana Small Finance Bank Part-Time Chairman

Subhash Chandra Khuntia, a 1981 batch IAS officer has been appointed as the part-time Chairman of the Jana Small Finance Bank (SFB).

He has served as the Chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) from 2018 to May 2021.

Exp.  K V Kamath appointed as Chairperson of National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development

The government has appointed K V Kamath, as chairperson of the newly set up Rs 20,000 crore National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID), a newly set up Development Financial Institution (DFI) in India, Department of Financial Services (DFS), under the finance ministry.

National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Bill 2021 supports the development of long-term non-recourse infrastructure financing in India, including the development of the bonds and derivatives markets necessary for infrastructure financing.

Exp. 29 October: International Internet Day

International Internet Day is marked annually on 29 October. The day commemorates the anniversary of the first message that was sent between two computers on 29 October 1969 through ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet.

The first message exchange through the network was to programmer Bill Duvall at Stanford Research Institute by UCLA professor Leonard Kleinrock and his student and programmer Charley Cline.

The first International Internet Day was celebrated on October 29, 2005.

Exp. Eminent Oncologist Padma Shri Dr Madhavan Krishnan Nair passed away

Padma Shri Dr Madhavan Krishnan Nair, an eminent Oncologist and the founding director of the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala has passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Dr M Krishnan Nair has served as a member of the expert group that prepared the National Cancer Control Plan of India. He has also served on the Expert Advisory Panel on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The GoI has honoured him with the Padma Shri for medicine in 2001.