Current Affairs Oct 31st & Nov 01st 2021| Current Affairs News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas)- Oct 31

• National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas has been celebrated on 31st October every year since 2014 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• This year marks the 146th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, freedom fighter and later a politician who played a major role in the integration of India.
• He played an instrumental role in India’s struggle for independence, and later during the integration of the country.
• Sardar Patel was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.
• He is often referred to as the Father of the Indian Constitution and was a key member of the Constituent Assembly.

World Savings Day: Oct 30

• World Savings Day/World Thrift Day is celebrated across the world every year on October 31.
• However, it is celebrated annually in India on October 30.
• The theme of World Savings Day 2021 is “Understanding the Importance of Savings”.
• World Savings Day was established on October 31, 1924, during the 1st International Savings Bank Congress (World Society of Savings Banks) in Milano, Italy.
• The Italian Professor Filippo Ravizza declared this day the “International Saving Day” on the last day of the congress.
• World Savings Day or World Thrift Day was established to inform people all around the world about the idea of saving their money in a bank rather than keeping it under their mattress.

World Vegan Day- Nov 1

• World Vegan Day is an annual event celebrated by vegans around the world every 1 November.
• The benefits of veganism for humans and the natural environment are celebrated through activities such as setting up stalls, hosting potlucks, and planting memorial trees.
• The day was established in 1994 by Louise Wallis, then Chair of The Vegan Society in the United Kingdom, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organisation and the coining of the term’s “vegan” and “veganism”.
• Purpose to spread the benefits of veganism for humans, non-human animals, and the natural environment.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Glasgow to participate in World Leaders Summit on COP26

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Glasgow and visited the UK to participate in the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-26). 
• The high-level segment of COP-26, titled the World Leaders’ Summit, is being held under the Presidency of the UK partnering with Italy.
• The Summit will be attended by Heads of State/Government of more than 120 countries.
• In Glasgow, another important event will be the launch of the Global Green Grids Initiative under the vision of “One Sun One World One Grid”.
• Modi along with Australian and UK Prime Ministers will launch a new initiative for Infrastructure for the Resilient Island States.
• The leader’s event organized by the COP26 presidency will focus on climate change, mitigation, adaptation and building resilience, and clean technology innovation.
• Prime Minister last attended the COP-21 in Paris in 2015, when the Paris Agreement was concluded, and whose implementation commences this year.

Union Minister Shri Amit Shah Dairy Sahakar Scheme in Gujarat

• On Oct 30, 2021, Union Minister of Home Affairs  and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah launched the “Dairy Sahakar” scheme at Anand, Gujarat.
• The scheme was launched during the function organised by Amul for the celebration of its 75th foundation year.

About Dairy Sahakar :

Objective :

• Doubling the farmers income as well as realizing the vision of ‘from cooperation to prosperity’.
• The Dairy Sahakar, with a total investment of Rs 5000 crore.
• The Scheme will be implemented by NCDC, under the Ministry of Cooperation.
• It will supplement the existing efforts for strengthening the dairy sector in the country
• Under the ‘Dairy Sahakar’ scheme, financial support will be extended by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to the eligible cooperatives for activities such as bovine development, milk procurement, processing, quality assurance, value addition, branding, packaging, marketing, transportation and storage of milk and milk products, exports of dairy products

About Gujarat :

• Capital: Gandhinagar
• Governor: Acharya Devvrat
• Chief minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel
• National Parks : Gir National Park, Velavadar National Park, Marine National Park, Vansda National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary, Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, Purna Wildlife Sanctuary, Gaga Wildlife Sanctuary, Mitiyala Wildlife Sanctuary, Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

World’s Largest Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant in South Korea

• 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 plant named ‘Shinincheon Bitdream Fuel Cell Power Plant’ has a total capacity of 96 kWh and can provide electricity to nearly 250,000 households per year.
• It will be operated by South Korea’s largest independent power production company, POSCO Energy and Doosan Fuel Cell.
• Total cost of the project is 340 billion won, (around USD 292 million).

USAID Launched 5-year Initiative ‘SAREP’ To Accelerate Clean Energy Transition & Improve Energy Access in South Asia

• The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP), a new 5 year, 49 million USD initiative to facilitate collaboration among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
• This initiative will harness the clean energy potential of the South Asian region to reduce emissions, combat climate change, and stimulate economic growth and powers health systems.
• The initiative aims to improve access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy.

SAREP:

• During the April 2021 Leaders Climate Summit, Joe Biden, President of America and Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India launched the US India climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership.
• SAREP will support various regional activities established under this collaboration and assist both countries to demonstrate how the world can align swift climate action with inclusive and resilient development across the region.

Addl.Info:

• SAREP will offer opportunities to move forward using advanced technologies and infrastructure and assist to facilitate a transition to sustainable energy, including through innovative financing.
• The clean energy transition will support women’s economic empowerment and lead to a wide range of economic and health benefits for the 1.5 billion citizens of the South Asian region.
• The initiative which is customised to the priorities of each country will enable the deployment of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies, transform and modernize utilities, drive regional cooperation, and stimulate private-sector participation and investments.
• SAREP also includes an additional 12 million USD Partnership Fund to issue several grants to demonstrate and advance innovative business models, technologies, and financing mechanisms.

About United States Agency for International Development(USAID):

• Administrator– Samantha Power
• Executive Secretary– Jeremy Bernton
• Created in 1961
• Headquarters– Washington, D.C, United States of America

South Asia Suffers most loss of Human Capital due to Air Pollution – World Bank report

• As per the latest “The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021 : Managing Assets for the Future” released by the World Bank, South Asia suffered the most loss in the world on human capital due to air pollution.
• The report was prepared by the World Bank, measuring wealth creation & distribution in 146 countries covering a period of 20-years from 1995-2018.
• As per the World Bank, Human Capital is defined as “Earning over a person’s lifetime”.
• Parameters Measured – Economic Value of Renewable Natural Capital, Non-renewable natural capital, human capital, produced capital, Net foreign assets.
• This is the 1st time that the report measured Blue natural capital (mangroves & ocean fisheries)

Findings on South Asia:

• Between 1995 & 2018, 50% of wealth creation was made through Human capital.
• South Asia is the most severely affected country in the South Asian region due to air pollution, which also severely impacts human capital.
• Gender parity will increase human capital by 42 percentage points in South Asia, where men account for 80% of wealth creation.

Addl.Info:

• Human Capital, the largest source of wealth generation, accounted for 64% of Total Global Wealth Generation in 2018.
• There was a 8% per capita decline in Forest wealth in 2018 compared to 1995 among the Low & Middle income countries.
• With 8% of Global population, only 1% of the wealth creation was made from the Low-income countries.

About World Bank:

• President – David R. Malpass (13th President)
• Headquarters – Washington DC, USA
• World Bank Country Director in India – Junaid Ahmad

IRCTC & Truecaller Partners to Provide Passengers With Greater Trust in Communication

• The Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has partnered with Truecaller India to provide passengers with greater trust in communication. 
• This partnership aims to reduce fraud in the railways.
• Under this partnership the integrated National Railways Helpline 139 has been verified by Truecaller Business Identity solutions.
• This partnership aims to assure the passengers that critical communications such as booking details and PNR status are delivered only by IRCTC.

Addl.Info:

• Under this partnership, a green verified business badge logo will be displayed while making calls to 139 helpline.
• A verified sms message header will also be used to ensure that the customers are communicating about their bookings and other travel details from IRCTC only.

About IRCTC Helpline:

• National Railways Helpline 139, an enquiry and Helpline Services was started by IRCTC in 2007.
• Bharat BPO Services Limited is the technical partner of this project.

About Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC):

• IRCTC is a “Mini Ratna (Category-I)” Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways.
• CMD(Additional Charge)– Rajni Hasija
• Incorporated on 27th September 1999
• Headquarters– New Delhi

Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana Emerge as Topper in Governance Performance – PAI 2021

• According to the report of 6th edition, Public Affairs Index (PAI 2021) by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), a Bengaluru- based non-profit think tank, the top three slots have been taken by Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana among 18 large states.
• PAI 2021 highlights the state government’s quality governance and specially the state’s government involvement over the curb of Covid-19.
• Public Affairs Index (PAI 2021) ranks the states and Union Territories based on three pillars of equity, growth and sustainability along with 5 themes, 14 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) and 43 indicators.

Addl.Info:

• India with an index score of 0.516 has been ranked 49th in Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI) 2021 – 1st Edition produced by Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG). 
• The Index was topped by Finland, Switzerland and Singapore. Index has ranked 104 countries in terms of government capabilities and outcomes. 
• The 2021 report is the 1st Edition of the CGGI.
• It measures each country over 50 open data points.

About Public Affairs Centre (PAC):

• Chairman – Dr. A. Ravindra , IAS (Former Chief Secretary, Karnataka)
• Location – Bengaluru, Karnataka

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Tamil Nadu to participate in Dubai World Expo                                                      

• The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to participate in the Dubai World Expo for seven days from 18th to 24th March 2022. 
• According to the Government Order, 5 Crore was sanctioned for the participation in the World Expo at Dubai.
• A cultural group of 12 persons will also be participating in the expo.
• FICCI has announced that India Pavilion will be built on a plot of 4614 Sq.m with a display area of about 10,000 sq.m.
• The entire program will include industry engagements, conferences, seminars, CEOs meetings, Government meetings, trilateral engagements and also art and cultural presentations by various states during the event.

Biggest Aromatic Garden of India Opens in Nainital, Uttarakhand

• An aromatic garden, with over 140 fragrant plant species from all over India, like Chandan, Tulsi, Parijat, etc., planted across 3 acres of land, was opened in Lalkuan, Nainital.
• The garden is the country’s biggest such facility, forest officials claimed. The project has been developed by the research wing of Uttarakhand’s Forest department with Centre’s compensatory afforestation (CAMPA) funds.
• The main purpose of such a garden is to preserve, promote research of and create awareness around various aromatic plants species.
• Veena Rao, an aroma plant consultant from Maharashtra, who inaugurated the garden
• Villagers can look forward to a promising livelihood from nurturing these plants. It will also prevent these species from dying out. In the upcoming time, the garden will be spread to 113 acres.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Microsoft stock becomes world’s most valuable

• Microsoft’s stock becomes world’s most valuable after it’s share rose as much as 1.1% to hit a market value of 2.46 trillion Dollars blowing past Apple.
• The drop in Apple Inc.’s shares have propelled Microsoft Corp. to the position of the world’s largest listed company by market capitalization.
• Apple fell as much as 3.9% to 146.65 Dollar after reporting fourth-quarter revenue that came in below the average analyst estimate, which gave the iPhone maker a market value of 2.41 trillion Dollar.

About Microsoft:

• CEO: Satya Nadella
• Founded: 4 April 1975, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
• Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States
• Chairperson: John W. Thompson

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

Indian Bank reports ₹266.73 crore worth of fraud to RBI

• Public sector lender Indian Bank has reported ₹266.73 crore worth of fraud to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
• The bank has reported three non-performing accouM nts as fraudulent.
• It detailed the Non-Performing Accounts (NPAs) as that have been declared as fraud and reported to RBI as per regulatory requirements
• The nature of fraud for all three accounts has been specified as “Diversion of funds”
• The lender has declared M P Border Checkpost Development Co Ltd as fraud with an outstanding of ₹89 crore, Pune Sholapur Road Development with the amount involved totaling ₹72.76 crore and M/s SONAC with an amount of ₹27.08 crore

ADB has approved $250 million loan for India’s industrial corridor development

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $250 million loan to support the Government of India’s National Industrial Corridor Development Program (NICDP).
• This is the first subprogram of the $500 million loan to develop 11 industrial corridors spanning 17 states.
• India’s NICDP aims to develop world-class industrial nodes that are supported by efficient urban agglomerations and multimodal connectivity, including international gateways like ports and airports and inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable infrastructure. The national program also seeks strong institutional and regulatory frameworks.
• The first subprogram loan will help government initiatives strengthen institutional framework and capacity development for industrial corridor planning, improve project readiness, facilitate ease of doing business, and thereby create opportunities for domestic and foreign investors.
• India recently upgraded its Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS) to boost industrial infrastructure competitiveness and support policies to enable industrialization across the country.

Govt has approved 8.5% interest rate on EPF for FY21

• The finance ministry has approved an 8.5% return on employees’ provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2020-21, a move that will impact over 6.4 crore subscribers.
• The rate was the same for 2019-20. The labour ministry will now notify the interest rate before the EPFO starts crediting the same into individual accounts.
• The entire exercise may take a maximum of 30 days to complete from the date the rate is notified
• EPF is one fixed-income instrument that is completely tax-free under the exempt-exempt-exempt (EEE) regime, along with PPF and the Sukanya Samriddhi Account.

Facebook Inc rebranded as “Meta”

• As part of a major rebrand, Facebook Inc has changed its corporate name to Meta (Meta Platforms, Inc.), in an effort to include its virtual reality vision for the future. 
• Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, unveiled his plans to build “Metaverse”, an online world where people can game, work and communicate in a virtual environment.
• The word “Meta” comes from the Greek word meaning “Beyond”.
• The company has also unveiled its new sign, a blue infinity shape, at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California.
• The new sign replaces its thumbs-up “Like” logo.

Rebranding:

• The branding ‘Facebook’ will be removed from Whatsapp, Instagram, Oculus, Workplace, Portal, Novi and other places.
• The names of the social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Whatsapp, which are now under meta are not changed.

Metaverse:

• Metaverse is a set of virtual spaces which will allow the user to create and explore with others who are not in the same physical space.
• The term ‘Metaverse’ was first coined in the 1992 novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.

About Meta Platforms, Inc.:

• Meta Platforms, Inc. was formerly known as Facebook, Inc.(launched in February 2004) until October 28, 2021.
• Founder, Chairman & CEO– Mark Zuckerberg
• Headquarters– Menlo Park, California, United States of America

PayU launches ‘PayU Token Hub’ – a Unique Tokenization Solution

• Pay U, India’s leading online payments solutions provider, launched a unique tokenization solution service called ‘PayU Token Hub’.
• Pay U launched this service with the compliance of RBI’s latest guidelines on online card data storage and also allows issuing banks to generate their own tokens (original data will be in string of characters/symbols).

About PayU

• CEO of PayU India – Anirban Mukherjee
• CEO, PayU Global – Laurent Le Moal.

Max Life Insurance became 1st Life Insurer to Join AA System

• Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd became the 1st life insurer to join the Account Aggregator (AA) framework, which was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in September 2021.
• Max Life is joining the AA network as a Financial Information User (FIU), for which it has collaborated with a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) FinVu, which is also an AA, and Finarkein, a data analytics company.
• Objective is to access the customer’s financial information in a seamless and secure manner from the AA ecosystem and reduce the timelines for policy issuance.

Account Aggregator (AA)

• AA is a data access fiduciary, which will be used for the exchange of financial information from FIPs to Financial Information Users (FIUs) in a safe manner with due customer consent.
• AA network will not store/read the customers data in turn it will act as a pipeline between FIPs and FIUs.

Note 

• In September 2021, 8 banks have joined the AA Network as financial information providers (FIPs).

About Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd:

• Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
• MD & CEO – Prashant Tripathy

KMB, NPCI Partnered to Launch Rupay Credit Cards ‘Veer’ for Armed Forces

• Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch Kotak credit cards on the RuPay network named ‘Veer’ for Indian armed forces i.e the Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel.
• The launch of Veer credit card for the armed forces marks Kotak’s 1st credit card under the RuPay network.
• 2 Variants: The credit card is available in two variants such as – Kotak RuPay Veer Platinum and Kotak RuPay Veer Select.
• The credit cards are designed to fulfil the needs of the armed forces, who have dedicated themselves to the service of the nation.
• The contactless cards have a zero joining fee and provide multiple benefits such as fuel, and railway surcharge waivers, including a safe, rewarding, and contactless shopping experience for the armed forces personnel and their families.

About Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB):

• Establishment – 2003 (Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd. became India’s 1st non-banking finance company to be converted into a commercial bank KMB.
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO – Uday Kotak
• Tagline – Let’s make money simple

About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):

• It is an organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India.
• It is an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 for creating a robust Payment & Settlement Infrastructure in India.
• Establishment – 2008
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO -Dilip Asbe

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATION

Justice Ashok Bhushan has appointed as a new NCLAT chairperson

• The Centre has appointed former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ashok Bhushan as the new Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), for a period of four years or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is the earliest.
• He was the former Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. NCLAT was formed by the government under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013.
• Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar has been appointed as the new President of quasi-judicial body, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for five years or till he attains the age of 67 years.
• Before Justice Bhushan, NCLAT was functioning with officiating chairpersons since former NCLAT chairperson Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya retired in March 2020
• Until now, Justice Bansi Lal Bhat and Justice AIS Cheema served as the officiating chairpersons after Justice Mukhopadhaya’s retirement. And after Justice Cheema’s retirement, Justice M Venugopal has been serving as the officiating chairperson.

Yezdi Nagporewalla named as new CEO of KPMG India

• KPMG India has a new Chief Executive Officer in Yezdi Nagporewalla for a four-year term commencing on February 7, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2026.
• Nagporewalla succeeds Arun M. Kumar, the current Chairman and CEO, who completes his five-year term on February 6, 2022.
• In a departure from the past, KPMG India has, with this appointment, split the roles of Chairman and CEO.
• The new Chairman announcement will take place over the next few months.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Swiss Re to buy 23 pc stake in Paytm Insuretech for Rs 920 crore

• Paytm Insuretech (PIT), announced that Switzerland-based reinsurance platform Swiss Re will purchase a 23% stake of Paytm Insuretech, Paytm’s insurance unit, for about 920 crore rupee (a bit more than $122.6 million). 
• In the scheme of arrangement, ₹397 crore will be paid upfront, and the remaining in tranches.
• The investment by Swiss Re and the acquisition of Raheja QBE by Paytm Insuretech is subject to regulatory approvals.
• India’s insurance market presents a significant opportunity, given the market’s protection gap and under-penetration compared to the global average.
• Gross written premium for non-life insurance is expected to increase from $27 billion as of FY21 to $50-60 billion FY26, as per RedSeer data.

About Paytm :

• Paytm  is an Indian multinational technology company that specializes in digital payment system, e-commerce and finance.
• It is currently available in 11 Indian languages.
• CEO & Founder : Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• President : Amit Nayyar
• Vice President : Ajay Shekhar Sharma
• Founded: 2010, Noida
• Headquarter : Noida, Uttar Pradesh

About Swiss Re :

• CEO: Christian Mumenthaler
• Chairman : Sergio Ermotti
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland
• Founded: 19 December 1863
• It is the world’s largest reinsurer, as measured by net premiums written.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPS & SERVICES

FSSAI launches Food Safety Connect Mobile app

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched an app called ‘Food Safety Connect to improve connect with consumers and food business operators (FBOs).

Aim :

• To bridge the communication gap with consumers and provide a resource hub for them to stay informed and informed about key FSSAI activities.

About the Mobile App :

• The mobile application will be a one-stop solution for food companies with all relevant information, procedures related to compliance with FSS regulations, laboratories and others.
• It will also provide information regarding eligibility criteria; FAQs on the procedures related to Licensing and Registration; Regulations and other compliances for the food businesses.
• The app will be used as a mechanism for consumers to easily verify the FSSAI license or registration on any food packet.
• It will facilitate food businesses, particularly petty hawkers, vendors and start-ups to file an application for FSSAI registration by simply using their smartphones.”

About FSSAI :

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body established under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
• It has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Founded: August 2011
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairperson :  Rita Teaotia
• CEO : Arun Singhal
• It has 6 regional offices located in Delhi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Cochin, and Chennai

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Indian Navy launches 7th Talwar class frigate – INS Tushil in Russia

• On Oct 28, 2021, the 7^th Indian Navy Frigate of P1135.6 class was launched at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia.
• During the ceremony, the ship was formally named ‘Tushil’ by Datla Vidya Varma in the presence of Ambassador of India (Moscow) D Bala Venkatesh Varma and other senior dignitaries of the Russian Federation and Indian Navy officials.
• Tushil is a Sanskrit word meaning Protector Shield.
• The ships have been designed to work with Ukraine-made gas turbines.
• The ships have been constructed based on the Indian Navy’s specific requirements to meet the requisites of naval warfare in all air, sub-surface, and surface methods.
• It features stealth technology in terms of low radar and underwater noise signatures.
• These ships are being equipped with major Indian supplied equipment such as Surface to Surface Missiles, Sonar system, Surface Surveillance Radar, Communication Suite and ASW system along with Russian Surface to Air Missiles and gun mounts.
• The Indian Navy already operates six of these ships namely INS Talwar (F40), INS Trishul (F43), INS Tabar (F44), INS Teg (F45), INS Tarkash (F50), and INS Trikand (F51).

About Indian Navy :

• Headquarters : New Delhi
• Founded: 26 January 1950
• Commander-in-Chief: President Ram Nath Kovind
• Chief of Defence Staff : General Bipin Rawat
• Chief of the Naval Staff : Admiral Karambir Singh
• Vice Chief of the Naval Staff : Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade
• Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff : Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh

About Russia :

• President: Vladimir Putin
• Capital: Moscow
• Currency: Russian ruble

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SPORTS NEWS

AFO name IOS Sports as commercial partner for 3 years

• The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has signed a 3-year exclusive partnership with sports management firm IOS Sports and Entertainment.
• The Partnership shall involve the strategic planning to build the brand AFI, unlock commercial assets and partner with top brands.
• It aims to help athletes get the needed support from the private sector.
• This partnership will also add a professional approach to the system and build up the stellar performance of Indian athletes.
• The partnership heralds in a new era for the Indian athletics ecosystem which now comprises household names like Dutee Chand, Hima Das, Neeraj Chopra, Kamalpreet Kaur, Seema Punia, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Shaili Singh amongst many other great prospects.

About IOS Sports and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd :

• Founded : 2005
• Headquarters : New Delhi
• CEO : Neerav Tomar

About Athletics Federation of India :

• Founded: 2018
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• President : Adille Sumariwalla

National Open Javelin Throw Championships 2021: Odisha’s Kishore Jena Bags Gold

• Emerging javelin thrower from Odisha, Kishore Kumar has bagged gold medal in the 3rd National Open Javelin Throw Championships at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.
• The 26-year-old Kishore Kumar Jena won his maiden national title with a 26m effort.
• Harish Kumar of Rajasthan and Delhi’s Vipin Kasana took silver and bronze, respectively.
• Meanwhile In the women’s category, Uma Choudhary of Rajasthan too claimed her maiden national-level title with a best throw of 46.41m.

National Open Javelin Throw Championships 2021 results : 

In Men’s Category : 

1. Kishore Kumar Jena (Odisha) 74.26m
2. Harish Kumar (Rajasthan) 72.61
3. Vipin Kasana (Delhi) 71.89.

In Women’s Category : 

1. Uma Choudhary (Rajasthan) 46.41m
2. Manu Kumari (Uttar Pradesh) 44.67
3. Priyanka (Haryana) 44.66.

In Boys U20 Category : 

1. Jay Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 70.72m
2. Vivek Kumar (Madhya Pradesh) 66.01
3. Vinit (Haryana) 65.39.

In Girls U20 Category : 

1. Shakshi Sharma (Uttar Pradesh) 46.29m
2. Sheetal (Haryana) 44.30
3. Jyoti (Haryana) 43.61.

In Boys U18 Category : 

1. Narayan Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 68.89m
2. Sujit (Haryana) 68.38
3. Rahul Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 65.08.

Girls U18: 

1. Komal (Uttar Pradesh) 44.70m
2. Pratiksha Patel (Uttar Pradesh) 44.55
3. Himanshi (Haryana) 41.09.

Boys U16: 

1. Mangal Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 71.37m
2. Rohan Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 70.14
3. Gaurav Patel (Uttar Pradesh) 66.68m.

Girls U16: 

1. Deepika (Haryana) 49.31m
2. Manisha (Haryana) 42.26
3. Sapna (Haryana) 41.29.

Manyavar becomes official Indian Wear Partner of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021

• IPO-bound celebration wear brand Manyavar has partnered with International Cricket Council (ICC) as the official Indian wear partner of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.
• The brand is owned by Kolkata-based Vedant Fashions Limited.
• As part of the association, Manyavar will have its presence on-ground as well as on the digital assets of ICC.
• The company has filed papers with capital market regulator SEBI for an IPO that is expected to be of Rs 2500 crore.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Former Australian Test Star Ashley Mallett Passes away                  

• Australian Test bowling icon Ashley Mallett Passed away.
• He was 76.

About Ashley Mallett :

• Ashley Mallett born on 13 July 1945 in Sydney, New South Wales.
• Mallett was ironically nicknamed “Rowdy” by his teammates.
• He played in 38 Tests and 9 One Day Internationals between 1968 and
• On the 1969-70 tour, he took 28 wickets, playing a key role in Australia securing a rare series win in India.
• He also wrote numerous books including biographies of batting great Victor Trumper and fellow spin wizard Clarrie Grimmett.

Hiroshima nuclear bomb survivor Sunao Tsuboi passes away

• Hiroshima atomic bomb attack survivor and Japanese campaigner against nuclear weapons, Sunao Tsuboi Passed away.
• He was 96.

About Sunao Tsuboi :

• Sunao Tsuboi born on May 5, 1925 in Hiroshima, Japan.
• He was a Japanese anti-nuclear, anti-war activist, and teacher.
• Tsuboi, who served as a chairperson of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations.
• He met Barack Obama on his historic visit to Hiroshima as US president.

Awards & Honours :

• Sunao Tsuboi was awarded the Kiyoshi Tanimoto peace prize in 2011.

Australian Cricket Legend Alan Davidson passes away

• On Oct 30, 2021, Legendary Australian all-rounder Alan Davidson Passed away.
• He was 92.

About Alan Davidson :

• Alan Davidson born on 14 June 1929, in Lisarow, New South Wales, Australia.
• He is the first player to score 100 runs and take 10 wickets in a single Test match.
• He is a left-arm swing bowler who claimed 186 wickets and scored 1328 runs during his career.
• He played in 44 Tests for Australia & he was inducted into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame in 2011.
• Davidson is a member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and the ICC Hall of Fame.
• He was made a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1964 and awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in 1987.
• He served as a selector for the Australian team from 1979 to 1984.
• In 1970, he became president of the New South Wales Cricket Association.
• Davidson was one of the trustees of the SCG from 1978 to 1998.

Daily CA On Oct 30 :

• India-Israel Joint Working Group on Bilateral Defence Cooperation has agreed to form a Task Force to formulate a comprehensive Ten-Year Roadmap to identify new areas of cooperation.
• India International Trade Fair (IITF) will be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 14th of November to 27th November.
• Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh has launched the Indian manned Ocean Mission Samudrayan in Chennai.
• Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Pashupati Kumar Paras chaired the Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee (IMAC) meeting to consider the proposals received under the Scheme for Creation of Infrastructure for Agro-Processing Cluster of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana.
• NITI Aayog has released a comprehensive report titled Health Insurance for India’s Missing Middle, which brings out the gaps in the health insurance coverage across the Indian population and offers solutions to address the situation.
• A Supreme Court (SC) bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana instituted a 3-member expert panel to investigate the issue on usage of ‘Pegasus Spyware’ on Indian Citizens during 2019.
• On October 26, 2021, the Radio over Internet Protocol (ROIP) System at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMP, Kolkata), West Bengal (WB) was inaugurated for the first time in any Major Indian Port.
• Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched Krishi Udan 2.0 scheme to implement in 53 airports under which cargo-related infrastructure will be built mainly focusing on north-east, hilly and tribal regions and likely benefits farmers.
• Karnataka Bank has been awarded for being the ‘Top Organization with Innovative HR (Human Resource) Practices ‘award at the 19th edition of the Asian Pacific HRM Congress.
• 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 19th India-Bangladesh Line of Credit (LOC) review meeting was held in Dhaka on 27-28 October.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on a day-long visit to Uttarakhand.
• India is committed to achieve more than 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil-fuel energy resources by 2030.
• 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 Government of India (GoI) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) inked US$100 million loan agreement for Maharashtra Agribusiness Network (MAGNET) Project.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹56 lakh on The Nainital Bank Ltd (NBL), Uttarakhand, for non-compliance with its directions relating to divergence in non-performing asset (NPA) accounts as well as asset classification and provisioning, and classification and reporting of frauds.
• Yes Bank has announced the launch of co-branded credit card FinBooster in partnership with BankBazaar.com
• The government 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. 
• On Oct 27, 2021, Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt flagged off upcoming National Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports (NIMAS) multidimensional adventure sports expedition to Europe, in New Delhi.
• On Oct 29, 2021, The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) jointly flight-tested an indigenously developed Long Range Bomb (LRB) in Odisha.
• On Oct 28, 2021, The National e Governance Division (NeGD) of the Ministry of Electronics and IT is organising yet another AI Pe Charcha (AI Dialogue).
• On Oct 29, 2021, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar addressed a National Conference on “International Year of Fruits and Vegetables”.
• Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved to reconstitute the 7-member Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) following the end of its tenure in September 2021.
• Former India captain and Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Mohd Azharuddin unveiled the world’s largest cricket bat in Hyderabad.
• On Oct 29, 2021, Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar passed away.

Daily CA on Oct 31 & Nov 01 :

• National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas has been celebrated on 31st October every year since 2014 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• World Savings Day/World Thrift Day is celebrated across the world every year on October 31.
• World Vegan Day is an annual event celebrated by vegans around the world every 1 November.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Glasgow and visited the UK to participate in the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (COP-26). 
• On Oct 30, 2021, Union Minister of Home Affairs  and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah launched the “Dairy Sahakar” scheme at Anand, Gujarat.
• 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 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP), a new 5 year, 49 million USD initiative to facilitate collaboration among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
• As per the latest “The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021 : Managing Assets for the Future” released by the World Bank, South Asia suffered the most loss in the world on human capital due to air pollution.
• The Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) has partnered with Truecaller India to provide passengers with greater trust in communication. 
• According to the report of 6th edition, Public Affairs Index (PAI 2021) by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), a Bengaluru- based non-profit think tank, the top three slots have been taken by Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana among 18 large states.
• The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to participate in the Dubai World Expo for seven days from 18th to 24th March 2022. 
• An aromatic garden, with over 140 fragrant plant species from all over India, like Chandan, Tulsi, Parijat, etc., planted across 3 acres of land, was opened in Lalkuan, Nainital.
• Microsoft’s stock becomes world’s most valuable after it’s share rose as much as 1.1% to hit a market value of 2.46 trillion Dollars blowing past Apple.
• Public sector lender Indian Bank has reported ₹73 crore worth of fraud to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $250 million loan to support the Government of India’s National Industrial Corridor Development Program (NICDP).
• The finance ministry has approved an 8.5% return on employees’ provident fund (EPF) deposits for 2020-21, a move that will impact over 6.4 crore subscribers.
• As part of a major rebrand, Facebook Inc has changed its corporate name to Meta (Meta Platforms, Inc.), in an effort to include its virtual reality vision for the future. 
• Pay U, India’s leading online payments solutions provider, launched a unique tokenization solution service called ‘PayU Token Hub’.
• Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd became the 1st life insurer to join the Account Aggregator (AA) framework, which was introduced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in September 2021.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch Kotak credit cards on the RuPay network named ‘Veer’ for Indian armed forces i.e the Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel.
• The Centre has appointed former Supreme Court Judge Justice Ashok Bhushan as the new Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), for a period of four years or until he attains the age of 70 years, whichever is the earliest.
• KPMG India has a new Chief Executive Officer in Yezdi Nagporewalla for a four-year term commencing on February 7, 2022 and ending on December 31, 2026.
• Paytm Insuretech (PIT), announced that Switzerland-based reinsurance platform Swiss Re will purchase a 23% stake of Paytm Insuretech, Paytm’s insurance unit, for about 920 crore rupee (a bit more than $122.6 million). 
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched an app called ‘Food Safety Connect to improve connect with consumers and food business operators (FBOs).
• On Oct 28, 2021, the 7^th Indian Navy Frigate of P1135.6 class was launched at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia.
• The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has signed a 3-year exclusive partnership with sports management firm IOS Sports and Entertainment.
• Emerging javelin thrower from Odisha, Kishore Kumar has bagged gold medal in the 3rd National Open Javelin Throw Championships at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.
• IPO-bound celebration wear brand Manyavar has partnered with International Cricket Council (ICC) as the official Indian wear partner of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.
• Australian Test bowling icon Ashley Mallett Passed away.
• Hiroshima atomic bomb attack survivor and Japanese campaigner against nuclear weapons, Sunao Tsuboi Passed away.
• On Oct 30, 2021, Legendary Australian all-rounder Alan Davidson Passed away.