Daily Current Affairs October 25 & 26 2022

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Mumbai featured the official launch of India’s first “Migration Monitoring System”:

• The Maharashtra Women and Children Development Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha launched India’s first “Migration Monitoring Systems” in Mumbai.
• The beneficiaries of the vulnerable seasonal migrant tracking system will move around according to the website.
• Information on pregnant migrants, nursing mothers, and children is to be made available through the Migration Monitoring Systems.
• The system offers up-to-date data on migrant expectant women, nursing mothers, and kids in a single system.
• The “Migration Monitoring Systems” was introduced by Mangalprabhat Lodha, Maharashtra Women, and Children Development minister.
• Through the use of unique personal identification numbers, the state department has developed a website-based Migration Tracking System (MTS) to monitor the movements of vulnerable seasonal migrant beneficiaries.
• With the “Migration Monitoring Systems,” information about women and children who migrate seasonally will be accessible on a single platform.

The first stage of the “Rozgar Mela” is launched by the prime minister:

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi began the hiring effort for the Rozgar Mela, which aims to hire 10 lakh people.
• 75,000 new appointees will be hired in the first round.
• 38 government ministries and agencies will welcome the new hires, who were chosen from around the nation.
• They will be hired at Group A, Group B (Gazetted), Group B (Non-Gazetted), and Group C levels, respectively.
• According to the Prime Minister’s Office, this will be a significant step for the government in safeguarding citizen welfare and giving young people access to employment possibilities.
• All departments and ministries are reportedly striving to fill open positions that have been authorized, as instructed by the prime minister.
• All members of the central armed forces, including sub-inspectors, constables, LDCs, Stenos, PAs, income tax inspectors, and MTS, will be recruited.
• Ministries and Departments are doing these hirings in mission mode, either independently or through hiring organizations like the UPSC, SSC, and Railway Recruitment Board.
• Selection procedures have been streamlined and made tech-enabled for quick recruitment.
• Selection procedures have been streamlined and made tech-enabled for quick recruitment.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India and France re-elected as President and Co-President of the International Solar Alliance

• India and France have been re-elected as President and Co-President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister Mr. R K Singh will be the President of ISA while Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, France’s Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, will be co-president of the ISA.
• The ISA Assembly approved the Solar Facility, a payment guarantee mechanism that is expected to stimulate investments into solar through two financial components: Solar Payment Guarantee Fund and Solar Insurance Fund.
• The ISA Assembly also approved the SolarX Grand Challenge, which is planned to focus on innovation and start-ups, particularly decentralized solar energy applications that contribute to livelihoods, such as agriculture, health, and small-scale industrial applications.
• This will foster a three-fold benefit- promotion of the solar energy sector, thinning of the gap of the energy crisis, and promoting of a solar start-up ecosystem.

Key Highlights :

• ISA’s mission is to unlock USD 1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of the technology and its f
• It promotes the use of solar energy in the Agriculture, Health, Transport, and Power Generation sectors.

About ISA :

• Founded: 30 November 2015
• Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India
• Director General: Ajay Mathur
• Membership: 87 members of the UN

Pakistan out of FATF’s grey list after 4 years

• Global anti-terrorism watchdog Financial Action Task Force  (FATF) removed Pakistan from its “grey list” after four years.
• Pakistan was on the grey list of FATF since June 2018 due to deficiencies in its anti-terrorism financing and anti-money laundering regime. 
• Significantly, for the first time, the FATF put Myanmar in the “high-risk jurisdictions subject to a call for action” 
• Besides Pakistan, Nicaragua was removed from the FATF “grey list” while Congo, Tanzania, and Mozambique were added to it.
• FATF stated that Islamabad will keep working with the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering to improve its system for its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing system.

About FATF’s grey list :

• Greylisting means FATF has placed a country under increased monitoring to check its progress on measures against money laundering and terrorism financing.
• The “grey list” is also known as the “increased monitoring list”.
• FATF grey lists a country that it considers a haven for terror funding and money laundering. 
• Currently, there are 23 countries on the FATF’s increased monitoring list.
• It is a warning to the country to tackle the issues, failing which it could be “blacklisted,” the highest level of the indictment.
• So far, only two countries have been blacklisted- Iran and North Korea.

About FATF :

• Established: 1989
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• President: T Raja Kumar
• It is an intergovernmental organization & it was established to combat money laundering, terror financing, and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
• Currently, it has 39 members, including two regional organizations – the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. 

Anna May Wong to be the first Asian American featured on US currency

• The legendary Hollywood star Anna May Wong will become the first Asian American to appear on US currency
• This will be the fifth coin in the American Women Quarters (AWQ) Program, which highlights female pioneers on coins.

About Anna May Wong :

• Wong Liu Tsong, known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress.
• She was considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese-American actress to gain international recognition.
• In 1960, Wong was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

About the AWQ program: 

• It is a four-year program that honors the achievements of women in the United States from 2022 to 2025
• To date, astronaut Sally Ride, activist and poet Maya Angelou, the first woman chief of the Cherokee Nation Wilma Mankiller, and the suffragist Nina Otero-Warren have been featured under the program

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal launches “Main Bhi Subhash” campaign from Leh

• Ladakh MP Mr. Jamyang Tsering Namgyal launched the “Main Bhi Subhash” campaign from Leh.

Aim :

• To create awareness of Netaji’s contribution to the freedom fight
• This event was organized in collaboration with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose-INA Trust and the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of Netaji’s 125th Birth Anniversary on 23rd January 2023
• Namgyal also inaugurated an exhibition on Netaji at Boys Higher Secondary School in Leh.

About Ladak :

• Lieutenant Governor: Radha Krishna Mathur
• Capital : Leh, Kargil

Delhi govt launches ‘Diya Jalao, Patake Nahi’ campaign

• The Delhi government has launched an anti-firecracker campaign named ‘Diya Jalao, Patake Nahi’ (light up lamps, not firecrackers) at Central Park in New Delhi, Delhi to promote a pollution-free festival of

Objective :

• To stop people from bursting firecrackers and encourage them to celebrate Diwali with diyas.

About the Campaign :

• As per the order of the Delhi government, those who will be found indulging in the storage, production, and sale of crackers will have to pay a fine of 5000 rupees and imprisonment of 3 years as well.
• Those who will be found bursting firecrackers will be imposed a fine of 200 rupees and imprisonment for 6 months.
• To check air pollution, storage, sale, and use of all types of firecrackers have already been banned in the national capital till 1st January 2023.

About Delhi :

• Governor: Vinai Kumar Saxena
• Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
• Capital: New Delhi
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

IDBI Bank introduces festive offers on fixed deposits for a limited period

• The private sector lender IDBI Bank has launched the “Amrit Mahotsav FD” scheme of 555 days commencing as part of its festive offer.
• The bank has launched a special, limited-time offer with an interest rate of 6.90% for 555 days.

Key Highlights :

• The Bank has also raised its interest rate offerings on term deposits across a range of maturity periods. 
• The interest rate on a one-year deposit has climbed to 6.75%, while the highest rate for a two-year bucket is now 6.85%.

About Amrit Mahotsav FD Scheme :

• The Amrit Mahotsav FD Scheme of 500 Days and 1100 Days will no longer be offered from October 21, 2022.
• The bank provides a 6.40% interest rate on the “Amrit Mahotsav FD” program to the general public and a 6.90% interest rate to senior citizens.
• Senior citizens will only be eligible for the standard markup of 0.50%, and retired senior citizen staff will only be eligible for the standard markup of 1%.

About IDBI Bank :

• Founded: 1 July 1964
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO: Rakesh Sharma
• IDBI Bank Limited is a development finance institution under the ownership of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and the Government of India.

Aditya Birla Health Insurance launches policy with rewards for healthy habits

• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co Limited (ABHICL) has launched ‘Activ Fit’, a comprehensive health insurance plan that targets consumers with active lifestyles and aims to reward them for their good health behavior.

Key Highlights :

• The scheme will provide a 10% good health discount based on the assessment done through a unique facial scan.
• All customers below 35 years of age can avail early bird discount on renewal, 5% from the 4th policy year to the 7th policy year and 10% from the 8th policy year for the life of the policy.
• Customers will also get a 100% binge refill feature.
• “In case of hospitalization, customers can use a 100% binge refill facility if they fall short of their insurance cover.
• The facility enables them to get cover for any illness/injury up to the sum insured.
• The insurance policy also includes maternity cover, which covers normal delivery, C-section delivery, newborn baby expenses, immunization expenses, and stem cell protection as well as modern treatment mental care cover, HIV/AIDS and STD, day care treatment, and pre – Includes hospitalization.

About ABHICL :

• Founded: 2015
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• CEO: Mayank Bathwal
• It was established as a 51:49 joint venture between MMI Strategic Investments (Pty) Ltd, MMI Holdings Limited, Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited, and Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL).

National Pension System: PFRDA changes equity allocation rule under NPS for Tier I, and Tier II accounts

• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has revised the equity allocation rules for Tier 1 and Tier II National Pension System (NPS) accounts.
• As per the new rule, subscribers will be able to allocate up to 75% of their funds in Equity (E) under active choice without any conditions of tapering from the age of 51 years.
• Currently, under the NPS-All Citizen Model, subscribers have to select any one of the registered Pension Funds and actively allocate their contributions across four asset classes – Equity (E), Corporate Bonds (C), Government Securities (G), and Alternate Assets (A) with ‘Active Choice’.

Maximum limits for allocation to different asset classes :

• Asset Class G (Government Securities): 100%
• Asset Class C (Corporate Bonds):100%
• Asset Class E (Equity): 75%
• Asset Class A (Alternate Assets): 5%
• However, the limit of 75% on asset class E gets tapered off at the rate of 2.5% every year and is reallocated to Government securities when the subscriber attains 51 years of age.
• It has also decided to allow the option to allocate 100% of the subscriber’s contribution in Asset Class E (Equity) in Tier-II (optional account) underactive choice without any conditions of tapering.

Age-wise maximum equity limit :

Age	50	51	52	53	54	55	56	57	58	59	60 & above
Max Equity	75	72.5	70	67.5	65	62.5	60	57.5	55	52.5	50

• The Asset class wise exposure limits that will now apply to private sector subscribers under Tier I and to all subscribers in Tier II are tabulated below:

Tier –I
Asset Class	Max limit
Asset Class G (Government Securities)	100%
Asset Class C (Corporate Bonds)	100%
Asset Class E (Equity)	75%
Asset Class A (Alternate Assets)	5%

Tier-II
Asset Class	Max limit
Asset Class G (Government Securities)	100%
Asset Class C (Corporate Bonds)	100%
Asset Class E (Equity)	100%

About NPS :

• The NPS is a voluntary defined contribution pension system in India.
• NPS started with the decision of the Government of India to stop defined benefit pensions for all its employees who joined after 1 April 2004.
• In 2021, PFRDA increased the entry age for the National Pension System (NPS) from 65 years to 70 years.
• NPS Trust is a specialized division of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance of the GoI.

About PFRDA :

• Founded: 23 August 2003
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chairman: Supratim Bandyopadhyay
• The PFRDA is the regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India for overall supervision and regulation of pensions in India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Quality Council of India appoints Mr. Jaxay Shah as the new chairman

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has appointed Jaxay Shah, founder chairman of Savvy Group and former chairman of CREDAI as the chairman of the Quality Council of India (QCI) for three years.
• He will succeed former Mr. McKinsey India chief Adil Zainulbhai, who served as the chairman of QCI through 3 terms for 8 years from 2014 to 2022.

About Mr. Jaxay Shah :

• Shah founded one of India’s largest infrastructure conglomerates, the Savvy Group in 1996.
• He held the position of national chairman of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI), the apex body of private Real Estate developers in India.
• He also holds the position of the chairman of the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Western Region Development Council & serves as the Advisor at the PharmEasy Accelerator Program, which offers 1 lakh+ medicine and health products.

About QCI :

• Established: 1997
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Secretary General: Dr. Ravi P. Singh
• QCI is mandated to promote quality in the country through national accreditation of testing, inspection, and certification bodies which is internationally recognized, driving third-party assessments across sectors.
• It has helped the government with various flagship schemes to assess the quality of education, healthcare, food, sanitation, groundwater management, and natural resources like coal.

About the Ministry of Commerce and Industry :

• Cabinet Minister: Piyush Goyal
• Minister of State: Anupriya Patel, Som Parkash

Center appoints Mr. Narayana Rao Battu as PFRDA Member (Law)

• The Center has appointed Mr. Narayana Rao Battu, an Additional Secretary in the Law Ministry, as a Whole-Time Member (Law) of the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRA).
• Before Mr. Battu, Mr. Pramod Kumar Singh was a whole-time member (Law) at PFRDA.
• His posting will be effective from the date of the assuming charge of the post till he attains the age of 62 years or until further order, whichever is earlier.
• The position of Member (Economics) is yet vacant.
• Mr. Manoj Anand is holding the post of Whole Time Member (Finance).
• The members can hold office for 5 years and would be eligible for re-appointment.

PNB Housing Finance appoints Mr. Girish Kousgi as MD & CEO

• PNB Housing Finance has appointed Girish Kousgi as its Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• Kousgi replaces Mr. Hardayal Prasad who has resigned from his role as MD & CEO of PNBHF citing personal reasons.

About Mr. Girish Kousgi :

• Kousgi has over 25 years of extensive experience in the mortgage and retail lending business.
• Before joining PNB Housing Finance, Kousgi served as the MD & CEO of Can Fin Homes. 

About PNB Housing Finance Limited :

• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi, India
• PNB Housing Finance Limited (PNB Housing) is a registered housing finance company with National Housing Bank (NHB).
• It was incorporated under the Companies Act, of 1956 and commenced its operations on 11 November 1988.

Indian Banks’ Association re-elects PNB’s Mr. AK Goel as Chairman

• Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) reelected Mr. A K Goel, managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Punjab National Bank as its new chairman, who will serve the industry body for the financial year 2022-23.
• The senior managing director of a public sector bank is generally elected as chairman for one year.
• State Bank of India’s (SBI) Mr. Dinesh Khara has become deputy chairman along with two others including A S Rajeev, MD & CEO of Bank of Maharashtra, and Mr. Madhav Nair, CEO of Mashreq Bank, a Dubai-headquartered foreign lender.

About IBA :

• Established: 26 September 1946
• Honorary secretary: N Kamakodi (CEO of City Union Bank)
• IBM is a representative body of management of banking in India operating in India – an association of Indian banks and financial institutions based in Mumbai.
• It is managed by a managing committee, and the current managing committee consists of 1 chairman, 3 deputy chairmen, 1 honorary secretary, and 26 members.

Yuvraj Singh becomes the brand ambassador for the 3rd T20 World Cricket Cup for the Blind

• The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) announced Indian legendary cricketer Yuvraj Singh as the brand ambassador for the 3rd T20 World Cup for the Blind to be held in India.

Key Highlights :

• The India squad list was announced to Ajay Kumar Reddy B2 (Andhra Pradesh) led the team as a captain and Venkateswara Rao Dunna – B2 (Andhra Pradesh) was the vice president.
• The World Cup matches commence from 6th December to 17th December 2022.
• The participating countries for the third T20 World Cup for the Blind are India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Australia, South Africa,  Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. 
• The world cup is an initiative of the Samarthanam Trust for the disabled, which has been organizing this championship since
• The first World Cup was played in 2012 and the second was played in 2017.
• India has won both the T20 World Cups till now.

Awards & Honors of Yuvraj Singh :

• In 2012, Yuvraj was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India’s second-highest sporting award by the Government of India. 
• In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor
• In February 2014, he was honored with the FICCI Most Inspiring Sportsperson of the Year Award.

About CABI :

• Founded: 2011
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
• President : Mahantesh Kivadasannavar
• Secretary: John David Endala

About World Blind Cricket Council :

• Founded: September 1996
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• President: Syed Sultan Shah
• Secretary General: Raymond Moxly
• The WBCC is an administration of blind cricket to manage it at the international level.

ICICI Bank board reappoints Mr. Sandeep Bakhshi as MD & CEO for 3 years

• ICICI Bank’s board of directors has reappointed Mr. Sandeep Bakshi as the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) for a period of three years up to October 3, 2026.

About Mr. Sandeep Bakshi :

• Bakhshi has been with the ICICI Group for 36 years and has handled various assignments across the group in ICICI Limited, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, ICICI Bank, and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.
• He was appointed as the ICICI bank’s MD and CEO on October 15, 2018.
• Before his appointment, he was Wholetime Director and the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

About ICICI Bank :

• Founded: 5 January 1994
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Liz Truss resigns after six weeks as UK prime minister

• The United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister (PM) Ms. Liz Truss has resigned from the post after six turbulent weeks in office, making her the shortest-serving prime minister (44 days) in British history. 
• She became the 4th PM of the Conservative Party after the PMs Mr. David Cameron, Ms. Theresa May, and Boris Johnson resigned before the end of their term.

About Mr. Liz Truss :

• Mary Elizabeth Truss was the leader of the Conservative Party from 5 September to 24 October 2022.
• She served as foreign secretary from 2021 to 2022.
• She is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 6 September 2022.

About the UK :

• Capital: London
• Currency: Pound sterling

Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints Mr. C S Rajan as an additional and independent director 

• Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited has appointed C S Rajan as an additional and independent director on the bank’s board for five years.

About Mr. C S Rajan :

• Rajan is a retired IAS officer from the 1978 Batch
• He has over 40 years of experience across significant government portfolios.
• He has served on several interdisciplinary teams for review of World Bank projects, and also as a consultant to the World Bank on a study on ‘Farmer Participation in Agricultural Research and Extension System.
• Currently, Mr. Rajan is serving as a Government of India-appointed Non-Executive Chairman of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited and was also its Managing Director from April 2019 to October 2022.

About KMBL :

• Founded: 1985
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairman, MD & CEO : Uday Kotak

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

India successfully tests new-generation nuclear-capable ‘Agni Prime’ ballistic missile

• India successfully test-fired ‘Agni Prime’ – a new generation of ballistic missiles – from off the coast of Odisha.
• With this 3rd consecutive successful flight test of the Agni Prime missile, the accuracy and reliability of the system have been established.

Key Highlights :

• The first test of ‘Agni Prime’ was in June 2021, & 6 months later December 2021 the second test was successfully executed.
• Performance was validated using data obtained by many tracking systems, including radar, telemetry, and electro-optical systems.
• These systems were deployed at different locations along the flight path, including two down-range ships at the terminal point, and covered the entire trajectory

About Agni Prime :

• Agni Prime is a medium-range ballistic missile being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It is a two-stage canisterised solid-propellant missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system with a maximum range of 2,000 km.
• It weighs 50% less than the Agni 3 missile and has new guidance and propulsion systems.
• Since it is canisterised, it can be launched from rail or road, stored for longer periods, and can be transported as per operational requirements.
• It is the sixth missile in the Agni (missile) series of ballistic missiles.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IIT Madras & NASA Researchers Study Microbial Interactions In ISS 

• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) Madras and National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers have studied the interactions between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS). 

About the Study :

• The study will help devise strategies for the disinfection of space stations to minimize any potential impact of microbes on the health of astronauts
• The study describing strategies to disinfect the space station was published in the journal Microbiome. 
• It was motivated by the earlier observations of the dominance of the bacteria Klebsiella pneumonia on the surfaces of the ISS.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Hyderabadi Haleem from Telangana receives the “Most Popular GI” award:

• Hyderabadi Haleem from Telangana defeated other foods including Rasgulla, Bikaneri Bhujiya, and Ratlami Sev to win the title of “Most Popular GI.”
• The renowned Hyderabadi Haleem has won the “Most Popular GI” title in a fierce fight against more than 15 food items with Geographical Indication (GI) classification across the nation.
• Products are given GI tags to ensure that only authorized users may use the well-known product name.
• Hyderabadi Haleem received GI status for the first time in 2010.
• It lost validity on December 2019.
• Later on, nevertheless, the dish’s tag was extended by the Geographical Indicator registrar for another 10 years.
• Nirmal toys and crafts, Nirmal furniture, Nirmal paintings, Gadwal sari, and Banaganapalle Mangoes are some Telangana products that have received the GI designation.

Hyderabad in Telangana received the AIPH “World Green City award 2022”:

• For its initiative titled “Green Garland to the State of Telangana,” the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, has been recognized as the Grand Winner of the AIPH (International Association of Horticultural Producers) World Green City Awards 2022, the most prestigious award of the inaugural AIPH World Green City awards (2022 edition).
• Hyderabad also took home the prize in the category of “Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth.”
• Hyderabad has received recognition for its efforts to improve urban settings through increased use of plants and nature, which also supports local ambitions for increased economic, social, and environmental resilience.
• The prize recognized Telangana’s large-scale tree-planting initiative, Telangana Ku Haritha Haram, which was undertaken in 2015 and 2016.
• The program intends to expand the state’s tree cover from 24% to 33% of its overall area.

Booker Prize 2022 awarded to Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka for his novel ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’:

• Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka won the 2022 Booker Prize for his second novel ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’.
• Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world.
• 47-year-old Karunatilaka becomes the second Sri Lankan to win the prestigious 50,000 pounds literary prize at a ceremony in London, after Michael Ondaatje who won for ‘The English Patient’ in 1992.
• ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’ tells the story of the photographer of its title, who in 1990 wakes up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office.
• Shehan Karunatilaka, who was born in Galle in 1975 and grew up in Colombo, says that Sri Lankans specializes in “gallows humour” and make jokes in the face of crises as a coping mechanism.
• His debut novel from 2011, ‘Chinaman’, won the Commonwealth Prize.
• The Booker Prize is awarded annually to a book published in English in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Alexia Putellas and Karim Benzema have won the Ballon d’Or for 2022:

• Karim Benzema, a professional French footballer for Real Madrid, has won the Men’s Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball Award) 2022, becoming the fifth Frenchman to do so.
• Alexia Putellas, a Spanish professional footballer from Barcelona, has won the Women’s Ballon d’Or award or Ballon d’Or Féminin Award for the second time.
• The 66th Ballon d’Or Ceremony (2022) was placed at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris in France.
• Karim Benzema is only the second player to win the award since 2008, behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Lionel Messi has won the most Ballon d’Or awards.
• He leads the list with seven awards, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five.

Award	Winner
Ballon d’Or (Men)	Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema
Ballon d’Or (Women)	Alexia Putellas(Barcelona)
Kopa Award	Gavi (Barcelona)
Gerd Muller Award	Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Yashin Trophy	Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Club of the Year Award	Manchester City
Socrates Award	Sadio Mane (Liverpool)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

American Express ties up with Nasscom to empower women with digital skills:

• The Nasscom Foundation and American Express have partnered to train and upskill 700 women graduates through an employment-linked training project, ‘Women Empowerment Through Technology
• Under this project, American Express and Nasscom Foundation are working with two training partners – FUEL (Friends Union for Energizing Lives) and RCED (Regional Centre for Entrepreneurship) to impart women with technology-based skill development and entrepreneurship training.
• Women Empowerment Through Technology project focuses on training 700 women in various technical courses including cloud and data analytics, blockchain, Machine Learning (ML), and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• The enrolled beneficiaries will also be groomed through non-technical courses, including communication skills, holistic personality development, and interview skills.
• On successful completion of the program, the women beneficiaries will receive a validated professional certificate.

BEL inks MOU with Triton to manufacture hydrogen fuel cells:

• Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a US-headquartered electric vehicle company, Triton Electric Vehicle (TEV), to manufacture hydrogen fuel cells.
• The cells will be manufactured by BEL using the technology transfer from TEV.
• This would also help to meet the requirements of the Indian market and mutually agreed upon export markets.
• According to the company, the MoU aims to tap the demand for clean energy solutions for various applications, including for e- Mobility, by leveraging the Government of India’s thrust for adopting clean energy fuels for applications in transport and energy storage.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT

Serbian scientists named an insect after Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic:

• Serbian scientists named a new species of beetle after tennis player Novak Djokovic because of its speed, strength, flexibility, durability, and capacity to thrive in harsh environments.
• The new beetle belongs to the Duvalius genus, which is found in Europe.
• It was discovered in an underground hole in western Serbia several years ago.
• The bug is a specialized underground Coleoptera beetle, a predator that lives deep beneath and has lost its eyes.
• The insect, which belongs to the Duvalius genus of ground beetles found in Europe, was discovered several years ago in an underground trench in western Serbia.
• According to the Tanjug news agency, it is named Duvalius Dokovici.
• A new species was a specialized underground Coleoptera beetle, a predator that had lost its eyes and was dwelling deep beneath.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

Karnataka Assembly Deputy Speaker Anand Mamani passes away

• Karnataka Assembly Deputy Speaker and three-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Anand Mamani, passed away at the age of 56.

About Anand Mamani :

• He was the son of Chandrashekhar M Mamani, who also served as the deputy speaker in the
• He was the three-time MLA, who represented Saudatti legislative assembly constituency in Karnataka.
• In 2020, he was unanimously elected as the deputy speaker of the Karnataka legislative assembly.

Daily CA on October 25 & 26:

• The Maharashtra Women and Children Development Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha launched India’s first “Migration Monitoring Systems” in Mumbai.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi began the hiring effort for the Rozgar Mela, which aims to hire 10 lakh people.
• Hyderabadi Haleem from Telangana defeated other foods including Rasgulla, Bikaneri Bhujiya, and Ratlami Sev to win the title of “Most Popular GI.”
• For its initiative titled “Green Garland to the State of Telangana,” the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, has been recognized as the Grand Winner of the AIPH (International Association of Horticultural Producers) World Green City Awards 2022, the most prestigious award of the inaugural AIPH World Green City awards (2022 edition).
• Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka won the 2022 Booker Prize for his second novel ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida’.
• Karim Benzema, a professional French footballer for Real Madrid, has won the Men’s Ballon d’Or (Golden Ball Award) 2022, becoming the fifth Frenchman to do so.
• The Nasscom Foundation and American Express have partnered to train and upskill 700 women graduates through an employment-linked training project, ‘Women Empowerment Through Technology
• Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a US-headquartered electric vehicle company, Triton Electric Vehicle (TEV), to manufacture hydrogen fuel cells.
• Serbian scientists named a new species of beetle after tennis player Novak Djokovic because of its speed, strength, flexibility, durability, and capacity to thrive in harsh environments.
• India and France have been re-elected as President and Co-President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• Global anti-terrorism watchdog Financial Action Task Force  (FATF) removed Pakistan from its “grey list” after four years.
• The legendary Hollywood star Anna May Wong will become the first Asian American to appear on US currency
• Ladakh MP Mr. Jamyang Tsering Namgyal launched the “Main Bhi Subhash” campaign from Leh.
• The Delhi government has launched an anti-firecracker campaign named ‘Diya Jalao, Patake Nahi’ (light up lamps, not firecrackers) at Central Park in New Delhi, Delhi to promote a pollution-free festival of
• The private sector lender IDBI Bank has launched the “Amrit Mahotsav FD” scheme of 555 days commencing as part of its festive offer.
• Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co Limited (ABHICL) has launched ‘Activ Fit’, a comprehensive health insurance plan that targets consumers with active lifestyles and aims to reward them for their good health behavior.
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has revised the equity allocation rules for Tier 1 and Tier II National Pension System (NPS) accounts.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has appointed Jaxay Shah, founder chairman of Savvy Group and former chairman of CREDAI as the chairman of the Quality Council of India (QCI) for three years.
• The Center has appointed Narayana Rao Battu, an Additional Secretary in the Law Ministry, as a Whole-Time Member (Law) of the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRA).
• PNB Housing Finance has appointed Girish Kousgi as its Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) reelected Mr. A K Goel, managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Punjab National Bank as its new chairman, who will serve the industry body for the financial year 2022-23.
• The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) announced Indian legendary cricketer Yuvraj Singh as the brand ambassador for the 3rd T20 World Cup for the Blind to be held in India.
• ICICI Bank’s board of directors has reappointed Mr. Sandeep Bakshi as the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) for a period of three years up to October 3, 2026.
• The United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister (PM) Ms. Liz Truss has resigned from the post after six turbulent weeks in office, making her the shortest-serving prime minister (44 days) in British history. 
• Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited has appointed C S Rajan as an additional and independent director on the bank’s board for five years.
• India successfully test-fired ‘Agni Prime’ – a new generation of ballistic missiles – from off the coast of Odisha.
• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT) Madras and National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers have studied the interactions between microbes in the International Space Station (ISS). 
• Karnataka Assembly Deputy Speaker and three-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Anand Mamani, passed away at the age of 56.