CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
Infantry Day celebrated across J&K, Ladakh UTs to mark landing of Indian Army in Srinagar in 1947
- Indian Army celebrates 27th October every year as the ‘Infantry Day’, as it was on this day that the 1st Battalion of the SIKH Regiment landed at Srinagar airbase and displayed resoluteness and extraordinary courage to thwart the evil designs of the Pakistan Army who had invaded Kashmir with the help of tribal raiders.
- The 74th ‘Infantry Day’ to mark landing of the Indian Army in Srinagar on this day in 1947.
International Animation Day
- International Animation Day is marked every year on October 28.
- This day is marked to celebrate the art and techniques of animation. Right from basic cartoons to now full-fledged movies, the art of creating movement and projecting it on screen is enjoyed by everyone, young and old.
- It was first celebrated on Oct 28th, 2002 in honor of Emile Reynaud’s first performance of Theatre Optique.
Disarmament Week: 24-30 October
- Disarmament Week seeks to promote awareness and better understanding of disarmament issues and their cross-cutting importance. Starting on 24 October, the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the week-long annual observance was first called for in the Final Document of the General Assembly’s 1978 special session on disarmament (resolution S-10/2). In 1995, the General Assembly invited governments, as well as NGOs, to continue taking an active part in Disarmament Week (resolution 50/72 B, 12 December 1995) in order to promote a better understanding among the public of disarmament issues.
- Throughout history, countries have pursued disarmament to build a safer, more secure world and to protect people from harm. Since the foundation of the United Nations, disarmament and arms control have played a critical role in preventing and ending crises and armed conflict. Heightened tensions and dangers are better resolved through serious political dialogue and negotiation—not by more arms.
About United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs:
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- Head: High Representative for Disarmament : Izumi Nakamitsu
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Centre sets up high-level committee to commemorate Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur’s 400th birth anniversary
- The Centre set up a high-level committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the 400th birth anniversary of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur.
- The mandate of the 70-member committee includes approval of policies, plans, programmes and supervision and guiding the commemoration, besides deciding broad dates for detailed programmes of celebration.
- The members of the committee include former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Hardeep Singh Puri, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, chief ministers of Haryana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan.
- Other members include Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Akali Dal leaders Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, former chief of Indian Army J J Singh, former chief of Indian Air Force Birender Singh Dhanoa, and sportspersons Milkha Singh and Harbhajan Singh.
- Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla will be the member secretary of the high-level committee.
Mandaviya inaugurates direct entry facility at VOC port
- Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated direct port entry facility at VO Chidambaranar Port in Tuticorin, a move that will reduce logistics cost and boost ease of doing business.
- The DPE facility would enable direct movement of containers from factories, without intermediate handling at any CFS, thus facilitating shippers to gate-in their factory stuffed exports directly to the container terminal on 24×7 basis.
- The facility is created in an area of 18,357 sq m inside the truck parking terminal which was developed under the ‘Sagarmala’ for issuing customs clearance of export cargo.
- It can handle 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per month.
- Port entered into an MoU with Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) to operate the facility for 30 years and the Customs department has also approved operating the DPE facility in the port.
About Minister of Shipping
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
International Day of Diplomats
- International Day of Diplomats is celebrated on 24 October every year.
- The first International Day of Diplomats was celebrated in BrasÃlia on 24 October 2017.
- It was proposed by Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K and saw participation from the diplomats of Bangladesh, France, Ghana, Israel, Italy, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.
Vigilance Awareness Week
- The Central Vigilance Commission observes theVigilance Awareness Week from 27th October to 2nd November, 2020.
- This is observedevery year during the week in which the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (31st October) falls. This awareness week campaign affirms our commitment to promotion of integrity and probity in public life through citizen participation.
- Theme 2020: Satark Bharat, Samriddh Bharat (Vigilant India, Prosperous India).
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
- The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage takes place every 27 October.
- This commemorative day was chosen by UNESCO in 2005 to raise awareness of the significance and preservation risks of recorded sound and audiovisual documents.
- This year thetheme of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is “Your Window to the World“
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Indo-Tibetan Border Police celebrates 59th Raising Day
- Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Oct 24th celebrated its 59th Raising Day across the country.
- Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy took part in the Raising Day function organized in Greater Noida and took the salute at the Parade.
- Mr Reddy informed that the Ministry of Home Affairs has given approval to the ITBP to establish 47 border outposts.
- This year 28 types of new vehicles have been provided. A budget of Rs 7,223 crore has been allocated for the ITBP and more than Rs. 15 crore has been sanctioned for management.
- He presented six Presidential Police Medals to ITBP personnel and 23 Police Medals for Meritorious Services.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
World Snow Leopard’s Day
- October 23 is celebrated as World’s Snow Leopard Day every year to protect and conserve snow leopards and other wildlife of the Himalayas.
- These are distributed across 12 countries in central Asia and are usually found in high, rugged mountain landscapes at elevations of 3,000–4,500m. Thus they are also called the ‘ghost of the mountains’.
World Polio Day
- World Polio Day is celebrated on October 24th. World Polio Day was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.
- Thetheme for 2020 is “A win against polio is a win for global health.”
World Development Information Day
- The United Nations’ (UN) World Development Information Day is annually held on October 24 to draw attention of worldwide public opinion to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.
- The main aim of this day is to collect information and mobilize public opinion, especially among new generation, in order to draw their attention and create awareness of the problems surrounding development, promoting efforts in the field of international cooperation for growth and development.
United Nations Day
- The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945.24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.
- The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and its founding Charter.
CURRENT AFFAIRS:NATIONAL
AYUSH Minister inaugurates Regional Raw Drug Repository at AIIA
- AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated the Regional Raw Drug Repository at All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi through a virtual function.
- This RRDR is the second in the series of repositories proposed by National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB).
- AYUSH Ministry has stated that there is an increased demand for the natural healing and herbal products across the globe which has been further pushed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
- In order to document the diversity in the genetics and chemistry of medicinal plants, eight RRDR and one NRDR have been proposed by Ministry of AYUSH.
- Out of them, three Regional Raw Drug Repositories have already been developed.
About Ministry of AYUSH:
- Shripad Naik, Minister of State (Independent charge)
- Constituency: North Goa
PM Modi to inaugurate 3 projects including Kisan Suryodaya in Gujarat
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate three projects, including ‘Kisan Suryodaya Yojana’ for the farmers in Gujarat, via video conferencing.To provide day-time power supply for irrigation, the Gujarat Government under Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had recently announced the Kisan Suryodaya Yojana.
- Under this scheme, farmers will be able to avail power supply from 5 AM to 9 PM. The state government has allocated a budget of 3,500 crores for installing transmission infrastructure under this scheme by 2023.The Prime Minister will also inaugurate Paediatric Heart Hospital attached with the UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre and a Mobile Application for tele-cardiology at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad.
- The UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology is undergoing expansion at the cost of Rs.470 crores. The number of beds will increase from 450 to 1251 after the completion of the expansion project.
- The Institute will also become the biggest single super speciality cardiac teaching institute in the country and one of the biggest single super speciality cardiac hospitals in the world. He will launch the Girnar ropeway in which initially, there will be 25-30 cabins, with a capacity of 8 people per cabin.
- A distance of 2.3 km will now be covered in just 7.5 minutes through the ropeway. In addition to this, the ropeway will also provide a scenic view of the lush green beauty surrounding the Girnar mountain.
About Gujarat:
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
- Chief minister: Vijay Rupani
Indian Railways launches Freight Business Development Portal to boost freight business
- The Indian Railways launched a Freight Business Development Portal amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to boost the freight business. As per a statement, the aim of the new portal is to motivate new customers to transport goods through railways and provide better facilities to existing customers.
- The portal, which has been specially designed and developed on the principle of ‘Customer First’, shows the complete timetable of all goods trains, routes, distance from one station to another and freight fares. Stakeholders can also make suggestions and seek help on the portal. Real-time monitoring of all the suggestions received on the portal by Indian Railways has been arranged.
- Additionally, it will provide a channel to establish contact with railway authorities and to remove the hassles faced by freight customers. It is also expected that this portal will be divided into division and headquarter business development units to reach potential freight customers.
About Indian Railways:
- Headquarters: New Delhi, India
- Key people: Piyush Goyal (Minister of Railways)
- Vinod Kumar Yadav (Chairman, Railway Board)
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Andorra joins the IMF and becomes the organization’s 190th member
- Europe’s Andorra formally joined the International Monetary Fund, becoming the crisis lender’s 190th member state as the tourism and trade-dependent principality struggles with the coronavirus pandemic.
- IMF’s Membership allows the Andorran government to benefit from IMF policy advice, especially as the country tackles the crisis caused by COVID-19 and can now receive an annual review or “health check” of its economy by the IMF, tap technical assistance, and access IMF lending if needed.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C) virtually launches “Life in Miniature” project
- Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel virtually launched the “Life in Miniature” project, a collaboration between the National Museum, New Delhi, Ministry of Culture, and Google Arts & culture.
- On the Google Arts & Culture app, online viewers can experience the first Augmented Reality-powered art gallery designed with traditional Indian architecture, and explore a life-size virtual space where you can walk up to a selection of miniature paintings.
- The artworks showcased are presented along with five universal themes of the human relationship with nature, love, celebration, faith, and power.
- Users will be able to see famous miniature collections of the National Museum, like the Ramayana, Royal Saga, Pahari style paintings in never before seen ways and in extraordinary detail, in just a few clicks at co/LifeInMiniature.
About MoC&T
- Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C): Shri Prahlad Singh Patel
- Constituency: Damoh, Madhya Pradesh
ECI Sets Up Panel To Examine Expenditure Limit For Candidates
- The Election Commission has constituted a two-member committee to examine the issues concerning expenditure limit for a candidate considering increase in number of electors and rise in Cost Inflation Index and other factors.
- Former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Harish Kumar, who was a Director General, Investigation, and the EC’s Secretary General and Director General, Expenditure, Umesh Sinha will be the committee members.
- The committee’s terms of reference are to assess the change in number of electors across the states or Union Territories and its bearing on expenditure, the change in Cost Inflation Index and its bearing on the pattern of expenditure incurred by the candidates in recent elections, and seeking views of the political parties and other stakeholders.
- Also examining other factors which may have bearings on expenditure and examine any other related issue, it has been asked to submit its report within 120 days of its constitution.
About ECI
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chief Election Commissioner of India: Sunil Arora
CBSE introduces facial recognition systems for accessing digital documents
- Using the state of the art Facial Recognition System, CBSE will enable students, to download their digital academic documents of class X and XII. This computer application matches human face from a digital image already stored in the database. The computer and the human interact to map the facial features. In a Similar way, a live image of the student will be matched with the photograph on the CBSE admit card already stored in repository, and once successful, the certificate will be emailed to the student.
- This application is now available on “Parniaam Manjusha” and Digi Locker at https://digilocker.gov.in/cbse-certificate.htmlfor all 2020 records.
- CBSE has already pushed 12 crores digital academic documents in Digi locker which can be opened by a student to access Mark sheets, Pass and Migration Certificates. The latest facility of Face Matching will immensely help foreign students and those who are unable to open Digi locker account for any reason such as Adhaar Card or wrong mobile numbers.
About CBSE:
- Headquarters location: Delhi
- Chairperson: Manoj Ahuja, IAS
Dept of Posts to release stamp on 75th anniversary of United Nations
- Department of Posts will be releasing a stamp in the presence of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on the eve of 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
- External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava stated India attaches highest priority to the expansion of the UN Security Council so that it reflects contemporary realities of the world.
- He stated reformed multilateralism will be a key pillar of overall approach in the upcoming innings of India as a non permanent member.
About Indian post:
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Pradipta Kumar Bisoi , Secretary
- Arundhaty Ghosh, Director General
About United Nations:
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- Founded: 24 October 1945
- Secretary general: António Guterres
MSME Minister Nitin Gadkari launches India’s first-ever high quality Khadi Fabric Footwear
- Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises- MSME, Nitin Gadkari launched India’s first-ever high quality Khadi Fabric Footwear, designed by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) through Video Conference.These footwear are made of Khadi fabric like Silk, Cotton and Wool.
- On the occasion, Mr Gadkari also launched the online sale of Khadi footwear through KVIC’s e-portalkhadiindia.gov.in.
- Mr Gadkari stated, such unique products has high potential of capturing the international market and at the same time, Khadi fabric footwear will create additional employment and higher income for artisans.
- Mr Gadkari also urged the KVIC to develop alternatives to leather accessories like ladies’ handbags, purses, wallet in handcrafted Khadi fabric that has a huge potential in foreign markets.
- He stated, by developing and marketing such products overseas, Khadi India can capture a market worth Rs. 5000 crore.
About Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises:
- Nitin Gadkari, Cabinet Minister
- Constituency:Nagpur
- Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Minister of State
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL
Global trade likely to fall by 7 to 9% in 2020: UNCTAD
- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has stated that the value of global trade is set to fall by seven to nine per cent in 2020 from the previous year.
- The report added that if the pandemic resurges in coming months, that could lead to a deteriorating environment for policy-makers and sudden increase in trade restrictive policies.
- Meanwhile, China’s exports rebounded strongly in the third quarter after falling in the early months of the pandemic and have posted year-on-year growth rates of nearly 10 per cent.
About United Nations Conference on Trade and Development:
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Head: Mukhisa Kituyi
UNDP and EIF partner to develop initiatives for implementation of SDGs and sustainable finance
- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) are joining forces to develop joint initiatives for sustainable finance and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- EIF and UNDP have also agreed to explore cooperation opportunities in fields of common interest: Sustainable Development Goals, risk management, socio-economic and environmental impact assessments, as well as design and delivery of financial instruments and asset management services to support inclusive, private sector-led, growth.
- This MoU falls into the wider UNDP partnership with EIB Group (composed of the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund), which is essential to help countries to access and leverage COVID-19 response financing and better prevent future crises. Both organizations aim to jointly address global challenges and share knowledge with each other in areas such as migration, climate change, and crisis response.
- Building on the European Investment Bank’s – UNDP Indicative Joint Action Plan and capitalizing on successful initial institutional collaboration, EIF would leverage UNDP’s socio-economic assessments and seek support from UNDP in the context of embedding the SDGs into the deployment of financial instruments. At the same time, UNDP seeks to benefit from EIF’s unique experience in the context of structuring, deploying, and managing financial instruments and the related risks.
About United Nations Development Programme:
- Headquarters: New York, United States
- Head: Achim Steiner
India and US to hold two plus two Ministerial Dialogue on Oct 27
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
Police Commemoration Day
- The Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on October 21
- This day is in memory of the CRPF personnel who died at Hot Springs in Ladakh while fighting Chinese troops on this day in 1959.
Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day
- Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) Prevention Dayor World Iodine Deficiency Day is observed every year on 21st October.
- Iodine is an essential micronutrient required for normal thyroid function, growth, and development.
International Stuttering Awareness Day
- International Stuttering Awareness Day is observed annually on October 22.
- Stuttering is a communication disorder in which repetitions or abnormal stoppages of sounds and syllables -break the flow of speech.
- This year’s theme is “Journey of Words – Resilience and Bouncing Back”.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATES
Surat now has India’ longest BRTS network
- Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani e-launched projects worth more than Rs 200 crorein
- The BRTS corridor from Kumbharia to Kadodora was opened.
- With the opening of this BRTS corridor , Surat has become the only city in the country to have the longestBRTS network of 108 km.
- Unveiling the development works of SMC and SUDAthrough video conference from Gandhinagar.
About Gujarat
- Capital: Gandhinagar
- Governor: Acharya Devvrat
- Chief minister: Vijay Rupani
Govt partners with FICCI for Make-in-Odisha 2020
- Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has been selected as the national industry partner for the third edition of ‘Make in Odisha’ conclave, the flagship industrial summit of Odisha Government that showcases the State as an industrial power house and a preferred investment destination in the country.
- An MoU was signed between IPICOL and FICCI in presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for investment promotion and investor outreach activities to be undertaken leading up to the conclave.
- The conclaves in 2016 and 2018 brought in a significant increase in the quantum of new investments to Odisha and helped create a diversified industrial base in the State.
- The State Government has decided to continue investment outreach activities with prospective investors on virtual platforms till the time the situation is ripe for organising the mega industrial carnival in physical form.
About FICCI
- Headquarters location: New Delhi
- President: Sangeetha Reddy
About Odisha
- Capital: Bhubaneswar
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
- Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik
Meghalaya CM launches ‘micro ATM’ service in rural areas
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DAYS
World Osteoporosis Day
- World Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on October 20th, and launches a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.
- The campaign will feature “THAT’S OSTEOPOROSIS” as a headline, highlighting emotionally impactful visuals and stories of real people living with osteoporosis in all regions of the world.
International Chefs Day
- Each year on October 20th, World chefs celebrates International Chefs Day.
- Since its creation by the Late Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher in 2004, World chefs has been committed to using International Chefs Day to celebrate our noble profession, always remembering that it is our duty to pass on our knowledge and culinary skills to the next generation of Chefs with a sense of pride and commitment to the future.
- This year’s International Chefs Day campaign theme is Healthy Food for the Future!
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL
Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches indigenous software solution for vessel traffic
- Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya e-launched an indigenous software solution for Vessel traffic services (VTS) and Vessels Traffic Monitoring Systems (VTMS).
- Presently, India has approximately 15 VTS systems operational along the Indian Coast and there is no uniformity of VTS software as each system has its own VTS software.
- VTS and VTMS is a software which determines vessel positions, position of other traffic or meteorological hazard warnings and extensive management of traffic within a port or waterway.
- VTS contributes to safety of life at sea, safety and efficiency of navigation and protection of the marine environment, adjacent shore areas, work sites and offshore installations from possible adverse effects of maritime traffic.
- Data from traffic movements can be stored and used as reference information for port administration, port authorities, coastguards and search and rescue services.
- VTMS is mandatory under IMO Convention SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea).
- The VTMS traffic image is compiled and collected by means of advanced sensors such as radar, direction finding, CCTV and other co-operative systems and services.
- VTS Software can be provided to Indian trade friendly nations like Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Gulf countries.
- Ministry of Shipping has sanctioned an amount of Rs 10 crore to IIT, Chennai for development of indigenous VTS software.
About Minister of Shipping
- Minister of State for Shipping and Union Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilizers: Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya
- Constituency: Gujarat
Defence Minister releases new version of DRDO Procurement Manual 2020
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released a new version of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Procurement Manual 2020 (PM-2020). The previous Procurement Manual was modified in 2016.
- “Bid security declaration option for earnest money deposit, increase of threshold limit for advance payment, placement of order on lowest bidder 2 (L2) in case L1 backs out are some of the salient features of the new manual, which will assist the industry for the speedy execution of projects,” an official statement stated.
- This is being done to encourage more participation of Indian industry, including start-ups and micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) in defence research and development, the statement added.
- Some more enabling measures of PM-2020 are exemption of bid security and performance security up to 10 lakh, no negotiations for commercial off-the-shelf items/services wherever price discovery is happening through market forces.
- Performance security for service contracts is linked to the payment cycle instead of total contract value. Procurement of stores from development partners, safeguarding of free issue material through insurance cover instead of bank guarantee are other facilitating measures have been adopted to help the industry.
- “In the new PM-2020, the liquidated damage (LD) rate for development contracts has been reduced. The delivery period (DP) extension process has been simplified for faster decision making. Many of the internal procedures have been further simplified for faster engagement with industry,” the statement stated.
About MoD:
- Defence Minister: Rajnath Singh
- Constituency: Lucknow, Up
Dr Harsh Vardhan Launches CuRED, CSIR Partnered Clinical Trials Website
- Union Health and Science and Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched CuRED, a website that gives comprehensive info about the numerous COVID-19 clinical trials that the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is engaged in partnership with industry, other government departments and ministries.
- CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs (CuRED) provides information about the drugs, diagnostics and devices including the current stage of the trials, partnering institutions and their role in the trials and other details, as per a release by the Science & Technology Ministry.
- CSIR is exploring multiple combination clinical trials of anti-virals with host-directed therapies for the potential treatment of COVID-19. It is also working with the AYUSH Ministry for conducting clinical trials of AYUSH drugs. It has also undertaken safety & efficacy trials of AYUSH prophylactics and therapeutics based on individual plant-based compounds and in combination.
- In addition to these, CSIR has also been involved in clinical trials of diagnostics and devices.
About CSIR:
- Director General: Shekhar C. Mande
- Head quarters : Delhi
About Ministry of Science and Technology :
- Union minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Minister of Earth Sciences: Harsh Vardhan
- Constituency: Chandni Chowk
Indian spends 3.5% of average daily income on food
- On an average an Indian spends 5% of his/ her daily income for a plate of food as compared to 0.6% by a New Yorker and an astonishing , according to the “Cost of a Plate of Food” report released by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP).
- As per the report, the most expensive plate of food is of South Sudan where people on average would have to spend 186% of their daily salary on basic ingredients. In the list that features 36 countries across the globe, India stands at 28th position as per the percentage of money, people would pay on a plate of food compared to their salaries.
- It has brought to light how countries in sub-Saharan Africa feature heavily in the report with 17 of the top 20 drawn from this region.
- “The region’s high dependency on food imports leaves it vulnerable to global economic conditions, while high use of informal labour means masses of workers are prey to sudden losses of income,” it stated.
- The report stated such a difference brings into sharp focus the huge inequalities at play between people living in developing countries and others in more prosperous parts of the world. It stated conflict and climate change have long affected people’s ability to afford food across multiple countries, as they are driven from their land and livelihoods and left unable to produce or buy the produce they need to feed their families.
- Now Covid-19 has added another layer to the challenges faced by most vulnerable groups, through increased unemployment, loss of remittances and weak economies that prevent countries offsetting the worst effects of the pandemic, the report has highlighted. Market-dependent groups in urban areas are increasingly at risk.
About World Food Programme:
- Headquarters: Rome, Italy
- Heads: David Beasley, Ertharin Cousin
