Current Affairs in English – October 21 2022

National Events:

Kedarnath Ropeway:

PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Kedarnath Ropeway Project on 21 October 2022. He also laid the foundation stone of connectivity projects worth over 3,400 crore rupees for the development of the state.
He also laid the foundation stone for road widening projects worth about 1,000 crore rupees. These projects will boost connectivity and religious tourism in the Garhwal region.

WSS:

Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Prof. SP Singh Baghel laid the foundation stone of Water Supply Scheme ( WSS ) in Kupwara in October 2022.
It is coming up at a cost of Rs 799.60 lakh. He also inaugurated New Type Primary Health Centre ( NTPHC ) at Gugloosa Trehgam which was completed at a cost of Rs 187.50 lakh.

Deepotsav Celebration:

PM Narendra Modi will take part in the grand Deepotsav celebration in Ayodhya on the eve of the Diwali. The celebrations will feature a special Russian version of the epic to be performed by a team from Moscow.
It is for the first time that he will be participating in person in the celebrations. He will also witness the 3 – D Holographic Projection Mapping Show at Ram Ki Paidi.

Face Authentication technology:

Government is developing a Face Authentication technology – based system. It will help in submission of digital life certificates by the pensioners and family pensioners from any Android – based smart phone.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology along with the Department of Pension and Pensioners ‘ Portal and Unique Identification Authority of India are developing this technology’.

Akash Tatva – Akash for Life:

The first conference on Akash Tatva – Akash for Life , will be held from November 5th to 7th , 2022 in Dehradun.
35 eminent speakers will share their thoughts on various dimensions of Akash Tattva during the Dehradun Conclave.
ISRO and all major scientific ministries and departments are joining hands with Vijnana Bharati to organize this National conference.

Agni Prime New Generation Ballistic Missile:

The Agni Prime New Generation Ballistic Missile was successfully testfired by India on 21 October. The missile was tested off the coast of Odisha.
The Agni Prime is a two – stage canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system.
Earlier in December 2021 , DRDO too tested the Agni Prime from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam island off the coast of Odisha.

IAF & HAL:

The Indian Air Force ( IAF ) and the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited ( HAL ) on 20 October 2022 concluded a 6,800 crore contract for 70 HTT – 40 indigenous Basic Trainer Aircraft ( BTA ).
In all , 451 MoU , Transfer of Technology ( ToT ) agreements and product launches took place. Of the 451 , there were 345 MoUs , 42 major announcements , 46 product launches and 18 ToTs.

EP:

The Indian Army , which has made three tranches of Emergency Procurements ( EP ) in the last few years , is preparing for a fourth round of EP which will be entirely from the domestic industry.
In the next seven to eight years , orders worth 8 lakh crore could be placed with Indian industry. Emergency Procurements are done to address critical operational requirements.

Edel Give Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022:

HCL founder Shiv Nadar has emerged as India’s most generous person with an annual donation of Rs 1,161 crore , according to the Edel Give Hurun India Philanthropy List 2022.
Wipro’s Azim Premji came in second with an annual donation of Rs 484 crore. With a donation of Rs 120 crore , Rohini Nilekani is the most generous woman philanthropist in the country.

National Police Commemoration Day : 21st October:

Every year , October 21st is celebrated as the National Police Commemoration Day , to pay tributes to all police personnel who died in the line of duty.
This day also remembers the sacrifice of 10 police personnel who lost their lives on 21st October 1959 , in Ladakh while fighting the Chinese army. In October 2018 , PM Modi inaugurated India’s first national police museum in Delhi.

BEL & TEV:

Bharat Electronics Ltd ( BEL ) has signed an MoU with a US – based company , Triton Electric Vehicle ( TEV ) , to manufacture hydrogen fuel cells. The cells will be manufactured by BEL using the technology transfer from TEV.
The MoU aims to tap the demand for clean energy solutions for various applications , including for e- Mobility. BEL Founded : 1954. HQ : Bengaluru. CMD : Dinesh Kumar.

CCI & Google:

The Competition Commission of India ( CCI ) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1337.76 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets.
In its order , the CCI said , Google has perpetuated its dominant position in the online search market resulting in the denial of market access for competing search apps.
Earlier , CCI had imposed a fine of Rs 390cr on MakeMyTrip , Goibibo and OYO.

’Bima Sugam’:

Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India ( IRDAI ) has announced the launch of ‘ Bima Sugam ‘ – an online marketplace where all the health and life insurance policies will be listed.
It will be a one – stop destination for all insurance needs , providing services like buying insurance policies , change of insurance agents and settling of claims. It will be operationalised by January 2023.

Karnataka cabinet:

The Karnataka cabinet on 20th Oct 2022 approved an ordinance for increasing the reservation for SC community from 15 % to 17 % & for ST community from 3 % to 7 %.
It will , however , take the reservation tally in Karnataka to 56 % , above the 50 % cap fixed by the Supreme Court. So the government would recommend bringing the quota hike under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution to give it legal protection.

AFSPA:

The Assam government has declared that it has extended the Armed Forces ( Special Powers ) Act ( AFSPA ) , 1958 in eight districts and one sub – division for another six months. This decision was taken after the review of the law and order situation.
On the other hand , the state government decided to withdraw the AFSPA from West Karbi Anglong district following the improved law and order situation.

Tamil Nadu Events:

‘ Kashi Tamil Sangamam ‘:

Ministry of Education will organise ‘ Kashi Tamil Sangamam ‘ , a month – long programme , from the 16th Nov 2022 in Varanasi. Objective : to rediscover the centuries – old bond of knowledge & ancient civilisational linkage between Varanasi & Tamil Nadu.
Over 2400 Tamil people from diverse sections of society will visit Kashi to get familiarised with the ancient knowledge shared by these two cities.

National intellectual property ( IP ) award:

IIT – Madras has won the national intellectual property ( IP ) award for 2021 & 2022. This annual award recognises individuals & institutions for their IP creations that contribute to strengthen the country’s IP ecosystem & encourage creativity & innovation.
It is given out by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry , Government of India. The total number of patent applications filed in India in 2021 : 120.

International Events:

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss:

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss on 20th Oct 2022 resigned from the post just six weeks after her appointment. Truss accepted that she could not deliver the promises she made & has lost the faith of her party.
She was appointed as the UK PM on 6th September 2022. With this , Truss has become the shortest – serving PM ( 45 days ) in British history.

Interpol:

The Interpol on 20th October 2022 launched the first ever metaverse designed for law enforcement agencies worldwide during its 90th General Assembly in Delhi.
It allows the users to take a virtual tour of Interpol’s headquarters in France’s Lyon , interact with officers & take training courses in forensic investigation. Interpol has partnered with the World Economic Forum for this Metaverse.