Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 October 2022

Topic: Space and IT

1. For the first time, Chandrayaan-2 finds an abundance of sodium on the moon.

• The X-ray spectrometer 'CLASS' on the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter has mapped the abundance of sodium on the moon for the first time.
• This research work has been published in 'The Astrophysical Journal Letters'.
• The study found that a part of the signal could be arising from a thin veneer of sodium atoms weakly bound to the lunar grains.
• Previously, India’s Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (C1XS) had detected sodium from its characteristic line in X-rays.
• Sodium has been found in the wispy atmosphere of the moon, a region where atoms rarely meet.
• This region is called the 'exosphere', which starts from the surface of the moon and extends for thousands of kilometers.
• This study opened a new avenue to study surface-exosphere interaction on the moon.
• Chandrayaan-2:
  • It was launched on July 22, 2019, by a GSLV Mark III M1 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh.
  • The names of the lander and rover of Chandrayaan-2 are Vikram and Pragyaan, respectively.
  • On 7 September 2019, ISRO lost contact with Vikram lander.

Topic: Banking System

2. The licence of Seva Vikas Co-operative Bank Limited has been cancelled by RBI.

• RBI has cancelled the licence of Pune-based Co-operative Bank as it does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.
• According to the RBI, the bank ceased to carry on banking business with effect from the close of business on October 10, 2022.
• RBI noted that the bank would be unable to pay its present depositors in full.
• RBI said 99% of depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation.

Topic: Important Days

3. World Arthritis Day: 12 October

• The objective of World Arthritis Day is to create awareness among people about rheumatic musculoskeletal disorders and their prevention.
• This year the theme of World Arthritis Day is “It is in your hands, take action”.
• Redness around joints, pain, swelling, and stiffness in joints are some of the symptoms of arthritis.
• The estimated prevalence of rheumatic disorders in India is around 25 to 30%. Out of this, 30% of all sufferers are under the age of 65 years.
• People should exercise regularly, practice yoga and keep their weight under control to prevent arthritis diseases.

Topic: National News

4. Toyota’s first-of-its-kind pilot project on Flexi-Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFV-SHEV) in India has been launched by Shri Nitin Gadkari.

• This would run on 100% petrol as well as 20 to 100% blended ethanol and electric power.
• Union Ministers Shri Mahendranath Pandey, Shri Bhupender Yadav, Union MoS Shri Rameswar Teli, and Karnataka Minister Dr. Shri Murugesh Nirani were present on the occasion.
• Vice-chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motors Pvt. Ltd. Shri Vikram Kirloskar and MD & CEO of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Mr Masakazu Yoshimura were also present on the occasion.
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari said a 6 to 8% increase in agricultural growth rate is required for AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
• He said the success of this pilot project will create an ecosystem of electric vehicles in India.

Topic: National Appointments

5. Justice DY Chandrachud will be the next Chief Justice of India.

• Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit has recommended the name of Justice DY Chandrachud as his successor.
• Justice UU Lalit took charge as the 49^th CJI in August 2022 and is retiring on November 8.
• On November 9, Justice DY Chandrachud will take oath as the 50th Chief Justice of the country and will retire on November 10, 2024.
• As per protocol, the Law Ministry writes to the CJI to recommend the successor about a month before the due date of retirement.
• Then, the incumbent CJI sends a formal letter to the government to recommend his successor.
• Chief Justice of India:
  • As per Article 124 (2), the President of India appoints the Chief Justice of India and other judges of the Supreme Court.
  • In the Second Judges case 1993, Supreme Court ruled that the senior most judge of the Supreme Court shall be appointed as CJI.
  • Supreme Court collegium headed by the Chief Justice of India recommends the name for the office of CJI.
  • The Chief Justice of India remains in office till he attains the age of 65 years.

Topic: International News

6. The European Union has approved the adoption of the world's first single charger rule.

• The European Parliament approved a new rule that will bring a single charging port for mobile phones, tablets, and cameras by 2024 in the EU.
• However, in this, laptop makers have been exempted till the beginning of 2026.
• The USB-C connectors used by Android-based devices will be of EU standard, forcing Apple to change its charging port for iPhones and other devices, according to an agreement between EU institutions.
• The change was being considered for years and was prompted by complaints from iPhone and Android users because they have to switch to different chargers for their devices.
• The new change will lead to greater reuse of chargers and help consumers save up to 250 million euros ($246m) per year on unnecessary charger purchases.
• The politicians of the EU voted in favour of the change by a large majority, with 602 votes in favour and only 13 votes against.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

7. NMDC and RailTel Corporation of India have signed MoU for ICT and Digital Solutions.

• Shri H Sundaram Prabhu, GM, NMDC and Shri Manohar Raja, Executive Director, RailTel signed the MoU at NMDC’s headquarters in Hyderabad.
• RailTel will provide Consultancy, Project Management and Execution services.
• This MoU builds on the partnership that NMDC already has with the National Railway Telecom.
• National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is the country’s largest Iron Ore producer.
• It is a Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Steel. It is headquartered in Hyderabad. Sumit Deb is its CMD.
• RailTel Corporation of India Limited is an Indian public sector enterprise that was founded in September 2000. It is a Mini Ratna (Category-I) PSU.
• It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Indian Railways. It is headquartered in New Delhi. Sanjai Kumar is its CMD.

Topic: Indian Economy

8. IMF has said that global growth projection will slow from 6% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2022 and 2.7% in 2023. 

• IMF said that this will be the weakest growth since 2001, with the exception of the global financial crisis and the acute phase of the pandemic.
• According to the IMF's World Economic Outlook 2022 report, India will be the world's fastest-growing large economy.
• International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut India’s GDP growth forecast to 6.8% for Financial Year 2023.
• It predicted that India will continue to remain on track to become one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
• IMF predicted that inflation in India will come down to the 4% range next year.
• According to the IMF, global inflation will likely peak at 9.5% this year before slowing to 4.1% by 2024.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

9. Indian Railway’s revenue earning in the passenger segment registered a growth of 92%.

• Indian Railway’s revenue from the passenger segment was 33,476 Crore rupees from 1st April to 8th October 2022.
• During the same period last year, the revenue from the passenger segment was 17,394 crore rupees.
• From 1 April to 8 October 2022, about 42 crore passengers booked tickets in the “reserved” category. It registered a growth of 24 percent.
• The total revenue generated from the reserved passenger segment was 26,961 crore rupees during this period, an increase of 65% as compared to the previous year.
• In the unreserved passenger segment, the number of passengers who booked tickets was 268 crores. Last year, it was 90 crores during the same period.
• The revenue from the unreserved passenger segment was Rs. 6,515 crores from 1 April to 8 October 2022. It has registered a growth of 500%.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia inaugurated the fourth Heli-India Summit 2022 in Srinagar.

• The summit has been inaugurated at Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre, Srinagar.
• ‘Helicopters for last Mile Connectivity’ is the theme of the fourth Heli-India Summit 2022.
• Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said that a civil enclave will be built in Jammu at a cost of Rs 861 crores and the current Srinagar terminal will be expanded from 20,000 square meters to 60,000 square meters.
• The eight ‘Sankalps’ related to the Heli service were taken during the 3rd Heli-India Summit in Dehradun.
• Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said that a helicopter will be deployed at AIIMS Rishikesh to provide emergency medical services.
• The following initiatives are related to the Heli service:
  • HeliSewa portal is an online portal used by all operators for obtaining landing permissions at helipads.
  • HeliDisha is the guidance material on helicopter operations for state administration.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

11. Government launched Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative.

• On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the government has launched a 24×7 tele-mental health service Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative.
• It has been launched for 20 states and UTs and will be further expanded to other parts of the country.
• It aims to provide free tele-mental health services round the clock to people all over the country, especially the remote and deprived areas.
• This service can be used by calling the helpline number 14416. A caller will be responded to by a trained counsellor.
• If needed, the caller will be connected online to mental health specialists such as clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers, psychiatrists, etc.
• The program comprises a network of 23 tele-mental health centers of excellence.
• NIMHANS will be the nodal centre and the International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIITB) will provide technology support.
• The Central Government aims to establish at least one Tele-Manas Cell in each State/UT.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Sports

12. FIFA in association with AIFF launched the ‘Football for Schools’ campaign in India.

• Football for Schools (F4S) is an initiative of FIFA in collaboration with UNESCO.
• This campaign will be launched in 700 districts of India and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti will be the nodal agency for implementing it.
• Its main aim is to contribute to the education, development, and empowerment of around 700 million children.
• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the government is committed to creating a mass movement for football.
• This campaign will support sports in India and aid in student skill development.
• India is hosting the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022 from 11^th to 30^th October 2022.
• FIFA is an international governing body for football that was founded in 1904.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

13. PM Narendra Modi addressed the 2nd UN World Geospatial International Congress.

• UN World Geospatial International Congress was inaugurated by Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in Hyderabad on 11 October.
• ‘Geo-Enabling the Global Village: No one should be left behind’ is the theme of the 2^nd UN World Geospatial International Congress.
• The United Nations and the Departments of Science and Technology and Space are organizing the five-day congress.
• It has brought policymakers, scientists, start-ups and NGOs working on geospatial information on one platform.
• During the five-day Congress, challenges and future plans for making better use of technology for people will be discussed.
• PM emphasized the need for an institutional approach by the international community to help each other during a crisis.
• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the Geospatial economy will cross the mark of 63,000 crore rupees by 2025.
• Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated an exhibition where the National Remote Sensing Agency, ISRO, and startups displayed their products.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

14. Union Environment Minister attended the inaugural session of the Sustainable Mountain Development Summit-XI (SMDS-XI) at Leh.

• Sustainable Mountain Development Summit-XI is being organized from 10-12 October, 2022.
• The theme for SMDS-XI is ‘Harnessing tourism for sustainable mountain development’.
• The Sustainable Mountain Development Summit (SMDS) is an annual event of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR).
• The summit was focused on reducing the negative impacts of tourism and using its positive contribution to building climate and socio-ecological strength and sustainability.
• As part of the SMDS, the Mountain Legislators’ Meet (MLM) and the Indian Himalayan Youth Summit were also organized.
• The Union Environment Minister said that various unique landscapes of the country like the Himalayas, Western Ghats and Thar Desert need special attention from the scientific community.

(Source: News on AIR)