Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 and 16 October 2021

Topic: Appointments

1. Sajjan Jindal appointed chairman of World Steel Association.

• Sajjan Jindal has been selected as chairman of the World Steel Association for the year 2021-22.
• Jindal is the first representative from India to serve as Chairman of the World Steel Association.
• World steel members represent approximately 85% of the world’s steel production.
• JSW Steel is engaged in the manufacturing of iron and steel in India and the world.
• JSW Steel is also investing in R&D for sustainable products and controlling emissions, improving resource consumption, and making processes efficient.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

2. Department of Biotechnology launched India’s first ‘One Health’ consortium.

• Department of Biotechnology has launched India’s first ‘One Health’ consortium.
• This programme envisages carrying out surveillance of important bacterial, viral and parasitic infections of zoonotic as well as transboundary pathogens in India.
• This consortium is consisting of 27 organizations led by the DBT-National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad.
• The consortium consists of AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Jodhpur, IVRI Bareily, GADVASU, Ludhiana, etc.
• It is one of the biggest health programme launched by the government in the Post Covid time.
• Under this ‘One Health’ concept, man, animal, plants, and environment are needed to be considered complementary to each other for maintaining the health of all.

Topic: International News

3. India gets re-elected to UNHRC for record 6th term with overwhelming majority.

• India has been re-elected to UN Human Rights Council for a record 6th term with an overwhelming majority.
• India has been elected for 2022-24 term. Permanent Mission of India in UN said that India stands committed to work together with fellow members of the Council.
• Indian Mission said that India will continue to work for the promotion and protection of Human Rights through Samman, Samvad and Sahyog.
• Indian Mission congratulated other UN member states who have been elected to the council.
• 76th UN General Assembly held elections on 14 October for 18 new members of the UNHRC. New members will serve for a period of three years, starting in January 2022.
• UNHRC candidates are elected in geographical groups to ensure even representation. Members of UNHRC are elected for three years.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur launched MyParkings app.

• Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has launched MyParkings app on 14 October.
• The Minister launched the app in New Delhi in presence of Mukesh Suryaan, Mayor South Delhi Municipal Corporation.
• Minister Anurag Thakur said that this app is an effort to reduce stress and help people plan their trips better.
• The effort to digitize the parking places and their management has led to the creation of MyParkings application.
• MyParkings is an Internet of Things (IOT) technology-enabled end-to-end digital solution. It offers on spot & advanced bookings of vehicle Parking.
• It has been developed by Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) with South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Sports

5. CSK wins 2021 IPL title by beating KKR in the finals.

• Chennai Super Kings Clinched their fourth IPL title by beating KKR in the finals by 27 runs.
• Chennai Super Kings scored 193 runs in 20 overs while Kolkata Knight Riders made 165 runs in 20 overs.
• The 2021 Indian Premier League is the fourteenth edition of the IPL.
• Ruturaj Gaikwad scored most run in this edition of IPL. He scored 635 runs in 16 matches. He wins the Orange Cap of this season.
• Harshal Patel of Royal Challengers Bangalore has taken the most wickets in the IPL 2021. He has taken 32 wickets in 15 matches. He wins the Purple cap for this season.
• Ruturaj Gaikwad of Chennai Super King also won the Emerging Player of the Season award.

Topic: State News/ Manipur

6. Manipur government launched “Chief Minister’s Health for All” scheme.

• Chief Minister of Manipur has launched the “Chief Minister’s Health for All” scheme. It was announced by Chief Minister on 17th September.
• Under this scheme, Door-to-door health screening will be conducted across the State. The patient will also get Jan Aushadhi medicines for primary health care.
• Ayushman Bharat health cards will also be issued to patients having severe chronic illness.
• On this occasion, Chief Minister also distributed ASHA Plus devices, smartphones, and tablets to CHOs, Nurses, and ASHA workers.
• In the first phase, 1628 villages in 16 districts will be selected for this scheme across the state. The villages will be linked through Primary Health Sub Centres, Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres.
• A hand held device known as ASHA Plus will be used by Asha workers to detect ten communicable diseases.
• Manipur:
  • It is a state in northeast India.
  • It borders Nagaland in the north, Mizoram in the south and Assam in the west, and Myanmar in the east.
  • The Governor of Manipur is La. Ganesan and Chief Minister is N. Biren Singh.

Topic: International News

7. India hosted first ever SCO Seminar on Role of Women in Armed Forces.

• India hosted the first-ever SCO Seminar on the Role of Women in Armed Forces.
• In the Indian Army, women officers have played a vital role as Military Observers and Staff Officers. Women were also deployed in UN Missions.
• During the seminar, Secretary (West) Reenat Sandhu highlighted the role of India’s women military officers at the global level in UN peacekeeping missions.
• India had created history in 2007 by deploying the first-ever all-female Formed Police Unit for UN Peacekeeping in Liberia.
• In 2019, India deployed a Female Engagement Team as part of the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• The role of women in the Indian Army began in 1888 after the formation of ‘Indian Military Nursing’.
• In 2015, India allowed women to join the combat air force as fighter pilots.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Reports and Indices

8. India slips to 101^st position in Global Hunger Index 2021.

• In the Global Hunger Index 2021, India has been placed on the 101st position among the 116 countries.
• India has slipped to the 101st position in Global Hunger Index 2021 from its 2020 position of 94th.
• India has been placed behind most of its neighbouring countries. Pakistan has been placed on 92nd position while Nepal and Bangladesh are at 76 and 65 spots respectively.
• Global Hunger Index 2021 has been jointly prepared by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German Organization Welt Hunger Hilfe.
• According to this report, the wasting among children in India rose from 17.1 % to 17.3 % between 2016-2020. India has the highest child wasting rate in the world.
• India has shown improvement in the under-5 mortality rate, the prevalence of stunting among children, and prevalence of undernourishment owing to inadequate food.
• Eighteen countries, including China, Brazil, and Kuwait, share the top rank with a GHI score of less than five.
• The index ranks countries based on the performance of each country on the following four indicators:
  • Undernourishment
  • Child Stunting
  • Child Wasting
  • Child Mortality
• The Global Hunger Index was first released in 2006. 
• GHI determines hunger on a 100-point scale where 0 indicates no hunger, and 100 is the worst score.

Topic: Defence

9. India-United States begins 17^th edition of the exercise "Yudh Abhyas".

• The 17th edition of the exercise "Yudh Abhyas" between India and the United States began in Alaska. It will be conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson in Alaska from October 15 to 29.
• The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Bikaner.
• It will further deepen bilateral military cooperation between both countries. The Indian contingent comprises 350 personnel of an infantry battalion group of the Indian Army.
• The exercise’s main objective is to enhance understanding, cooperation, and interoperability between two armies.

Topic: Miscellaneous

10. William Shatner becomes world's oldest space traveler.

• Actor William Shatner becomes the world's oldest space traveler. He achieves this feat at the age of 90.
• He made history by becoming the world's oldest person to space travel on Blue Origin's New Shepard spaceflight.
• This was the second human spaceflight for billionaire Jeff Bezos-owned company Blue Origin.
• The space mission has been completed with four people including Shatner, Audrey Powers, Chris Boshuizen, and Glen de Vries.
• Bezos's space company is planning another human spaceflight this year.
• Earlier, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had successfully completed his 10-min flight to space from the New Shepard rocket.

Topic: Important Days

11. World Food Day: 16 October

• World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16 October. It is commemorated by organizations like the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agriculture Development.
• The main objective of the day is to promote that food is a fundamental human right.
• It is also observed to bring awareness about the food, nutrition, and healthy eating practices across the world.
• It is also celebrated to mark the anniversary of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
• The theme for World Food Day 2021 is “Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow”.