Daily Current Affairs and GK | 16 October 2024

Topic: Awards and Prizes

1. Odisha won Best State Award at 5^th National Water Awards 2023.

• On October 14, the 5th National Water Awards 2023 were announced in New Delhi.
• In the best state category, Odisha bagged the first prize, while Uttar Pradesh got the second position.
• Gujarat and Puducherry jointly secured the third position.
• On October 22, the 5th National Water Awards 2023 will be presented by President Draupadi Murmu in New Delhi.
• The awards will be presented to a total of 38 winners, including joint winners in nine categories.
• Each award winner will receive a citation and a trophy as well as a cash prize in some categories.
• To create awareness among people about the importance of water and to motivate people to adopt best water use practices, the 1st National Water Awards were instituted in 2018 by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
• The National Water Awards (NWA) focus on the good work and efforts done by individuals and organizations across the country towards realizing the Government’s dream of a ‘Water Prosperous India’.
• These awards are meant to create awareness among people about the importance of water and motivate them to adopt best water use practices.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National Appointment

2. Manoj Kumar Dubey assumed charge as CMD & CEO of IRFC.

• Manoj Kumar Dubey appointed as its Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the of the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC).
• Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) is a schedule a miniratna public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Railways.
• Prior to this, Dubey was serving as Director (Finance) and Chief Financial Officer of Container Corporation of India (Concor).
• IRFC has total assets of Rs 50,755 crore and over 51 lakh shareholders - the highest for any company in India.
• With a market capitalisation of over Rs 2 lakh crore, IRFC ranks among the top public sector companies and undertakings in the country.
• Established in 1986, IRFC raises funds from both domestic and international markets to meet the extra budgetary resource (EBR) requirements of Indian Railways.

Topic: Science and Technology

3. Union Ministry of Earth Sciences installed X-band radar in Kerala’s Wayanad district.

• After devastating floods and landslides, the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences installed X-band radar in Kerala’s Wayanad district.
• This device will also perform high temporal sampling, which will allow it to spot particle movements happening in shorter spans of time.
• In the early 1950s, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) started using radar for weather applications.
• This new radar at Wayanad will monitor the movements of particles, such as soil, to inform landslide warnings.
• Radar uses radio waves to determine the distance, velocity, and physical characteristics of objects around the device.
• Weather radar, also known as Doppler radar, is a common application of this device.
• In the X-band radar network, India has both wind-finding and storm-detecting radars.
• The initiative to install an X-band radar in Wayanad includes installing a C-band radar (4-8 GHz) with an observational range of 250 km in Mangaluru.
• NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are currently developing a satellite called NISAR.

Topic: Important Days

4. World Food Day: 16 October

• World Food Day is observed every year worldwide on October 16.
• World Food Day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of good food and nutrition.
• This day was established by FAO in 1979.
• It is observed to mark the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945.
• This year World Food Day has been observed under the theme “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future”.
• According to the Global Hunger Index 2024, Somalia, Yemen, Chad, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the five countries which are mostly affected from hunger and malnutrition.
• More than 2.8 billion people in the world are unable to afford a healthy diet.