Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 and 25 October 2021

Topic: Defence

1. Government of India has signed an agreement with US Govt to buy MK 54 torpedo.

• The Ministry of Defence, Govt of India has signed an agreement under Foreign Military Sale (FMS) with US Government to buy MK 54 Torpedo and Expendable (Chaff and Flares) for the Indian Navy.
• The agreement has been signed to buy the weapon at a cost of Rs 423 crore.
• The Indian Navy has also 11 P-8I aircraft in its fleet and these weapons are the outfit of P-8I Aircraft.
• The MK 54 lightweight torpedoes are used by US surface ships, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and are their primary anti-submarine warfare weapon.
• American aerospace company Boeing manufactures P-8I Aircraft, which is used for Long-range Maritime Surveillance, Anti-Submarine Warfare, and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASV).

Topic: Important Days

2. United Nations (UN) Day: 24 October.

• The United Nations (UN) Day is celebrated annually on October 24.
• It is celebrated on 24 October to mark the official establishment of the United Nations in 1945.
• The primary role of the United Nations is to maintain world peace and security.
• United Nations has responsibility in developing friendly relations between countries, achieving international cooperation and being the centre of coordination for the nations.
• This day was first celebrated on October 24, 1948.
• United Nations has recommended member states observe it as a public holiday in 1971.

Topic: International News

3. India and UK agreed to further deepen their green partnership.

• India and the UK have agreed to further strengthen climate initiatives and their green partnership.
• Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav held a bilateral meeting with UK Foreign Minister Elizabeth Truss in New Delhi.
• Both sides also agreed to strengthen global climate initiatives including the International Solar Alliance, Coalition Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and Call for Action on Adaptation and Resilience, and Mission Innovation.
• During the meeting, both sides discussed several issues including COP26, India UK Roadmap-bilateral cooperation, Commonwealth Declaration on Climate Change, etc.
• Bhupender Yadav said that unresolved issues of the Paris Agreement Rule Book, long-term climate finance, and market-based mechanisms could be resolved in COP 26.
• The UK will host the 26^th Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow from 31^st October to 12^th November.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

4. India hands over Jaynagar-Kurtha cross-border rail link to Nepal government.

• India has handed over a 34.9 km long cross-border rail link to the Nepal government. It connects Jayanagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal.
• The rail link handing over ceremony took place in the presence of the Nepal minister for physical Infrastructure and Indian Transport Minister Renu Kumari Yadav.
• The Jaynagar - Kurtha section is part of the 68.7 km Jaynagar - Bijalpura- Bardidas rail link. It has been built under the Government of India's grant assistance programme.
• Jaynagar-Bijalpura-Bardibas rail link project will pass through the historical city of Janakpur. IRCON International Ltd is the executing agency for this project.
• The gauge conversion work of 34.9 km narrow gauge, from Jaynagar in India to Kurtha in Nepal, has now been completed.
• The cross-border rail link will enhance the trade and commerce activities as well as people-to- people connectivity between both countries.
• The cross-border rail links are an essential aspect of the India-Nepal development cooperation.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

5. PM Modi inaugurated nine medical colleges in UP.

• PM Modi has inaugurated nine medical colleges in UP from Siddharthnagar.
• These medical colleges are situated in Siddharthnagar, Etah, Hardoi, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Deoria, Ghazipur, Mirzapur and Jaunpur districts.
• 1 Medical College at Jaunpur has been made functional by the State Government through its own resources. 8 Medical Colleges have been sanctioned under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• PM Modi has also launched Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMASBY). Under PMASBY, a National Institution for One Health and 4 New National Institutes for Virology will be set up. 
• A Regional Research Platform for WHO South East Asia Region, 9 Biosafety Level III laboratories and 5 New Regional National Centre for Disease Control will also be established under PMASBY.
• PMASBY will be one of the largest pan-India scheme for strengthening healthcare infrastructure across the country.
• Its objective is to fill critical gaps in public health infrastructure, especially in critical care facilities and primary care in both urban and rural areas.
• It also aims to build an IT-enabled disease surveillance system by developing a network of surveillance laboratories at block, district, regional and national levels, in Metropolitan areas.
• It also aims at Operationalisation of 17 new Public Health Units and strengthening of 33 existing Public Health Units at Points of Entry.
• The scheme will provide support for 17,788 rural Health and Wellness Centres in 10 High Focus States. Government will establish 11,024 urban Health and Wellness Centres in all the States.
• Critical care services will be available in all the districts with more than 5 lakh population through Exclusive Critical Care Hospital Blocks. Remaining districts will be covered through referral services.
• Integrated Public Health Labs will be established in all the districts. Integrated Health Information Portal will be expanded to all States and UTs to connect all public health labs.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. 67^th National Film Awards to be presented by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.

• 67th National Film Awards will be presented by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
• Marakkar Arabikkadilinte Simham will be awarded the Best Feature Film Award. It is a Malayalam movie directed by Priyadarshan.
• Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan will be awarded the Best Direction Award for Hindi film Bahattar Hoorain.
• Sikkim will get the award for the most film-friendly state. The award for best book on cinema will be given to A Gandhian Affair: India's Curious Portrayal of Love in Cinema written by Sanjay Suri.
• In Non-Feature Film category, Best Animation Film award will be given to Radha. Best Art and Culture film award will be given to Odia non-feature film Shrikhetra ru Sahijata.
• The award for the Best Music Direction in Non-Feature Films will be given to Kranti Darshi Guruji- Ahead Of Times (Hindi).
• Manoj Bajpayee will be given the best Actor award for Hindi movie Bhonsle. Dhanush will get the award for Tamil Movie Asuran. Other winners are given in the next table.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

7. World Polio Day: 24 October

• World Polio Day is observed every year on 24 October to raise awareness for polio vaccination and eradication of polio.
• The theme of World Polio Day 2021 is “Delivering on a Promise.”
• World Polio Day was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jonas Salk.
• World Polio Day gives an opportunity to highlight the efforts of frontline workers in the fight against polio.
• Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), CDC is working with many partners for eradicating Polio. GPEI has also launched the Polio Eradication Strategy 2022–2026.
• In March 2014, WHO certified India as a polio-free country. The last stronghold of poliovirus is in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

8. Second Army Commanders’ Conference begins in New Delhi.

• The second Army Commanders’ Conference has begun in New Delhi. The four-day conference is a formal forum of senior leaders of the Indian Army.
• The Chief of Defence Staff and the Chiefs of the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force will also address the conference.
• The Army Commanders conference is an apex-level biannual event. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also address the conference and interact with Army Commanders.
• This conference provides a platform for conceptual level deliberations, which helps in making important policy decisions for the Indian Army.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Miscellaneous

9. Tamil film ‘Koozhangal’ is India’s official entry for Oscars 2022.

• Tamil film ‘Koozhangal’ has been selected as India’s official entry for the 94^th Academy Awards. It has been selected by a 15-member jury, headed by filmmaker Shaji N Karun.
• Earlier this year, ‘Koozhangal’ was selected for the Tiger Award for best film at the 50^th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).
• This film is produced by Vignesh Shivan and Nayanthara. It was screened at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA).
• The 94th Academy Awards is scheduled to take place on March 27, 2022, in Los Angeles. No Indian film has ever won an Oscar.

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

10. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated India’s first wildlife DNA testing lab.

• Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has inaugurated India’s first wildlife DNA testing lab in Nagpur.
• He also launched three FastTrack DNA testing units under the Nirbhaya scheme. It will increase the efficiency of the criminal investigation.
• Maharashtra is the country’s first state to establish a forensic testing lab for animals. The wildlife unit will help for taking action against smugglers involved in wildlife body parts.
• The human DNA facilities have been set up at Forensic Science Laboratories in Mumbai, Nagpur, and Pune.
• FastTrack DNA testing units will be established under the Nirbhaya scheme. New and advanced instruments have also been supplied to these newly formed units.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

11. Microsoft launched new initiative to empower AI startups in India.

• Microsoft launched a programme, Microsoft AI Innovate, for nurturing and supporting startups in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Microsoft AI Innovate will bring startups, corporates, industry bodies, governments, and venture capital firms on a single platform for innovation.
• This 10-week-long initiative would support startups in India leveraging AI technologies and help them in scaling operation and building industry expertise.
• The programme has been supported by TiE Mumbai and it will start in November 2021. The first cohort will focus on manufacturing and logistics and the second phase will focus on fintech.
• This programme will also help startups to reach out to newer customers with the help of Microsoft’s sales and partner networks.
• India has the third-largest AI startup ecosystem in the world. AI adoption can add more than $90 billion to the Indian economy by 2035.

Topic: Defence

12. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) celebrated its 60^th Raising Day.

• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) celebrated its 60^th Raising Day on 24 October 2021.
• On this occasion, Nityanand Rai, Minister of state, paid homage to the martyrs of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force.
• On this occasion, ITBP Academy, Mussoorie was awarded the Union Home Minister's Best Police Training Center trophy for the year 2016-17.
• 20 gallantry medals were presented to the personnel of the ITBP force guarding the India-China LAC for their bravery.
• Out of the 20, eight personnel have been awarded the police medal for gallantry (PMG) for their gallant act.
• Three other ITBP personnel were also awarded the police medal for gallantry (PMG) for displaying courage and determination in anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh.

Topic: International News

13. G-7 countries agreed on a joint set of principles to govern cross-border data use and digital trade.

• The Group of Seven (G7) countries have agreed on a joint set of principles to govern cross-border data use and digital trade. G7 comprises the US, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Canada.
• The adopted G7 Digital Trade Principles will guide the G7's approach to digital trade. The trade ministers of G7 countries have reached out on this agreement in London.
• Open digital markets, cross-border data flows, safeguards for workers, consumers, and businesses, digital trading systems, and fair and inclusive global governance are part of these principles.
• The deal sets out a middle ground between highly regulated data protection regimes used in European countries and the more open approach of the US.
• Digital trade is defined as trade in goods and services, which are delivered digitally.
• Group of 7 (G7) is an informal group of seven countries — the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The member countries represent 40% of the global GDP and 10% of the world’s population.