Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 and 25 October 2023

Topic: Defense

1. Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023 started in Umroi Cantonment, India.

• A joint bilateral training exercise “Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023” between the Indian and Malaysian Army commenced.
• The 5th Royal Battalion of Malaysian Army troops are participating in the exercise.
• A Battalion of ‘RAJPUT REGIMENT’ is taking part in the bilateral exercise from India.
• Around 120 personnel from both sides are participating in the exercise.
• Its main aim is to enhance military capability for conducting Multi-Domain Operations in a sub-conventional scenario.
• A Joint Command Post and an integrated surveillance grid along with a Joint Surveillance Centre will be also established.
• As part of the exercise, intelligence collection, collation and dissemination drills will be also conducted.
• The Exercise will also witness the deployment of Drones/UAVs and helicopters.
• Both sides will also practice casualty management and evacuation drills. Logistics management and practice survival training at the Battalion level will be also discussed.
• The training will focus on a high degree of physical fitness, conduct of drills at the tactical level and sharing of best practices with each other.
• The Exercise will end on 5th November with a 48-hour long validation exercise in a semi-urban area.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. Two Indian-American Scientists received the Highest Scientific Award of the USA.

• Ashok Gadgil and Subra Suresh received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation and the National Medal of Science, respectively.
• Leading American scientists, technologists, and innovators have been also awarded at the award ceremony.
• Subra Suresh has been conferred the National Medal of Science for research in engineering, physical sciences, and life sciences.
• Ashok Gadgil is one of the 12 recipients of the National Medal for Technology and Innovation.
• He has developed low-cost solutions to some of the developing world’s most intractable problems, including safe drinking water technologies, energy-efficient stoves, and ways to make efficient electric lighting affordable.
• The US Congress established the National Medal of Science in 1959 and is administered by the US National Science Foundation.

Topic: Personality in News

3. On October 23, legendary spinner Bishan Singh Bedi passed away in Delhi at the age of 77.

• He was the former India captain and one of the greatest left-arm spinners.
• He played 67 Tests for India between 1967 and 1979 and took 266 wickets.
• Additionally, he took seven wickets in ten One Day Internationals.
• Bedi was briefly the manager of the Indian cricket team during the tour of New Zealand and England in 1990.
• In India, he was called the "Sardar of Spin".

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

4. China removed its second senior leader in three months.

• On 24 October, China removed the country's Defense Minister General Li Shangfu from the post.
• The decision was approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's rubber-stamp legislature.
• The committee did not name any successor to Li.
• Li was appointed defence minister in March 2023.
• General Li Shangfu had not appeared in front of the people for the last two months.
• He becomes the second high-profile minister to lose his job recently without any official explanation.
• China has also announced that after Quinn Gang was removed from the post of Foreign Minister in July, he has also been dismissed from the post of State Counselor.
• From 2017 to 2022, Li was in charge of China's arms procurement as head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission.

Topic: Geography

5. Cyclone 'Hamoon' intensified into a severe cyclonic storm.

• On October 24, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that Cyclone 'Hamoon' intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over the north-western Bay of Bengal.
• The fourth storm of the 2023 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Hamoon, formed on 21 October 2023 from a low-pressure area over the west-central Bay of Bengal.
• On October 25, the cyclonic storm moved north-northeastwards and crossed Bangladesh between Khepupara and Chittagong.
• Seven states of India have been warned of rain and fishermen were also asked not to venture into the Bay of Bengal till October 25.
• States on alert include Odisha, West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya.
• Meanwhile, on October 22, another cyclone named 'Tej' emerged over the Arabian Sea and turned into a very severe cyclonic storm.
• According to the update from IMD, 'Tej' has crossed the Yemen coast but this severe cyclonic storm weakened over coastal Yemen.

Topic: Important Days

6. World Development Information Day 2023: 24 October

• The United Nations (UN) celebrates the World Development Information Day on 24 October.
• The aim of this day is to draw the world's attention to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.
• In 1972, the United Nations General Assembly established World Development Information Day.
• The United Nations hopes that effective dissemination of information and mobilization of public opinion, especially among young people, will lead to greater awareness of development problems.
• It will encourage efforts in the field of international cooperation for development.
• The day coincided with United Nations Day

Topic: National News

7. The 37^th edition of the National Games will start on 26 October in Goa.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the 37th edition of the National Games on 26 October.
• In the National Games, athletes from the various states and Union Territories compete for medals. The National Games are India’s Olympic-style multi-sport event.
• National games of Badminton, Artistic Gymnastics, and Netball are conducted in the initial stage. The outcomes of these games were also exciting.
• Gouse Shaik and Pooja D of Andhra Pradesh won the gold medal in Mixed Doubles Badminton.
• Tharun Manepalli of Telangana won the Gold Medal in Men's Singles. Karnataka’s players won the gold medal in Men's doubles.
• Games of Artistic Gymnastics and Netball are ongoing in the National Games.

Topic: International News

8. The Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved free tourist visas to Indians and citizens from six other countries.

• Indians will get free visas to Sri Lanka under a pilot programme. This programme will continue till March 31, 2024.
• Six other countries are Russia, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan.
• Tourists from these seven countries can obtain visas without any fee to Sri Lanka.
• The step is aimed at reviving Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. It has been taken to generate a target of five million arrivals by 2026.
• Before the pandemic, tourism was the third-largest source of foreign exchange inflows to Sri Lanka.
• India has been Sri Lanka’s top inbound tourism market.
• India is the largest source of tourists so far this year, followed by Russia.
• Wickremesinghe had recently proposed making the area a “border-less tourism” region on the lines of the Schengen area.
• The Schengen Area is an area comprising 27 European countries that have abolished passports.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. India to host "Bharat Tex 2024”, the world's largest textiles event.

• ‘Bharat Tex 2024’ will be organized from February 26 to February 29, 2024, in New Delhi.
• It will be organized jointly by 11 Textile-related Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) and other industry bodies.
• Bharat Tex 2024 will represent India’s 5F vision, comprising Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
• "Bharat Tex 2024" will act as a platform for global investors and buyers to explore India's potential as a global manufacturer and consumer market.
• Bharat Tex 2024 aims to position India as a mature, competitive global sourcing destination within the textile industry.
• More than 1,000 exhibitors and more than 30,000 visitors from 40 countries will participate in the event.
• Sessions, seminars, conferences, CEO roundtables, B2B and G2G meetings, and strategic investment announcements will be part of this event.
• The event will also showcase live demonstrations, cultural events, fashion presentations, designer and brand exhibitions, fashion shows, etc.

Topic: National News

10. Government is set to implement ‘DNA and Face Matching’ systems at police stations across the country.

• After the passing of the Criminal Procedure Identification Act (CrPI) by Parliament in 2022, the Government is ready to roll out ‘DNA and Face Matching’ systems at 1,300 police stations.
• This act enables police and Central investigating agencies to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples including retina and iris scans of arrested persons.
• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is responsible for implementing the act with Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
• A Domain Committee has been constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the successful implementation of the Act.
• The committee has representatives from State police, Central law enforcement agencies and other key stakeholders.
• Under the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), workstations and scanners have been put up at around 1,300 police stations.
• It has fingerprint details and a unique 10-digit number of over 1 crore people. This database is also being integrated with the Criminal Procedure Identification Act.
• Criminal Procedure Identification Act (CrPI) replaced the 100-year-old Identification of Prisoners Act, of 1920.

Topic: Important Days

11. United Nations Day: 24 October

• United Nations Day is celebrated every year on 24 October.
• It is observed to mark the creation of the United Nations on 24 October 1945.
• 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.
• United Nations has the responsibility for developing friendly relations between countries, achieving international cooperation and being the centre of coordination for the nations.
• The United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the name 'United Nations’ and it was first used on 1 January 1942 during World War II.
• António Guterres is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations

Topic: Awards and Prizes

12. Harvard Law School's 'Award for Global Leadership' conferred to CJI Chandrachud.

• Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud has received the 'Award for Global Leadership’ from Harvard Law School.
• CJI Chandrachud was an LLM student at Harward in 1982-83 and then as an SJD candidate in 1983-1986.
• The Harvard Law School is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its Graduate Law Program.
• He was present at Harvard Law School for a fireside chat with David Wilkins.
• CJI Chandrachud talks about the initiatives that were started during his first year of tenure as Chief Justice of India.
• Chief Justice also highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary studies and said that the law does not work in a vacuum.
• He also suggested that law schools should develop a mechanism to train the students in handling stress and mental health.

Topic: Sports

13. Asian Para Games 2023 kicked off in Hangzhou, China.

• Asian Para Games 2023 will be organized from October 22 to 28 in Hangzhou, China.
• India has sent its largest-ever contingent of 309 para-athletes. India is aiming to win at least 100 medals.
• 309 Indian athletes comprising 196 men and 113 women will participate in various sports events in the Asian Para Games.
• India will compete in 22 sports in 17 distinct disciplines.
• Renowned Para Shuttler Parul Parmar and Para-club Thrower Amit Saroha were the flag bearers from India at the opening ceremony.
• In the previous edition of the Asian Para Games, 188 Indian athletes participated.
• The Asian Para Games is organized by the Asian Paralympic Committee.

Topic: National Appointments

14. Ashok Vaswani’s appointment as MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank has been approved by RBI.

• His appointment is with effect from the date of taking charge, which shall not be later than January 1, 2024.
• RBI has approved the appointment of Ashok Vaswani for a period of three years.
• Vaswani was Chief Executive Officer of Barclays Bank, UK. Presently, he is the President of Pagaya Technologies Ltd.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank:
  • It is India’s 3rd largest private sector bank by market capitalisation.
  • It was founded in 2003. It is headquartered in Mumbai. Uday Kotak is its founder.