Daily Current Affairs and GK | 27 October 2022

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

1. COP27 meeting to take place in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt from 6th to 18th November.

• It will be the fifth time that a Climate Conference is being hosted in Africa.
• In this meeting, more than 200 countries government will participate.
• COP27 (Conference of Parties) will focus on three main areas, which are given below:
  • Reducing emissions
  • Helping countries to prepare and deal with climate change
  • Securing technical support and funding for developing countries for climate activities
• The issues related to establishing a global carbon market, strengthening the commitments to reduce coal use, etc. will be also discussed.
• Issues that were not fully resolved at the COP 26 will be also taken at this edition of the conference.
• The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995.
• The 'parties' of the COP are the governments that have signed the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

2. President Droupadi Murmu presented Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to President’s Bodyguard (PBG) on 27 October 2022.

• PBG accepted President's Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner at a ceremony held at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• PBG has the unique distinction of being the only military unit of the Indian Army, privileged to carry the President's Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner.
• President’s Bodyguard is the Indian Army’s cavalry regiment.
• It is the senior-most regiment in the order of precedence of the units of the Indian Army.
• It was raised in 1773 at Benares by the then Governor General, Warren Hastings.

Topic: National Appointments

3. Sangeeta Verma has been appointed as acting chairperson of Competition Commission of India (CCI).

• She has been appointed for three months or till any further orders.
• She is already a member of CCI. She joined CCI as a Member on December 24, 2018.
• The incumbent CCI Chairperson, Ashok Kumar Gupta, demitted the office after a four year tenure.
• Competition Commission of India (CCI):
  • CCI was formed on 14 October 2003 under the Competition Commission Act, 2002.
  • It aims to eliminate practices that affect competition in Indian market and protect the interests of the consumers.
  • CCI consists of a Chairperson and 6 members appointed by the Central Government.

Topic: State News/Kerala

4. A mobile app to prevent cybercrimes against children have been launched by Kerala government.

• Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the 'Kunjapp'. Child exploitation can be reported through the application.
• Kunjapp is a mobile application to prevent cybercrimes against children in Kerala.
• He also inaugurated training programme for the newly appointed Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) members at Kovalam.
• In August 2022, Kerala government had told state assembly that the State Women and Child Development Department was coming out with a mobile app to prevent cyber-attacks or crimes against children.

Topic: State News/ Gujarat

5. Under Jal Jeevan Mission, Gujarat became the state to supply water to 100% of households through taps.

• Gujarat has been declared a 'Har Ghar Jal' state.
• Safe drinking water is being provided through taps to all households in the rural areas of the state.
• According to government data, tap connections have reached 91 lakh 73 thousand 378 houses in the state.
• Gujarat is the third largest state in the country after Haryana and Telangana that has been declared as the state to complete the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Jal Jeevan Mission:
  • Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the focus is not only on the construction of water supply infrastructure but also on water supply service.
  • The Jal Jeevan Mission’s motto is “no one is left out”. It was launched in 2019.
  • Under this, water supply is ensured from the tap to every household, irrespective of socio-economic status.
  • Under this scheme, the government has set a target of providing drinking water from tap to every village of the country by 2024.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. IIT Madras has received the National Intellectual Property Awards for 2021 and 2022.

• The Government of India has conferred the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) the ‘National Intellectual Property Awards 2021 and 2022’.
• The award has been given for being the top Indian Academic Institution for patent filing, grants, and commercialization.
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry has given out this award.
• At a function held in New Delhi on October 15, 2022, Shri. Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, presented the award to Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras.
• The award comprises a trophy, citation, and Rs 1 lakh.
• Patent Applications, Grants, and Commercialization are the key evaluative criteria for these awards.
• This annual award honors individuals, institutions, organizations and enterprises for their Intellectual Property (IP) creation and commercialization that are contributing to strengthening India's IP ecosystem and encouraging creativity and innovation.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

7. Two more Indian Beaches have entered the list of blue beaches.

• These beaches are Minicoy Thundi Beach and Kadmat Beach. Both beaches are in Lakshadweep.
• Both beaches comply with all the 33 criteria as mandated by the Foundation for Environment Education (FEE).
• Foundation for Environment Education (FEE) in Denmark accords the Blue Flag certification.
• India now has 12 Blue Flag beaches. The number of beaches certified under the Blue Flag certification is now twelve.
• Blue Beaches is an eco-label given to the cleanest beaches in the world.
• The other Indian beaches in the blue list are given in the following table.

• Foundation for Environment Education:
  • It is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation promoting sustainable development through environmental education.
  • It was formed in 1981. It is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.
  • It is active in the five programmes. They are Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE), Learning about Forests (LEAF) and Green Key International.

Topic: Important Days

8. Indian Army is celebrating 76^th infantry day on 27 October 2022.

• Infantry day is celebrated to mark the day when the infantry of the Indian army made its way into the Srinagar airfield in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947.
• This infantry was led by 1^st battalion of the Sikh Regiment.
• The Infantry fraternity is organizing an "Infantry Day Bike Rally 2022" to commemorate the 76^th Infantry Day.
• It consists of four simultaneous bike rallies from all major directions including Shillong (Meghalaya), Wellington (Tamil Nadu), Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir) from 16 October 2022.
• The bike rally will culminate at the National War Memorial on “Infantry Day”.
• Each group consisting of ten bikers will cover the entire journey of 8000 km.
• The biker groups are being led by the Assam Regiment from Shillong, the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment from Ahmedabad, Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment from Udhampur and the Madras Regiment from Wellington.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

9. GEAC again cleared the proposal for the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard.

• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) recommended the environmental release of the genetically modified (GM) mustard variety DMH (Dhara Mustard Hybrid)-11.
• The recommendation will now go for the approval of the Environment Ministry.
• Earlier, GEAC had cleared the proposal in 2017, then the Ministry had vetoed it and suggested that the GEAC should hold more studies on the GM crop.
• The recommendation is valid for four years and it will pave path for the commercialization of the India’s first GM food crop.
• GEAC in association with ICAR will jointly conduct further studies and coordinated trials within two years.
• ICAR has also approved the study of the effect of GE mustard on honey bees and other pollinators.
• Delhi University and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) are the joint applicants for DMH-11.
• The Commercial use of DMH-11 will be subject to the Seed Act and related rules and regulations.
• Bt cotton is the only GM crop that has been approved by the government for commercial cultivation.
• The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is an authority that certifies a GM product for commercial use.
• GM crops are genetically engineered crops whose DNA has been modified to improve yield, increase nutrition or make them climate resilient.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

10. 7^th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry was held virtually on 26 October 2022.

• It was co-chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Agriculture Ministers of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar urged ASEAN countries to support the efforts of India in increasing the production, processing, value addition and consumption of millets.
• The 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India relations was also observed during the meeting.
• The progress in the implementation of various programs and activities under the Medium Term Action Plan of ASEAN-India Cooperation (Year 2021-2025) was also reviewed.
• Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that India is committed to enhancing India's cooperation with ASEAN in the field of food security, nutrition, climate change adaptation, digital farming, etc.
• In the meeting, it was said that it is necessary to take continuous measures under ASEAN-India cooperation for the post-pandemic recovery.

Topic: Defence

11. India and the US military conducted “Tiger Triumph” humanitarian assistance exercise.

• A three-day joint humanitarian assistance exercise was conducted in Visakhapatnam.
• It is a joint exercise for a comprehensive effort to provide disaster relief services to a notional third country hit by a super-cyclone.
• This year’s exercise was focused on staff planning, with an emphasis on processes for streamlining diplomatic, operational and logistical coordination.
• This exercise will help in strengthening security in the Indo-Pacific region.
• It is the third time in 2022 when the Indian and US militaries have worked together in Visakhapatnam.
• The first such exercise was conducted at Visakhapatnam in November 2019.

Topic: State News/ Jammu and Kashmir

12. Accession Day (Jammu and Kashmir): 26 October

• Accession Day is celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir every year on 26 October.
• It is celebrated to mark the signing of the Instrument of Accession by Maharaja Hari Singh on 26 October 1947.
• The day became an official public holiday in J&K for the first time in 2020.
• J&K Accession:
  • Indian Independence Act, 1947, divided British India into India and Pakistan.
  • The princely states were free to join any of the two countries or remain independent. Jammu Kashmir ruler Maharaja Hari Singh decided to remain independent.
  • After tribesmen and army men from Pakistan invaded Jammu & Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh asked help from India and signed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947. 

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Assam

13. Assam government, in association with USAID, launched the “trees outside forests in India (TOFI)” programme.

• The main aim of the programme is to bring farmers, companies, and private institutions together to expand tree coverage outside the forest.
• It will also enhance carbon sequestration and strengthen the climate resilience of agriculture.
• This programme will also support local communities in the state and also increase the income of farmers in Assam.
• TOFI will promote agroforestry in the state in a scientific manner to integrate productivity and profitability with environmental stewardship.
• This programme will contribute to India’s nationally determined contribution target of creating an additional “carbon sink” of 2.5-3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030.
• The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance.

Topic: Personality in News

14. World's dirtiest man passed away.

• Amou Haji, the dirtiest man in the world, died at the age of 94 in the village of Dejgah in Iran's southern province of Fars.
• Amou Haji was afraid of water and had not bathed for over 60 years. He believed soap & water would make him sick.
• A short documentary film titled "The Strange Life of Amou Haji" was made about his life in 2013.
• After Haji’s death, the unofficial record could go to an Indian man, “Kalau” Singh, who has not bathed for more than 30 years.