Daily Current Affairs and GK | 27 October 2023

Topic: State News/ Goa

1. ‘Swayampurna e-bazaar’ has been launched by Goa CM Pramod Sawant.

• ‘Swayampurna e-bazaar’ is an online platform for self-help groups.
• Different kinds of products made by self-help groups and women will be sold through this online portal.
• 26 people have been trained in product packaging, getting an FDA licence, using mobile applications, and marketing by the government.
• Swayampurna Mitras will provide training to people who want to become entrepreneurs.
• The Swayampurna e-bazaar is an extension of the Swayampurna Chavath Bazar.
• The Chaturthi e-Market is an online portal integrated with the Swiggy app for seamless ordering.

Topic: Defence

2. IAF signed a contract with an Indian manufacturer for the procurement of Automatic Weather Stations.

• The Indian Air Force is planning to procure Automatic Weather Stations for 82 locations.
• It will improve Aerospace Safety by providing real-time weather updates during flying operations and training.
• IAF is also planning to equip Russian-origin Su-30 MKI combat aircraft with an indigenous advanced radar named 'Virupaaksha'.
• As part of the upgrade programme of the Su-30MKI fleet, 84 planes would be upgraded indigenously with advanced made-in-India radars and weapon systems.
• The Virupaaksha deployment will support the indigenization process in the military sector. Virupaaksha is the name of the God Mahadev.
• IAF will replace the Israeli radar on the LCA Tejas Mark 1A fighter jet with the indigenous Uttam Actors Electronically Scanned Array radar.
• India is one of the largest operators of the Su-30MKI fighters and is continuously upgrading its capabilities.

Topic: Important Days

3. World Day for Audiovisual Heritage: 27 October

• The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is celebrated every year on 27 October.
• “Your Window to the World” is the theme of this year’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.
• It is observed to raise awareness about the significance and preservation risks of recorded sound and audiovisual documents.
• UNESCO selected 27 October as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage in 2005.
• This day is a key initiative for UNESCO and the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) to honour audiovisual preservation professionals and institutions.
• This day also gives countries to evaluate their performance in implementing the recommendations related to the preservation and access of documentary heritage in Digital form.

Topic: International Appointments

4. Robert Fico appointed as prime minister of Slovakia.

• Leftist leader Robert Fico has been appointed as Slovakia's prime minister for the fourth time.
• President Zuzana Caputova appointed Robert Fico after his SMER-SSD party won the election.
• In 2018, Robert Fico quit as Prime Minister after mass public protests against corruption.
• In his campaign, he pledged to end military support for Ukraine and has criticized sanctions on Russia.
• He also spoke against political liberalism, the activities of non-governmental organisations, and more rights for transgender people.
• He said that he has no intention to take Slovakia out of the EU or the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.

Topic: Personality in News

5. Rajkumar Rao has been recognized as a National Icon by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

• This step has been taken to create awareness among voters, particularly the youth.
• Actor Rajkumar Rao and the ECI exchanged a MoU at Rang Bhavan in New Delhi.
• The MoU was exchanged in the presence of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and other ECI officials.
• CEC Rajiv Kumar said the EC will start a special drive from 27 October 2023 to update the details in the electoral rolls.
• This drive will be carried out across the country except in the five poll- bound states of Rajasthan, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, and Mizoram.
• In August 2023, Sachin Tendulkar was recognized by ECI as a National Icon to promote voter awareness.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

6. A large number of women went on a one-day strike on 24 October 2023 in Iceland.

• These women went on strike to protest against gender discrimination.
• The prime minister of Iceland, Katrin Jakobsdóttir, also joined the striking women.
• The strike marks the first full-day women's strike since 1975. About 90% of Iceland's female workforce went on strike in 1975.
• The strike was launched in protest of gender-based violence and pay disparities with males.
• It was called to draw attention to the unpaid labour that frequently falls on women, such as childcare.
• Iceland is ranked number one in the World Economic Forum’s gender gap index for 14 years in a row.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

7. The 7^th Indian Mobile Congress inaugurated by PM Modi on 27^th October.

• He inaugurated the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
• He also provided 100 5G Use Case Labs, which are being developed under the 100 5G labs initiative, to educational institutions.
• IMC 2023 is being organized from 27th to 29th October, 2023.
• IMC 2023 is being held with the theme of Global Digital Innovation. IMC 2023 is introducing a startup program - ‘Aspire’.
• More than one lakh participants from about 22 countries are attending IMC 2023.
• The aim of the ‘100 5G labs initiative’ is to develop 5G applications to promote innovation across socioeconomic sectors.

Topic: National Appointments

8. Amol Muzumdar has been selected as head coach of the women’s cricket team of India.

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced his appointment.
• He has been appointed after Ramesh Powar. Ramesh Powar was removed as coach in December 2022. The position has been vacant since then.
• Hrishikesh Kanitkar was given the responsibility of the post on an interim basis.
• Muzumdar scored more than 11,000 first-class runs in 171 matches including 30 centuries.
• He played for the cricket teams of Mumbai and Assam. He held the record for scoring the most runs in the Ranji Trophy.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. 16^th Urban Mobility India Conference begins in New Delhi.

• The three-day conference is being organized under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in collaboration with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited.
• ‘Integrated and Resilient Urban Transport’ is the theme of the conference.
• It was inaugurated by Union Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri on 27th October.
• The main agenda of the conference will be the design and implementation of efficient, high-quality, integrated, and resilient urban transport systems in the cities.
• The primary objective of the Conference is to disseminate information to the cities and help them to adopt the latest and best urban transport practices.
• This conference will bring national and international experts, technology and service providers, policymakers, practitioners and officials from the urban sector to one platform.
• The National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) stresses on building capabilities at the state and city level to resolve challenges associated with urban transport.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Defence

10. India and the EU carried out their first joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Guinea on 24 October.

• The joint exercise was conducted after the third meeting of the EU-India Maritime Security Dialogue.
• Indian Navy’s INS Sumedha and three EU Member States’ ships:  Italian Navy Ship ITS Foscari, French Navy Ship FS Ventôse, and Spanish Navy Ship Tornado took part in the exercise.
• These ships practised tactical manoeuvres in international waters off the coast of Ghana.
• The flying exercise using the helicopters embarked on the French Ship Ventôse and Indian Naval Ship Sumedha, and the transfer of personnel between ships was part of the exercise.
• A knowledge-sharing session was conducted in Accra, Ghana. This will deepen ties between Indian, EU and EU Member States missions to Ghana. 

(Source: PIB)

Topic: National News

11. NCERT panel suggested replacing India with "Bharat" in textbooks.

• The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has constituted a high-level committee to revise the social science curriculum for schools.
• The committee has recommended that the name of the country be changed from 'India' to 'Bharat' in school textbooks, sparking outrage among opposition politicians.
• NCERT said this while clarifying that the panel's recommendations have not been approved yet, and it would be "too early" to comment on the issue.
• C I Issac is heading the panel. He is a retired history professor who has been closely associated with Sangh Parivar institutions for several decades.
• Earlier this year, the panel, in its report submitted to NCERT, had unanimously recommended that the name of the country should be mentioned as 'Bharat' in all school textbooks from primary to high school level.
• The panel also proposed that equal space should be given to all the dynasties that ruled India in textbooks instead of being restricted to one or two dynasties.
• The panel has also recommended including new discoveries happening in the country in the syllabus. These discoveries can be historical, archaeological, and others.

Topic: Space and IT

12. Vikram-1 rocket unveiled by Skyroot.

• On 24 October, the indigenously built Vikram-1rocket unveiled by Space start-up Skyroot Aerospace, which is expected to deliver satellites to low earth orbit early in 2024.
• The Vikram-1 is a multistage launch vehicle capable of placing approximately 300 kg of payload into low Earth orbit.
• It is an all-carbon-fiber-body rocket that can launch multiple satellites into orbit and has 3D-printed liquid engines.
• Vikram-1 will be Skyroot's second rocket after the successful launch of Vikram-S rocket on November 18, 2022.
• 'The MAX-Q Campus' has also been inaugurated by Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh.
• It is Skyroot's new headquarters at the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park in Mamidipally, south Hyderabad.
• The Skyroot headquarters is spread over 60,000 square feet and is touted as the country's largest private rocket development facility under a single roof.
• The new headquarters house has integrated design, manufacturing, and testing facilities for building space launch vehicles, and design space for the 300-member, strong workforce.

Topic: Defence

13. First vertical wind tunnel of the Army has been installed at the Special Forces training school in Himachal Pradesh.

• The vertical wind tunnel has been installed at a training school in Himachal Pradesh.
• Indian Army's first Vertical Wind Tunnel (VWT) has been inaugurated by Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande.
• This facility will simulate real-life free fall conditions, which will allow military trainees to enhance their skills in combat free fall (CFF).
• A controlled environment with specific air velocities, enabling trainees to practice different CFF scenarios will be provided by the vertical wind tunnel.
• The installation of this vertical wind tunnel is part of the Indian Army's efforts to modernize its training infrastructure and improve operational readiness.
• The VWT will be integrated into the CFF training curriculum at SFTS.
• It will assist trainees in getting used to free-fall conditions in the air and during parachute opening.

Topic: National News

14. Hackathon Vimarsh 2023 was conducted in New Delhi.

• Hackathon Vimarsh 2023, a national Hackathon on 5G technology use for police, was launched by the Director General, Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), Shri Balaji Srivastava.
• The main aim of the hackathon is to develop tools for tackling the challenges faced by Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).
• Department of Telecom (DOT) with its subsidiary Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCOE) have joined hands with BPR&D to conduct a Hackathon with students, startups, and MSMEs.
• 9 Problem Statements have been formulated in this Hackathon.
• In this Hackathon, ideas screening will be conducted in three stages. Stages I and II will be done in virtual mode whereas Stage III will be held at nodal centres in physical mode.
• The winner of each problem statement will get an award money of Rs 1.5 Lakhs.
• The winners will be announced during the Valedictory Session in February 2024.
• The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) has been designated as the Center of Excellence of the Ministry of Home Affairs for use cases of 5G applications in the Home Ministry.