Daily Current Affairs and GK | 30 and 31 October 2022

Topic: Defence

1. Navies of India, Tanzania and Mozambique hold the first edition of the trilateral Navy exercise.

• The first edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise (IMT TRILAT) concluded at Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
• The exercise was held for three days from 27 to 29 Oct 2022. The harbour phase was conducted from October 26-28 and the Sea Phase was conducted on 28 October.
• Capability-building activities such as Visits, Board, Search and Seizure; small arms training; joint diving operations, etc. have been organized as part of the harbour phase.
• Boat operations, fleet manoeuvres, Visit, Board, Search and Seizure operations have been organized as part of the sea phase.
• This exercise reflects the Indian Navy's commitment to enhancing maritime security and cooperation with maritime neighbours.
• Indian Navy Ship (INS) Tarkash took part in the exercise. It also participated in a bilateral Maritime Partnership Exercise with Tanzania.
• The exercise’s aim is to share best practices and enhance interoperability between navies.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

2. Ministry of Defence of India is the world’s biggest employer with 2.92 million employees.

• As per a report by Statista, the Ministry of Defence has 2.92 million employees comprising active-duty personnel, reservists, and support workers.
• The US Department of Defense is in the second spot with 2.91 million employees.
• The People’s Liberation Army employs around 2.5 million people.
• The report claims that no private firm has more employees than Walmart. It has employed around 2.3 million people. Amazon with 1.6 million people is in the second position.
• The United States, China, India, the United Kingdom and Russia are the top five largest spenders in defence.
• Statista is a Germany-based private organization. It provides data and statistics about various issues worldwide.

(Source: Statista research)

Topic: Important Days

3. National Unity Day 2022: 31st October

• Every year on 31 October, National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is celebrated.
• It is observed to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
• The nation paid tribute to the architect of modern India, the Iron Man, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on his 147th birth anniversary.
• Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was first celebrated in 2014.
• Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was the first Deputy Prime Minister of India and the first Home Minister of India.
• He successfully worked for the integration of 565 princely states into India and played a key role in the establishment of the All-India Services.
• The World’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, was inaugurated and dedicated to Sardar Patel at his 143rd birth anniversary on 31 October 2018.
• At Tharad in Banaskantha, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for various projects worth around 8,000 crore rupees.
• He dedicated to the nation's key railway projects in Ahmedabad as well.

Topic: Sports

4. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the French Open men's doubles title.

• On 30 October, Indian Badminton pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the French Open Super 750 crown in Paris.
• They defeated Chinese Taipei's Lu Ching Yao and Yang Po Han by 21-13, and 21-19 in the men's doubles final.
• They made history by becoming the first men's doubles pair from India to win the French Open.
• Viktor Axelsen, the current world and Olympic champion, won the Men's Singles title.
• Viktor Axelsen defeated compatriot Rasmus Gemke by 21-14, 21-15.
• In women's singles, He Bingjiao from China defeated Spain's Carolina Marin by 16-21, 21-9, and 22-20 in the final. 
• In women's doubles, Malaysian Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan created history by defeating Japan's two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara by 21-19, 18-21, 21-15 in the final.
• In mixed doubles, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong from China defeated Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek of the Netherlands by 21-16, 14-21, and 22-20 in the final.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

5. ASEAN-India cooperation got a boost from the first ASEAN-India Start-up Festival 2022.

• On 27th October 2022, Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, inaugurated the 1st ASEAN-India Start-up Festival (AISF) in Bogor, Indonesia.
• The ASEAN-India Startup Festival is a flagship initiative that aims to improve cooperation and collaboration in science, technology, and innovation between ASEAN Member States and India.
• The first-ever ASEAN-India Start-Up Festival was launched to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ASEAN and India's partnership.
• The festival was part of the overall ASEAN-India Science, Technology, and Innovation Cooperation program between the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology, and Innovation (COSTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (Govt of India).
• This four-day event was organized with the Indonesia Research and Innovation Expo (INA-RIE) from October 27 to 30, 2022 at the Innovation Convention Centre, Sibinong Bogor, Indonesia.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

6. FIFA and AIFF signed an MoU with Education Ministry for the implementation of the ‘Football4Schools’ initiative.

• An MoU has been signed by the Union Education Ministry with FIFA and the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) for the 'Football4Schools' initiative in India.
• The President of FIFA, Mr. Gianni Infantino, and the President of All India Football Federation, Mr. Kalyan Choubey signed the MoU on behalf of the respective organizations.
• "Football4Schools" aims to empower 25 million young boys and girls in India through sports-integrated learning.
• Some benefits of Football for Schools Programme has given below:
  • Empower learners (boys and girls) with valuable life skills and competencies
  • Empower and provide coach-educators with the training to deliver sport and life-skills activities
  • Build the capacity of stakeholders (Schools, Member Associations and public authorities) to deliver training in life skills through football
  • Strengthen the cooperation between governments and participating schools to enable partnerships, alliances and intersectoral collaboration.

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

7. Second edition of Naval Commanders' Conference in 2022 started on 31 October 2022 in New Delhi.

• The conference is scheduled from 31 October to 03 November 2022 at New Delhi.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address and interact with the Naval Commanders during the 4-day conference.
• The Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan would also interact with the Naval Commanders.
• The Chiefs of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force would also interact with the Naval Commanders.
• The conference provides Naval Commanders with a platform to discuss important maritime matters at the military-strategic level through an institutionalized forum.

Topic: International Appointments

8. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has defeated Jair Bolsonaro in election for President of Brazil.

• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been elected as new President of Brazil.
• Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has secured 50.83% of the votes.
• Incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro received 49.17% votes.
• Bolsonaro had taken part in re-election under the conservative Liberal Party.
• Brazil:
  • It is the largest country in South America. It is a democratic federal republic.
  • It is the fifth-largest country in the world by area. Its capital is Brasilia and the currency is Brazilian Real.
  • Except for Chile and Ecuador, it shares boundaries with all other South American nations and territories.

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

9. ECI is hosting a two-day international conference of election management bodies from October 31 in New Delhi.

• ‘Role, Framework & Capacity of Election Management Bodies’ is the theme of the conference.
• The conference has been inaugurated by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and the concluding session will be chaired by Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey.
• 50 Participants from Election Management Bodies of 11 countries are taking part in this conference.
• Armenia, Mauritius, Nepal, Cabo Verde, Australia, Chile, Federal States of Micronesia, Greece, Philippines, etc. representatives are taking part in this conference.
• The issues related to current and future challenges of election bodies have been discussed on the first two sessions of Day 1. The second session was on ‘Future Challenges.
• The election commission will also hold a conference on the theme of ‘Technology’ and ‘Inclusive Election’.

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

10. ICAR successfully tested two new varieties of Kalanamak rice.

• Kalanamak is a variety of rice, with a black husk and a powerful fragrance.
• Indian Agriculture Research Institute tested two new dwarf varieties named Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1652 in Uttar Pradesh.
• These varieties give double yields. These are rich in micronutrients such as iron and zinc and help in preventing Alzheimer’s.
• The traditional Kalanamak rice is protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag system. Lord Buddha gifted 'Kalanamak' paddy to the people of Shravasti so that people would remember him by its aroma.
• It is grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of northeastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal.
• Kalanamak is cultivated in around one lakh hectares of Uttar Pradesh. The main problem with the Kalanamak variety is that it is tall and very prone to lodging.
• Lodging is a condition in which the top of the plant becomes heavy because of grain formation and the stem becomes weak and the plant falls to the ground.
• Indian Agricultural Research Institute is also known as Pusa Institute. It is a national institute for agricultural research and education.

Topic: Defence

11. Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force are taking part in a bilateral exercise from 26 October to 12 November 2022.

• The exercise is being carried out at Air Force Station Jodhpur. It is named ‘Garuda VIl'.
• The joint exercise provides a platform for both countries to enhance operational capability and interoperability and share best practices.
• This is the seventh edition of the bilateral exercise. Details about other editions are given in next table.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Important Days

12. Birth anniversary of Homi Jehangir Bhabha: 30 October

• He is known as the ‘Father of the Indian nuclear programme’. He was born on 30 October 1909.
• He was an Indian nuclear physicist. He was founding director of Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET).
• AEET is now named Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
• He envisioned India’s three-stage nuclear power programme.
• He emphasized on the use of India’s huge thorium reserve rather than its inadequate uranium reserves for power generation.
• He won the Adams Prize (1942) and Padma Bhushan (1954). He was nominated for Nobel Prize for Physics in 1951 and 1953-1956.
• Jim Sarbh is playing Dr. Homi Bhabha in the series Rocket Boys (2022).

Topic: State News/ Madhya Pradesh

13. Uddhav Utsav-2022, a five-day international dance and music festival, began in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

• Ambassador of Taiwan to India Baushuan Ger inaugurated the mega-event.
• More than 1,000 participants, including 350 artists from Taiwan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Sri Lanka, have participated.
• The event is being jointly organized by Udbhav Sanskritik Evam Kreeda Sansthan’s (USEKS) and Greenwood Public School and Taiwan is the partner country of the show.
• Dance and music groups from Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have participated in the festival.
• This festival aims to present the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Gwalior to the international community.
• Some other important festival celebrated in Madhya Pradesh are given below:

Topic: Important Days

14. World Saving Day/ World Thrift Day 2022: 31 October

• Every year on 31st October, World Savings Day is celebrated worldwide. It is also known as World Thrift Day.
• In India, this day is celebrated on 30 October.
• The theme of World Thrift Day 2022 is “Savings Prepare You For a Better Future.”
• It aims to make the public aware about the importance of savings for individuals and for the nation.
• The day was established on 31 October 1924, during the 1st International Savings Bank Congress in Milano, Italy.
• Filippo Ravizza, an Italian professor, had proposed the idea to celebrate this day.