Daily Current Affairs and GK | 31 October 2020

1. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and actor Vidyut Jammwal launched Fit India Walkathon.

• Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and actor Vidyut Jammwal flagged off the 200 km long Fit India Walkathon at Jaisalmer.
• Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is organizing this event which will go on for 3 days i.e. from 31 October to 2 November.
• Jawans and personnel of various central police armed forces (CAPFs) will participate in the 200 km long walkathon.
• ‘Fit India Walkathon’ aims to create awareness about fit and healthy lifestyle in India. It is being organized on the lines of recently concluded Fit India Freedom Run.
•  Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Fit India Movement on 29 August 2019 (National Sports Day).

2. World Cities Day: 31 October

• World Cities Day is celebrated every year on 31 October.
• It aims to greatly support and actively encourage the international community’s interest in urbanization, increase cooperation to meet opportunities and address challenges of urbanization.
• On World Cities Day 2020, global ceremony will be organized in Nakuru, Kenya. 
• General theme of World Cities Day is “Better City, Better Life” and a sub-theme is selected each year.
• The theme (Sub-theme) for World Cities Day 2020 is Valuing Our Communities and Cities.
• SDG 11: Inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements.

(Source: UN)

3. Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel or National Unity Day: 31 October

• Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was first Deputy Prime Minister of India and first Home Minister of India.
• He was given the title of Sardar by women of Bardoli for leading Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928.
• He successfully worked for integration of 565 princely states into India and played a key role in the establishment of the All India Services.
• He was popularly known as Iron Man of India, patron saint of India's civil servants, Unifier of India, and Bismarck of India.
• He was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna in 1991.
• His birth anniversary is annually commemorated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) since 2014. 
• World’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, was inaugurated and dedicated to Sardar Patel at his 143^rd birth anniversary on 31 October 2018.

4. CCEA approves Mechanism for procurement of Ethanol by Oil Marketing PSUs.

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a Mechanism for procurement of ethanol by Oil marketing PSUs under the Ethanol Blended Petrol programme.
• Now, there will be different prices for ethanol:

• Oil Marketing companies will decide the criteria for priority of ethanol manufactured from different sources considering factors like availability, cost of transportation, etc.
• Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme:
  • The programme was launched in 2003 by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
  • It was extended to the whole of India (except Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands) w.e.f 1 April 2019.
  • Under the programme, Oil Marketing companies sell petrol blended with ethanol (up to 10%).
  • The aim of this programme is to promote the use of alternative and eco-friendly fuels.
• Apart from this, CCEA also approved the extension of Norms for compulsory packaging of Jute materials under the Jute Packaging Material Act, 1987.
• As per the new norms, 100% of the food grains and 20% of the sugar shall be mandatorily packaged in jute bags.
• CCEA also nodded to World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank aided Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II and Phase III to improve the safety and operational performance of selected dams. DRIP will be implemented from April 2021 to March 2031 in two phases.
• Who heads CCEA? - Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is headed by Prime Minister. It deals with the activities related to the economics of the country.

5. Prime Minister launches seaplane service connecting Statue of Unity with Sabarmati Riverfront.

• PM Narendra Modi launched the first seaplane service on the occasion of birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.
• The seaplane service will connect Statue of Unity in Kevadia with Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad.
• This is the first of five seaplane services that will operate in Gujarat.
• India’s seaplane project is part of a directive of Union Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• A commercial seaplane service, Jal Hans, was launched in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2010 as a pilot project.

6. Government working to bring BIS under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• The government is working to bring the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• As per the reports, the Government has decided two weeks deadline for completing the transfer of BIS to Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Currently, BIS comes under the Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
• Minister of Commerce and Industry: Piyush Goyal
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):
  • It is a statutory body that was formed in 1986. It was earlier known as Indian Standards Institution (ISI).
  • Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution is ex-officio President of the BIS.
  • Headquarters: New Delhi
  • It has 25 members.
  • It has five regional offices in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Delhi.
  • Director-General: Pramod Kumar Tiwari

7. Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha will be next Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).

• The three-member selection panel comprising Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Home Minister has selected Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha to be appointed as the next Chief Information Commissioner.
• He will succeed Bimal Julka, who retired at the end of August 2020.
• Mr. Chowdhury has alleged that the shortlisting process is not in accordance with the Supreme Court’s transparency guidelines issued in February 2019.
• Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha is a retired Indian Foreign Service officer. He has previously served as the High Commissioner of India to Britain and Sri Lanka.
• He was appointed as Information Commissioner in January 2019.

(Source: The Hindu)

• Central Information Commission:
  • It is a statutory body that was established under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
  • It consists of a Chief Information Commissioner and up to ten Information Commissioners.
  • It is the highest appellate authority that hears the appeals from information seekers and also addresses the issues pertaining to the RTI Act.
  • The Commission submits its annual report to the Union government.

8. Public Affairs Centre releases Public Affairs Index 2020.

• The Public Affairs Centre has released the Public Affairs Index 2020.
• States were ranked on governance performance based on a composite index in the context of sustainable development defined by three pillars- Equity, Growth and Sustainability.
• Highlights of the index:
  • Best Governed State (Large State Category)- Kerala
  • Worst Performer (Large State Category)- Uttar Pradesh
  • Best Governed State (Small State Category)- Goa
  • Worst Performer (Small State Category)- Manipur
  • Best Governed State (UT Category)- Chandigarh
  • Worst Performer (UT Category)- Dadar and Nagar Haveli
• Public Affairs Centre is a not-for-profit organization headed by former ISRO chairman K. Kasturirangan.

9. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Zoological Park in Kevadia inaugurated by Prime Minister.

• The Prime Minister has inaugurated the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Zoological Park in Kevadia in Gujarat. It has been set up near the Statue of Unity for promoting tourism in the area.
• He inaugurated 17 projects and laid the foundation stone for four new projects under Integrated Development of Kevadia project. He also flagged off Ekta Cruise service from Shrestha Bharat Bhavan to the Statue of Unity.
• Zoological Park will be an interesting place for birdwatching. It also has a facility of Jungle Safari, which is the fastest built Jungle Safari.
• It has two aviaries-one for domestic bird and another for exotic birds. It is the world’s largest geodesic dome for the aviary.
• Ekta Cruise Service: It is a Ferry boat service between Shrestha Bharat Bhavan to Statue of Unity. It will cover a distance of 6 km. New Gora Bridge is built for the operation of this ferry service. 

(Source: News on AIR)

10. PM inaugurated Arogya Van, Arogya Kutir, Ekta Mall and Children Nutrition Park under Integrated Development of Kevadia Project.

• Prime Minister has inaugurated various projects in Kevadia in Gujarat, which include Arogya Van, Arogya Kutir, Ekta Mall, and Children Nutrition Park. These projects are part of the Integrated Development of Kevadia.
• These projects are built under the Integrated Development of Kevadia.
• Arogya Van: It is spread over 17 acres of land and has 5 lakh plants of 380 different species. Santhigiri wellness center is also established inside it to provide treatment facilities based on Ayurveda, Siddha, Yoga, and Panchakarma.
• Ekta Mall: It has a diverse range of handicrafts and traditional items from all over India to symbolize unity in diversity of India. It contains 20 Emporia from different states of India and it is built in only 110 days.
• Children Nutrition Park & Mirror Maze: It is established to raise nutritional awareness among children through various edutainment activities. It is the world’s first technology-driven nutrition park for children. In this park, a Nutri Train runs across various theme-based stations.
• Gujarat:
  • It is a coastal state of India.
  • Capital: Gandhinagar
  • Governor: Acharya Dev Vrat, Chief Minister: Vijay Rupani
  • Lok Sabha seats: 26, Rajya Sabha seats: 11
  • Gir National Park is located in Gujarat.
  • Statue of Unity is located on the Narmada River in Kevadia.

11. Indian Oil launched one common number for Indane refill booking.

• Indian Oil has started one common number for a refill of Indane LPG booking.
• The common number will be 7718955555 and it will be available 24x7 for the customers.
• The common number can be contacted through SMS and IVRS.
• Indane LPG booking can only be done through the registered mobile number.
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited:
  • It is one of the Maharatna public sector company.
  • It is the largest commercial oil company in India.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.