Daily Current Affairs and GK | 6 and 7 October 2024

Topic: State News/ Odisha

1. Odisha’s leopard population increased by 22% to 696.

• Odisha’s leopard population has increased by 22%. It has increased from 568 to 696 between 2022 and 2024.
• The All Odisha Leopard Estimation 2024 has been released. It estimated a median count of 696.
• The Forest department had conducted a survey across 47 forest divisions.
• As per the latest NTCA report, the leopard population in India stands at 13,874.
• As per the Wildlife Protection Society of India, around 1,485 leopards were poached in the country in the last 10 years.
• Odisha’s forest cover is about 33.50% of the State’s total geographic area.
• A statewide field survey was also conducted to identify the presence of leopards through various signs, including pugmarks, scrapes, scats, rakes, urine spray, etc.
• 59 leopard skins were seized from wildlife smugglers between 2018 and 2023 in Odisha.

Topic: Sports

2. At the ISSF Junior World Championship in Peru, Indian pistol shooter Divanshi won her 2nd individual gold medal in the women's 25-meter standard pistol event.

• Suraj Sharma also won gold in the junior men's standard pistol in the corresponding men's event.
• In this game, Mukesh Nelavalli, who had already won four gold medals in the competition, settled for bronze in this game.
• Of 600, Divanshi got a score of 564. Bronze went to Manvi Jain, who scored 557.
• With a score of 554, Shikha Chaudhary placed fourth, only one point ahead of Marja Kirss of Estonia.
• With 21 medals in all, India continued to lead the medal tally.
• India’s 21 medals included two silver, six bronze, and thirteen gold.
• Norway is in 2nd place with 10 medals. The 10 medals included four gold, three silver, and three bronze.
• In the men's 25-meter rapid-fire pistol team competition, Mukesh Nelavalli, Raajwardan Patil, and Harsimar Singh Rattha won.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

3. A MoU has been signed between the Government of Maharashtra and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

• The MoU has been signed for the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence in Kandivali, Mumbai.
• Union Minister for Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal was present during the signing of MoU.
• Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the National Centre of Excellence would surely play a significant role in the Olympics 2036.
• On the 37-acre plot of land that has been leased for 30 years at a fee of Rs. 1 per year to SAI, SAI intends to build state-of-the-art sports infrastructure that meets international standards.
• As per SAI, the proposed centre of excellence will include modern athlete hostel buildings, and a central kitchen for athletes.
• It will also include a new modern hockey turf of international standards with a floodlighting system, and a multipurpose sports hall.
• The proposed centre of excellence will also include a high-performance sports science centre for injury and rehabilitation.

Topic: Important Days

4. World Cotton Day: 7 October

• World Cotton Day is celebrated all over the world on 7 October.
• The first World Cotton Day was celebrated in Geneva in 2019.
• This year marks the fifth anniversary of World Cotton Day.
• The idea for World Cotton Day originated from the Cotton Four nations (Burkina Faso, Benin, Chad, and Mali) and other cotton-producing nations in Africa.
• Presently, India is the largest cotton producer in the world.

Topic: State News/ Assam

5. Nijut Moina Scheme for college girls has been launched by the Chief Minister of Assam.

• On October 6, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched his ambitious scheme to provide financial aid to college girls.
• He handed over the first installment of the monthly stipend to hundreds of girl students from Class 11 to postgraduate.
• The state government scheme - 'Nijut Moina' - announced in this year's budget proposes to give Rs 1,000 every month to all girls studying at the higher secondary level.
• This fee will be Rs 1,250 for degree-holding students and Rs 2,500 for postgraduate students.
• Mr Sarma stressed the dual objective of promoting women's education and preventing child marriage through this scheme.
• He said the government was running various schemes like free admission and other incentives to promote women education, however, the ‘Nijut Moina’ programme would help girls attend classes regularly along with providing financial assistance.

Topic: Defence

6. Fourth generation very short range air defence system successfully flight tested by DRDO.

• On 3 and 4 October, three flight trials of 4th Generation, technically-advanced miniaturised Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) have been successfully conducted by the DRDO at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.
• These tests were conducted against high-speed targets, demonstrating the extremely critical parameters of interception at maximum range and maximum altitude.
• These development trials demonstrated the repeatability of the weapon system's hit-to-kill capability in various target engagement scenarios, including approaching, receding and crossing modes.
• VSHORADs is a man portable air defence system indigenously designed and developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and development and production partners.
• All three services have been associated with the project since the beginning and have also participated during developmental trials.
• Equipped with modern technologies, this new missile will give further technological boost to the armed forces against aerial threats.

Topic: Defence

7. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated DefConnect 4.0.

• It is organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence – Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO), under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantonment.
• It will bring together policymakers, innovators, armed forces, and defence PSUs to discuss how to promote indigenous innovation.
• In addition to interactive talks with prominent figures from the defence industry and industry executives, DefConnect 4.0 will include launches and announcements from the Minister of Defence.
• A thematic session centred on the most recent budget announcements, important lessons learnt for the defence innovation ecosystem, and the newest semiconductor-related projects will also be included in the event.
• Over 9,000 applications have been received by iDEX for its 11 editions of the Defence India Start-up Challenges till date.
• Since its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, iDEX has given different stakeholders in the aerospace and defence industries access to a single, unified platform.

Topic: Art and Culture

8. New multi-coloured logo for Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj has been unveiled by Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.

• The logo represents both religious and financial well-being by featuring the Amrit Kalash, a revered vessel from a mythological ocean churning.
• The Akshayvat tree, a temple, a seer, an urn, and a picture of Lord Hanuman are all featured in the design.
• It stands for the Sanatan civilization's fusion of nature and humanity.
• It also represents the continuous flow of public welfare and self-awareness, making it an inspiring symbol for Mahakumbh 2025.
• UNESCO has designated the Kumbh Mela as an "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity."
• With the motto "Sarvasiddhipradah Kumbhah," it is recognised as the largest peaceful pilgrimage gathering in the world.

Topic: Geography

9. Scientists discovered a sixth ocean 700 kilometers beneath the Earth's surface.

• Northwestern University scientists have revealed that the ocean exists in the Earth's mantle.
• This discovery supported the theory that oceans originated from Earth’s interior rather than from cometary impacts.
• It is not a usual ocean, the water molecules are trapped within ringwoodite's crystal structure in this ocean.
• In this way, large amounts of water can be stored in a compact space.
• Scientists believe that this ocean will play a crucial role in maintaining surface ocean stability.
• Scientists have planned to gather global seismic data from around the world to understand the implications of this hidden ocean.
• Scientists aim to determine if mantle melting is a universal or regional phenomenon.
• This will provide deeper insights into Earth's water cycle. This discovery suggests that the Earth's water cycle is more complex.

Topic: International Appointments

10. Prakash Man Singh Raut became the new Chief Justice of Nepal.

• Nepal's President Ramchandra Paudel appointed Prakash Man Singh Raut as the new Chief Justice.
• Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Chief Justice Raut.
• Prakash Man Singh Raut's name was recommended for the post by the Constitutional Council.
• He is appointed after the retirement of outgoing Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha at the age of 65.

Topic: Summit/Conference/Meeting

11. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar will visit Pakistan for the SCO meeting.

• On October 15 and 16, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will visit Islamabad to attend the meeting of the Heads of Government (HOG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
• Mr. Jaishankar's visit is "primarily" for the SCO group meeting, as India is focusing on "regional cooperation mechanisms."
• No bilateral meeting has been decided during the meeting so far.
• The last time an Indian foreign minister visited Pakistan for the Heart of Asia conference and bilateral talks was in 2015, when Sushma Swaraj made the visit.
• The External Minister’s visit is based on "reciprocity,"  given that despite bilateral tensions, Pakistan had sent its then Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa in May 2023.

Topic: Sports

12. Mumbai won the Irani Cup for the 15th time after 27 years.

• On 5 October, Ajinkya Rahane-led Mumbai ended their long wait to clinch the Irani Cup title by defeating the Rest of India (ROI) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
• Winning on the basis of a first-inning lead, Mumbai won for the 15th time, the most for any Ranji Trophy team.
• Mumbai have reached the final eight times since the 1997–98 season, when they last won the Irani Cup.
• The game turned out to be a one-sided contest, with Sarfaraz Khan's 222 runs helping Mumbai reach 537 runs.
• Sarfaraz Khan was named Player of the Match.
• In March, Mumbai also won the Ranji Trophy title for a record 42nd time at the Wankhede Stadium.

Topic: National Appointments

13. RBI appointed Aviral Jain as Executive Director.

• Aviral Jain's appointment as Executive Director has become effective from October 1, 2024.
• Before this appointment, Jain served as the Regional Director for Maharashtra.
• He has 30 years of extensive experience in various key areas, including supervision, currency management, foreign exchange regulation, and human resource management.
• Under the new role, Jain will oversee several crucial departments, including the Legal Department, the Premises Department, and the Right to Information Act as the First Appellate Authority.
• He is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (IIBF).

Topic: National News

14. Textiles Ministry has extended until December 31 the requirement to use jute bags for packaging.

• The Ministry of Textiles has extended the mandate for foodgrains and sugar producers to use jute packaging.
• The mandatory use of 100% jute packaging for foodgrains and 20% of the total sugar production has been extended by the Ministry of Textiles until December 31, 2024.
• The ministry further clarified that procurement of jute bags for packaging of initially 10 per cent of the foodgrains through reverse auction on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) platform will continue.
• In a notice dated December 26, 2023, the ministry stipulated that until June 30, 2024, foodgrains must be packaged entirely in jute, and 20% of all sugar output must be packaged in this manner.
• Additionally, it introduced the reverse auction system for purchasing jute bags through the GeM.