Daily Current Affairs and GK | 8 October 2022

Topic: Report and Indices

1. World Bank released a report titled “Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2022: Correcting Course”.

• As per the report, the world is unlikely to achieve the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030.
• The report states that the global poverty reduction rate has slowed since 2015 and the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine have also further slowed down it.
• By 2015, the global extreme-poverty rate had been cut by more than half. In 2020, the number of people living below the extreme poverty line increased by 70 million.
• Around 719 million people are living on less than $2.15 a day by the end of 2020.
• The poorest people have bearded the steepest costs of the pandemic. Around 40 per cent of poor people have lost their income by 4% while wealthy people have lost 20% of their income.
• In 2020, Global median income declined by 4 per cent. For the first time, Global median income declined after measurements of median income began in 1990.
• As per the report, the Poverty level has declined in India. As per the latest estimate based on Sinha Roy and van der Weide (2022), poverty at the US$1.90 poverty line was 13.6 per cent in 2017.
• The report uses data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), because there are no official estimates of poverty available since 2011.
• National policy reforms can help in reducing poverty. Governments should act promptly on three fronts:
  • Avoid Broad Subsidies, increase targeted cash transfers
  • Focus on Long-Term Growth
  • Mobilize Domestic Revenues without Hurting the Poor

Topic: National News

2. Quality Council of India (QCI) celebrated its Silver Jubilee on 5 October.

• A special event has been organized at the Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
• Union Minister Piyush Goyal was the Chief Guest at the event. The event comprised panel discussions on the quality ecosystem for achieving India’s growth vision for 2047.
• The Quality Council of India was set up in 1997 by the Government of India and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
• Ratan Tata was its first Chairman. In the last 25 years, QCI has created various boards.
• Quality Council of India has played a key role in the economic growth of India.
• QCI launched a campaign–Gunvatta Se Atmanirbharta: India’s quality movement to celebrate the journey of quality and excellence.

Topic: Important Days

3. Indian Air Force celebrated its 90th anniversary on 08 Oct 2022.

• This year the Air Force Day flypast took place over Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh.
• In a historic move, the Indian Air Force has moved the parade and fly-past of Air Force Day out of the national capital region.
• This time 75 aircraft took part in the flypast.
• At Sukhna Lake, the light combat helicopter LCH, which was recently added to the IAF, also displayed its air capabilities in the sky.
• Tejas, Sukhoi, MIG -29, Jaguar, Rafale, and Hawk also took part in flypast.
• Indian Air Force:
  • It was established on 8 October 1932 and hence, Air Force Day is celebrated every year on 8 October.
  • The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Air Force.
  • The Chief of Air Staff is Vivek Ram Chaudhari. 1st Chief of the Air Staff is Sir Thomas Walker Elmhirst.

Topic: State news/ Jammu & Kashmir

4. Under Mission Amrit Sarovar, J&K became the first to establish 75 Amrit Sarovars in each district.

• As per the aspirations of PM Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir has achieved the feat of establishing at least 75 Amrit Sarovar in each district.
• J&K has started implementing the scheme in mission mode.
• UT level committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary has been constituted with the participation of departments like Forest, Culture, Revenue, and Jal Shakti for top-level monitoring and implementation of the scheme.
• As per the guidelines of the mission, the Union Territory had to complete the work of 300 Amrit Sarovar before August 15 this year and 1500 Amrit Sarovar by August 15 next year.
• However, UT had completed 1490 Amrit Sarovar on 15th August 2022, and at present, UT has completed work on 1953 Amrit Sarovar.
• The Finance Department has released Rs 50 crore for the rejuvenation and construction of these Amrit Sarovars.
• Mission Amrit Sarovar:
  • Prime Minister launched the scheme on National Panchayati Raj Day on the 24th of April 2022 in Palli Gram Panchayat in District Samba of J&K itself.
  • At the national level, the Union Territory is at number 2 after Uttar Pradesh in terms of completion of Amrit Sarovars.

Topic: Important Days

5. World Smile Day 2022: 7 October

• Every year, World Smile Day is celebrated on the first Friday of October.
• In 2022, the day was celebrated on 7 October.
• The aim behind celebrating Smile Day was to dedicate one day in a year to smiles and kind acts.
• The theme of World Smile Day remains the same every year 'Do an act of kindness, Help one person smile'.
• In 1999, World Smile Day was first celebrated by the artist Harvey Ball.
• In 1963, Harvey Ball, a commercial artist from Worcester, Massachusetts, created the smiley face.
• Harvey Ball declared the first Friday of October to be World Smile Day every year.

Topic: Sports

6. Gujarat's Pooja Patel became the first athlete to win a gold medal in Yogasan at the 36th National Games.

• For the first time, five new sports have been included in the National Games, one of which is Yoga.
• Earlier this year, this Indian indigenous game was introduced for the first time at the Khelo India University Games.
• Among other events, Maharashtra won the gold medal in women's diving in the one-meter springboard event.
• 36th National Games is being hosted by Gujrat from 27 September to 10 October.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Economy/Banking/Finance 

7. Directions for the appointment of an Internal Ombudsman (IO) for all Credit Information Companies (CICs) have been issued by RBI.

• CICs have been directed to complete the process of appointment of an IO at the apex of their internal grievance redress mechanism by April 1, 2023.
• As per RBI’s directions, every CIC must appoint the IO for a fixed term of not less than three years and not exceeding five years.
• The IO shall be either a retired or a serving officer.
• The IO shall not be below the rank of Deputy General Manager or equivalent in any financial sector regulatory body with at least seven years of experience in certain fields. 
• These fields are banking, non-banking finance, financial sector regulation or supervision, credit information or consumer protection.
• The IO shall not attain the age of 70 before the completion of the proposed term.
• There shall be no reappointment for an extension of term in the same CIC.
• The IO will not entertain any complaints directly from the members of the public.
• It will deal only with complaints that have already been examined by the CIC, but have been partly or wholly rejected by it (CIC).
• The following complaints will be outside the purview of IO.
  • Complaints related to fraud, misappropriation, etc., except those resulting from a deficiency in service, if any, on the part of the CIC.
  • Complaints/ references relating to internal administration, human resources, or pay and emoluments of staff.
• Presently, there are four CICs. They are given below.
  • Credit Information Bureau (India) Ltd (CIBIL)
  • Equifax Credit Information Services Pvt Ltd
  • Experian Credit Information Company of India Pvt Ltd 
  • CRIF High Mark Credit Information Services Pvt Ltd
• These companies are governed by the Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act (CICRA), 2005.

Topic: Banking System

8. RBI governor Shaktikanta Das launched DAKSH.

• DAKSH is a new SupTech initiative. It will be the bank’s advanced monitoring system.
• It is expected to make the supervisory processes more robust. It is a web-based end-to-end workflow application.
• Through DAKSH, RBI will monitor compliance with the objective of further improving the compliance culture in Supervised Entities (SEs) like Banks, NBFCs, etc,

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

9. WHO issued an alert against India-made cough syrups after 66 children died in the Gambia.

• The World Health Organisation has issued a medical product alert on four cough and cold syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals in India.
• The cough syrups–Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup –were made by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals.
• The Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has launched an investigation into the matter.
• As per a report, the WHO found four of the 23 samples tested contaminated with diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol.
• Chemical substances like Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol can cause toxic effects.
• WHO also said that countries should increase surveillance of the supply chains to remove substandard products.
• Last year, after consuming cough syrup three children died in New Delhi.
• Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO):
  • It is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
  • It is responsible for the approval of New Drugs, the Conduct of Clinical Trials, and laying down the standards for Drugs.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

10. Bureau of Indian Standards and the Testing, Inspection, Certification Council, India signed an MoU.

• Bureau of Indian Standards and the Testing, Inspection, Certification Council will promote the implementation of standards and quality, safety and sustainability practices in laboratories.
• Both organizations will work to improve the responsiveness of laboratories and the adoption of best global practices in laboratories.
• The MoU was signed on 29 September 2022.
• The MoU has been signed by Shri Rajeev Sharma, Deputy Director General Laboratories, BIS and Shri Shashi Bhushan Jogani, Chairman, TIC.
• TIC Council (Testing, Inspection, Certification Council) is a global trade association. It represents the independent third-party testing, inspection and certification industry (TIC).

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Important Days

11. World Space Week 2022: 4 to 10 October

• Every year World Space Week is celebrated internationally from October 4 to 10.
• The theme of World Space Week 2022 is "Space and Sustainability."
• It is an international celebration of science and technology and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition.
• The United Nations and the World Space Week Association (WSWA) coordinate to organize the event.
• In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared 4–10 October as World Space Week.
• October 4 marks the launch of the first human-made Earth satellite, Sputnik, in 1957.
• The treaty governing the activities of countries on the exploration and use of outer space was signed on October 10, 1967.
• 2022 marks the 65^th anniversary of Sputnik 1's launch and the 55^th anniversary of the Outer Space Treaty's entry into force.

Topic: Sports

12. FIH selected PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia as the best Men's and Women's Goalkeepers for 2022.

• India's PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia have been named the Men's and Women's Goalkeepers of the Year for the second time in a row at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) awards.
• Sreejesh is the third player to win the FIH Goalkeeper of the Year award twice in a row.
• Savita is only the third player to win the Women's Goalkeeper of the Year title twice in a row.
• FIH Player of the Year Awards:
  • The International Hockey Federation awards annually the FIH Player of the Year Awards to the male and female field hockey players.
  • In 1998, the awards were established and have been awarded annually since then.
  • The FIH Young Player of the Year award was started in 2001 and is awarded to the best young field hockey player of the year.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

13. 2022 Nobel Peace Prize won by Ales Bialiatski, Russia’s Memorial, and Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties.

• The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to give the Nobel Peace Prize for 2022 to one individual and two organizations.
• 2022 Nobel Peace Prize won by Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski, Russian human rights organisation Memorial and Ukrainian human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties on 7 October.
• They have made an outstanding effort to document power abuse, war crimes, and human rights abuses.
• Together, they demonstrated the importance of civil society to democracy and peace.
• Ales Bilyatsky was one of the initiators of the democratic movement that took place in Belarus in the mid-1980s.
• Human rights activists established the human rights organization Memorial in 1987 in the former Soviet Union.
• In 2007, the Center for Civil Liberties was established in Kyiv with the aim of advancing human rights and democracy in Ukraine.
• Nobel Prize:
  • It was started in 1901. It is awarded annually on the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel.
  • The Nobel Prizes are the most prestigious awards given for intellectual achievement in the world.
  • It is awarded in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, economics, and peace.
  • Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to win the Nobel Prize in 1913.

Topic: Defence

14. On 7 October, South Korea and the US joint maritime exercise started with the US aircraft carrier.

• Marine drills is being conducted off the east coast in its waters on the 7-8 of October.
• Joint drills will strengthen both countries' operational capabilities and readiness to respond to any provocation by North Korea.
• The exercise is being conducted after North Korea launched ballistic missiles over Japan.

(Source: News on AIR)