Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 16th October 2024

 

1. Rajkumar Hirani received the Na tional Kishore Kumar Award. 

• Popular film Producer and director Rajkumar Hirani has been conferred the National Kishore Kumar Award in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.
• On the occasion of the 37th death anniversary of Kishore Kumar, the award is given to Rajkumar Hirani. 
• Rajkumar Hirani reached the Samadhi of Kishore Kumar and paid tribute to him before receiving the award. 
• Many famous Bollywood actors, writers, and producer-directors have received this award to date. 
• Khandwa is the birthplace of Kishore Kumar. 
• The award has been given every year to an eminent artist by the Directorate of Culture, Madhya Pradesh Government since 1997. 

2. World Health Organization (WHO) has got $1 billion in pledges for next budget, covering the period 2025-28. 

• Of this, fresh financing commitments from European nations, foundations, and organisations totalled close to $700 million. 
• Concurrently, $300 million came from renewed financial pledges. 
• The funding was announced during the WHO Investment Round Signature Event. 
• This event was held at the World Health Summit in Berlin. 
• With an additional $260 million in voluntary assistance, Germany committed to around $400 million over a four-year period. 
• A US$50 million donation was made by the UK-based philanthropic organisation Wellcome. 
• The World Diabetes Foundation, Resolve to Save Lives, and the Institute for Philanthropy each contributed $10 million. 
• A noteworthy commitment of US$ 50 million was also made by the WHO Foundation, with assistance from the business community. 

3. Islamabad will host 23 rd SCO Meeting on 16 October. 

• Islamabad will host 23rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG) on October 16. 
• The meeting will mainly focus on strengthening trade and economic cooperation among member states. 
• The SCO CHG meeting is held annually. It focusses on the trade and economic agenda of the organisation. 
• At the 23rd Meeting of the SCO, Indian delegation will be led by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. 
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will chair the CHG meeting. 
• Other attendees will be Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko, and the heads of government from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. 
• First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber will represent Iran. 
• Mongolia’s Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai will attend as an observer. 

4. A resolution urging the central government to withdraw the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is passed by the Kerala Assembly.

• The central government has been unanimously recommended to withdraw the 2024 Waqf Amendment Bill by the Kerala Legislative Assembly. 
• The government's resolution was presented by State Minister for Minority Welfare, Waqf, and Hajj Pilgrimage, V. Abdurahiman. 
• He alleged that the union government's proposed amendments are a violation of federalist principles. 
• He alleged they are against the rights and values guaranteed by the nation's Constitution. 
• The resolution accused the proposed bill of violating democracy, federalism, secularism, right to belief, and fundamental rights. 
• The Joint Parliamentary Committee is now considering the proposed law. 
• The resolution stated that the proposed measure contradicts the federal principles of the Indian Constitution and also aims to take away the states' authority to pass laws pertaining to the Waqf. 
• The resolution stated that the Waqf Act was put in place to guarantee adherents of the relevant faith that Waqf Endowments and institutions' properties would be protected in accordance with Article 26 of the Constitution's rights. 

5. IAF World Space Award presented to ISRO Chairman S. Somnath for the remarkable achievement of Chandrayaan-3. 

• On October 14, 2024, ISRO Chairman S. Somnath received the prestigious World Space Award of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) for the remarkable achievement of Chandrayaan-3. 
• He received the award during the opening ceremony of the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan, Italy. 
• On August 23, 2023, Chandrayaan-3's historic landing near the Moon's south pole marked India the first country to achieve this feat, joining an elite group of countries capable of lunar landing. 
• In June 2024, The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) had announced the award for outstanding contributions to space science and space technology.
• In 2023, the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) had presented this award to Elon Musk for his contribution in the field of space science as the head of SpaceX. 

6. PhonePe launches new plan Firecracker Insurance for Diwali 

• Payments major PhonePe has tied up with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance to offer affordable insurance coverage against firecracker-related accidents during Diwali for a limited period. 
• The insurance cover entails a sum insured of Rs 25,000 for a premium of Rs 9, inclusive of goods and services tax (GST). 
• The coverage is for 10 days starting from October 25, 2024, to November 3, 2024. 
• The plan includes hospitalisation cover, day care treatment, and accidental death, limited only to the policyholder. The sale of these policies will end on November 3, 2024. 
• The plan can be purchased on the PhonePe app and provides coverage to families by insuring up to four family members, including the user, their spouse, and up to two children. 
• CEO of PhonePe Insurance Broking Services – Vishal Gupta 

Recent Facilities Launched in Banking & Insurance Sector 

• SBI Card launches KrisFlyer SBI Card in partnership with Singapore Airlines 
• Reliance Nippon Life Insurance unveils ‘Nishchit Pension’ to help Indians secure guaranteed long-term retirement income 
• Arka Fincap launches ‘Uday’ to boost MSME Growth with Small Ticket Loans 
• Magma HDI General Insurance unveiled a OneProtect, a contemporary personal accident insurance product 
• ICICI Bank and MakeMyTrip unveils co-branded credit card for travel enthusiasts 

7. Omar Abdullah took oath as Chief Minister of J&K. 

• Omar Abdullah is a leader of National Conference. He took the oath as the Chief Minister of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir on 16 October 2024. 
• Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha administered the oath to him along with Council of Ministers at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar. 
• Mr. Abdullah was invited to form the government after his party won in the recent Assembly Elections, which were held after the gap of 10 years. 
• The J&K Legislative Assembly held its last Assembly Elections in 2014. 
• His party secured 42 out of 90 Assembly seats in the recently held elections. 
• NC’s pre-poll ally, Congress, won six seats. CPI (M), Aam Aadmi Party, and Independent Legislators, have confirmed support for the NC-Congress alliance government. 

8. PM Modi Inaugurated India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024. 

• IMC 2024 is the eighth edition of India Mobile Congress. It is a four-day event. 
• It started from 15 October and will conclude on 18 October. It is taking place at Pragati Maidan. 
• At IMC 2024, popular Meta RayBan XR glasses will also be showcased. 
• PM Modi said India has democratised digital technology. 
• PM Modi also inaugurated the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) 2024. 
• WTSA is organised by the International Telecommunication Union, a specialised agency of the United Nations. 
• "India has installed optical fibres spanning an eight-fold distance between Earth and the moon in the last ten years," stated Modi. 
• "We introduced 5G at the India Mobile Congress two years ago, and now there is 5G coverage in every district in the nation," Modi stated. 
• In just 22 months, we have deployed 5G in all 36 states and union territories, covering 98 percent of our districts and 80 percent of our people, according to Union Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia. 

9. Nasa launched the Europa Clipper to search for life on Jupiter’s moon. 

• Nasa launched the Europa Clipper to search for life on Jupiter and its moon, Europa. 
• It was launched from a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. 
• Nasa's spacecraft has been designed to study Jupiter's Europa moon's icy surface and the subsurface ocean believed to exist beneath. 
• Europa Clipper will not directly search for life, but it will examine whether Europa's environment could support it or not. 
• Its findings may pave the way for future missions aimed at detecting life. 
• Europa is one of Jupiter’s 95 known moons. It is slightly smaller than Earth’s moon. 
• It is covered by an ice sheet estimated to be 10 to 15 miles (15 to 24 km) thick. 
• Scientists believe that a vast ocean exists under this frozen surface. This ocean could be a rich environment for life due to the presence of water. 
• The Europa Clipper is the largest spacecraft Nasa has built for planetary exploration. 

10. Navy’s 2nd VLF radar station foundation stone has been laid in Telangana. 

• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the Indian Navy’s second Very Low Frequency (VLF) Naval Station in Vikarabad district. 
• This facility will be operational by 2027. It will enhance the Indian Navy’s communication with ships and submarines. 
• After the VLF station becomes operational, it will significantly support the armed forces. 
• A robust military communication system will be crucial for securing the transmission of command orders to the field. 
• It is India’s second such station — the first, INS Kattabomman, has been operational in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, since 1990. 
• A naval township with essential amenities such as schools, hospitals, banks and markets will also be developed. 

11. Odisha won Best State Award at 5th National Water Awards 2023. 

• On October 14, the 5th National Water Awards 2023 were announced in New Delhi. 
• In the best state category, Odisha bagged the first prize, while Uttar Pradesh got the second position. 
• Gujarat and Puducherry jointly secured the third position. 
• On October 22, the 5th National Water Awards 2023 will be presented by President Draupadi Murmu in New Delhi. 
• The awards will be presented to a total of 38 winners, including joint winners in nine categories. 
• Each award winner will receive a citation and a trophy as well as a cash prize in some categories. 
• To create awareness among people about the importance of water and to motivate people to adopt best water use practices, the 1st National Water Awards were instituted in 2018 by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. 
• The National Water Awards (NWA) focus on the good work and efforts done by individuals and organizations across the country towards realizing the Government’s dream f a ‘Water Prosperous India’. 
• These awards are meant to create awareness among people about the importance of water and motivate them to adopt best water use practices. 

12. Ericsson wins multi-billion-dollar 5G equipment contract from Bharti Airtel 

• Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson has received a new multi-billion-dollar contract for selling 5G equipment from India’s Bharti Airtel. 
• This comes after Ericsson got part of a $3.6 billion contract last month for selling 5G equipment to India’s Vodafone Idea. It shared the contract with Nokia and Samsung. 
• The new contracts are expected to boost Ericsson’s revenue next year after seeing a big fall in contracts from India in the first half of the year. 
• Demand from the Indian 5G market started to skyrocket in 2023, when sales from the region grew as much as five times, as Airtel and Jio, the telecoms unit of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, started to scale up 5G services. 

13. Union Ministry of Earth Sciences installed X-band radar in Kerala’s Wayanad district. 

• After devastating floods and landslides, the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences installed X-band radar in Kerala’s Wayanad district. 
• This device will also perform high temporal sampling, which will allow it to spot particle movements happening in shorter spans of time. 
• In the early 1950s, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) started using radar for weather applications. 
• This new radar at Wayanad will monitor the movements of particles, such as soil, to inform landslide warnings. 
• Radar uses radio waves to determine the distance, velocity, and physical characteristics of objects around the device. 
• Weather radar, also known as Doppler radar, is a common application of this device. 
• In the X-band radar network, India has both wind-finding and storm-detecting radars. 
• The initiative to install an X-band radar in Wayanad includes installing a C-band radar (4-8 GHz) with an observational range of 250 km in Mangaluru. 
• NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are currently developing a satellite called NISAR. 

14. World Food Day: 16 October 

• World Food Day is observed every year worldwide on October 16. 
• World Food Day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of good food and nutrition. 
• This day was established by FAO in 1979. 
• It is observed to mark the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945. 
• This year World Food Day has been observed under the theme “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future”. 
• According to the Global Hunger Index 2024, Somalia, Yemen, Chad, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the five countries which are mostly affected from hunger and malnutrition. 
• More than 2.8 billion people in the world are unable to afford a healthy diet. 

15. PM Modi inaugurates WTSA 2024 and 8th India Mobile Congress 2024 

• PM Narendra Modi has inaugurated the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) – World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) 2024 at New Delhi. 
• The Prime Minister also inaugurated the 8th edition of the India Mobile Congress 2024, which is being held along with the WTSA 2024 in New Delhi. 

About the ITU- WTSA 2024 

• ITU plays a major role in providing inputs and formulation of polices related to the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)in the world. 
• The work of the ITU in this regard has been divided into three sectors, the Radiocommunication Sector, the Telecommunication Standardization Sector, and the Telecommunication Development Sector. 
• The Telecommunication Standardization Sector studies the technical, operating, and tariff questions related to the telecommunications sector and adopts recommendations to standardize telecommunications. 
• The ITU-WTSA is held after every four years. 
• For the first time the ITU-WTSA is being held in India and the Asia -Pacific region. .

About the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) 

• Founded -1865 
• Members- 194 countries 
• Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland 
• Secretary General- Doreen Bogdan-Martin 

16. 75th International Astronautical Congress begins in Milan with focus on responsible space for sustainability 

• The 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) opened at the MiCo Convention Center in Milan, Italy. 
• The event has drawn more than 10,000 space experts, scholars, entrepreneurs, and professionals from around the world. Italian President Sergio Mattarella attended the opening ceremony. 
• This year’s congress, themed “Responsible Space for Sustainability,” focuses on promoting the sustainable development of space technologies globally, ensuring that future space exploration and utilization strike a balance between scientific advancement and environmental protection. 
• Throughout the week, over 200 technical sessions will be held, covering a wide range of topics, including the sustainable exploration of the Moon and Mars, space-based Earth observation for climate change, the role of private companies in space development, and applications of artificial intelligence. 

17. DG Paramesh Sivamani takes over as 26th Director General of Indian Coast Guard 

• Paramesh Sivamani took over as the 26th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). 
• He was elevated to the rank of Additional Director General in September 2022, and was subsequently posted at the Coast Guard Headquarters in the national capital. 
• He was given the additional charge of DG ICG in August 2024 after the untimely death of then Director General Rakesh Pal due to heart attack when in Chennai. 
• The Flag Officer was conferred with the Tatrakshak Medal in 2014 and the President Tatrakshak Medal in 2019 for his illustrious service. 
• He was also awarded the DG Coast Guard Commendation in 2012 and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (East) Commendation in 2009. 

Recent Appointment in Defence Sector 

• Vice Chief of Air Staff – Air Marshal SP Dharkar (replace AP Singh) 
• First woman DG of Armed Forces Medical Services – Arti Sarin 
• Chief of Indian Air Force – Amar Preet Singh (replace V.R. Chaudhari) 
• DG of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) -Amrit Mohan Prasad 
• DG of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) – Rajwinder Singh Bhatti 

18. Aryna Sabalenka wins the WTA Wuhan 1000 singles title 

• World No.2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus defeated World No.7 Zheng Qinwen of China to win her third consecutive women’s WTA Wuhan 1000 singles title.
• The WTA Wuhan 1000 Tennis tournament was held in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Wuhan Open is played at the Hard Court. 
• Aryna Sabalenka defeated the local favourite Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the final played at Wuhan. This was Aryna Sabalenka’s third title at Wuhan, having won it in 2018 and 2019. 
• This is the 17th WTA Tour title for Aryna Sabalenka and her fifth on Chinese soil. 
• The pair of Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan and Irina Khromacheva of Russia defeated the American pair of Asia Muhammad and Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6(6) in the final of the Wuhan Open. This was the first WTA 1000 title for the pair of Anna Danilina and Irina Khromacheva. 

19. Jannik Sinner wins the ATP Shanghai Masters 1000 singles title 

• World Number One male tennis player Jannik Sinner of Italy defeated 24 Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the final to win the ATP Shanghai Masters 1000 singles title. 
• The ATP Shanghai Master 1000 was held in the Chinese city of Shanghai from 2 to 13 October 2024. The Shanghai Master is played on a hard court. 
• Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. The defeat also ended Djokovic’s quest to win his 100 ATP titles. 20. Tanya Hemanth wins 2024 Bendigo International Badminton Tournament 
• 21-year-old Tanya Hemanth of India won the 2024 Bendigo International badminton tournament women’s singles final. 
• She defeated Tung Ciou-tong of Chinese Taipei in the final at Bendigo, Australia, in straight sets 21-17, 21-17. 
• This was Tanya’s third international title after the 2022 India International and the 2023 Iran Fajr International. 
• The Bendigo International badminton tournament was held in Bendigo, Australia. It is a Grade 3 International Challenge tournament. 

21. Sonam Uttam Maskar wins Silver Medal in Women’s 10m Air Rifle event 

• Indian shooter Sonam Uttam Maskar won the silver medal in the Women’s 10m Air Rifle event at the ISSF World Cup 2024 final in Delhi. 
• The 22-year-old Maskar excelled with a score of 252.9 to secure a podium finish. China’s Yuting Huang won the gold medal in this event, while French shooter Oceanne Muller took home the bronze. 
• The Indian squad features nine athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics, including Arjun Babuta (men’s 10m air rifle), Anish Bhanwala (men’s 25m rapid fire pistol. Olympic champion Huang Yuting of China won the gold while Oceanne Muller of France took bronze. 

22. 15 October – World Students’ Day

• World Students’ Day is observed every year on 15 October to honour the contributions of the former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam in the field of education. 
• Known as the Missile Man of India, India’s 11th president from (2002 -2007) was a distinguished administrator and scientist who spent more than forty years with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). 
• Theme 2024 – Empowering Students to be Agents of Change 
• To commemorate Kalam’s numerous achievements, particularly in the areas of academia and research, October 15 was chosen as World Students’ Day in 2010.