Friday, 29 October 2021

29th October 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

29 October 2021
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29th October 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Here is the Daily GK Update of 29th October 2021 covering the following news headlines: Facebook, TVS Motor Company, SBI General Insurance, Global Climate Tech Investment trend, Wildlife Action Plan 2021-30.

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that is held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 29th October 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Top 15 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is providing below the top 15 important Daily General Knowledge GK 2021 updates with national & international news.

States News

1. Maharashtra became 1st state to pass its own Wildlife Action Plan 2021-30

  • During the 17th meeting of the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL), the government of Maharashtra approved its own Wildlife Action Plan (2021-2030), which will be implemented over the next 10 years.
  • Maharashtra became India’s first state to pass its own Wildlife Action Plan. The board has also approved the extension of the boundary of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, in the Chandrapur district of the Vidarbha region, by around 79 sq km.
  • The plan has suggested integrating climate change adaption in wildlife conservation. “To develop a Climate Action Plan for the Coastal Region of the state in sync with the ‘State Climate Change Action Plan’ with special emphasis on ‘Climate Change Adaptation’ (CCA) and ‘Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR)’,” the plan states.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari;
  • Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai;
  • Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray.

Appointments News

2. K V Kamath named as chairperson of NaBFID

  • The government of India has appointed K V Kamath as chairperson of the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID). He is a well-known banker in India and is the first head of the New Development Bank (NDB).
  • NaBFID is a newly set up development financial institution (DFIs) in India. It has been set up for infrastructure financing as per the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) Act 2021. The authorized share capital of the NaBFID is Rs one lakh crore. The initial paid-up capital of NaBFID is Rs 20,000 crore.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • The headquarters of NaBFID is in Mumbai.

3. Baldev Prakash appointed as MD & CEO of J&K Bank

  • The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Baldev Prakash as Managing Director and CEO of J&K Bank for a period of three years from the date of taking charge or April 10, 2022, whichever is earlier.
  • The actual date of appointment of Baldev Prakash as MD & CEO of J&K Bank will be announced by the bank subsequently.
  • Rajesh Kumar Chhibber is the present Chairman and Managing Director of J&K Bank. He assumed charge of the bank in June 2019. The government of Jammu & Kashmir holds a majority shareholding of 68.18% in the bank. The headquarters of J&K Bank is located in Srinagar.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams: 

  • Jammu & Kashmir(J&K) Bank Headquarters: Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir.

Agreements News

4. Google Pay tied up with SBI General Insurance to offer Health Insurance

  • SBI General Insurance made a technological partnership with Google Pay to enable users to buy SBI General’s health insurance on the Google Pay app. This collaboration marks Google Pay’s 1st partnership with an insurer in India to offer health insurance.
  • The users were enabled to buy both individual and family plans under SBI General’s Arogya Sanjeevani policy through Google Pay Spot.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • SBI General Insurance Founded: 24 February 2009;
  • SBI General Insurance Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra;
  • SBI General Insurance MD & CEO: Prakash Chandra Kandpal.

5. MeitY Startup Hub and Google tie-up to launch ‘Appscale Academy’ Programme

  • MeitY Startup Hub, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and Google have partnered to launch ‘Appscale Academy’, a growth and development programme, to train early to mid-stage startups across India.
  • The programme focuses on the emerging startup ecosystem in Tier II and Tier III cities of India to provide them with the help needed to build scalable app solutions.
  • Appscale Academy will focus on helping local early to mid-stage startups build and scale a range of world-class apps across domains, including gaming, healthcare, fintech, edtech, social impact, and others.
  • Applications for the Appscale Academy will be open till December 15, 2021. Out of the applicants, 100 startups will be selected based on defined qualitative and quantitative parameters by a panel of industry experts, members of MeitY Startup Hub, and Google Play.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Google CEO: Sundar Pichai.
  • Google Founded: 4 September 1998, California, United States.
  • Google Founders: Larry Page, Sergey Brin.

Defence News

6. Indigenously-built ICGS ‘Sarthak’ dedicated to the Nation

  • A new Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) ‘Sarthak’ has been dedicated to the nation on October 28, 2021. It will be based at Porbandar in Gujarat.
  • The indigenously built ship was commissioned by the Director-General of Indian Coast Guard, K Natarajan, at Goa. ICGS Sarthak is commanded by Deputy Inspector General MM Syed and has a complement of 11 Officers and 110 men.
  • ICGS Sarthak is fourth in the series of five Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) being built by Goa Shipyard Limited for the ICG, to boost maritime safety and security of India.
  • The 105-meter-long ship displacing 2,450 tons is propelled by two 9,100 kilowatt diesel engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Director-General of Indian Coast Guard: Krishnaswamy Natarajan.
  • Indian Coast Guard Headquarters: New Delhi.

Schemes and Committees News

7. GoI reconstitutes seven-member Economic Advisory Council-PM

  • The Central Government of India has reconstituted the seven-member Economic Advisory Council to the PM (EAC-PM). Bibek Debroy continues to be the Chairman of the Council. EAC-PM has been reconstituted for a period of 2 years.
  • EAC-PM was set up in September 2017 with a term of two years and it replaced the erstwhile Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (PMEAC).
  • Other six members of EAC-PM: Rakesh Mohan, Poonam Gupta, TT Ram Mohan, Sajid Chenoy, Neelkanth Mishra and Nilesh Shah.

8. SC set up a committee to Probe unauthorized surveillance using PegasusSupreme Court of India has appointed a three-member committee to look into allegations of unauthorized surveillance using Pegasus, spyware developed by Israeli firm NSO Group. It will be headed by retired judge Justice R V Raveendran.

  • He will supervise the functioning of the technical committee, which will look into the “truth or falsity of the allegations” and will submit a report “expeditiously”. Justice Raveendran was part of the R M Lodha Committee appointed by the SC in 2015 to reform the BCCI.

Summits and Conferences News

9. PM Modi participates 18th ASEAN-India summit virtually

  • Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has attended the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-India Summit virtually. This was the 9th ASEAN-India Summit attended by PM Modi. The Summit was held under the chairmanship of the Sultan of Brunei.
  • The Heads of State/Government of the ASEAN Countries participated in the Summit to review the status of the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership and progress made in key areas of Covid-19 & Health, Trade & Commerce, Connectivity, and Education & Culture.
  • The year 2022 will mark 30 years of ASEAN-India relations partnership, and will be celebrated as ‘ASEAN-India Friendship Year’.

10. Mansukh Mandaviya addresses CII Asia Health 2021 Summit

  • The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya participated in the CII Asia Health 2021 summit on October 28, 2021, through video-conferencing. The theme of the two-day summit is ‘Transforming Healthcare for a better tomorrow.
  • The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has organised the summit to provide a centralised forum to deliberate on the most critical challenges that India and the world face in delivering healthcare, with a focus on the digital transformations that result in improved patient outcomes and experience.

Ranks and Reports News

11. “Global Climate Tech Investment trend” report: India ranked 9th

  • In accordance with the report ‘Five years on: Global climate tech investment trends since the Paris Agreement’ by London & Partners, and Co, India ranked 9th in the list of top 10 countries for climate technology investment from 2016 to 2021. Indian climate tech firms received USD 1 billion in venture capital (VC) funding in this period.
  • The report analyzed the trends in the climate sector since the 2016 United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) in Paris, France. The list has been topped by the United States (US) with USD 48 billion which is followed by China USD 18.6 billion.

Top 10 countries in the list:

RankCountry
1United States (US)
2China
3Sweden
4United Kingdom (UK)
5France
6Germany
7Canada
8The Netherlands
9India
10Singapore

Awards News

12. TVS Motor Company awarded India Green Energy Award 2020

  • TVS Motor Company has been awarded the ‘Outstanding Renewable Energy User’ at the third Edition of India Green Energy Award 2020 by the Indian Federation of Green Energy (IFGE).
  • The award was presented by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. IFGE has recognized the efforts of TVS Motor in researching and implementing the use of alternative power sources in the renewable energy domain while ensuring their longevity and stability.

Science and Technology News

13. Mark Zuckerberg changes Facebook’s name to Meta

  • Facebook is now called Meta, in a rebrand that focuses on building the “metaverse,” a shared virtual environment that it bets will be the successor to the mobile internet.
  • The name change, the plan for which was first reported by the Verge, is a significant rebrand for Facebook, but not it’s first. In 2019 it launched a new logo to create a distinction between the company and its social app.
  • The name change comes as the world’s largest social media company battles criticisms from lawmakers and regulators over its market power, algorithmic decisions and the policing of abuses on its services.

Sports News

14. Netherland’s Ryan ten Doeschate retired from International Cricket

  • Ryan ten Doeschate, the 41-year-old Cricket all-rounder from the Netherlands, announced retirement from International Cricket after Netherland failed to qualify for the Super 12 stage of the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup.
  • During the qualifiers, Netherland lost to Namibia and failed to enter the Super 12 stage, which was his last international match. Ryan ten Doeschate has scored 2074 runs from 57 international Test matches, 1541 runs from 33 One Day Internationals & 533 runs from 24 T20 internationals, since his debut in 2006.

Books and Authors News

15. Ramesh Pokhriyal gifted his book ‘AIIMS Mein Ek Jang Ladte Hue’ to PM Modi

  • The former Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has gifted a copy of his book titled ‘AIIMS Mein Ek Jang Ladte Hue’ to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi in Delhi.
  • The book was written by Pokhriyal while he was battling COVID-19 at AIIMS in Delhi. The book was published by Prabhat Prakashan Pvt. Ltd.

Important Days

16. World Psoriasis Day is observed on 29 October

  • World Psoriasis Day is observed every year on 29 October by the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) to promote awareness, empowerment, and action for improving the quality of life for people with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
  • The theme for 2021 World Psoriasis Day is “Uniting for action”.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • President of International Federation of Psoriasis Associations: Hoseah Waweru.
  • International Federation of Psoriasis Associations Founded: 1971.
  • International Federation of Psoriasis Associations Headquarters: Sweden.

17. International Internet Day is celebrated on 29 October

  • International Internet Day is celebrated on October 29 every year across the world to celebrate the usage of the internet for the first time.
  • The​ day marks the sending of the first electronic message which was transferred from one computer to another in 1969. At that time the Internet was known as ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network). 
  • Charley Kline, a student programmer at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), transmitted the first-ever electronic message ‘LO’ on October 29, 1969.
  • The first International Internet Day was celebrated on October 29, 2005, to celebrate this momentous event in the history of telecommunications and technology.

Tuesday, 26 October 2021

23rd October 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

23 October 2021
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23rd October 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Here is the Daily GK Update of 23rd October 2021 covering the following news headlines: Microsoft, UIDAI, Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award, FATF Grey list, Earth Heroes Awards 2021.

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that is held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 23rd October 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Top 11 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is providing below the top 11 important Daily General Knowledge GK 2021 updates with national & international news.

International News

1. Turkey joins Pakistan in FATF Grey list

  • Global terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has retained Pakistan on its ‘Grey List’ of countries.
  • In a briefing, FATF president Marcus Pleyer also said that three new countries Turkey, Jordan, and Mali have also been added to the Grey List.
  • In June this year, the FATF had retained Pakistan on its ‘Grey List’ for failing to check money laundering, leading to terror financing.

States News

2. Chhattisgarh launched “Shri Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store” Scheme

  • Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has virtually launched a new scheme named ‘Shri Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store scheme’ to provide low-cost generic medicines and enable seamless healthcare services to the vulnerable people of the state.
  • The scheme will be implemented by the Urban Administration and Development Department (UADD).
  • Under the scheme, around 188 medical shops are planned to be opened in 169 cities. Currently, 84 generic medical shops are opened in the inaugural session to distribute medicine.
  • Under this scheme, people will get a discount between 09 per cent and 71 per cent on the MRP (Market Rate Price) of generic medicines.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Chhattisgarh Capital: Raipur;
  • Chhattisgarh Governor: Anusuiya Uikey;
  • Chhattisgarh Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel.

Banking News

3. Bharti AXA sign Bancassurance Partnership with Utkarsh Small Finance Bank

  • Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Limited (Bharti AXA Life) has entered into a bancassurance partnership with Utkarsh Small Finance Bank to ensure distribution of life insurance products through the bank’s network across India.
  • This partnership will enable the Bharti AXA life to reach Tier II and Tier III markets with insurance solutions and increase the reach of insurance in India.
  • Under this partnership, the Bharti AXA Life’s insurance comprehensive suite of life insurance plans including the protection, health, savings and investment plans will be made available for the customers of the bank across 202 districts of 19 states and 2 Union territories.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Utkarsh Small Finance Bank Headquarters: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh;
  • Utkarsh Small Finance Bank MD & CEO: Govind Singh.

Economy News

4. HDFC Bank, Mastercard, DFC, USAID launched a $100 Million Credit Facility

  • HDFC Bank, Mastercard, United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and US Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a $100 million credit facility for MSMEs (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises) in India.
  • The credit facility is part of USAID’s global Women Economic Empowerment Fund initiative and its COVID-19 response in India.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • HDFC Bank Headquarters: Mumbai;
  • HDFC Bank Founded: August 1994;
  • HDFC Bank CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan;

Awards News

5. Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundation wins Earth Heroes Awards 2021

  • The Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundation has bagged the Earth Guardian Award instituted by the NatWest Group. The eight winners of the award were felicitated by the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora secretary-general Ivonne Higuero through a virtual ceremony.
  • These awards were instituted by NatWest Group India. They are part of an initiative that recognises the efforts of individuals and institutions that are working to subvert climate change by conserving & preserving biodiversity in India.

6. Martin Scorsese, Szabo to get Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award

  • Hollywood veteran Martin Scorsese and celebrated Hungarian filmmaker Istevan Szabo will be honoured with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
  • The 52nd edition of the film festival will be held from November 20 to 28 in Goa.
  • While Szabo is known for his masterpieces like 1966’s “Father” and 1981 movie “Mephisto”, Scorsese is one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential directors in film history.

Summits and Conferences News

7. UIDAI to host ‘Aadhaar Hackathon 2021’

  • Government agency UIDAI is hosting a Hackathon titled “Aadhaar Hackathon 2021”. The hackathon is starting on 28 Oct 21 and would continue till 31 Oct 21. With new challenged and themes, the Hackathon 2021 will have two topics.
  • The first theme is around “Enrolment and Update”, which essentially covers some of the real-life challenges being faced by the residents while updating their address. The second theme of the Hackathon is around the “Identity and Authentication” solution offered by UIDAI.

Science and Technology News

8. Microsoft Launches Program To Support AI Startups In India

  • Microsoft recently announced the launch of Microsoft AI Innovate, a 10-week initiative that will support startups in India leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, helping them scale operations, drive innovation, & build industry expertise.
  • The program will also enable startups to reach out to newer customers and geographies with Microsoft’s sales and partners.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Microsoft CEO and Chairman: Satya Nadella;
  • Microsoft Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States.

Books and Authors News

9. A book titled “The Origin Story of India’s States” by VS Srinivasan

  • The book titled ‘The Origin Story of India’s States’ is written by Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan and published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI). It is a story about the birth of India’s 28 states and 8 union territories.
  • Also, their continuous changes. Venkataraghavan Subha Srinivasan is a writer, actor and strategy consultant from Bengaluru, Karnataka. This is his first non-fiction book.

Important Days

10. Mole Day observed on 23rd October

  • On 23rd October every year mole day is celebrated which is popular amongst all chemistry enthusiasts. This day is marked to commemorate and honour the Avogadro‘s number.
  • The celebration of this day happens from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m commemorating the chemistry is measuring unit. This occasion aims to make the students interested in chemistry and its concepts.
  • The theme for the occasion, inspired by the mascot – A Mole. This year the theme is DispicaMole Me. 

11. International Snow Leopard Day: 23 October

  • Every year, October 23 is observed as International Snow Leopard Day since 2014. The day commemorates the anniversary of the Bishkek Declaration and to celebrate this endangered cat and raise awareness for its conservation and protection.
  • It was on October 23, 2013, when political leaders from 12 countries came together to endorse the ‘Bishkek Declaration on the conservation of snow leopards. Snow Leopard is found in 12 countries. They are India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Mongolia, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

24th and 25th October 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

25 October 2021
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24th and 25th October 2021 Daily GK Update: Read Daily GK, Current Affairs for Bank Exam

Daily GK updates are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily GK Update is the complete bag of the important news that is held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update of 24th and 25th October 2021 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.

Top 16 Daily GK Updates: National & International News

Here is providing below the top 16 important Daily General Knowledge GK 2021 updates with national & international news.

National News

1. Election Commission of India launches Garuda App

  • The Election Commission of India (ECI) has launched the Garuda app for digital mapping of all polling stations, to ensure faster, smarter, transparent and timely completion of election work.
  • Through the Garuda app, Booth Level Officers (BLO) will upload photos and location information of the polling stations, along with data like latitude and longitude of the centre, from their registered mobile numbers. The app will also help in reducing the paperwork.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Election Commission of India Formed: 25 January 1950;
  • Election Commission of India Headquarters: New Delhi;
  • Chief Election Commissioner of India: Sushil Chandra.

International News

2. South Korea flight tests first homegrown space rocket “Nuri”

  • South Korea recently launched its first indigenously developed rocket, known as “Korean Satellite Launch Vehicle II” or “Nuri”.
  • The launch vehicle lifted off from the Naro Space Center, in Goheung, built on an island nearly 300 miles (500 kilometres) south of Seoul.
  • Nuri rocket is 47.2 metres long and weighs 200 tons. The three-stage rocket is fitted with six liquid-fuelled engines. It has been built at an estimated cost of 2 trillion won (£1.23bn or $1.6bn).

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • South Korea President: Moon Jae-in;
  • South Korea Capital: Seoul;
  • South Korea Currency: South Korean won.

3. China launches satellite ‘Shijian-21’

  • China successfully launched a new satellite named Shijian-21. The satellite will be used to test and verify space debris mitigation technologies.
  • Shijian-21 was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on a Long March-3B carrier rocket.
  • The satellite will be mainly used to test and verify space debris mitigation technologies. This launch marked the 393rd mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • China Capital: Beijing;
  • China Currency: Renminbi;
  • China President: Xi Jinping.

State News

4. Nagaland to host 56th National Cross Country Championship

  • The 2022 South Asian Federation Cross Country Championships is scheduled to be held in Kohima, Nagaland on January 15, 2022.
  • Besides this, the 56th National Cross Country Championships will also be clubbed with the South Asian Federation Cross Country Championships. This will be the first-ever national athletics event hosted by Nagaland.
  • Top athletes from the eight South Asian countries will take part in the day-long international sports event. The championship will involve running on different types of terrain including sprint over dirt, jog downhill and mounting uphill.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio; Governor of Nagaland: Jagdish Mukhi.

Appointments News

5. Adidas ropes in Deepika Padukone as Global brand ambassador

  • German sportswear brand Adidas has roped in Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone as global ambassador for women sports. She will represent Adidas women globally.
  • She joins the elite list of female brand ambassadors of Adidas in India, including Mirabai Chanu; boxers Lovlina Borgohain, Nikhat Zareen and Simranjeet Kaur; sprinter Hima Das, and squash player Dipika Pallikal.

6. Ramnath Krishnan appointed as MD and Group CEO of ICRA

  • Ramnath Krishnan has been appointed as the new Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of rating agency ICRA.
  • He replaces N Sivaraman, who resigned with immediate effect citing personal reasons on October 23, 2021. Gurgaon based ICRA is a unit owned by global rating agency Moody’s Corporation.

Defence News

7. DRDO Successfully flight-tests Expendable Aerial Target ‘ABHYAS’

  • The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT)- ABHYAS, from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Bay of Bengal in Odisha.
  • The target aircraft is equipped with a MEMS-based Inertial Navigation System (INS) for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer (FCC) for guidance and control.
  • ABHYAS is designed & developed by DRDO laboratory, Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru, for the Indian Armed Forces. The air vehicle ABHYAS can be used as an aerial target for the evaluation of various missile systems.
  • The vehicle is programmed for fully autonomous flight. The check-out of air vehicles is done using a laptop-based Ground Control Station (GCS).

8. Indian Navy launches Offshore Sailing Regatta

  • The Indian Navy has organised an Offshore Sailing Regatta from Kochi to Goa, as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, and above all, boost the spirit of adventure and ocean sailing among the Navy Personnel.
  • The event organised under the aegis of the Indian Naval Sailing Association (INSA) will see the participation of six Indian naval sailing vessels (INSVs), comprising of four 40 footers ad two 56 footers.
  • The vessels will cover a total distance of 360 nautical miles between the starting point at the Naval base in Kochi to Goa.

The six INSVs include:

  • 56 footer: Mhadei and Tarini
  • 40 footer: Bulbul, Neelkhanth, Kadalpura and Hariyal

Sports News

9. FIFA Ranking 2021: India ranked 106th

  • India has ranked 106th in the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) Rankings 2021, the position of team India was increased to one spot.
  • After the victory in the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Championship 2021 of team India led by Sunil Chhetri, it has secured the 106th position.
  • The team has defeated Nepal in the summit clash. Under the FIFA Rankings, Belgium is at 1st position. Brazil holds 2nd position, France holds 3rd position.

Awards News

10. Rajinikanth honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award

  • Actor Rajinikanth was honoured with the prestigious 51st Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 67th National Film Awards ceremony, for his contribution as an actor, producer and screenwriter.
  • He received the prestigious award from Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu for his stupendous contribution to Indian cinema.
  • The Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2019 was to be announced last year but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, as were the National Film Awards for 2019.

Here is the complete list of 67th National Film Awards winners: Click here

Books and Authors News

11. “Writing for My Life” anthology of Ruskin Bond released

  • “Writing for My Life”, an anthology of author Ruskin Bond has been released. It contains some of the most exemplary stories, essays, poems and memories of Ruskin Bond.
  • This anthology has been released 25 years after the first anthology of Bond titled, “The Best of Ruskin Bond”. The selections for this anthology have been made by Bond himself and his editor Premanka Goswami.
  • Ruskin Bond is an Indian author of British descent. His first novel is The Room on the Roof. An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.

Important Days

12. United Nations Day: 24 October

  • Every year 24 October is celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. It was on this day in 1945 that the Charter of the United Nations came into force.
  • The year 2021 marks the 76th anniversary of the United Nations and its founding Charter. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

  • United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA.
  • Mr Antonio Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

13. World Polio Day: 24 October

  • World Polio Day is celebrated annually on October 24, to raise awareness for polio vaccination and eradication of polio. The Day was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis. 2021 theme for World Polio Day is “Delivering on a Promise.” 
  • Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease. There is no cure, but there are safe and effective vaccines. Polio can be prevented through immunization.
  • The Polio vaccine, given multiple times, almost always protects a child for life. The strategy to eradicate polio is, therefore based on preventing infection by immunizing every child until transmission stops, and the world is polio-free.

14. International Day of Diplomats: 24 October

  • The International Day of Diplomats is celebrated on 24 October every year. The day aims to commemorate the contributions made by diplomats in shaping the world since ancient times and in making our planet a better place. It also aims to bridge the gap in perception and reality of diplomats’ lives among the general public.
  • The first International Day of Diplomats was celebrated in Brasília on 24 October 2017. The day was proposed by Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K and saw participation from the diplomats of Bangladesh, France, Ghana, Israel, Italy, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.

15. World Development Information Day: 24 October

  • The United Nations’ World Development Information Day is held on October 24 every year. The day aims to draw the attention of world public opinion to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them for overall growth and development.
  • The World Development Information Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972, to coincide with the United Nations Day. The General Assembly in 1972 established World Development Information Day to draw the attention of the world to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.

Miscellaneous News

16. Drama film Koozhangal is India’s official entry for Oscars 2022

  • The Tamil-language drama film Koozhangal (internationally translated as Pebbles), has been selected as India’s official entry for the 94th Academy Awards (Oscars 2022).
  • The film has been directed by filmmaker Vinothraj PS and produced by Vignesh Shivan and Nayanthara. The 94th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, on March 27, 2022.