15th-17th October, 2022

1. Computer Emergency Response Team India (CERT-In), in collaboration with Power-Computer Security Incident Response Team, have conducted the “PowerEx” cyber security exercise for 193 power sector companies.
2. Central government has accorded infrastructure status to data centres with more than 5 megawatts capacity of data processing.
3. Ministry of Textile has signed a cooperation agreement with United Nations Environment Program on “mainstreaming sustainability and circularity in the textiles sector”.
4. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has authorised Google Cloud to use cloud technology to address challenging issues for governmental organisations.
5. President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated ‘PARAM KAMRUPA’ Supercomputer facility at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.
6. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of Bulk Drug Park and the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at Una, Himachal Pradesh.
7. The 11th volume of the Report of the Official Language Committee, headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, has been submitted to President Droupadi Murmu in September.
8. Coal India Ltd and Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd have signed an MOU for setting up 1190 MW solar power plant in Bikaner.
9. Himachal Pradesh government has launched the HIMCAD scheme for faster implementation of Har Khet Ko Pani component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
10. An Ethiopian delegation led by the country’s Agricultural Minister Dr Meles Mekonen Yimer has visited Andhra Pradesh to study the first-of-its kind Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs), which have been set up by the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
11. World Bank has extended an unconditional loan of $250 million to the Supporting Andhra’s Learning Transformation (SALT)
12. INS Tarkash has reached Port Gqeberha (also known as Port Elizabeth), South Africa to participate in the 7th edition of IBSAMAR, a joint multinational maritime exercise among Indian, Brazilian and South African Navies.
13. Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy has conducted an offshore security exercise named ‘Prasthan’ in the Krishna Godavari Basin Offshore Development Area (ODA) in Andhra Pradesh.
14. Israel and Lebanon have signed a historic agreement to resolve the maritime border dispute, which is mediated by the US.
15. UNDP has partnered with an integrated grain commerce platform named ag and Friends of Women’s World Banking India (FWWB India) for agri-value chain intervention, enterprise promotion and skilling in the agriculture sector.
16. 6th Summit of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was held in Astana (Kazakhstan) on 12-13 October 2022.
17. Worldwide Fund for Nature has released the 14th edition of “Living Planet Report 2022”.
18. The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) has organised a seminar on “Understanding Lead Poisoning Prevalence in India” in New Delhi, in collaboration with Pure Earth (an international non-profit organisation).
19. TIMES World University Ranking 2023 has been released.
20. Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) Report 2022.
21. National Securities Depository Limited has acquired a 5.6% stake in Open Network for Digital Commerce for Rs 10 crores.
22. State Bank of India has surpassed the Rs 6 trillion benchmark in Assets Under Management (AUM) in the home loan segment.
23. Paytm has partnered with the Jana Small Finance Bank to deploy Electronic Data Capture machines at the point-of-sale terminals in merchants’ shops.
24. Adani Data Networks has received a licence from the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, for providing telecom network services in 6 circles.
25. Coal India Limited has signed three MOUs with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, and Indian Oil Corporation Limited, and GAIL India limited for setting up surface coal gasification projects.
26. IRDAI has approved the acquisition of Exide Life Insurance by HDFC Life Insurance.
27. SEBI has re-constituted its Commodity Derivatives Advisory Panel to examine issues related to contract designs and new products in the segment as well as advises on matters related to delivery mechanism and warehouses.
28. SEBI has restructured its Advisory Committees on Alternative Investment Policy, chaired by Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy, to impact further development of the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) space.
29. October 13– International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction; Theme – Early Warning
30. Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction was released by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) on this day.
31. October 14 – World Standards Day; Theme – Shared Vision for a Better World
32. Mondelez India’s factory in the Sri City in Tirupati district has bagged the World Economic Forum’s fourth Advanced Industrial Revolution (4IR) ‘Digital Lighthouse award’.
33. UNICEF and International Cricket Council will also launch `Criiio 4 Good`, a cricket for development curriculum, giving girls and boys the opportunity to learn gender-based life skills essential for gender equity.
34. At the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championships in Shotgun, India finished fifth with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals in Osijek, Croatia.
35. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has released the “Pandemic Descriptions and Odisha’s Lessons in Governance” book authored by Dr Amar Patnaik.
36. IMF MD Kristalina Georgieva has said that India is a bright spot on the dark horizon, due to its rapid economic growth, especially during these difficult times.

National News

1. Computer Emergency Response Team India (CERT-In), in collaboration with Power-Computer Security Incident Response Team, have conducted the “PowerEx” cyber security exercise for 193 power sector companies.
   • Theme – Defending Cyber-Induced Disruption in IT and OT Infrastructure
2. Central government has accorded infrastructure status to data centres with more than 5 megawatts capacity of data processing.
   • This decision was announced in the union budget for 2022 to 23.
3. Ministry of Textile has signed a cooperation agreement with United Nations Environment Program on “mainstreaming sustainability and circularity in the textiles sector”.
   • Under the agreement, both parties will promote sustainable practices in the textile and apparel sector to minimise the negative environmental impacts of the industry.
4. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has authorised Google Cloud to use cloud technology to address challenging issues for governmental organisations.
   • Competitors of Google, including Microsoft, IBM, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Oracle, have already been given the approval by MeitY to acquire and launch digital transformation projects.
5. President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated ‘PARAM KAMRUPA’ Supercomputer facility at Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.
   • The Param Kamrupa, one of its kind supercomputer in the North East region, was installed under the National Supercomputing Mission.
6. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of Bulk Drug Park and the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at Una, Himachal Pradesh.
   • The central govt has given the approval to establish three bulk drug parks at Una district-Himachal Pradesh, Bharuch district-Gujarat, and Godavari District-Andhra Pradesh.
   • The parks are being established under the “Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks”.
   • Launched in 2020 by the Ministry of Chemical and Fertilisers, the scheme aims to establish 3 bulk drug parks at a cost of Rs 3000 crores (to be borne by the govt).
   • PM has also launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III to upgrade 3,000 km of rural roads in the state.
   • Vande Bharat Express train from Una to Delhi has also been started.
7. The 11th volume of the Report of the Official Language Committee, headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, has been submitted to President Droupadi Murmu in September.
   • The report mandated the use of Hindi as the official language in the Hindi-Speaking states.
   • The non-Hindi speaking states will have to translate their High Court judgements in Hindi for the use of other Hindi-speaking states.
   • The Committee has made around 100 recommendations, including that Hindi should be the medium of instruction in IITs, IIMs, and central universities in the Hindi-speaking states.

State News

1. Coal India Ltd and Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd have signed an MOU for setting up 1190 MW solar power plant in Bikaner.
2. Himachal Pradesh government has launched the HIMCAD scheme for faster implementation of Har Khet Ko Pani component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
   • This scheme will provide end-to-end connectivity of farmers’ fields for better water conservation, crop diversification and integrated farming.
3. An Ethiopian delegation led by the country’s Agricultural Minister Dr Meles Mekonen Yimer has visited Andhra Pradesh to study the first-of-its kind Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs), which have been set up by the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
   • The Ethiopian delegation will visit several RBKs and understand how they function.
   • Ethiopia and Andhra Pradesh govt have signed an MOU to provide training to Ethiopian officials on operation of RBKs, and share knowledge about the farming systems in the state.
   • The RBKs (set up for the first time in the country) are single-window service centres for farmers that have been set up across the state of Andhra Pradesh.
   • RBKs sell pre-tested quality seeds, certified fertilisers and animal feed.
   • Farmers can purchase or hire farm equipment, and even sell their produce at the prevailing MSP in the RBKs.
4. World Bank has extended an unconditional loan of $250 million to the Supporting Andhra’s Learning Transformation (SALT)
   • SALT aims to transform the state’s school education system by strengthening the quality of foundational learning by improving teacher professional development, classroom-based assessments and early childhood education.
   • Leadership For Equity has been selected as a technical partner for SALT.
   • The project was launched in 2021 for a period of 5 years.

Defence News

1. INS Tarkash has reached Port Gqeberha (also known as Port Elizabeth), South Africa to participate in the 7th edition of IBSAMAR, a joint multinational maritime exercise among Indian, Brazilian and South African Navies.
   • The Indian Navy is represented by the Teg class guided missile frigate, INS Tarkash, a Chetak helicopter and the personnel from the Marine Commando Force (MARCOS).
2. Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy has conducted an offshore security exercise named ‘Prasthan’ in the Krishna Godavari Basin Offshore Development Area (ODA) in Andhra Pradesh.

International News

1. Israel and Lebanon have signed a historic agreement to resolve the maritime border dispute, which is mediated by the US.
2. UNDP has partnered with an integrated grain commerce platform named ag and Friends of Women’s World Banking India (FWWB India) for agri-value chain intervention, enterprise promotion and skilling in the agriculture sector.
   • UNDP is implementing Project Excel in Jamnagar and Dwaraka Devbhumi districts of Gujarat to improve the incomes of 10,000 farmer households through enterprise promotion, agri-value chain interventions, skilling, employment and social protection.
   • This partnership aims to create a group of community resource persons for mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs and promoting individual and group enterprises by December 2023.
3. 6th Summit of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) was held in Astana (Kazakhstan) on 12-13 October 2022.
   • India was represented by Minister of State for External Affairs Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi.

Reports and Indices

1. Worldwide Fund for Nature has released the 14th edition of “Living Planet Report 2022”.
   • According to the report, 69% of the wildlife population of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fishes has declined on average since 1970.
   • Latin America and the Caribbean region have experienced the greatest decline of 94%.
   • Freshwater species’ population has decreased by 83% globally.
   • Mangroves continue to disappear at a rate of 0.13% annually due to human activities.
   • The report is based on the Living Planet Index released by the Zoological Society of London.
2. The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) has organised a seminar on “Understanding Lead Poisoning Prevalence in India” in New Delhi, in collaboration with Pure Earth (an international non-profit organisation).
   • NITI Aayog and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have released “Assessment of Lead Impact on Human and India’s Response” report in July 2022.
   • According to the report, India accounts for the World’s Highest Health and Economic Burden due to lead poisoning.
   • 26% of the global deaths caused by lead exposure take place in India annually. Besides, 50% of children have elevated blood lead levels globally.
   • 23 states in India have higher blood lead levels than the average of 5 microgram per decilitre and 4.9 microgram per decilitre for children less than 2 years old.
   • Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh account for the highest average blood Lead levels i.e., more than 7 microgram per decilitre.
   • 40% of India population with poor health indicators resides in these States.
   • Annually, India loses $236 billion in GDP, (5% of the total GDP), due to lead poisoning in children.
3. TIMES World University Ranking 2023 has been released.
   • Total -1799 universities across 104 countries and regions
   • Top – University of Oxford, followed by Harvard University at 2nd position, University of Cambridge and Stanford University at 3rd position
   • India – IISc-Bangalore in 251-300, followed by JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research in Mysore and Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences Himachal Pradesh in 351-400
   Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) Report 2022.
   • The LEADS is an indigenous data-driven index to assess logistics infrastructure, services, and human resources across all 36 States and UTs.
   • States have been now classified under four categories viz coastal states, hinterland/ landlocked states, north-eastern states, and Union Territories.
   • Parameters – Infrastructure (4 sub-indicators), Services (7 sub-indicators), and Operating & Regulatory Environment (4 sub-indicators)
   • Three performance categories –

Banking and Economy

1. National Securities Depository Limited has acquired a 5.6% stake in Open Network for Digital Commerce for Rs 10 crores.
2. State Bank of India has surpassed the Rs 6 trillion benchmark in Assets Under Management (AUM) in the home loan segment.
3. Paytm has partnered with the Jana Small Finance Bank to deploy Electronic Data Capture machines at the point-of-sale terminals in merchants’ shops.
   • The machine will capture the card data of customers for easy digital payments.
4. Adani Data Networks has received a licence from the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, for providing telecom network services in 6 circles.
   • The states are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Mumbai.
5. Coal India Limited has signed three MOUs with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, and Indian Oil Corporation Limited, and GAIL India limited for setting up surface coal gasification projects.
   • Call gasification is the method of transforming coal and water into syngas, which is a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapour. Call gasification is done to generate electricity.
   • Call gasification is considered cleaner than coal because in this process some of the pollutants involved in coal are removed.
6. IRDAI has approved the acquisition of Exide Life Insurance by HDFC Life Insurance.
7. SEBI has re-constituted its Commodity Derivatives Advisory Panel to examine issues related to contract designs and new products in the segment as well as advises on matters related to delivery mechanism and warehouses.
   • Chair – Ashok Dalwani (IAS)
8. SEBI has restructured its Advisory Committees on Alternative Investment Policy, chaired by Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy, to impact further development of the Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) space.

Important Days

1. October 13– International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction; Theme – Early Warning
   • Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction was released by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) on this day.
   • “Global Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems — Target G” report was also released by UNDRR, in partnership with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
     • The report is based on the Sendai Framework Monitor (SFM) – an online tool to monitor the progress made by countries towards achieving the goals of the Sendai Framework (2015-2030).
     • According to the report, 50% of the countries do not have access to the early warning systems.
     • The Framework has 7 global targets.

• Progress made by countries as per the Sendai Framework Monitor –

• October 13– World Sight Day; Theme– Love Your Eyes

2. October 14 – World Standards Day; Theme – Shared Vision for a Better World

Awards

1. Mondelez India’s factory in the Sri City in Tirupati district has bagged the World Economic Forum’s fourth Advanced Industrial Revolution (4IR) ‘Digital Lighthouse award’.
   • Founded in 2016, the factory is among the first FMCG plants in India to receive an award for ‘digital excellence’ driven by advanced technologies and sustainable practices.
   • World Economic Forum has established the “Global Lighthouse Network”, in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, of manufacturing companies, which are using advanced fourth-industrial revolution technologies.
   • To date, 114 Lighthouses have been identified from different industry sectors, including 10 Sustainability Lighthouses.

Sports

1. UNICEF and International Cricket Council will also launch `Criiio 4 Good`, a cricket for development curriculum, giving girls and boys the opportunity to learn gender-based life skills essential for gender equity.
2. At the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Championships in Shotgun, India finished fifth with one gold, one silver and two bronze medals in Osijek, Croatia.

Miscellaneous

1. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has released the “Pandemic Descriptions and Odisha’s Lessons in Governance” book authored by Dr Amar Patnaik.
2. IMF MD Kristalina Georgieva has said that India is a bright spot on the dark horizon, due to its rapid economic growth, especially during these difficult times.
   • The IMF has praised India’s direct benefit transfer scheme as a logistical marvel.

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