1 Global Hunger Index 2023 released
India has been ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2023 . This ranking has been challenged by the Government of India , which has called it “incorrect” and motivated by “malicious intentions” . In 2022, India was ranked 107th out of 121 countries in the GHI. With a score of 28.7 , India’s hunger situation is placed in the severe category . Nearby countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka are ranked 102nd, 81st, 69th and 60th respectively. However, India’s score is slightly better than South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, both of which have a score of 27. The Ministry of Women and Child Development has raised concerns about the methodology of the report, highlighting “serious methodological issues” and “malicious intentions”. Data from the government’s nutrition tracker shows that the wasting rate among children is less than 7.2%, in contrast to the GHI reported figure of 18.7%.
2 Prime Minister Modi congratulated the newly elected Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated New Zealand ‘s elected Prime Minister Christopher Luxon for his party’s victory in the general elections. Laksan earlier worked in an airline. His right-leaning National Party won enough seats in last week’s general election to form a new government along with another right-wing party, ACT.
3 Intensive Mission Indradhanush 5.0 campaign launched
Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI 5.0) is the priority vaccination initiative of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare . This program targets children and pregnant women who have not been vaccinated, ensuring that they receive the necessary vaccinations. For the first time, IMI 5.0 has been extended to every district in the country. Additionally, it now includes children up to 5 years of age , whereas the previous campaigns included only children up to 2 years of age. IMI 5.0 aims to increase the coverage of all vaccines listed under the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) following the National Immunization Schedule (NIS). Significant emphasis has been placed on improving measles and rubella vaccination rates , aiming for their elimination by 2023 . Additionally, the U-WIN digital platform is being trialled in all districts for routine vaccination.
4 Tallest statue of Dr. Ambedkar outside India unveiled
The tallest statue outside the country of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution , was unveiled. The 19 feet high statue of Baba Saheb in Maryland, a suburb of Washington DC, America, has been named ‘ Statue of Equality ‘ . This statue of Dr. Ambedkar installed in America was created by famous sculptor Ram Sutar. Ram Sutar has also built the statue of Sardar Patel located on the banks of river Narmada in Gujarat.
5 External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar co-chaired the 18th India-Vietnam Joint Commission meeting in Hanoi
External Affairs Minister Dr Subramaniam Jaishankar today co-chaired the 18th India-Vietnam Joint Commission Meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi. The meeting covered topics such as cooperation in political, defense and maritime security, judicial, trade and investment, energy, development, education and training, science and technology and cultural sectors. Dr. Jaishankar, along with his Vietnamese counterpart, also jointly unveiled commemorative stamps to commemorate 50 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Vietnam. He said the stamps depicting Kalaripayattu and Vovinam reflect the shared affinity for sports and showcase the strong cultural, social and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
6 Defense Ministry signs an agreement with Cochin Shipyard Limited for modernization and empowerment of INS Beas
The Defense Ministry has signed an agreement worth over Rs 313 crore with Cochin Shipyard Limited for the modernization and empowerment of INS Beas . INS Beas is the first Brahmaputra class warship whose engine will be converted from steam to diesel propulsion . After the completion of this work in 2026, INS Beas will be included in the Indian Naval Fleet.
7 India-UK 2+2 foreign and defense dialogue concluded in New Delhi
India-UK 2+2 Foreign and Defense Dialogue concluded in New Delhi . Both sides discussed the possibility of enhancing cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, defence, emerging technologies, civil aviation, health, energy, culture and strengthening people-to-people contacts. The 2+2 dialogue is a medium to review and discuss all aspects of the India-UK comprehensive diplomatic partnership. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, both the countries expressed satisfaction over the regular high-level talks. Both sides also discussed the possibilities of increasing cooperation in the field of terrorism and maritime security.
8 The Supreme Court rejected the petition seeking permission to terminate the pregnancy at 26 weeks.
A division bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice has rejected the plea of a woman seeking permission to terminate her 26-week pregnancy. Chief Justice D-Y Chandrachud said that allowing abortion would be a violation of Sections 3 and 5 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act as there is no immediate danger to the mother from the pregnancy and it is not a case of the fetus being abnormal. He said that we cannot stop the heartbeat. The apex court bench comprised Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra were also present. Under the Medical Abortion Act, the upper limit for termination of pregnancy is 24 weeks. Earlier, the Supreme Court on October 9 had allowed the woman to undergo medical termination of her pregnancy as she claimed that she was suffering from post-natal depression and was in no condition to bear a third child. However, the Center had filed a separate petition seeking withdrawal of the order allowing abortion citing the advice of a panel of doctors of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The panel of doctors had opined against terminating the pregnancy at 26 weeks.
9 Union Energy Minister R.K. Singh launches EV-Ready India dashboard evreadyindia.org
Union Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy R.K. Singh launched EV-Ready India dashboard evreadyindia.org in New Delhi . The dashboard is a free digital platform focused on real-time electric vehicle adoption and forecasting, associated battery demand, charging density and market growth trends. The dashboard is expected to facilitate greater inclusion among the public, policy makers and electric vehicle users. The dashboard projects a 45 percent growth in electric vehicles by 2030.
10 INS Sumedha in Lagos, Nigeria
INS Sumedha made a port call at Lagos , Nigeria on 13 October 2023 as a part of her deployment to the Gulf of Guinea . The objective of the visit was to further strengthen diplomatic relations, maritime cooperation and interoperability between the Navies of India and Nigeria. Various activities have been scheduled including professional discussions, planning conferences in port and exercises at sea to exchange best practices. This is the second deployment of the Indian Navy in the piracy prone Gulf of Guinea (GOG) patrol after the first GOG patrol by INS Tarkash on 22 October . The Indian Navy aims to partner with regional countries to combat piracy and ensure uninterrupted trade security. INS Sumedha was also involved in the recently conducted Operation Kaveri to evacuate Indian expatriates from war-torn Sudan on 23 April .
11 Ken-Betwa River Link Project
As a result of the efforts of the government , the Ken-Betwa River Link Project (KBLP) has recently received the final forest clearance . Although the project has received forest clearance, the wildlife clearance is under review in the Supreme Court of India. The project needs to meet two key conditions for forest clearance: first, realignment of its canal and second, relocation of the proposed power stations away from forest land, both of which have potential environmental impacts. Are. KBLP is the first project under the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for interlinking of rivers, which aims to transfer surplus water from one river basin to another with the aim of reducing water scarcity and increasing irrigation . Is. The KBLP involves water transfer from the Ken River in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa River in Uttar Pradesh , both of which are tributaries of the Yamuna .
12 BK Mohanty takes charge as Finance Director at IREDA
Dr. Bijay Kumar Mohanty officially assumes the role of Director (Finance) at Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) . Dr. Mohanty, a highly respected senior finance professional with an impressive career spanning over 25 years in the Indian power sector, brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience that promises to enrich IREDA’s leadership. The appointment of Dr. Mohanty as Director (Finance) of IREDA was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
13 Microsoft finalizes acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion
Recently, Microsoft successfully completed its $69 billion acquisition of video game company Activision Blizzard . The purchase, which faced regulatory hurdles in the UK and US, underlines the tech industry giant’s continued ability to use its substantial cash reserves for expansion. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard got final approval from British regulators on Friday, marking the resolution of the last remaining regulatory hurdle. The completion of this acquisition means that despite years of global scrutiny of big tech companies by governments, it has not had any significant impact on their power, growth or their ability to do large-scale deals.
14 IndiaAI report released
After extensive research, the IndiaAI program has prepared its inaugural report, which outlines a comprehensive roadmap for the development of India’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem . It contains a wide range of recommendations and insights aimed at promoting AI development in India. Seven working groups of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) collaborated to prepare the report . The report is designed to guide India’s AI ecosystem development.
15 Central Electricity Authority celebrated its 50th foundation day
Central Electricity Authority , the organization under the Ministry of Power , Government of India , which provides technical and policy support to the Government and all other stakeholders in the power sector, celebrated its 50th Foundation Day on October 15, 2023 . Working with a vision to ensure reliable 24×7 power supply of adequate quality to all consumers in the country, CEA has been at the forefront of the development of the power sector in India, with a key role in the planning and management of the country’s power.
16 Five new sports included in Olympics
Recently the International Olympic Committee ( IOC session held in Mumbai ) has accepted the proposal to add five new sports to the Olympic Games proposed by the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (LA28). The LA28 program will include cricket (T20), baseball/softball, flag football, lacrosse and squash . The Olympic Games are organized under the patronage of the IOC. The IOC was established in June 1894 and is an independent, non-profit international organization. The committee, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Olympic capital, is entirely privately financed.
17 World Food Day 2023
World Food Day is celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on October 16, 1945 . The purpose of celebrating World Food Day every year is to promote food security around the world. The theme of World Food Day for the year 2023 is – “ Water is life, water is food.” Leave no one behind (Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind). It emphasizes on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2) i.e. ‘Zero Hunger’ goal.
18 15 October: International Rural Women’s Day
International Day for Rural Women is celebrated every year on 15 October . The day focuses on gender equality and helps in empowering women in rural areas. It recognizes the contribution and vital role played by rural women, including rural women, in enhancing agriculture and rural development, eradicating rural poverty and improving food security. According to the United Nations report, 40% of the total agricultural labor force in developing countries is women. In South American countries, 20% of the labor force is women while in Asia and Africa about 50% of the agricultural labor force is women. This report also states that if equal opportunities are provided to these women, agricultural production can be increased by 2.5 to 4%.
19 October 15: Global Handwashing Day
Global Handwashing Day was observed across the world on 15 October to raise awareness and develop better understanding on the importance of hand hygiene in keeping people safe and healthy . Global Handwashing Day has become more important in the backdrop of the COVID-19 outbreak. Amid the pandemic, personal hygiene has become important for the overall health of a person. Making personal hygiene a part of daily routine has saved many lives and prevented viral infections and flu.
20 October 14: International E-waste Day
International E-waste Day is celebrated on 14 October . This day is being celebrated by Waste Electrical and Electronic Forum (WEEF) since 2018 . According to the United Nations, the amount of e-waste generated has increased by 21% in the last five years. The United Nations also says that 53.6 million tons of e-waste are generated worldwide. Of this, only 17.4% is collected and recycled. It is also estimated that 74 million tonnes of e-waste will be generated by 2030. Rapid advancement in technology, urbanization process and economic growth are the major reasons for the rapid increase in e-waste.