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International Chefs Day: 20 October
- Every year the International Chefs’ Day is celebrated across the globe on 20 October to create awareness about the profession and celebrate it.
- In 2004, a famous chef and former president of the World Association of Chefs Societies (Worldchefs), Late Dr. Bill Gallagher initiated the International Chefs Day.
- The theme for the year 2021 is ‘Healthy Food for the Future’.
World Osteoporosis Day: 20 October
- World Osteoporosis Day is celebrated on October 20 across the globe to raise awareness about the disease.
- Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which the bones become weak and brittle because of the loss of mineral density.
- The day was first celebrated by United Kingdom’s National Osteoporosis Society in the year 1996.
- The theme for 2021 is Serve Up Bone Strength.
World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day: 19 October
- Every year, World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day is observed on 19 October globally.
- The day is marked to create awareness about the prevention, disease management, and treatment of musculoskeletal issues in children.
- The first World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day was marked in 2012 by the United States Bone and Joint Initiative.
Valmiki Jayanti: 20 October 2021
- Valmiki Jayanti is celebrated on the 15th day of the Shukla Paksha in Ashwin month, according to the Hindu lunar calendar.
- It is being observed on 20 October 2021.
- This day commemorates the birth anniversary of Maharishi Valmiki, who composed the Ramayana in Sanskrit.
- Maharishi Valmiki is also called the Adi Kavi or the first poet in the Sanskrit language.
Abhidhamma Day: 20 October 2021
- Abhidhamma Day will be observed on 20 October 2021.
- It is celebrated on the full moon of the seventh month of the Burmese lunar year.
- The seventh month corresponds to October.
- PM Modi will attend Abhidhamma Day Programme in UP on 20 October.
- Kushinagar is the final resting place of Gautama Buddha, where he attained Mahaparinirvana after his death.
India ranks 40th out of 43 global pension systems, as per a survey
- India ranked 40th out of 43 pension systems across the world in the 2021 Mercer CFS Global Pension Index survey.
- It stood at 34th position out of 39 pension systems rated in 2020.
- It had an overall index value of 43.3 among the countries analyzed.
- Iceland was ranked highest with an overall index value of 84.2 while Thailand had the lowest overall index value at 40.6.
MP govt to implement Mukhyamantri Ration Aapke Dwar Yojana
- Madhya Pradesh government has announced the implementation of Mukhyamantri Ration Aapke Dwar Yojana in the state from November 2021.
- Under the scheme, the ration will now be transported by vehicles in those villages where there are no fair price shops.
- The government will also give a subsidy of Rs 4,981 crore for the domestic consumers under the Griha Jyoti Yojana.
University Grants Commission recognizes BSRMS under specified Degrees
- The University Grants Commission has issued notification recognizing Bachelor of Sowa Rigpa Medicine and Surgery (BSRMS) under the specified Degrees.
- Duration of the degree will be of a minimum of five years and Ten plus Two (102) is fixed as an entry qualification.
- Sowa Rigpa is a traditional and popular medicinal practice in the Himalayan region.
International Conference on Digital technologies – “Future Tech 2021″
- Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar addressed at the International Conference and Exhibition on Digital technologies – “Future Tech 2021” on 19 October 2021.
- It is being organized by CII (Confederation of Indian Industry).
- The event is scheduled till 27th October 2021 and will revolve on 5 theme pillars: Strategy, Growth, Resilience, Inclusiveness, and Trust.
PM Narendra Modi addresses CVC-CBI joint meet
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 20 October 2021 virtually addressed a joint conference of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Gujarat.
- CVC is an apex Indian governmental body created in 1964 to address governmental corruption.
- CBI is the premier investigating agency of India.
IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath to return to Harvard University
- Gita Gopinath the Fund’s Chief Economist and Director of the Research Department intends to leave the Fund in January 2022 and return to Harvard University’s Economics Department.
- Harvard University had extended Gopinath’s leave of absence on an exceptional basis by one year, which has allowed her to serve as Chief Economist at the IMF for three years.
Sonowal lays the foundation stone for projects at Deendayal Port, Gujarat
- Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH Shri Sarbananda Sonowal laid the Foundation Stone for various projects worth around Rs 275 cr at Deendayal Port Trust (DPT) at Kandla in Gujarat.
- The projects which were inaugurated, included dome-shaped godowns, oil jetty, parking plaza for trucks with various ancillary facilities and modernisation of the existing pipeline network.
Egypt, Sudan hold joint military drills
- Egypt, Sudan hold joint military drills Egyptian and Sudanese armed forces started joint drills in northern Egypt including Egyptian border guards and Sudanese infantry trained for border security, said the Egyptian army.
- Named as “Guardian of the South – 1,” the joint military exercise is held at Mohamed Naguib military base in the Mediterranean province of Matrouh.
Marlabs joins Infor Partner Network
- Marlabs Inc., a leading digital solutions company, today announced it has joined the Infor Partner Network (IPN) and will offer Infor’s cloud-based software solutions (CloudSuites) to its distribution and manufacturing industry customers.
- Marlabs will provide Infor’s CloudSuite Distribution solutions, as well as solutions powered by the Infor LN and Infor M3 ERP platforms.
Gautam Adani meets UK PM, assures to commit USD 70 bn for clean energy
- Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani met UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the Global Investment Summit and said that his group will commit USD 70 billion to energy transition via solar, wind, H2 and others.
- Gautam Adani says the battle against climate change must be fought with equitable and pragmatic policies.
Gamma-ray Telescope selected by NASA to chart Milky Way evolution
- The US space agency NASA has selected a new space telescope proposal to study the recent history of star birth, star death, and the formation of chemical elements in the Milky Way.
- The gamma-ray telescope called the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI), is expected to launch in 2025.
- The mission will also probe the mysterious origin of our galaxy’s positrons, also known as antielectrons.
The UK plans to create a persistent military presence in the Indo-Pacific region
- The UK has planned to maintain a ‘persistent’ security presence in the Indo-pacific region.
- The maritime dialogue was held in a virtual format as agreed in the India-UK Roadmap 2030 for future relations adopted at the virtual summit between the two Prime Ministers in May 2021.
- The UK had a long-term association with many countries in the region going back to the days of the British Empire.
Prakash Padukone, NSCI launch badminton coaching in Mumbai.
- Padukone Sports Management (PSM) in partnership with the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) has launched the PSM Badminton Coaching Program in Mumbai.
- The partnership between PSM and NSCI will aim to establish this Prakash Padukone Badminton Coaching Program as the Center of Excellence in the future for this part of India.
Reliance Retail acquires a 52% stake in designer Ritu Kumar’s company.
- Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) has acquired a 52 percent stake in veteran couturier Ritu Kumar’s firm Ritika Pvt Ltd.
- Ritu Kumar’s business includes four fashion brand portfolios — Label Ritu Kumar, The third RI Ritu Kumar, aark, and Ritu Kumar Home & Living.
- Reliance announced that it will buy a 40 percent stake in renowned fashion designer Manish Malhotra’s MM Styles Pvt Ltd.
Israel detects 1st case of COVID-19 Delta variant “AY4.2”.
- Israel detects 1st case of COVID-19 Delta variant “AY4.2” was detected in Israel.
- It was diagnosed in an 11-year-old boy, who underwent a coronavirus test at Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv, upon his return from Moldova.
- AY.4.2, which some are calling “Delta Plus”, contains mutations that might give the virus survival advantages.
India occupies the top spot globally in emissions related to crop burning
- India is ranked at the top in emissions related to crop burning, accounting for 13% of total global emissions for the 2015-2020 period.
- The data was given in a new report released by climate tech startup Blue Sky Analytics, which is also part of the global coalition “Climate TRACE”.
- Blue Sky Analytics also pointed towards a 12.2% contribution by India to cropland fire emissions in 2020.
250mm Seer Water supply scheme inaugurated in Kashmir
- Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal inaugurated a 250mm Seer Water supply scheme in Pahalgam, Kashmir on 19 October 2021.
- The project will benefit around 10000 people and will be completed under the ambit of Jal Jeevan Mission within three months.
- He also inaugurated the Forest Departments Deodar sapling plantation drive being conducted under the banner of Green JK Drive.
Dr Jitendra Singh launches Air Quality Early Warning System
- Union Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh launched Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) on 19 October 2021.
- The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) has developed a new Decision Support System (DSS) and extended the ability of the existing AQEWS to have decision-making capability for air quality management in Delhi – NCR region.
Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates ‘Ayush Van’ in Gujarat
- Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Ayush Van on 19 October 2021 in a program held at the Deendayal Port Trust (DPT)– Rotary Forest, Gujarat.
- It is a dedicated forest for Ayurvedic plants.
- The Ayush Van was set up in 30 acres of land allotted by DPT in a green-belt area where tree plantation is also being done.
PM to inaugurate Kushinagar International Airport
- PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh on 20 Oct 2021.
- The inauguration will be marked by the landing of the inaugural flight at the airport from Colombo, Sri Lanka, carrying Sri Lankan delegation of over a hundred Buddhist monks and dignitaries.
- He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects in Kushinagar.
India, Israel, US and UAE agree to establish a joint economic forum
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his counterparts from Israel, the US, and the UAE have agreed to establish a forum for economic cooperation.
- Each minister will appoint senior-level professionals to a joint working group that will formulate options for cooperation in the different areas identified by the ministers.
Gross NPAs of banks to rising to 8-9% this fiscal: Crisil
- Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of banks are expected to increase to 8-9 percent in the current financial year (2021-22).
- This was stated in a report by credit rating agency Crisil.
- This will be well below the peak of 11.2 percent seen at the end of fiscal 2018.
- Stressed assets, comprising gross NPAs and loan books under restructuring, should touch 10-11 percent in 2021-22.
72nd Inter-services Football Championship held from 15-20 October 2021
- The 72nd Inter-services Football Championship was held at Maharaja Stadium, Kochi between 15-20 Oct’21.
- Indian Navy, Army Red, Army Green, and Indian Air Force teams participated in it.
- It was conducted by Signal School.
- Indian Air Force emerged as the winner.
- The aim was to select the Services Football Team for the Senior National Football Championship 2021-22.
Project monitoring portal launched for Military Engineer Services
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched Web Based Project Monitoring Portal (WBPMP) for Military EngineerServices (MES) on 20 Oct 2021.
- It was conceptualized in accordance with the Digital India Mission of the Union Government.
- It has been developed by Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-G).
- It will enable real-time monitoring of projects.
James Pattinson retires from international cricket
- Australian fast bowler James Pattinson on 20 Oct 2021 retired from international cricket.
- He has played 21 Tests and 15 ODIs and will continue to play domestic cricket.
- He claimed 81 Test wickets in his career after making his Test debut in December 2011 alongside Mitchell Starc and David Warner against New Zealand in Brisbane.
- His last Test was against New Zealand in Sydney in Jan 2020.
Australia, India partner to boost bilateral trade and investment
- India has partnered with Australia in areas such as agrifood, mining, infrastructure, healthcare, and education.
- The aim is to boost industrial and manufacturing activity and to drive economic growth.
- Leaders and Ministers from India and Australia came together under the Australia-India Business Exchange (AIBX) 2021 Business Leaders Forum.
52nd International Film Festival of India to be held in November 2021
- The 52nd edition of the International Film Festival of India, IFFI will be held in Goa from November 20-28, 2021.
- It will be held in a hybrid format.
- IFFI founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia.
- The festival is conducted jointly by the Directorate of Film Festivals (under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) and the Government of Goa.
Sri Lanka receives Nano Nitrogen liquid fertiliser from India
- Sri Lanka has received the first consignment of 3.1 million litres high quality non-harmful Nano Nitrogen liquid fertiliser from India.
- It will help Sri Lanka in the cultivation of maize and paddy.
- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had decided to impose a total ban on agrochemicals to make Sri Lankan farming 100% organic.
- Sri Lanka’s annual fertiliser imports cost 400 mn US dollars.
Sri Lanka’s first Test captain Bandula Warnapura dies
- Sri Lanka’s first-ever Test cricket captain Bandula Warnapura passed away in Oct’21.
- He lead the Sri Lankan side in its first Test match in Feb 1982 against England.
- He also achieved the rare record of opening the batting and opening the bowling in the same game.
- He was handed a life ban from Sri Lankan cricket after he decided to tour apartheid South Africa with a rebel team in 1982-83.
Embassy REIT awarded 4-Star GRESB Green Rating
- Embassy Office Parks REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) has been awarded a 4-star (out of 5 stars) rating in the 2021 Real Estate Assessment by Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB).
- Embassy Office Parks is India’s first listed REIT and the largest office REIT in Asia by area.
- In its first year of participation, it achieved a “Green Star” status and an overall score of 80%.
Gulzar comes up with his new book “Actually… I Met Them: A Memoir”
- Poet-lyricist Gulzar has come up with his new book titled “Actually… I Met Them: A Memoir”.
- The book was released on 18 Oct 2021.
- It gives readers a peek into the minds of legends including the likes of Kishore Kumar, Rajesh Khanna Bimal Roy, Ritwik Ghatak, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, and Mahasweta Devi, through the trusted lens of Gulzar.
- It has been published by Penguin Random House India.