World Standards Day 2021:October 14

World Standards Day or International Standards Day is observed on October 14 every year at the global level. This date was chosen to mark the first meeting of delegates of IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), ISO( International Organization for Standardization) and ITU ( International Telecommunication Union) in from 25 countries in London, United Kingdom who established an international organisation for facilitating standardisation.

Objective-

To create awareness about the importance of standardisation to the world.

World Standard Day 2021 Theme-

‘’Standards for Sustainable Development Goals – Our Shared Vision for a Better World”.

PM launched Rs 100 Lakh cr Gati Shakti- National Master Plan for Infrastructure Development from New Delhi

The Central government is undertaking efforts for the Next Generation Infrastructure to improve ease of living as well as ease of doing business. On these lines, the Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Damodardas Modi had announced ‘PM GatiShakti – National Master Plan for Multi-Modal Connectivity’ in his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2021. Following this, on October 13 2021, GatiShakti, a Rs. 100 lakh-crore project was officially launched by the Indian PM during an event at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Gati Shakti is a digital platform collaborating 16 Central Ministries and Departments for integrated planning and coordination to implement infrastructure connectivity projects of more than 1,200 industrial clusters.

• These include two defence corridors, Economic Zones like textile clusters, pharmaceutical clusters, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, and agri zones.
• It will lay the foundation for economic growth over the next 25 years.

Features of PM Gati Shakti:

It is a campaign to lend more speed (Gati) and power (Shakti) to projects by connecting all concerned departments on one platform. It is also an important part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-dependent India) and will complement projects under the $1.5-trillion National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and boost the goal of achieving a $5-trillion economy.

• Target: To cut logistic costs which are currently at 13% of India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product); increase cargo handling capacity; seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services from one mode of transport to another; and reduce travel time.
• Handlers: It will be spearheaded by the logistics division in the Ministry of Commerce. Also, there will be an empowered group of secretaries headed by Cabinet secretary (Currently Rajiv Gauba) to look after its implementation.
• Tech-savvy: It will deploy modern technology including spatial planning tools with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) imagery developed by BiSAG-N (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics) for coordinated planning of infrastructure.

CRISP-M Tool for Mahatma Gandhi NREG Scheme Launched; Climate Resilient Program Started in 7 States

Union Minister of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Shri Giriraj Singh virtually launched Climate Resilience Information System and Planning (CRISP-M) tool for integration of climate information in Geographic Information System (GIS) based watershed planning under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Scheme (MGNREGS).

• Giriraj Singh launched this service along with Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
• This tool will be implemented in seven districts of states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Rajasthan.
• The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Government of UK and Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India are jointly working towards climate resilience.

Aim –

i.This tool will help to open up new opportunities for rural communities to deal with the issues of climate change.
ii.It will help poor and vulnerable people to cope with climate change and protecting them from weather-related disasters.

Mahatma Gandhi NREGA & Mahatma Gandhi NREGS: –

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA/ MGNREGA) was initiated with the objective of enhancing livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year, to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.It was launched in 2006.

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA) is the foundation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) and provides guaranteed employment.

• Central Government has powers to make rules and to amend Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.

• State Governments have powers to make rules and amend the concerned State scheme.

Objective of Mahatma Gandhi NREGS :-

i.Social protection for the most vulnerable people living in rural India by guaranteeing wage employment opportunities.

ii.Enhance livelihood security of the rural poor through generation of wage employment opportunities in works leading to creation of durable assets.

PM Modi Virtually Addressed in 28th NHRC Foundation Day programme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 28th National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) foundation day programme virtually. Union home minister Amit Shah and NHRC chairperson Justice Arun Kumar Mishra participated in the event.

• NHRC was established on 12th October 1993.It is established under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 as amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006.

• NHRC is an organisation which represents India’s concern for the promotion and protection of human rights.

Uttar Pradesh Tops in Funding Units Under PMEGP

Uttar Pradesh became top in India by financing the highest number of units under Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).

• The UP government has facilitated a total of over Rs 123 crore as margin money under PMEGP with a total cost of the project worth over Rs 450 crore in the current FY21-22.

• Uttar Pradesh has risen from 14th to 2nd rank in Ease of Doing Business.

• PMEGP scheme is implemented by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) functioning as the nodal agency at the national level and the same is implemented through State KVIC Directorates, State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs), District Industries Centres (DICs) and banks at the state level.

Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur Launches Nationwide Clean India Programme from Prayagraj

Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur participated in cleanliness drive on the launch of nationwide Clean India programme from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

• This program aims to create awareness, mobilize people and ensure their involvement in cleaning waste mainly Single Use Plastic waste throughout the country.
• This initiative, 75 Lakh kg waste mainly plastic waste will be collected and disposed with the support and voluntary participation of citizen.
• Department of Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports under Indian Government in commemoration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is organizing nationwide Clean India Programme from 1st October 2021 to 31st October 2021.
• The programme is being organised across the country through the networks of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) affiliated Youth Clubs & National Service Scheme affiliated Institutions.

EY’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index 2021: India Retained 3rd Rank, US Tops

India has retained its 3rd rank in the 58th edition of Ernst & Young Global Limited’s (EY) ‘Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index 2021’ (RECAI).

• RECAI is a biannual report being released since 2003. Under which, EY ranks the world’s Top 40 countries based on the attractiveness of their renewable energy investment and deployment opportunities.
• Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) measures were used as the key measure of the RECAI.
• Even amidst COVID-19, in 2020, the investment in renewable energy capacity grew by 2 percent to US$303.5 billion and, the renewable capacity installs increased by 45 percent (comparing with 2019) to 265GW. (This is the fastest growth rate since 1999).

Top 5 ranking of RECAI:

Note – The top 3 ranks were unchanged from the previous (57th) edition of RECAI.

James Sangma of Meghalaya Won 2021 PETA India Award for ‘Vegan Leather’ Initiative

The Forest & Environment Minister of Meghalaya, James Pangsang Kongkal Sangma received the Progressive Business Concept Award of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) India 2021 for his Vegan Leather initiative. He started an initiative to make ‘Vegan Leather’ from Pineapples in the northeastern states of India.

Key points

i.The state administration is planning to build a museum to spread awareness about climate change and protection of vulnerable animals. It will be called the Climate Change Museum.

ii.According to PETA, it estimates that animal agriculture – which includes the murder of animals for clothing is responsible for approximately a fifth of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). In the 2020-21 fiscal year, India exported USD 3.68 billion in footwear, leather, and leather products. iii.Meghalaya contributed to about 8% of total pineapples produced in India.

Divya Deshmukh becomes India’s 21st Woman Grand Master

On 13th October 2021, Divya Deshmukh, a 15-year-old from Nagpur, Maharashtra became the 21st Woman Grand Master (WGM) of India after qualifying in the 3rd WGM norm. She attained this feet during the “First Saturday Grand Master(GM)” in Budapest, Hungary.

i.During the tournament, she also qualified for the 2nd norms of International Masters (IM), now there is only one norm ahead for her to qualify as an IM.

Note – Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi was India’s 1st Women Grandmaster, while Viswanathan Anand became India’s 1st Grandmaster in 1988.

ii.Divya Deshmukh scored 5 points from 9 rounds during the tournament to secure the 3rd & final WGM-norm.

iii.In September 2021, R Raja Rithvik became the 70th Grandmaster of India.

‘Our Goal for All’ – Tagline for 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Unveiled

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) unveiled ‘Our Goal for All’ as the official tagline for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022.

Highlights
i.’Our Goal for All’ implies the unity and collective effort of the Asian football members to create a glorious future for women’s football.
ii.The AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 will take place in three Indian cities of Maharashtra – Navi Mumbai, Mumbai and Pune– from January 20 to February 6 in 2022.
iii.Top 12 football teams from Asia will participate in the cup which include reigning champions Japan, 2018 runners-up Australia, third-placed China PR and hosts India. They will be joined by Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Korea Republic, Philippines, Thailand , Vietnam and others.

Father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb Abdul Qadeer Khan passed away

Pakistani nuclear scientist and metallurgical engineer Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan (85), also known as the father of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, passed away in Islamabad, Pakistan. He was born in 1936 at Bhopal, British India.

• Khan founded the Engineering Research Laboratory, or ERL, for the purpose of developing a uranium-enrichment capability. In May 1981 the laboratory was renamed the Khan Research Laboratory, or KRL.

• After Pakistan’s defeat to India in 1971, Pakistan wished to build a nuclear bomb as a future deterrent.

• Khan was working at a European company involved in building centrifuges to enrich uranium.

PayPal signs MoU with IIFT to launch India Digital Trade Facilitation Forum

On October 13, 2021, digital payments firm PayPal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) to increase the knowledge base of Indian micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs).

• It will be done through the launch of India Digital Trade Facilitation Forum (IDTFF) for MSMEs.

Indian Bank and Fisdom Joined Hands for Digital Wealth Management Products Indian Bank made a tie up with a fintech company Fisdom for its mobile banking app to manage the new digital wealth management products.

• Fisdom offers financial products, such as mutual funds, insurance and National Pension Scheme (NPS) on its platform.

• Indian Bank is the seventh-largest public sector bank in India, following the merger with Allahabad Bank.This partnership makes the customers to invest in pension funds and digital gold and even file income tax returns online.

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