Daily Current Affairs for State Exams: 28 October 2021

Daily Current Affairs 28/10/2021

Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) Phase-II

Why in News

Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Phase-II of Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) under the SANKALP programme.

Key Points

About Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF):

It is a two-year-long fellowship conceived to create opportunities for young, dynamic individuals to contribute to enhancing skill development at the grassroots.
MGNF Phase-I (Pilot): Launched with IIM Bangalore as Academic Partner and 69 are Fellows currently deployed in 69 districts across 6 States.
MGNF Phase-II (National Roll Out): Launched on 25th October with 661 MGNFs who will be deployed across all districts of the country. 8 more IIMs have been onboarded taking the total to 9 IIMs (IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM-Jammu, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, IIM Nagpur, IIM Ranchi, IIM-Udaipur and IIM Visakhapatnam).
MGNF is an opportunity for young women and men in the age group of 21-30 years who already possess some level of academic or professional expertise.

About SANKALP:

Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP), a World Bank loan assisted program, was launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in January 2018.
SANKALP engages with District Skill Committees (DSCs) to effectively reduce the mismatch between the supply and demand of skilled manpower in the country, thereby creating decent opportunities for the youth to work and earn.

Source: PIB

China passes new land border law

Why in News

China’s legislature has adopted a new land border law that calls on the state and military to safeguard territory and “combat any acts” that undermine China’s territorial claims.
The new land border law was adopted amid the continued standoff between Indian and Chinese militaries in eastern Ladakh.

Key Points

About the Law:

The law, which becomes operational from January 1, 2022, stipulates that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China are sacred and inviolable.
The law also stipulates that the state shall take measures to strengthen border defence, support economic and social development.

China’s Border Disputes:

China has a 22,000-km land border with 14 countries.
India and Bhutan are the two countries with which China is yet to finalise the border agreements, while Beijing resolved the boundary disputes with 12 other neighbours.
India-China border disputes cover 3,488-km along the Line of Actual Control, the China-Bhutan dispute covers about 400 km.
On October 14, China and Bhutan signed an MOU firming up a three-step roadmap for expediting the boundary negotiations.

Source: Indian Express

India’s 1st State government-owned Wildlife DNA testing lab inaugurated in Nagpur

Why in News

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated India’s 1st State government-owned Wildlife DNA testing laboratoryat Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Key Points

At present, there are 2 central government-owned Wildlife DNA testing laboratories at Dehradun & Hyderabad.

Note:

CM Uddhav Thackeray also launched 3 Fast Track DNA testing units in Mumbai and Pune under the Central Government’s Nirbhaya Scheme to test human DNA samples.
The Labs will be exclusively dealing with cases registered under Protection of Children From Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.

Source: TOI

Knowledge App and platform ‘CUNSULT’

Why in News

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has launched a knowledge App and platform ‘CUNSULT’.

Key Points

CUNSULT app is the first such global facility by which people who need information, advice, counsel, guidance can contact and call up experts in multiple sectors on the go.
Each expert also gets a unique, exclusive page reflecting their contributions by way of articles and video blogs and this serves as their intellectual legacy and helps to promote interest in them.

Source: newsonair

For the first time in the Major Ports in India, Radio over Internet Protocol system inaugurated at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata

Why in News

The Radio over Internet Protocol (ROIP) System at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMP, Kolkata), was inaugurated.
ROIP system is being introduced as a marine communication mode, for the first time in any Major Indian Port.

Key Points

It shall cover the entire Hugli River Estuary from Kolkata to Sandheads, having base stations at 4 Locations.
With this facility, vessels at Sandheads can be directly communicated via Radio, from Kolkata, specially during storms and inclement weather.

Source: PIB

India’s official entry to the Oscars 2022: Tamil film ‘Koozhangal’

Why in News

Tamil film Koozhangal (Pebbles), directed by filmmaker PS Vinothraj, has been selected as India's official entry for the 94th Academy Awards (Oscars 2022).

Key Points

Koozhangal is a realistic family drama produced by Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan.
If selected, the film will compete for the Academy Award for ‘Best International Feature Film’.
The 94th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 27, 2022, in Los Angeles.

Source: HT

China launches its first solar exploration satellite

Why in News

China launched its first solar exploration satellite into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province.
The satellite was launched aboard a Long March-2D rocket and entered its planned orbit successfully.

Key Points

About China’s first solar observation satellite:

The Xihe satellite is China’s first solar observation satellite.
The 550-kg Xihe satellite will monitor the Sun for three years.
It is equipped with an imaging spectrometer known as the Chinese H-alpha Solar Explorer (CHASE).
It has been developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Source: ET

IPL’s 2 new teams: Sanjiv Goenka's RPSG Group gets Lucknow, CVC Capital gets Ahmedabad franchise

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Ahmedabad and Lucknow as the 2 new teams for the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2022.
The Sanjiv Goenka's RPSG Group (RPSG Ventures Ltd.) picked Lucknow as their home base with a winning bid of Rs 7090 crores while CVC Capital Partners (Irelia Company Pte Ltd.) have opted for Ahmedabad with a bid of Rs 5625 crores.
IPL 2022 will now comprise 10 teams.

Note: Before 2022, the 2010 edition of the IPL also featured 10 teams.

Source: India Today

Indian-origin Canadian Anita Anand appointed as the new Defence Minister of Canada

Why in News

Indian-origin Canadian politician Anita Anand was appointed as the new Defence Minister of Canada in the latest cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Key Points

Anand (54 year old) will replace long-time Defence Minister Indian-origin Harjit Sajjan, whose handling of the military sexual misconduct crisis has been under criticism.
She also led the procurement effort of the vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic and was the Procurement Minister of the country.

Source: The Hindu

Indian Army celebrates 75th Infantry Day

Why in News

The 75^thInfantry Day to commemorate the contributions of Infantry, the largest fighting arm of the Indian Army was celebrated on 27 October 2021.

Key Points

This day has a unique significance for the Nation, as it was on this day in 1947 that Infantrymen from the Indian Army, led by 1 SIKH, landed at Srinagar Airfield and saved the State of J&K from a ruthless and treacherous Pakistani invasion.
As part of the Infantry Day celebrations, a ‘Wreath Laying’ ceremony was held at National War Memorial to honour the fallen heros of the Infantry, who made the supreme sacrifice on various battlefields in service of the Nation.

Source: TOI