Daily Current Affairs for State Exams: 21 October 2021

Daily Current Affairs 21/10/2021

PM Modi inaugurates Kushinagar International Airport

Why in News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh.
He participated in an event marking Abhidhamma Day at the Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar.
He laid the foundation stone of Rajkiya Medical College, Kushinagar.

Key Points

The Kushinagar International Airport, built at a cost of Rs 260 crore, has the state’s longest runway with a length of 3.2 km and a width of 45 metres.
With this, Uttar Pradesh now has 3 international airports.
Apart from the Kushinagar International Airport, the two operational international airports are -- Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport at Lucknow and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Varanasi.
Kushinagar is the centre of the Buddhist Circuit.
This region is witness to the entire journey from the enlightenment of Lord Buddha to Mahaparinirvana.

About Buddhist Circuit:

In 2014-15, the Ministry of Tourism launched the Swadesh Darshan scheme with a vision to develop theme-based tourist circuits on the principles of high tourist value.
The Ministry has identified Buddhist Circuit as one of the fifteen thematic circuits for development under the scheme.
The Buddhist circuit is a route that follows in the footsteps of the Buddha from Lumbini in Nepal to Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh in India, where he died.

Source: PIB

Reliance Industries tops India firms in World's Best Employer rankings 2021

Why in News

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is among the top four Indian companies according to World's Best Employers rankings 2021 published by
Mukesh Ambani-owned RIL was placed at the 52nd position in the overall ranking of 750 global corporations.

Key Points

The top place in the Forbes rankings was occupied by South Korean giant Samsung Electronics, followed by US giants IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Dell Technologies.
Other Indian companies that made it to the top 100 rankings include ICICI Bank (65), HDFC Bank (77) and HCL Technologies (90).
The rankings were decided after a large-scale survey was carried out among employees, who were asked to rate their employers on numerous parameters.
The rankings were compiled after surveying 150,000 full-time and part-time workers from 58 countries working for multinational companies and institutions.
Forbes partnered with market research company ‘Statista’ for the same.

Source: HT

World Energy Outlook (WEO) Report 2021

Why in News

The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its annual World Energy Outlook (WEO) Report 2021.
Investment in renewable energy will need to triple by the end of this decade if the world’s climate pledges are to be met.

Key Points

Key Findings of the Report:

Renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, hydropower and bioenergy, need to form a far bigger share in the rebound in energy investment after the coronavirus pandemic.
The IEA noted that demand for renewables continues to grow.
However, this clean energy progress is still far too slow to put global emissions into sustained decline towards net zero by 2050, which the IEA believes will help limit the increase in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
More than 40% of the required emissions reductions would come from measures that pay for themselves, such as improving efficiency, limiting gas leakage, or installing wind or solar in places where they are now the most competitive electricity generation technologies.

Note: International Energy Agency (IEA) has invited India, the world’s third-largest energy consumer, to become its full-time member.

Other Major Reports:

World Energy Investment Report
World Energy Statistics
World Energy Balances
India Energy Outlook Report
Energy Technology Perspectives

Source: Indian Express

Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS)

Why in News

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh has launched Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS).
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), an autonomous Institute of Ministry of Earth Sciences has developed a new Decision Support System (DSS) and extended the ability of the existing Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) to have decision-making capability for air quality management in Delhi - NCR region.

Key Points

The need was stated by Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM, which was recently formed by the Union Minister for MoEFCC with the approval of both the houses of parliament) during the meeting held in January 2021.
IITM, Pune has also developed a new website for DSS.
The website is designed to deliver quantitative information about the contribution of emissions from Delhi and the surrounding 19 districts to the air quality in Delhi.

Source: PIB

Indian Railways to dissolve IRSDC

Why in News

The Indian Railways has ordered to dissolve Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC).

Key Points

This is in line with recommendation from the cabinet secretariat to integrate, and undertake structural reforms in various bodies under the Railways Ministry.
These recommendations were part of a report on the Rationalisation of Government Bodies under the Ministry of Railways prepared by Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance.
The stations managed by IRSDC shall be handed over to respective Zonal Railways.

About Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC):

IRSDC, the nine-year-old special purpose vehicle (SPV), is a joint venture between the Indian Railway Land Development Authority and IRCON.

Note: With this step, IRSDC is the second organisation under the Ministry of Railways to be shut down after the closure of the Indian Railways Organisation for Alternative Fuel (IROAF) on September 7, 2021.

Source: HT

Indian Army team wins gold medal in Exercise Cambrian Patrol 2021

Why in News

A team from 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) which represented the Indian Army at the prestigious Cambrian Patrol Exercise at Brecon, Wales, UK from 13th to 15th October 2021 has been awarded Gold medal.

Key Points

Ex Cambrian Patrol organised by the UK Army is considered the ultimate test of human endurance, team spirit and is sometimes referred as the Olympics of Military Patrollingamong militaries in the world.
The Indian Army team participated in the event and competed against a total of 96 teams which included 17 international teams representing Special Forces and prestigious Regiments from around the world.
This year, out of 96 participating teams, only three international patrols have been awarded a gold medal.

Source: PIB

Union Ayush Minister inaugurates ‘Ayush Van’ in Gandhidham

Why in News

Union Minister of AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated ‘Ayush Van’, a dedicated forest for Ayurvedic plants in a program held at the Deendayal Port Trust (DPT) – Rotary Forest in Gandhidham area of Gujarat’s Kutch.

Key Points

The Ayush Van was set up in 30 acres of land allotted by DPT in green-belt area where tree plantation is being done to improve greenery in urban areas and increase density of tree cover in the Kutch region.

Source: PIB

Vishwakarma Vatika

The Central Government has decided to set up a “Vishwakarma Vatika” at every “Hunar Haats”.
It will protect, preserve and promote India’s glorious legacy of centuries-old skills of artisans and craftsmen.
The first “Vishwakarma Vatika” has been set up in “Hunar Haat” at Rampur, Uttar Pradesh.

Source: PIB

Commodore Amit Rastogi (Retd) appointed as Chairman & Managing Director of NRDC

Why in News

Commodore Amit Rastogi (Retd) has been appointed as the Chairman & Managing Director of National Research Development Corporation (NRDC).

Key Points

Amit Rastogi has served 34 years in the Indian Navy (IN).

About National Research Development Corporation (NRDC):

It is an enterprise of Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.
It was established in 1953.

Source: ET