Daily GK Update: 13th October 2023

Summits & Conferences

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) at YashoBhumi in New Delhi.
In line with the theme of India’s G20 Presidency, the theme of the P20 Summit is Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future.
During this, 25 speakers, 10 Deputy Speakers along with 50 members of Parliament among others are going to participate.
The Pan African Parliament will also participate in the G20 event for the first time in India.

National Affairs

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the 12th City Gas Distribution(CGD) Bidding Round of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board in Delhi.
Post this Bidding round, almost the entire country except Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep, would have access to CGD networks.
He said that from a 14 thousand-kilometer-long pipeline network in 2014 to a 23 thousand 500 long network in the present day, the goal is to achieve a 32 thousand-long network.

Sports

The global governing body of Athletics, World Athletics has nominated Neeraj Chopra for the Men's Athlete of the Year award 2023.
Javelin thrower Neeraj is an Indian Olympic and World Championships Gold medalist.
World Athletics has confirmed a list of 11 nominees, selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.

International Affairs

Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreed to provide $338 million to Bangladesh for manufacturing vaccines against various diseases.
This initiative will reduce the dependency on vaccine imports and facilitate more production in the country.
The ADB committed $3.5 billion financing to Bangladesh in the current fiscal year of which around $2 billion would be concessional while the rest of $1.5 billion would be regular.

International Affairs

As per the data published by the National Health Commission, China witnessed a record-low number of births in 2022.
China had just 9.56 million births in 2022.
The number of babies born last year was the lowest figure since records began in 1949.
Last year, the country's population also fell for the first time in sixty years.
Its population was recorded to be 1.41 billion people.
Nearly 40 percent of Chinese newborns last year were the second child.

Honours & Awards

Tamil writer Sivasankari has won the prestigious ‘Saraswati Samman’ in 2022 for her memoirs, “Surya Vamsam”.
The book was selected by a Chayan Parishad (Selection Committee), led by former Supreme Court judge Arjan Kumar Sikri.
Surya Vamsam, a two-volume work, offers a profound glimpse into the life of an innocent child who evolved into an acclaimed author.

Important Dates

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDR) is celebrated every year on 13 October.
The day is dedicated to create awareness about disasters, their impact on living beings, and preventive measures.
One of the main aims behind observing this day is to educate communities about the risks posed by disasters, and prepare them to survive through both natural and human-made disasters.

National Affairs

India ranks 111 out of a total of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2023
India’s ranking is based on a Global Hunger Index score of 28.7 on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst
India’s severity of hunger as 'serious'
The GHI score is based on a formula which combines four indicators that together capture the multi-dimensional nature of hunger, including under-nourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality.

Arts & Culture

In Ladakh, the two-day Ladakh Zanskar Festival 2023 (8th edition) started at Padum in Zanskar, Ladakh.
Exhibition stalls displaying traditional cuisine, attire, lifestyle, ethnicity and unique Zanskar culture.
Major attractions of the festival will be cultural presentations from famous cultural troops, Folk Songs, and dance.

National Affairs

The first flight under Operation Ajay, carrying 212 Indian nationals from Israel, arrived at Delhi airport.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced the launch of Operation Ajay to facilitate the return of those Indians who wish to come back home.
The decision was taken after the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas a terror outfit based in Gaza, Palestine.