Daily GK Update: 8th October 2023

Sports

The Indian women's kabaddi team won gold by defeating Chinese Taipei in the final at the 19th edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Other Winners:
The Indian men's team also defeated Iran to bag another gold.
In badminton, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy clinched a historic gold by winning the mixed doubles final.
The Indian men's cricket team was awarded gold against Afghanistan.
In hockey, the Indian women's team defeated Japan and won a bronze medal

Important Dates

World Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day is celebrated on October 8th to explore and leverage the boundless possibilities of hydrogen as a source of green and sustainable energy.
Aim: To promote awareness and understanding of hydrogen as a clean and sustainable energy source, along with the versatile technology of fuel cells.
Objective: To acknowledge the potential of hydrogen and fuel cells in addressing the pressing challenges of climate change.

Agreement

India and Saudi Arabia signed a MoU in Riyadh in the fields of Electrical Interconnections, Green / Clean Hydrogen, and Supply Chains.
Aim: To establish a general framework for cooperation between the two countries in the field of electrical interconnection.
It was also decided between the two energy ministers that B2B Business Summits and regular B2B interactions between the two countries will be conducted to establish complete supply and value chains

National Affairs

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has committed to work with India to expand the Travel for LiFE initiative across the Asia Pacific region.
Ministry of Tourism will set up a PATA desk to strengthen engagement with PATA on Travel for LiFE and other areas of cooperation in tourism sector.
Travel for LiFE embodies the spirit of the Pro Planet People and functions on the basic principles of “Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet”.

Important Dates

Indian Air Force Day is celebrated every year on 8th October and this year marks its 91st anniversary of this day.
The theme of 2023 is 'IAF - Airpower Beyond Boundaries'.
It is also the fourth largest airforce in all over the world after the United States, China and Russia.
It will be celebrated in the holiest place of the Hindu religion in Prayagraj.
The legendary Russian origin MIG-21 jets Will take part in The Indian Air Force day parade for the last time.

State Affairs

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda inaugurated the 10-day-long tribal festival Aadi Mahotsav in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.
It is being organized from 7th – 16th October 2023.
Aim: To provide an opportunity to meet the artisans, learn about their way of life and get acquainted with the tribal culture
It is a celebration of the contribution of our tribal ancestors, the culture of various unique tribal communities, their lifestyle and the tribals themselves

Honours & Awards

Three indigenous products from Arunachal Pradesh Yak Churpi, Khamti rice and Tangsa textile have been granted the prestigious Geographical Indication tag by the GI Registry
About GI Tag Products:
Yak Churpi: Churpi is a cheese product prepared from the milk of Arunachali yak
Tangsa textile: Textile products of the Tangsa tribe of Changlang district are famous for their exotic designs and colors
Khamti rice: It is a variety of sticky rice produced in Namsai district

Banking & Finance

The Asian Development Bank has approved a $200 million loan to strengthen flood and riverbank erosion risk management in Assam.
The project builds on the success and lessons from the ADB-financed Assam Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program (2010–2020).
Aim: To empower women through disaster-resilient economic activities, the project will benefit about 1 million people and increase crop production by over 50,000 hectares.

Science & Technology

The American space agency, NASA would send a high-tech spacecraft called Psyche to an asteroid of the same name, 16 Psyche.
It will be a first-of-its-kind mission to study a metal-rich asteroid,
Aim: To help scientists learn more about the formation of rocky bodies in our solar system.
The launch of the mission will take place on Thursday (Oct 12) when NASA’s Psyche spacecraft will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and travel 2.2 billion miles.

Science & Technology

Spain's company PLD Space launched the Miura-1 rocket marking Europe's first fully private rocket launch.
Miura-1, a recoverable rocket was launched from a site in southwest Spain.
The launch is being viewed as a boost to Europe's stalled space ambitions.
The Miura-1 rocket has been named after a breed of fighting bull. The rocket is as tall as a three-storey building. It has a 100-kg (220-pound) cargo capacity.