INTERNATIONAL

• International Poverty Eradication Day: 17 October

 

• The United Nations’ International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17 each year since 1993.

 

• It aims to promote awareness about the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries.

 

• 2019 theme: ‘Acting together to empower children, their families and communities to end poverty’.

 

• India ranks 82nd on the World Giving Index

 

• India ranked 82 spots among the 128 countries surveyed in the World Giving Index (WGI).

 

• It is an aggregate of trends for each country that emerged in surveys conducted by CAF over the past decade (2009 to 2018).

 

• According to the WGI, the USA stood at the top followed Myanmar, New Zealand and Australia.

 

• The average figures for India over the past decade show that 34 per cent people helped a stranger, 24 per cent donated money and 19 per cent volunteered or donated their time.

 

• India is 102 in Hunger Index of 117 nations

 

• India has slipped from 95th rank in 2010 to 102nd in 2019 on the Global Hunger Index (GHI).

 

• The Global Hunger Index measures and tracks hunger globally, by region and by country.

 

• The focus of GHI 2019 is Climate Change and Hunger, exploring the impact of extreme weather on food production, nutrition and food security.

 

• With a score of 30.3, India suffers from a level of hunger that is serious.

 

• Seventeen countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Cuba and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI scores less than five.

 

NATIONAL

·       Air India became the first airline in the world to use a TaxiBot

• National carrier Air India (AI)became the first airline in the world to use a TaxiBot on anAirbus A320 aircraft operating a commercial flight with passengers onboard. The aircraft of AI 665 Delhi-Mumbai flight was brought to the runway at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) airport’s Terminal 3 using the TaxiBot.

 

• AI’s TaxiBot cantow an aircraftwith its engines switched off.

 

• This will help in saving fuel, bringing down consumption by as much as 85% used during taxiing of aircraft.

 

• It also aims to reduce the wear and tear of the engine and curb carbon emission, thus improving air quality.

 

• ‘Food Safety Mitra’ scheme launched on the World Food Day

 

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced the scheme of Food Safety Mitra (FSM) through which it plans to engage motivated individuals with the food safety ecosystem at ground level.

 

• An FSM is an individual professional certified by FSSAI who assists in compliances related to FSS Act, Rules & Regulations with three avatars- Digital Mitra, Trainer Mitra and Hygiene Mitra depending upon their respective roles and responsibilities.

 

• Chenani-Nashri tunnel to be renamed after Shyama Prasad Mukherjee

 

• The Chenani-Nashri tunnel, the longest tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir, will be renamed after Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.

 

• The 9.2-kilometre-long tunnel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017.

 

• The bi-directional tunnel reduces the distances between Jammu and Srinagar by 30 km. It is also known as the Patnitop tunnel.

 

·       Government bans import of the National Flag

• The government hasbanned theimport of National Flag from across the border by amending the import policy. The move by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Government aimed to support khadi artisans.

 

• Ban on import of National Flag is because the importers are violating import policy norms by importing machine-made flags. According to the specifications under Part 1, Section 1.2 of Flag Code of India, 2002, the National Flag of India must be made of hand-spun and handwoven wool, cotton, silk khadi bunting.

 

• The ban on the import of the National Flag will help Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). It is a statutory entity that has the right to manufacture Indian National Flags.