Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: October 18, 2022
Competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, IAS, Railway-RRB, UPPSC, UGC NET, SBI, MPPSC, and so on have a section on Current Affairs. Most aspirants find this section difficult as they fail to keep up with the latest events. However, scoring well in this section is not difficult if we have a sound preparation plan. Aspirants can easily score in the current affairs section of any competitive exam by using the right resources such as daily current affairs.
The latest events from across the world have been selected by our specialists at Embibe and are included in this post. We analysed the most recent news of the day from different sources, such as The Hindu and the BBC, to give aspirants the latest current affairs.
Current Affairs: Report and Indexes.
Global Hunger Index-2022.
India has slipped six notches to rank 107 on the Global Hunger Index (GHI), 2022, out of 121 countries, lagging behind most south Asian countries, barring war-torn Afghanistan.
The top countries are Belarus, Bosnia, Chile, China, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, etc.
WHAT IS MEANT BY “HUNGER”?
Hunger is usually understood to refer to the distress associated with a lack of sufficient calories.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines food deprivation, or undernourishment, as the habitual consumption of too few calories to provide the minimum dietary energy an individual requires to live a healthy and productive life, given that person’s sex, age, stature, and physical activity.
What is Undernutrition?
It goes beyond calories and signifies deficiencies in any or all of the following: energy, protein, and/or essential vitamins and minerals.
Undernutrition is the result of inadequate intake of food in terms of either quantity or quality, poor utilisation of nutrients due to infections or other illnesses, or a combination of these immediate causes.
What is Malnutrition?
Malnutrition refers more broadly to both undernutrition (problems caused by deficiencies) and overnutrition (problems caused by unbalanced diets that involve consuming too many calories in relation to requirements, with or without the low intake of micronutrient-rich foods).
What is the Global Hunger Index?
GHI is an Annual Report which is Jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
The Objective of GHI:
The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool for comprehensively measuring and tracking hunger at global, regional, and national levels.
How is the GHI Calculated?
Each country’s GHI score is calculated based on a formula that combines four indicators that together capture the multidimensional nature of hunger:
Undernourishment: the share of the population with insufficient caloric intake
Child stunting: the share of children under age five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition
Child wasting: the share of children under age five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition
Child mortality: the share of children who die before their fifth birthday, partly reflecting the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments
The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger, where zero is the best score (no hunger), and 100 is the worst.
COMPOSITION OF GHI SCORES AND SEVERITY DESIGNATIONS: Understand by the Figure given below.
India in GHI-2022
India’s score of 29.1 places it in the ‘serious’ category.
India’s GHI score has decelerated – from 38.8 in 2000 to the range of 28.2 – 29.1 between 2014 and 2022.
India also ranks below Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84), and Pakistan (99). Afghanistan (109) is the only country in South Asia that performs worse than India on the index.
Seventeen countries, including China, Turkey, and Kuwait, shared the top rank with a GHI score of less than five.
Major associated facts:
India also ranks below Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84), and Pakistan (99). Afghanistan (109) is the only country in South Asia that performs worse than India on the index.
China is among the countries collectively ranked between 1 and 17, having a score of less than five.
Key Intakes from GHI for 2022:
Global progress against hunger has largely stagnated in recent years, according to the 2022 GHI.
The situation is likely to worsen in the face of the current barrage of overlapping global crises—conflict, climate change, and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic—all of which are powerful drivers of hunger.
These crises come on top of underlying factors such as poverty, inequality, inadequate governance, poor infrastructure, and low agricultural productivity that contribute to chronic hunger and vulnerability.
Africa, South of the Sahara, and South Asia are the regions with the highest hunger levels and are most vulnerable to future shocks and crises.
Without a major shift, neither the world as a whole nor approximately 46 countries are projected to achieve even low hunger as measured by the GHI by 2030.
Levels of hunger and undernutrition vary widely within countries.
Question:
Consider the following statements about Global Hunger Index-2022
India ranked 107 on the Global Hunger Index 2022.
According to the index, child mortality is the death of any child before its third birthday.
Child Stunting means children under age five who have low weight for their height.
Which of the following statements is/are not correct?
A. Only 1
B. Both 1 and 2
C. Both 1 and 3
D. Both 2 and 3
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Report and Indexes.
The World University Rankings 2023.
The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023 has been released.
According to the rankings, the University of Oxford, UK, is the top university in the world, followed by the University of Harvard (US) and the University of Cambridge (UK) in second and third places.
The University of Oxford has topped the rankings list for the 7th time consecutively.
What is the “Times Higher Education World University Rankings”:
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an annual publication of university rankings by the Times Higher Education magazine.
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 include 1,799 universities across 104 countries and regions, making them the largest and most diverse university rankings to date.
The table is based on 13 carefully calibrated performance indicators that measure an institution’s performance across the following areas: teaching (30%), research (30%), citations (30%), international outlook (7.5%), and industry outcome (2.5%). In teaching and research, 15% weightage each is based on a “reputational survey”.
Status of Indian Educational Institutes in these rankings:
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has retained the top position among Indian institutes in the latest round of Times Higher Education (THE) rankings, which has been boycotted by most Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for the third consecutive year over transparency concerns.
Last year, the second place in the Indian category had been bagged by IIT Ropar, which has, in this year’s edition of THE, slipped to the sixth position and to the 501-600 band globally from last year’s 351-400.
Question:
Which Indian University got the top position among Indian institutes in the latest round of the ‘Times Higher Education World University Rankings’?
A. The Indian Institute of Science
B. Mahatma Gandhi University
C. IIT Ropar
D. Alagappa University
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Geopolitics.
Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit-2022.
The Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs recently led the Indian delegation for the 6th Summit of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) at Astana, Kazakhstan.
What is the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)?
The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is a multi-national forum for strengthening cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.
It was founded by the first President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev, on 5 October 1992, at the 47th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Rationale:
The Member States, while affirming their commitment to the UN Charter, believe that peace and security in Asia can be achieved through dialogue and cooperation, leading to a common indivisible area of security in Asia where all states coexist peacefully, and their peoples live in peace,dom and prosperity.
India at CICA
India is one of the founding members of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and it has supported CICA’s initiatives by organising and participating in various CICA activities.
India has close, friendly ties with Georgia and Kazakhstan underpinned by cultural and historical linkages.
The Minister of State’s visit comes at an opportune time as India marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties with both countries.
Question:
Where did the Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit-2022 take place recently?
A. China
B. Mongolia
C. Kazakhstan
D. India
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Defence.
Nuclear-powered INS Arihant carries out a successful launch of SLBM.
INDIA’S STRATEGIC Strike Nuclear Submarine INS Arihant recently successfully launched a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM). The Ministry of Defence has said that the test is significant for the SSBN programme, a crucial element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability.
The missile was tested to a predetermined range and impacted the target area in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy. “All operational and technological parameters of the weapon system have been validated”.
About INS Arihant:
Commissioned in 2016, INS Arihant is India’s nuclear-powered ballistic missile-capable submarine, classified under the SSBN programme.
SSBN is a hull classification symbol for nuclear-powered ballistic missile-carrying submarines.
The operations of the SLBM from the SSBN are under the purview of India’s Strategic Forces Command, which is part of India’s Nuclear Command Authority.
The Arihant class submarines are the first nuclear-powered submarines to be built indigenously by India.
It is powered by an 83 MW Pressurised Light Water Reactor. Being nuclear-powered, it can stay underwater indefinitely till rations last.
INS Arihant was developed under the Indian Navy’s Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) Project.
It can carry twelve K-15 Sagarika missiles (range 750 km) or four K-4 missiles (range 3500 km), or K-5 missiles (range 5000 km).
Both K-4 and K-5 are under different stages of development.
The next submarine of the Arihant class is INS Arighat which is under trial and will carry twice the number of missiles as INS Arihant. It was expected to be delivered in 2019.
Two other submarines are under construction.
While INS Arihant is more of a technology demonstrator, INS Arighat will be a full-fledged SSBN.
What is ‘SLBM’ or ‘Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles’?
The Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), sometimes called the ‘K’ family of missiles, have been indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The family is codenamed after Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the central figure in India’s missile and space programmes who also served as the 11th President of India.
Under the SLBM family, missiles of various ranges have been developed, including K-15, also called B-05 or Sagarika, which has a range of at least 750 kilometres.
India has also developed and tested the K-4 missiles from the same family, which have a range of 3500 kilometres. Both K-4 and K-15 have been designed to operate from the Arihant class of submarines.
In January 2020, two successful tests of the K-4 missile were conducted from submerged platforms off the coast of Andhra Pradesh within a span of six days.
These tests were a key step towards ultimately deploying K-4s on the INS Arihant.
It is also reported that more members of the K-family — reportedly carrying the code names K-5 and K-6, with a range of 5,000 km and 6,000 km, respectively — are under development.
What are Ballistic Missiles?
A ballistic missile is a type of missile which uses projectile motion to deliver warheads to a target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods.
The Strategic Significance:
The capability of being able to launch nuclear weapons submarine platforms has great strategic significance in the context of achieving a nuclear triad, especially in the light of the “No First Use” policy of India.
The sea-based underwater nuclear-capable assets significantly increase the second strike capability and thus validates nuclear deterrence.
These submarines can not only survive the first strike by the adversary but can also launch a strike in retaliation, thus achieving ‘Credible Nuclear Deterrence’.
The development of these capabilities is important in light of India’s relations with China and Pakistan.
With China having deployed many of its submarines, including some that are nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable, India’s capacity building on the nuclear-powered submarines and the nuclear-capable missile which can be launched from them is crucial for nuclear deterrence.
The success of INS Arihant gives a fitting response to those who indulge in nuclear blackmail.
Key points of Nuclear Doctrine:
Building and maintaining a credible minimum deterrent;
A posture of ‘no first use’ denoting that the nuclear weapons will only be used in retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or on Indian forces anywhere; and that nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to “inflict unacceptable damage”.
The doctrine says that nuclear retaliatory attacks can only be authorised by the civilian political leadership through the Nuclear Command Authority.
Question:
Which Indian submarine recently successfully launched the ‘Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile’ (SLBM)?
A. INS Arighat
B. INS Aridhaman
C. INS Khanderi
D. INS Arihant
Answer: D
Current Affairs:Days and Events.
17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas-2023.
The 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Convention will be held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in January next year. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar recently launched the 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Convention website.
For Pravasi Bhartiya, the government’s engagement is founded on the 4Cs- Care, Connect, Celebrate and Contribute.
The External Affairs Minister expressed confidence that the 17th PBD Convention will be an important landmark event in the post-pandemic world.
What is Pravasi Bharatiya Divas?
9 January commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in 1915.
To mark this day, the tradition of celebrating Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) started in 2003.
1st PBD Convention was organised on 9 January 2003 to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India.
Since 2015, PBD Convention has been organised once every 2 years under a revised format.
16 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conventions have been organised to date.
16th PBD was conducted in a virtual setting with the theme “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat” in 2021 during the pandemic.
The 17th PBD Convention will be held from 8 – 10 January 2023 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Theme:
The theme of the 17th PBD is “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal”.
What is the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award?
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest honour conferred on a Non-Resident Indian, a Person of Indian Origin or an organisation or institution established and run by them.
The award is to commemorate the contribution of the Indian diaspora to create a better understanding of India abroad, support India’s causes and work for the welfare of the local Indian community.
Selected eminent Indian diaspora members are awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards.
Question:
Which city is proposed to host the 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in January 2023?
A. Delhi
B. Ahmedabad
C. Indore
D. Thiruvananthapuram
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Environment and Ecology
Wildlife Board approves new tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
On Friday, the Madhya Pradesh Wildlife Board approved a new reserve for tigers of the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), one-fourth of which will get submerged due to the linking of the Ken-Betwa rivers.
About the reserve:
The 2,339 square kilometres new tiger reserve, to be called Durgavati Tiger Reserve, will spread across Narsinghpur, Damoh and Sagar districts.
A green corridor linking PTR with Durgavati will be developed for the natural movement of the tiger to the new reserve.
The proposal will be sent to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for final approval.
Veerangana Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary:
The Veerangana Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Named after Rani Durgavati, a queen of the Gondi people, and covering an area of only 24 sq. km, the sanctuary was notified by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1996.
Reason for its creation:
As part of a wildlife management plan for Panna in the wake of the Ken-Betwa river linking project, the NTCA had asked Uttar Pradesh and MP governments to notify new tiger reserves.
The two state governments, with the centre, are implementing a ₹44,605 crore river-linking project to end the water crisis in the Bundelkhand region.
How are tiger reserves being notified?
Tiger Reserves are notified by the state governments as per provisions of Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, on the advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
The following steps are involved in the notification:
The proposal is obtained from the State.
In principle, the approval is communicated from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, soliciting detailed proposals under section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority recommends the proposal to the State after due diligence.
The State Government notifies the area as a Tiger Reserve.
Question:
Which of the following wildlife sanctuaries was recently approved as a tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh?
A. Kanha Tiger Reserve
B. Bandhavgarh tiger reserve
C. Panna Tiger Reserve
D. Durgavati Tiger Reserve
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Report and Indexes.
Public Affairs Index 2022.
Haryana has emerged as the best-governed state, with a score of 0.6948, among 18 big states in the Public Affairs Index, 2022.
In the recently released report, Haryana has emerged at the forefront in social justice, economic justice, and political justice themes, and has topped among states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Punjab and Karnataka, among others.
Sikkim has retained its position as the best-governed small state in India.
About the report:
The 7th edition of the Public Affairs Index, 2022, has been prepared by the Bengaluru-based not-for-profit think tank Public Affairs Centre (PAC).
In this report, economic justice was measured on indicators such as labour productivity, assurance of standard of living to wage workers, public expenditure on development, coverage of social safety net, and employment opportunities.
About the different attributes of the report and data:
Economic Justice:
In the delivery of economic justice (equities and inequities), Chhattisgarh secured the top rank with a score of 0.83 while Haryana (0.8) and Karnataka (0.79) secured the second and third positions, respectively. West Bengal secured the last rank with a score of 0.18.
Among the smaller states, Sikkim topped the list with a score of 0.612 while Uttarakhand was at the bottom with a score of 0.093.
Political Justice:
In the delivery of political justice, Tamil Nadu occupied the top place with a score of 0.875, and Kerala and Madhya Pradesh secured second and third places, respectively. Karnataka secured eighth place with a score of 0.639.
Among the smaller states, Uttarakhand secured the top place with a score of 0.615 while Goa secured the last place (0.380).
Social Justice:
Punjab emerged on the top in the delivery of social justice comprising endowments and entitlements with a score of 0.916, while Haryana and Kerala secured second and third places, respectively. Karnataka secured 10th place with a score of 0.436.
Among the smaller states, Uttarakhand topped the table with a score of 0.778 scores and Nagaland secured the last position (0.105).
Question:
Which state recently emerged as the best-governed state according to the Public Affairs Index, 2022?A. Sikkim
B. Haryana
C. Kerala
D. Rajasthan
Answer: B
Current Affairs: National.
Centre plans 22 bhasha kendras.
The government has decided to set up language centres to prepare study materials and courses for each of the 22 languages mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.
The centres, called bhasha kendras, will be established under the Union Ministry of Education’s Indian Knowledge System (IKS) initiative.
About Bhasha kendras:
These language centres will be in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which emphasises the promotion of regional languages.
“These bhasha kendras” will promote national integration.
What will the centres do?
First, they will prepare small booklets of 100-200 pages of IKS-related literature and manuscripts available in their designated languages. “Let’s say in Tamil, a booklet on Siddha Tradition or may on Bharatnatyam”.
The centres will also be translating these works into Sanskrit and English.
The second task of these centres will be to enrich their designated Indian languages with modern science and social models.
The third task will be to develop courses at the undergraduate level.
Question:
How many language centres has the government recently decided to set up to prepare study material and courses for regional languages?
A. 15
B. 18
C. 20
D. 22
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Days and Events.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2022.
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is marked every year on October 17.
It is a day to raise awareness about the global issue of poverty and how it is a violation of human rights and of human dignity.
The day also honours the courage of people living in poverty and their everyday struggles.
About this day:
There is a day dedicated every year on October 17 to observe the International Day for The Eradication of Poverty.
The day is observed to spread awareness of the issues related to poverty and the violation of the rights of human beings.
People from various organisations gather on this day with the goal of understanding the problems related to people who live in poverty and reaffirming the collective commitment to end it.
HISTORY of this day:
The beginning of this day has its footprints in the year 1987 in Paris, France. The day occurred in the Human Rights and Liberties Plaza at the Trocadero to honour the victims of poverty.
Later in 1992, the United Nations officially declared October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
THEME
The umbrella theme for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2022 is ‘Dignity for all in practice.’
This year’s theme is based on the dignity of the human being, which is not only a fundamental right but constitutes the basis of all other fundamental rights.
Question:
The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is marked every year on which of the following dates?
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