Current Affairs One-Liner: 20th October 2023

•  National:
• The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has approved India’s self-declaration of freedom from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in specific poultry compartments.

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standard Body of India, has approved IS17017 (Part 2 / Sec 7): 2023, India’s first-ever indigenously developed Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) Combined Charging connector standard for Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs).
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation in India has made an amendment to the Aircraft Rules, 1937. This amendment, known as the “Aircraft (First Amendment) Rules, 2023”, was officially notified in the Gazette on October 10, 2023.
• Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, launched the IndiaSkills 2023-24 and felicitated the World Skills 2022 Winners on October 17, 2023.
• The 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session was held in Mumbai, India from 15 to 17 October 2023. The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated the session.
• Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched the emblem of ‘Karnataka Sambrama-50’ to mark the golden jubilee of renaming the Mysore State as Karnataka. The event took place at the Banquet hall of Vidhana Soudha (State secretariat) on October 17, 2023.
• The Governor of Punjab, Banwarilal Purohit, has withheld approval for three money bills that were to be presented in the Special Session of the Punjab State Assembly. The three bills include The Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, The Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and The Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023.
• The Jammu and Kashmir administration has indeed set up a six-member committee to identify foreign nationals who have been illegally residing in the Union Territory since January 2011.
• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India has launched Operation Chakra-II, a crackdown on transnational organized cyber-enabled financial crimes.
• Air India Express has unveiled a new brand identity and aircraft livery. The unveiling was done by Air India Express’s chairperson Campbell Wilson and managing director Aloke Singh.
• The Arunachal Pradesh State Cabinet approved the constitution of a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) for three Tiger Reserves of the State namely- Namdapha, Pakke and Kamlang.
• Economy:
• Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the IMF Asia & Pacific Department, India’s contribution to global growth is currently 16%, and this is expected to grow to 18% in the next five years. This increase is due to the fact that India’s economy is projected to grow faster in the coming years.
• The Union Government’s licensing requirement for imports of IT hardware such as laptops, PCs, and tablets will not come into force until September 2024.
• Google has announced plans to start manufacturing its Pixel line of smartphones in India from 2024. The company will begin with the production of the Pixel 8.
• Sports:
• The Hyderabad EPrix is indeed a thrilling event. The second edition being held on February 10, 2024, will surely bring more excitement and intense competition.
• The 24-year-old Indian chess grandmaster, Karthikeyan Murali, delivered a stunning blow to the world’s number one player, Magnus Carlsen. This remarkable victory occurred during the Qatar Masters Tournament 2023.
• Important Days:
• Kati Bihu was celebrated across Assam on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. This festival is one of the three Bihu festivals celebrated in Assam, all connected to agriculture. Kati Bihu marks the relocation of rice saplings and is also known as Kongali Bihu.
• Obituary:
• Spiritual leader Bangaru Adigalar, also known as ‘Amma’, passed away at the age of 82. He was a Padma Shri awardee and was known for his revolutionary reforms in spiritualism, particularly for allowing women to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Shakti temples.
• Books:
• The BlueKraft Digital Foundation has recently launched a book titled 'Igniting Collective Goodness: Mann Ki Baat @ 100’. This book is a compilation of 100 episodes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s famous radio show ‘Mann ki Baat’.

Questions:

Q.1 Who is the 24-year-old Indian chess grandmaster who defeated Magnus Carlsen in the Qatar Masters Tournament 2023?

a. Viswanathan Anand
b. Pentala Harikrishna
c. Karthikeyan Murali
d. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu

Q.2 What is another name for Kati Bihu? 

a. Rongali Bihu
b. Bhogali Bihu
c. Kongali Bihu
d. Magh Bihu