Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

Notes:
According to the Union Finance Ministry’ status report on India’s external debt, India’s External debt to GDP ratio increased marginally to 21.1% from 20.6% as at end-March 2020.
India’s external debt rose by 2.1% year-on-year to $570 billion as of March-end 2021. Reserves to external debt ratio increased to 101.2% from 85.6% during the same period. With this, it can be concluded that India is a net creditor to the world. The sovereign debt at $107.2 billion rose by 6.2%. The non-sovereign debt grew 1.2% to $462.8 billion.

Notes:
Canada observed its first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. It is an annual commemoration honouring the children who died while attending residential schools.
It united the survivors, families and communities still affected by the legacy of the residential school system. In 2017, a private member’s bill was introduced to make National Day for Truth and Reconciliation an official holiday. Recently, hundreds of potential burial sites and unmarked graves were discovered near former residential schools.

Notes:
The Yidan Prize is an education award that recognizes individuals, or teams, who have contributed significantly to education research and development.
The Yidan Prize Foundation have awarded India-based Dr Rukmini Banerji and US-based Professor Eric Hanushek the prestigious Yidan Prize 2021. Nine laureates have been awarded the Yidan Prize since its inception in 2016. Dr Rukmini Banerji, Chief Executive Officer of the Pratham Education Foundation, is awarded for her work in improving learning outcomes.

Notes:
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment organised VAYO NAMAN Programme on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons. Vice President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu presented Vayoshreshtha Samman-2021 to senior citizens.
Vice President also launched two portals – SAGE (Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine) and SACRED (Senior Able Citizens for Re-Employment in Dignity). The SAGE portal, designed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, aims to encourage entrepreneurs in the area of elderly care. SACRED portal will connect the senior citizens with job providers in the private sector.

Notes:
LORROS stands for Long Range Reconnaissance and Observation System, which is a sensor system to provide for long-range day-time and night-time surveillance. It is used by the national security forces like the Indian Army, to counter infiltration.
LORROS has been in the news recently, as an expert panel has cleared a revised technical requirement for implementation of the technology by Border Security Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

Notes:
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system operated by the NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India), which permits multiple bank accounts to be operated in a single application. It was launched by NPCI in the year 2016.
UPI is in the news recently, as it has registered 3.65 billion transactions worth Rs 6.5 trillion in the month of September 2021 alone, which is an all-time high since inception, both in terms of volume and value.

Notes:
The Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change Shri. Bhupender Yadav has launched tiger rallies in 51 reserves in the country, under the theme “India for Tigers – A Rally on Wheels”. This is a part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations in India.
This rally comprises of a journey across 51 tiger reserves where field directors, and officials from the from respective tiger reserves travel in assigned routes and unite at the designated focal point.

Notes:
Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Award is the Government of Assam’s highest civilian award for National Integration and National Contribution. Gopinath Bordoloi was a freedom fighter, Assam’s first Chief Minister after independence and Bharat Ratna awardee.
The award carries a prize of Rs.5 lakh, a citation and an Angabastram. This year’s award was presented by the Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Notes:
The Tropical Cyclone Shaheen has hit the coast of Oman and has caused human and material damage in the region. This cyclone is an offspring of the cyclone Gulab which had a devastating impact on the east coast of India in late September 2021.
The remnant of cyclone Gulab along with the low-pressure region over Gujarat had gained strength to form the new cyclone Shaheen.

Notes:
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will launch the ‘Swechha’ programme, which aims to promote the health and hygiene of women and adolescent girls.
Under the initiative, the state government will provide sanitary napkins at government educational institutions free of cost. 10 lakh adolescent girls studying from 7th-12th grades in all government schools and intermediate colleges across the state would be provided 10 sanitary napkins will be given every month.