Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

Notes:
Former bureaucrat Amit Khare, who retired recently as higher education secretary, has been appointed as advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He has been appointed for two years on contract basis, as per a personnel ministry order issued. Mr Khare is a 1985 batch (retired) IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre.  The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment in the rank and scale of secretary to government of India.

Notes:
The ‘International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction’ is observed every year on October 13. The 2021 edition of the day will focus on “International cooperation for developing countries to reduce their disaster risk and disaster losses”.
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after the United Nations General Assembly declared the day to promote a global culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction.

Notes:
Jaishankar arrived in Armenia on the last leg of his three-nation tour to Central Asia. This is also the first-ever visit by an External Affairs Minister to Armenia.
He proposed that the strategic Chabahar Port in Iran be included in the North-South Transport Corridor, to enhance the connectivity. The Minister’s tour is aimed at further expanding bilateral ties and discussing regional issues including the developments in Afghanistan.

Notes:
The Union Home Ministry has recently enhanced the powers of the Border Security Force (BSF) to arrest, search and seize within 50 km from the international boundary in Assam, West Bengal and Punjab.
BSF is a Central armed police force under the Union. This power will also be applicable to the newly created Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Earlier, the BSF’s limit was fixed up to 80 km from the international boundary in Gujarat and 15 km in Rajasthan, Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

Notes:
A key UN biodiversity summit, with an aim to protecting biodiversity has commenced in China, which witnessed the participation of delegates from about 195 countries. Discussion on “30 by 30” agenda that would accord 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans protected status by 2030 is being discussed in the summit.
During the summit, Chinese Government has committed and pledged a sum of $233 million into a fund, to protect biodiversity in developing countries.

Notes:
JSW Steel Chairman and Managing Director Sajjan Jindal has been elected as the Chairman of the World Steel Association (WSA) for the 2021-22 period.
Jindal also becomes the first representative from India to serve as Chairman of the WSA. He precedes Yu Yong as the Chairman of WSA, whose members represent approximately 85 per cent of the world’s steel production. Established in 1967, it is headquartered in Brussels.

Notes:
The Global Hunger Index is a comprehensive measure and track of hunger across the globe, prepared by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. The index uses 4 indicators namely : Undernourishment, child wasting; child stunting; child mortality.
In the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 India has been placed at 101st position as against its previous ranking of 94 in 2020.

Notes:
China beat Japan 3-1 in the Uber Cup final, held in Aarhus, Denmark, to reclaim Uber Cup title. This is China’s 15th Uber Cup title win out of 19 finals.
Indonesia lifted the Thomas Cup trophy for the first time since 2002 after defeating the defending champions China 3-0 in the final match held in Aarhus, Denmark. Uber and Thomas Cup are the biennial international badminton championship played by the women and men’s national teams of the members of Badminton World Federation.

Notes:
The 8th India-U.S.A. Economic & Financial Partnership Dialogue was held at Washington D.C recently, in which India was represented and Chaired by the Union Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman. The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary of the Treasury of the United States Dr. Janet Yellen.
Discussions on macroeconomic outlook and economic recovery from COVID, financial regulatory and technical collaboration between the two countries were held.

Notes:
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan became the highest wicket-taker in T20 International cricket after he surpassed Lasith Malinga’s tally of 107 wickets.
Shakib has 108 wickets from 89 T20 International games. He is also the only cricketer to have a double of 100 wickets and 1000 plus runs in this format. The third cricketer in the list is New Zealand’s Tim Southee, with 99 wickets.