Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

Notes:
October 9th of every year is observed in India as the Indian Foreign Services Day (IFS Day). It was on this date in 1946, the Indian Foreign Service was established for the purpose of India’s diplomatic and commercial representation in overseas nations.
This day is being observed since 2011 to recognize the important role played by IFS officers.

Notes:
Karuppur Kalamkari paintings and wood carvings of Kallakurichi, both belonging to the state of Tamil Nadu have received geographical indication or GI tag, from the Government of India.
GI tag is awarded to products of specific geographical origin and it adds significance to the product. It is regulated under the Geographical Indications registration is administered by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act of 1999.

Notes:
Darwin’s ground sloth (Mylodon darwinii), lived in South America between 1.8 million years and 12,000 years ago.
Though the six living sloth species are relatively small and herbivorous tree-dwellers, some species roamed from Alaska to South America. As per findings of a recent study, the extinct species was between 3 and 4 m long and weighed between 1 and 2 tons. The study also contradicts that all sloths were necessarily herbivores.

 

Notes:
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with the top Kyrgyztan leadership to boost bilateral ties, including defence cooperation.
India also agreed to provide a USD 200 million Line of Credit for development projects in the country. Jaishankar is on his four-day visit to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia with an aim to further expand bilateral ties with the three Central Asian countries.

 

Notes:
The Central Government has accorded “Maharatna” status to Power Finance Corporation (PFC). PFC is the 11th state-owned entity to get the status, joining the elite group of ONGC, Indian Oil Corporation, SAIL among others.
“Maharatna” status is granted to a company which has recorded more than ₹ 5,000 crore of net profit for three consecutive years, an average annual turnover of ₹ 25,000 crore for three years or should have an average annual net worth of ₹ 15,000 crore for three years.

Notes:
New Delhi has launched a patrolling operation named ‘Operation Satark’, to combat and prevent crime and make public places safer.
The South-West district Police has launched this patrolling operation, where senior officials including women officers will be patrolling on foot. This is aimed to enable a thorough check on nuisance creators and provide confidence among the public.

Notes:
The Aerial Archaeological Mapping Explorer has been launched to offer virtual flights over ancient landscapes. The digital aerial archaeology tool will allow users to see landscapes from England’s past.
Historic England, the agency that looks after the tool, enables people to discover previously unknown details through virtual flights over England, about local landscapes, including prehistoric hill forts, Roman settlements and cold war military stations etc.

Notes:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has kept India’s growth forecast for 2021-22 unchanged at 9.5%, in its latest World Economic Outlook report.It also projected India’s economy to grow 8.5% in FY23.
In July, IMF had slashed India’s growth forecast for FY22 to 9.5% from earlier projection of 12.5%. It has lowered the global growth projection marginally to 5.9% from 6% earlier. Supply disruptions in advanced economies and worsening pandemic impact in developing countries are the reasons.

Notes:
The Malabar series of exercises, which began as an annual bilateral naval exercise between India and the US in 1992.
The Indian Navy is set to participate in the Second Phase of Multilateral Maritime Exercise Malabar along with the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force, Royal Australian Navy and the United States Navy. It is being conducted in the Bay of Bengal from 12 – 15 Oct 2021. First Phase of the exercise was conducted in the Philippines Sea in August.

Notes:
International Energy Agency (IEA) recently released its World Energy Outlook 2021 report. As per the report, almost $4 trillion investment into clean energy is required to meet the Paris Agreement pledge to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The IEA mentioned some developing economies financing such projects, including India’s expansion of solar panels.