Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2022

Notes:
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launches SAFAL (Simplified Application for Agricultural Loans) common credit portal for farmers.
The SAFAL application for agricultural loans will enable farmers and agri-entrepreneurs to access over 300 term loan products from over 40 partner banks. It is the country’s first online agricultural credit facilitation portal.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Telecommunication unveiled new policy reforms for satellite communications services.
It aims to ease procedures and streamline clearances to fast-track the rollout of Satcom across the country, especially in remote areas. Union Telecom Minister said that the current pace of tower deployment needs to increase from 2,500 towers a week to 10,000 towers per week.

Notes:
As per a recent Lancet report, heat-related deaths increased by 68 per cent between 2000-2004 and 2017-2021.
As per the report, vulnerable populations were exposed to 3.7 billion more heatwave days last year than annually in 1986-2005.  The study that focused on health effects of climate change amid Covid pandemic, global energy and cost-of-living crisis due to Russia-Ukraine war.

Notes:
Spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Devi has been appointed the Chair of the country’s Civil 20 (C20), an official engagement group of the Group of 20 (G20), by the Indian government.
India will assume the Presidency of the G20 for one year from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. The C20 is the platform of G-20, for civil-society organisations (CSOs) to bring forth non-government and non-business voices to the G20 leaders.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Environment, forest, and climate change (MoEFCC) has approved to set up Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh.
The Terai Elephant Reserve (TER) would be the 33rd in the country and second in Uttar Pradesh. The first elephant reserve in Uttar Pradesh was notified in Shivalik in Saharanpur and Bijnor districts in 2009.

Notes:
Tata Steel has inked an agreement with American carmaker Ford to supply ‘Zeremis Green steel’ from its Netherlands-based IJmuiden plant.
The unit has recently announced to shift to hydrogen-based steel making. Tata Steel is working to switch to low-carbon technologies to manufacture steel in the UK and the Netherlands.

Notes:
India’s Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya participated in the second G20 Health Ministers Meet in Bali, Indonesia.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the progress and way forward on priorities in the healthcare sector. The members also discussed on building global health resilience and the Financial Intermediary Fund.

Notes:
The SatCom Industry Association (SIAIndia) has organised a three-day India Space Congress, ISC 2022, in New Delhi.
The theme of ISC 2022 is ‘Leveraging Space to Power Next-Gen Communication & Businesses’.  Speakers from 30 countries participated in the event, which is supported by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ministry of Defence, Niti Aayog, In-Space, New Space India Ltd (NSIL) and the Department of Telecommunication.

Notes:
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced that India will contribute USD 500,000 to the United Nations Trust Fund for Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) this year.
This aims to aid capacity-building support to member states in combating terrorism. Representatives from all 15 member nations of the UN Security Council attended the meeting, hosted by India in New Delhi and Mumbai.

Notes:
The first edition of the India-Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise has recently commenced at Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Indian Navy is represented by the guided missile frigate, INS Tarkash, a Chetak helicopter and MARCOS (Special Forces). The exercise has three objectives: capability development to address common threats through training and sharing of best practices, enhancing interoperability, and strengthening maritime cooperation.