1) World Cotton Day: 07 October
•World Cotton Day (WCD) is observed globally on 7th October. The international day aims to celebrate the advantages of cotton, ranging from its qualities as a natural fibre to the benefits people obtain from its production, transformation, trade and consumption. WCD Day was initiated by the Group of Cotton-4 countries namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali to reflect the importance of cotton as a global commodity.
2) Andhra government launched ‘Swechha’ programme
•Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the ‘Swechha’ program to tackle the stigma attached to menstruation, prioritize female personal hygiene, and encourage a healthy dialogue of information. ‘Swechha’ (meaning freedom) is intended to ensure affordable access to health and menstrual hygiene in adolescent girls and women.
3) Health Minister released “The State of the World’s Children 2021” report
•Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has released UNICEF’s global flagship publication “The State of the World’s Children 2021; On My Mind: promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health in New Delhi. The report details the significant impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health.
4) Centre approves setting up 7 PM MITRA Parks in 5 years
•The Centre has approved the setting up of seven new mega textile parks, or PM MITRA parks across the country in an effort to help furthering the growth of the textile sector in the economy and position India strongly on the Global textiles map. The Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks (PM MITRA) will be based on the 5F vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. The ‘5F’ Formula consists of Farm to fibre; fibre to factory; factory to fashion; fashion to foreign.
•These parks will be set up at Greenfield and Brownfield sites in different States by a Special Purpose Vehicle which will be owned by the State Government and Government of India in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Mode. The total outlay for the project has been set at Rs 4,445 crore for five years.
5) Palghar’s famed Wada Kolam rice gets GI tag
•A variety of rice widely grown in Wada in the Palghar district has been given a ‘Geographical Indication’ tag, which will give it a unique identity as well as wider markets. Wada Kolam, also known as Zini or Jhini rice, is a traditional variety grown in the Wada tehsil of Palghar, with the grain being off white in colour.
•Wada Kolam rice commands a price of Rs 60-70 per kg in domestic markets and has a sizeable demand overseas as well. Wada Kolam has been grown in Palghar for years. It is known for its small grain, aroma, taste and for being light for digestion. It is gluten-free. However, it is a low yielding crop.
6) India’s first e-fish market App Fishwaale launched in Assam
•Assam Minister for Fisheries, Environment and Forest and Excise, Parimal Suklabaidya launched an App Fishwaale, India’s first e-fish market. Table size fish such as bhangon, mrigal and rohu and freshwater and seawater frozen fish (icebox) will be available coupled with dry fish packets, dry fish raw, fish pickles and processed fish products.
•Developed by Aqua Blue Global Aquaculture Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in collaboration with the fisheries department at a function held at Sri Madhabdev Bhawan auditorium, the minister called the app “a one-stop solution for aquaculture” that will help both the buyers and sellers. This platform will help the fish farming community get a reasonable price for their produce and lead to the elimination of middlemen.
7) Moody’s upgrades India’s rating outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’
•Rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded India’s sovereign rating outlook to ‘stable’ from ‘negative’, on October 05, 2021, following an improvement in the financial sector and faster-than-expected economic recovery across sectors. Moody’s expects real GDP growth to average around 6 per cent over the medium term, reflecting a rebound in activity to levels at potential as conditions normalise.
•While it retained India’s rating at Baa3, reflecting the lowest investment grade rating, Moody’s said it expects real GDP to surpass pre-pandemic levels of 2019-20 this year itself, as the ongoing economic recovery is picking up steam with activity upticks broadening across sectors. It expects 2021-22 to record 9.3% growth in GDP, followed by 7.9% next year.
8) RBI grants license to NARCL under Sarfaesi Act
•The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted the National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) the licence to register as an asset reconstruction company (ARC). The Licence is given under Section 3 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act 2002.
•As per Section 3 of the SARFAESI Act, a company can carry the business of asset reconstruction only after obtaining a certificate of registration from RBI and, having the owned fund of not less than Rs 2 crore or such other amount not exceeding 15% of total financial assets acquired or to be acquired by the securitisation company or reconstruction company. The NARCL has been incorporated under the Companies Act, and public sector banks will hold 51 per cent in NARCL.
9) The Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 announced
•The Nobel Prize in Literature 2021 was awarded to Abdulrazak Gurnah born in Zanzibar and active in England, “for his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.” The Nobel Prize in literature is awarded by the Swedish Academy, Stockholm, Sweden.
10) Germany unveils Euro 2024 championship logo
•Germany has unveiled the logo for soccer’s 2024 European Championship during a ceremony with a light show in the stadium that will hold the final. The logo features an outline of the Henri Delaunay Cup — the bulbous tournament trophy — set on a coloured oval outline that resembles the Olympiastadion’s roof. It features colours from the flags of UEFA’s 55 member nations, set in 24 slices around the trophy to represent the 24 teams that will ultimately qualify for the tournament in Germany.
•Logos for each of the 10 host cities; Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Stuttgart were also presented. The tournament is due to be played in June and July 2024 with the match schedule to be confirmed next year.
