1) National Police Commemoration Day: 21 October
•In India, the Police Commemoration Day is observed on October 21 every year. The day is marked to remember and honour the brave policemen who have laid down their lives in the line of duty. Police Commemoration Day commemorates the day in 1959, when twenty Indian soldiers were attacked by Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Hot Spring area, in which, ten Indian policemen lost their lives and seven were imprisoned. Since that day, 21 October has been observed as Police Commemoration Day in honour of the martyrs.
2) PM Modi inaugurates Kushinagar International Airport in UP
•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh. The airport has been built at an estimated cost of Rs. 260 crore, by the Airport Authority of India. Besides, it has the longest runway in Uttar Pradesh. It will facilitate domestic & international pilgrims to visit the Mahaparinirvanasthal of Lord Buddha in Kushinagar.
•Kushinagar is the final resting place of Gautama Buddha, where he attained Mahaparinirvana after his death. The airport will help in boosting tourism on the Buddhist circuit. The first international flight at the Kushinagar International Airport landed from Colombo, Sri Lanka, carrying a Sri Lankan delegation of over a hundred Buddhist Monks & dignitaries. Now the number of airports handling passenger flights in Uttar Pradesh has increased to 9.
3) India ranks 71st on 2021 Global Food Security Index
•India has achieved the 71st position in the Global Food Security (GFS) Index 2021 from among a list of 113 countries. The GFS Index is designed and constructed by London-based Economist Impact and is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience. The overall score of India is 57.2 points on the GFS Index 2021.
•According to the report, India held 71st position with an overall score of 57.2 points on the GFS Index 2021 of 113 countries, fared better than Pakistan (75th position), Sri Lanka (77th Position), Nepal (79th position) and Bangladesh (84th position). But the country was way behind China (34th position). However, over the past 10 years, India’s incremental gains in overall food security score were lagging behind that of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
4) Ecuador declares state of emergency over crime wave
•Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso has declared a 60-day state of emergency in the South American country, due to the rise in violent drug crimes. President Lasso has pointed to drug trafficking and consumption as the main drivers behind an increase in murders, home burglary, thefts of vehicles and goods, and muggings.
•Under the emergency measures, the armed forces and police would work together to carry out “arms checks, inspections, 24-hour patrols, and drug searches, among other actions. Ecuador is a transit country for cocaine smuggled from neighbouring Peru and Colombia and much of the crime wave is thought to be drug-related.
5) CII organises International Conference and Exhibition “Future Tech 2021”
•The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has organised an International Conference and Exhibition on Digital technologies, “Future Tech 2021- a Journey of digital transformation to technology adoption and acceleration” from October 19 to 27, 2021. The focus theme of the International conference is “Driving technologies for building the future, we all can trust”.
•The inaugural session was virtually attended by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The theme will have 5 pillars: Strategy, Growth, Resilience, Inclusiveness, Trust. The International conference will serve as a platform for Indian industry and entrepreneurs to understand the nuances of technologies and identify the right approach and technologies for their business as well as B2B partnerships.
6) A Balasubramanian becomes new Chairman of AMFI
•A Balasubramanian has been elected as the new Chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). He replaces Nilesh Shah, the Managing Director of Kotak Mutual Fund. Balasubramanian is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Aditya Birla Sun Life Asset Management. Meanwhile, Radhika Gupta, the MD and CEO of Edelweiss AMC, has been appointed as vice-chair of AMFI.
7) Imtiaz Ali appointed ambassador of Russian Film Festival
•Director-producer Imtiaz Ali has been roped in as the ambassador of the Russian Film Festival in India. As part of the festival, ten notable Russian films of various genres are being premiered for Indian audiences on Disney+ Hotstar from October 16 to November 27. Russia and India are cooperating in the field of cinematography through the BRICS.
8) Kung Fu Nuns wins UNESCO’s Martial Arts Education Prize 2021
•The well known Kung Fu Nuns of the Drukpa order of Buddhism has won the inaugural UNESCO’s Martial Arts Education Prize 2021, for their brave and heroic acts of service and championing of gender equality across the Himalayas. The Nuns empower young girls through martial arts, to defend themselves, build confidence, and take on leadership roles in their communities.
