Global Handwashing Day is celebrated every year on October 15th.

 

History : The first Global Handwashing Day was held in 2008, when over 120 million children around the world washed their hands with soap in more than 70 countries. Since 2008, community and national leaders have used Global Handwashing Day to spread the word about handwashing, build sinks and tippy taps, and demonstrate the simplicity and value of clean hands. 

Since then, Global Handwashing Day has continued to grow.  Global Handwashing Day is endorsed by governments, schools, international institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs, private companies, individuals, and more.

 

Global Handwashing Da 2022 Theme : The 2022 Global Handwashing Day theme is “Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene.” ..

Source : Globalhandwashing

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) to the nation on 16 October 2022.

 

* “As part of the Union budget speech for 2022-23, the finance minister had announced the setting up of the 75 Digital Banking Units (DBUs) in 75 districts of the country to commemorate the 75 years of independence of our country.

* The Digital Banking Units (DBUs) are being set up with an objective to ensure benefits of digital banking reach every nook and corner of the country. It will cover all the states and Union territories," the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

 

* Eleven public sector banks, 12 private sector banks and one small finance bank is participating in the endeavour.

* DBUs will be brick and mortar outlets which will provide a variety of digital banking facilities such as opening savings accounts, balance-check, print passbook, transfer of funds, investment in fixed deposits, loan applications, stop-payment instructions for cheques issued, apply for credit / debit cards, view statement of account, pay taxes, pay bills, make nominations, etc.

 

* “The DBUs will enable customers to have cost effective, convenient access and enhanced digital experience of banking products and services all-round the year. They will spread Digital Financial Literacy and special emphasis will be given to customer education on cyber security awareness and safeguards"..

Source : Mint

Every year World Students' Day is celebrated on October 15 across the globe to acknowledge the efforts of former President of India and eminent aerospace scientist "Dr APJ Abdul Kalam" towards student welfare and education.

 

* Dr. Kalam is fondly remembered as "People's President", and he was known for his dedication towards promoting education.

 

World Students' Day History and Significance : World Students’ Day is observed on the birth anniversary of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

* In 2010, it was decided to observe World Students’ Day on October 15, the birthday of Dr Kalam, to honour the contributions of the renowned scientist to the nation, especially in the field of education and research.

 

* Since then it is celebrated across the globe acknowledging the significant role of Dr Kalam in promotion of education and his love for students.

* Dr Kalam always believed that students are the future, and they possess the progressive minds that would take our country and the world forward to new heights of success.

* Despite being a great scientist, Dr Kalam identified himself more in the role of a teacher. He preached that teachers are the builders of society as they are responsible for making the students proficient in their respective fields.

* He always stressed on providing a vision for their life to students and inculcating the fundamental values of life, which every student should practice throughout life.


Source : CNBC

Senior diplomat Adarsh Swaika was on Wednesday(12th Oct 2022) appointed as India’s new ambassador to Kuwait, a key partner of India in the Gulf region.

 

* Swaika, an Indian Foreign Service officer of 2002 batch, is currently serving as a joint secretary at the headquarters of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in Delhi.

 

* “He is expected to take up the assignment shortly,” the MEA said in a brief statement.

 

* Swaika will succeed Sibi George as the Indian envoy in Kuwait.

 

* There has been a significant upswing in ties between India and Kuwait in the last few years.

 

* The MEA has also appointed Avtar Singh as India’s next ambassador to the Republic of Guinea..

Source : Siasat

International Day of Rural Women is celebrated on 15 October every year, and this day is dedicated to the millions of women who live in remote, rural areas. It is to celebrate and highlight their achievements and contributions towards rural development and agriculture.

 

* International Day of Rural Women focuses on gender equality and women empowerment in rural areas.

* These women include mothers, daughters, and grandmothers in rural areas who contribute by producing food and building agricultural and rural development worldwide.

* It reminds us that the world cannot become progressive if rural society is ignored and left behind. Thus, we are here to highlight the history, significance and theme for International Day for Rural Women 2022.

 

International Day of Rural Women 2022 Theme : The theme for International Day of Rural Women 2022 is "Rural Women, key for a world free from hunger and poverty."

The theme focuses on equality and women's empowerment and wants women to fight against the problems of hunger and malnutrition.  

 

International Day of Rural Women 2022 Significance : International Day for Rural Women 2022 celebrates rural women and their achievements. We often ignore or forget about the struggles faced by rural women thus this is a way to appreciate their hard work and contributions to the development of rural communities.

 

It also reminds the rural women that they are not alone and they can always ask for a helping hand. There are millions of women in remote rural areas who need our help but cannot ask for it or do not have the means. We can help these women in various ways from basic amenities to financial aid.

 

International Day of Rural Women History : United Nations has been working till 1945 towards maintaining peace and friendship among all the countries in the world. One of the most notable works of the U.N. includes the upliftment and well-being of women, especially rural women.

 

In the year 1995, the Fourth World Conference on Women was conducted in Beijing, China, and the main topic of discussion was the empowerment of women. It was when the UN suggested that 15 October could be observed as International Day of Rural Women to appreciate the contribution of rural women in agriculture, food production, and food safety.

 

It was on 18 December 2007 when the UN declared that October 15 would be observed annually as International Day of Rural Women worldwide. Since then many countries globally observe and celebrate the strength and achievements of rural women despite the struggles and the stereotypes..

Source : The Quint

The 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 2023 will be held at Indore, Madhya Pradesh in January 2023.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson "Arindam Bagchi" in a tweet said that Secretary, Consular, Passport and Visa Division, Ausaf Sayeed  and Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Iqbal Singh Bains signed a Memorandum of Understanding for hosting the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas.

On the occasion, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also present.

 

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year on 9th Januray to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. It also commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9th January 1915..

Source : AIR

Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) signed MoU with Coal India (CIL) and NLC India for setting up Coal Gasification based plants. BHEL rose 2.56% to Rs 62.20 after the company clarified it has entered into a non-binding MoU with CIL and NLCIL.

 

With this, the company aims to set up a Coal Ammonium Nitrate Project with CIL based on the Gasification of high-ash Indian coal, and a lignite-based gasification pilot plant with NLCIL for power generation.

The state-run BHEL is engaged in designing, engineering, constructing, Testing, commissioning, and servicing a wide range of products and services to the core sector of the economy..

Source : Business Standard

The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) witnessed contraction of 0.8 percent in August 2022 against growth of 2.4 percent in July 2022.

According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation data released 12th Oct 2022, the IIP had risen 13.0 per cent in August 2021.

 

The industrial output so far in the fiscal year 2022-23 (April-August) has risen 7.7 per cent, compared to a spike of 29.0 per cent in the corresponding period a year ago, the data showed.

 

IIP is an index which details out the growth of various sectors in the economy. The Eight Core Industries comprise more than 40 percent of the weight of items included in IIP. These are Electricity, steel, refinery products, crude oil, coal, cement, natural gas and fertilisers..

Source : AIR

India ranked 107th out of 121 assessed countries on the 2022 Global Hunger Index (GHI). With an overall score of 29.1 (see table below to understand the measurement), the level of hunger in India has been categorised as "serious".

 

India was ranked 101st out of 116 countries in the GHI 2021 and 94th out of 107 assessed countries in 2020.

 

The GHI that tracks and measures hunger across the world says that malnutrition among children under five years in India is very high.

 

The report that has used the fifth National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Food Security Indicators as its sources for India has highlighted that child wasting (low-weight-for-height) rate in India, at 19.3 per cent, is the highest of any country in the world.

With 35.5 per cent of children below five years stunted (low height for age), India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are among the worst-performing countries.

 

This has put India off-track regarding the progress needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of "Zero Hunger" (Goal 2) by 2030..

Source : Business Standard

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif participated in the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) held in Astana, Kazakhstan on 13 October 2022.

 

During the plenary proceedings, the Prime Minister, inter alia, made a statement articulating Pakistan’s key priorities and perspectives on a host of issues. Pakistan’s commitment to the principles and purposes of CICA was reaffirmed.

 

On the side-lines of the Summit, the Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, besides interaction with other leaders.

 

More than a dozen heads of state and government, Vice Presidents of China and Vietnam and many Ministers participated in the Summit, coinciding with the 30th anniversary celebrations of CICA. Deliberations emphasized the important issues of cooperation, key priorities and activities of CICA.

 

A number of decisions and outcome documents, including Astana Statement on CICA Transformation were approved during the event. CICA Member States also expressed solidarity with the people and Government of Pakistan facing the unprecedented climate-induced floods and called for supporting Pakistan’s ongoing efforts for relief assistance and subsequent phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction.

 

Participation in the CICA Summit provided an important opportunity to present Pakistan’s point of view on important national, regional and global issues. Prime Minister’s engagements with the world leaders gathered in Astana also served to further strengthen bilateral relations with these countries..

Source : MOFA