DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 21 October 2021
Global Food Security Index 2021
- India is ranked at 71st position in the Global Food Security (GFS) Index 2021 of 113 countries.
- Earlier, India was ranked 101st position in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021.
- The GFS Index was designed and constructed by London-based Economist Impact and is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience.
- The 2021 GFSI is the tenth edition of the index. It is published every year.
- It measures the underlying drivers of food security based on the following factors: Affordability, Availability, Quality and Safety, Natural Resources and Resilience etc.
PM bows to Maharishi Valmiki on Valmiki Jayanti
- Valmiki is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature.
- The epic Ramayana, dated variously from the 5th century BCE to first century BCE, is attributed to him, based on the attribution in the text itself.
- He is revered as Adi Kavi, the first poet, author of Ramayana, the first epic poem.
Japan: Mount Aso volcano erupts at country’s main island of Kyushu
- In Japan, Mount Aso volcano has erupted at the country’s main island of Kyushu today. Japan’s Meteorological Agency said, the volcano has been spewing volcanic ash 3,500 metres into the sky. The eruption took place at around 11:43 a.m. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage at the popular tourist destination.
- But the meteorological agency asked people not to approach the mountain. It also warned of large volcanic blocks and pyroclastic flows scattering within a range of approximately 1 kilometre from the mountain’s Nakadake crater.
PM inaugurates Kushinagar International Airport
- Kushinagar International Airport is a tribute to the devotion of Buddhist society around the world”
- “There is a special focus on the development of the places associated with Lord Buddha through better connectivity, and the creation of facilities for the devotees”
- “Under UDAN Scheme more than 900 new routes have been approved, 350 routes already functional. More than 50 new airports or those which were not in service earlier, have been made operational”
- “In Uttar Pradesh, 8 airports are already functional before Kushinagar airport. Work is on Jewar International Airport after Lucknow, Varanasi and Kushinagar. Apart from that, airport projects are going on in Ayodhya, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Chitrakoot, Moradabad and Shravasti”
- “Decision on Air India will give new energy to the Aviation sector of India”
- “Recently launched drone policy is going to bring life-changing transformation in the fields ranging from agriculture to health, to disaster management to the defence”
- Kushinagar is the centre of the Buddhist circuit, which consists of pilgrimage sites at Lumbini, Sarnath, Gaya and others.
Indo-Sri Lankan ties to be made Stronger
- The inauguration of Kushinagar International airport is set to be a landmark in the India-Sri Lanka relations.
- On Airport’s inauguration, Sri Lanka will present to India photographs of two mural paintings:
- One Mural Painting shows Arahat Bhikkhu’ Mahinda, son of Emperor Ashoka delivering the message of the Buddha to King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka.
- The other shows the arrival of ‘Theri Bhikkhuni’ Sanghamitta, the daughter of the emperor, in Sri Lanka, bearing a sapling of the ‘sacred Bodhi tree’ under which Siddhārtha Gautama is believed to have attained enlightenment.
- The Buddhist circuit reflects the use of soft power in India’s foreign policy.
Bhaskarabda Calendar adopted by Assam
- The Assam Government has announced that Bhaskarabda, a Luni-Solar Calendar will be used as an official calendar.
- Presently, the official calendar of Assam government makes use of the Saka calendar and the Gregorian calendar.
- Bhaskarabda, an era counted from the date of the ascension of a 7th-century local ruler Bhaskar Varman.
- It is based on both the phases of the moon and the solar year.
- It began when Bhaskaravarman was crowned ruler of the Kamrupa kingdom.
- He was a contemporary and political ally of northern Indian ruler Harshavardhana.
- The gap between Bhaskarabda and Gregorian is 593 years.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- To which religion is the ‘Tripitaka’ scripture related?
- Vedic religion
- Buddhism
- Jainism
- None of these
ANSWER: B
- Who among the following propounded the philosophy of ‘Ashtangika marga’ (the Eightfold Path)?
- Shankaracharya
- Mahavir Swami
- Ramanuja
- Gautam Buddha
ANSWER: D
- The first Buddhist Council was held at ________
- Kashmir
- Rajgriha
- Pataliputra
- Vaishali
ANSWER: B
- From which monument, Gautama Buddha propagated his divine knowledge of Buddhism to the world?
- Humayun’s Tomb
- Mahabodhi Temple Complex
- Qutub Minar
- Red Fort Complex
ANSWER: B
- Kalachakra is associated with which religion?
- Judaism
- Hinduism
- Islam
- Buddhism
ANSWER: D
- Which of the following mandate will be supported by a teacher with leanings in Buddhist Philosophy ?
- Teacher is greater than God. So, follow him.
- Always strive for attaining the best in life.
- Be your own guide in life.
- Experiences are great teachers.
ANSWER: C
- The Second Buddhist Council was held at ________
- Kashmir
- Rajgriha
- Pataliputra
- Vaishali
ANSWER: D
- The Third Buddhist Council was held at ________
- Kashmir
- Rajgriha
- Pataliputra
- Vaishali
ANSWER: C
- The Fourth Buddhist Council was held at ________
- Kashmir
- Rajgriha
- Pataliputra
- Vaishali
ANSWER: A
- The Fourth Buddhist Council was held under the patronage of ________
- Ashoka
- Kalashoka
- Kanishka
- Ajatashatru
ANSWER: C
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