DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 29 October 2021
CEC India visits Uzbekistan as an International Observer
- On the invitation of the Chairman, Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan, (CEC-U), Chief Election Commissioner of India, Shri Sushil Chandra led a three-member delegation to Uzbekistan in order to observe the conduct of Presidential elections held on October 24, 2021.
- This election, conducted under the new election code, was keenly watched by the international community.
- Under the Uzbekistan Election law, the President is elected for a five year term from a single nationwide constituency. The election administration follows a three-tier structure comprised of the Central Election Commission, 14 District Election Commissions and 10,760 Precinct Election Commissions. Uzbekistan has an electorate of about 20 million. Each polling station caters to a maximum of 3000 voters. Early voting system was in place from October 14-20 and 421,618 people used the early voting facility including 120,524 from abroad.
- The CEC also paid floral tribute at the bust of India’s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri at his memorial in Tashkent.
Affordability and Innovation: Ensuring Quality Drugs for All
- As part of activities to commemorate the occasion of 75th anniversary of Indian independence during the yearlong ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) under the Department of Pharmaceuticals is organizing a webinar on 29th October 2021 at 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. via video conferencing.
- The theme of the webinar is “Affordability and Innovation: Ensuring Quality Drugs for All”.
- The experts will share their view on various facets of the topics under discussion with special emphasis on affordability and innovation in the larger context of making health care accessible and affordable. Areas of industry academia collaborations, financing options, world best practices etc., would also be covered during the panel discussion.
Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Sarthak’ dedicated to the Nation
- In a significant boost to the maritime safety and security of the nation, the indigenously built Indian Coast Guard Ship ‘Sarthak’ was commissioned and dedicated to the nation on October 28, 2021, at Goa by the Director General of Indian Coast Guard K Natarajan.
- ICGS Sarthak will be based at Porbandar in Gujarat and operate on India’s Western Seaboard under the Operational and Administrative Control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (Northwest). ICGS Sarthak is commanded by Deputy Inspector General MM Syed and has complement of 11 Officers and 110 men.
- ICGS Sarthak is 4th in the series of five OPVs being built by Goa Shipyard Limited for the ICG. These OPVs are multi-mission platforms capable of undertaking concurrent operations. The 105-meter-long ship displacing 2,450 tons is propelled by two 9,100-kilowatt diesel engines designed to attain a maximum speed of 26 knots.
- The ship is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, machinery, sensors and weapons which enables it to function as a command platform and undertake mandated Coast Guard charter of duties including search & rescue, combating maritime crimes and preserving & protecting the marine environment. Indian Coast Guard is a pioneer in inducting indigenous platforms and ICGS Sarthak is a glowing example of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.
“AI Pe Charcha” on “AI for Date Driven Governance”
- The National e Governance Division (NeGD) of the Ministry of Electronics and IT is organising yet another AI Pe Charcha (AI Dialogue) on October 28, 2021, on the theme, “AI for Date Driven Governance”. The session aims at covering the importance of data driven and AI-enabled governance along with the global best practices.
- An initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT, AI Pe Charcha is a series of panel discussions involving various global and domestic leaders from the Government and industry, researchers and academicians sharing their views & experiences around Artificial Intelligence, related case studies, global best practices, breakthrough innovations and the challenges faced in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
- The ‘AI for Data Driven Governance’ session will involve experts speaking about leveraging AI for Public Sector, Defence and Security, Postal Services and Future Cities. There will also be a presentation on important AI-driven solutions that have played a significant role during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asia Health 2021 Summit
- Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the inaugural session of CII Asia Health 2021 summit today. The theme of the summit is ‘Transforming Healthcare for a better tomorrow’.
- Speaking at the event, the Union Health Minister said that it is due to the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Health has been linked with development in India. He stated that earlier health meant only treatment, but development has now been linked to health, which will bring health and prosperity in the country. Emphasizing that Preventive care is an essential component of the health sector, he said that initiatives like Khelo India, Yoga etc play a vital role in realising the aim of a healthy society.
14th Urban Mobility Conference 2021
- The 14th edition of Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference is being organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on 29th October 2021. day-long Conference will be held on-line through Video Conference/Webinar. Shri Hardeep S. Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs will deliver the Inaugural and Valedictory address. The main theme of this year’s conference is “Mobility for All” which focuses on providing equitable access and promote inclusive urban transportation. This view relates to the provision of affordable, clean, safe, informative, efficient, and accessible transport systems, with special attention to the diverse needs from all factions of the society, especially the specially-abled, elderly, women, and children. The theme is therefore a critical topic which needs to be deliberated in order to promote inclusive urban transportation.
- The inaugural session will commence with the welcome address by Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Govt of India. Then a brief address by Prof Dr. Claudia Warning, Director General, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
- Plenary Session on “Economic development and urban mobility” will be chaired and moderated by Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Har Ghar Dastak Campaign: Mega Vaccination Drive
- Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya interacted with the Health Ministers of the States and UTs at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Yesterday. The meeting discussed ramping up of COVID-19 vaccination drive and PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission which was launched on Monday. Talking to media after the meeting , Health Minister said that the government is going to launch a mega vaccination campaign- Har Ghar Dastak with a view to speed up Covid -19 vaccination drive.
- Under the campaign for the next one month, healthcare workers in all the States will visit door-to-door to vaccinate people eligible for second dose and also those who have not taken the first dose. Mr Mandaviya said that 48 districts of the country have also been identified where the vaccination of the first dose is less than fifty per cent of the eligible population. Under this campaign, the focus will be on speeding up Covid-19 vaccination drive.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- Capital Of Uzbekistan
- Astana
- Bishkek
- Tashkent
- Dushanbe
ANSWER: C
- Find the wrongly matched
- Kazakhstan – Astana
- Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek
- Tajikistan – Dushanbe
- Turkmenistan – Ashgabat
- None of Above
ANSWER: E
- National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority was formed in
- 1987
- 1997
- 2007
- 2017
ANSWER: B
- Current Chairmen of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
- Kamlesh Kumar Pant
- I K Bajaj
- Renu Desai
- Vamsi Kumar
ANSWER: A
- National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority works under
- Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
- Ministry of Aayush
- Ministry of Women & Child Development
ANSWER: A
- Indian Coast Guard was founded in
- 1955
- 1966
- 1977
- 1988
ANSWER: C
- Vayam Raksamah is the motto of
- Indian Coast Guard
- Indian Navy
- Assam Rifles
- Gurkha Rifles
ANSWER: A
- Current DG of Indian Coast Guard
- Krishnaswamy Natarajan
- Virender Singh Pathania
- R Bargotra
- R K Bhadauria
ANSWER: A
- Current Chairmen of National E-Governance Division
- Abhishek Singh
- Vinay Thakur
- Debabrata Nayak
- Ashwini Vaishnaw
ANSWER: A
- Confederation of Indian Industry was established in
- 1875
- 1895
- 1915
- 1925
ANSWER: B
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