DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Oct. 18, 2022

World Bank appoints neutral expert and chairman of Court of Arbitration for ‘Kishanganga’ and ‘Ratle’ hydroelectric project

Tags: Environment National Person in news

The World Bank has appointed a "neutral expert" and a chairman of the Court of Arbitration regarding the Kishanganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants, in view of disagreements and differences between India and Pakistan over the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.

Under the Indus water treaty if there is a dispute between India and Pakistan on the provisions of the treaty then the World Bank will mediate between the two.

Michel Lino, Chairman of the International Large Dam Commission has been appointed as the Neutral Expert and Sean Murphy has been appointed as Chairman of the Court of Arbitration.

Pakistan asked the World Bank to facilitate the establishment of a Court of Arbitration to consider its concerns about the designs of the two hydroelectric power projects, while India asked for the appointment of a Neutral Expert to consider similar concerns over the two projects.

What is the Indus Waters Treaty?

The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty was mediated by the World Bank and signed by the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan's president Ayub Khan.

• It has allotted western rivers; Indus, Jhelum and Chenab to Pakistan and Eastern flowing rivers; Sutlej, Ravi and Beas to India. 
• Under the treaty India will not restrict the flow of the river which is assigned to Pakistan but it can use the river for hydroelectric purposes on the condition that the flow of water to Pakistan is not affected significantly.
• Due to this provision of the Indus water treaty, India has designed the Rattle and the Kishanganga project as run of the river project.

Run of the River project

In the run of the river project, reservoirs are not built for water storage purposes and the natural flow of water from a height is used to run micro turbines to produce electricity.

According to India such hydel projects do not contravene the Indus Water Treaty as river waters are not stored. 

Dispute over Kishanganga and Ratle project 

Kishanganga or Neelum (for Pakistan) is a tributary of river Jhelum. India has constructed a run of the river hydroelectric projects with a capacity of 330 MW in Jammu and Kashmir.

The project was inaugurated by PM Modi in 2018. Pakistan argues that the flow of the river which enters Pakistan has been affected due to the faulty design of the project. 

 Ratle Hydroelectric Project 

It is also a run of the river hydroelectric project being built on the Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2013 Pakistan government objected to the project as it was a violation of the Indus water treaty. In 2017 the World Bank allowed India to start the project which was opposed by Pakistan. After fresh objections from Pakistan, both countries approached the World Bank. 

India and France adopts a joint roadmap on Hydrogen partnership

Tags: Environment National

The visiting French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships Chrysoula Zacharopoulou and Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh adopted the “Indo-French Roadmap on the Development of Green Hydrogen" on 18 October 2022, in a meeting in New Delhi.

The French embassy said the roadmap aims at bringing the French and Indian hydrogen ecosystems together in order to establish a reliable and sustainable value chain for decarbonised hydrogen.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the French President Emmanuel Macron in a meeting on 4 May, gave a clear mandate to foster bilateral cooperation on hydrogen. This agreement is a step in that direction.

Asia's largest Compressed Bio Gas plant inaugurated in Sangrur by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

Tags: Environment place in news Person in news

The Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated Asia's largest Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant in Lehragaga, Sangrur, and Punjab on 18 October 2022. 

The plant has been set up by German company Verbio AG at an investment of Rs 220 crore. Initially the plant will have the production of 6 tonnes per day of CBG which is likely to be increased to 33 tonnes per day of CBG.

Benefit of the Compressed BioGas (CBG) plant

The plant will procure 1 lakh tonnes of paddy straw from farmers thereby providing them an additional source of income. 

The paddy stubble which is burnt by the farmers in the field will now be used in the plant thereby reducing pollution in the surrounding areas.

This Plant will reduce stubble burning of 40,000 – 45,000 acres of fields, translating into an annual reduction of 150,000 tons of CO2 emissions, 

The plant will produce about 600-650 Tons of Fermented Organic Manure per day, which can be used for organic farming. 

What is a compressed biogas plant?

Waste/Bio-mass sources like agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc. produce Bio-Gas through the process of anaerobic decomposition.

The Bio-Gas is purified to remove hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), water vapour and compressed as Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG), which has methane (CH4) content of more than 90%. 

CBG has calorific value and other properties similar to CNG and hence can be utilized as green renewable automotive fuel. 

Thus it can replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial areas, given the abundance of biomass availability within the country.

Bharti Das took charge as the Controller General of Accounts

Tags: Person in news

Ms Bharati Das took over as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) on 18 October 2022.  Ms Das is the 27th Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance, and Government of India.

Ms Bharati Das, a 1988-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer.

Controller General of Accounts (CGA) 

Controller General of Accounts (CGA) is ‘the Principal Advisor’ on accounting matters to the Union Government. CGA is responsible for establishing and managing a technically sound Management Accounting System and preparation & submission of the accounts of the Union Government. CGA is also responsible for exchequer control and internal audits for central Government.

Jyotiraditya Scindia chairs the Conference of the Ministers of Civil Aviation of States and Union Territories

Tags: National Summits

The Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia chaired the two-day (17-18 October 2022) Conference of the Ministers of Civil Aviation on 18 October 2022. The conference was and co-chaired by Minister of State, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Gen. (Rtd.) Vijay Kumar Singh.

The Conference of the Ministers of Civil Aviation has been organised by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation in New Delhi. 

The objective of the two day conference series was to promote greater collaboration and synergy between State Civil Aviation departments and Ministry of Civil Aviation to augment and develop the civil aviation sector.

Speaking on the occasion Scindia stated that the cost of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) remains a challenge as it constitutes 45-50% cost in airline operations.  He thanked 28 States, which have brought down Value Added Tax (VAT) on ATF to 1-4%.  He also urged the remaining 8 States to bring down the VAT so that the barriers to growth are removed.

 Expansion of Airports 

On the issue of airports, the Minister said that in next four years, about Rs 95,000 crore are likely to be invested by the Government and the private sector, which includes greenfield as well as brownfield airports.  

The Airports Authority of India is working on expansion of about 40 airports and setting up of 3-4 new Greenfield airports.  Similarly, private sector is also working on 60 brownfield and 3 Greenfield airports. 

In last 8 years, the number of airports has gone up from 74 to 141 (including helipads and waterdromes) and the number is likely to cross 200 in next 4-5 years.

Government increase wheat MSP by Rs 110 for the 2023-24 marketing season

Tags: Economy/Finance

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 October 2022 has approved an increase of Rs 110 per quintal in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of wheat   and has also approved an increase in all the mandated Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24.

The highest increase has been for lentil (Masur) at Rs.500/- per quintal followed by rapeseed and mustard at Rs.400/- per quintal.  

The increase in MSP for Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24 is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times of the All-India weighted average Cost of Production, aiming at reasonably fair remuneration for the farmers.  

MSP for all Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2023-24 (All figures are in Rs per quintal)

Focus on Pulse and Oil seeds Production

India is one of the largest importers of pulses and oil seeds in the world and the government is making efforts to increase the production and productivity of the two crops.

Oilseeds production has increased from 27.51 million tonnes in 2014-15 to 37.70 million tonnes in 2021-22 (4th advance estimates)

 In case of pulses productivity has been increased from 728 kg/ha (2014-15) to 892 kg/ha (4th Advance estimates, 2021-22) i.e. 22.53% increase.  

Similarly, in oilseed crops productivity has been increased from 1075 kg/ha (2014-15) to 1292 kg/ha (4th Advance estimates, 2021-22).

Minimum Support Price (MSP)

MSP is the minimum price at which the government guarantees to buy the selected crops from the farmer. This is done to assure farmers that their produce will be bought by the government at a guaranteed price. 

However, the government is not bound to buy the crops of every farmer. 

Who decides MSP? 

The MSP price is calculated by an expert committee under the ministry of Agriculture. The expert committee is called CACP (Commission for Agricultural Costs and Price). It recommends the MSP to the Agricultural ministry and the ministry announces the MSP. However the Agricultural Ministry is not bound to accept the recommendation of the CACP. 

When is MSP Announced ? 

MSP is announced by the Agricultural ministry twice a year. One during Kharif season and another during Rabi season. 

Crops under MSP

The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) recommends MSPs for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.

The mandated crops are;

• Cereals - Paddy, Wheat, Maize, Sorghum, Pearl millet, Barley, Ragi
• Pulses - Chickpea / Gram, Tur, Moong, Urad, Lentil
• Oilseeds - Peanut, Rapeseed, Soyabean, Sesame, Sunflower, Safflower, Niger seed
• Commercial crops - Copra, Sugarcane, Cotton, Raw jute.

SBI reduces the interest rate on saving accounts deposit to 2.70%

Tags: Economy/Finance

India’s largest commercial bank State Bank of India (SBI) has reduced the interest rate on savings accounts by a marginal 5 basis points to 2.70 per cent effective from 15 October 2022.  100 basis points is equal to 1%.

The new saving rates are applicable on balances of less than Rs 10 crore, on which the bank earlier offered 2.75 per cent per annum interest.

However, on saving account balances of Rs 10 crore and above, SBI has increased the deposit rates to 3 per cent per annum from 2.75 percent earlier.

The lowering of rates on savings accounts by SBI comes at a time when the peer lenders have been raising deposit rates to mobilize funds.

Interest Rates on Saving account 

Reserve Bank of India deregulated the interest rate  on the saving accounts from 25 October 2011. It means that the interest rates on the savings account is decided by banks themselves, not RBI.

There is no minimum or maximum interest prescribed by the RBI for the banks . 

Bank’s can offer extra interest to certain persons

RBI has allowed the Scheduled Commercial Banks to offer extra  upto 1% interest to the following persons/groups ;

• a member or a retired member of the bank’s staff, either singly or jointly with any member or members of his/her family; or
• the spouse of a deceased member or a deceased retired member of the bank’s staff; and
• an Association or a fund, members of which are members of the bank’s staff;
• on deposits of Chairman, Chairman & Managing Director, Executive Director or such other Executives appointed for a fixed tenure.

State Bank of India 

It is the largest  commercial bank in India and is owned by the Government of India.

It has over 22,000 branches, 71,968 Banking Correspondents outlets.

It has 229 offices/branches in 31 foreign countries. Amongst all the Indian banks, SBI has the largest number of branches/offices outside India.

Chairman of SBI: Dinesh Kumar Khara 

Managing Director of SBI : Alok Kumar Choudhary 

Headquarters: Mumbai

Tagline :The banker to every Indian 

Adani Airports appoints Ericsson veteran Arun Bansal as CEO

Tags: Person in news

Adani Airport Holdings has appointed Ericsson veteran Arun Bansal as its chief executive.

Important facts

• Bansal, who spent 25 years at the Swedish telecom network company, was most recently its president in Europe and Latin America.

• The appointment will help strengthen the agenda of digital transformation and business development.

• Adani airports handle 25% of the traffic, it covers 40% of India's air cargo.

• Bansal will primarily be based in Ahmedabad and may report to Adani Group's longtime executive Malay Mahadevia, director of operations at the airport company.

• Adani Group Chairman - Gautam Adani

• Adani Airport Headquarters - Ahmedabad

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrives in India for a three day visit

Tags: Person in news

The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres arrived in India on a three day (18-20 October 2022) visit. This will be his first visit to India, since he commenced his second term in office in January 2022. He had earlier visited India (in his first term) from 01- 04 October 2018.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Guterres will pay tribute to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai.

He will also deliver a public address at IIT Mumbai on the subject - "India @75: UN-India Partnership: Strengthening South-South Cooperation”.

On 20 October 2022 in Gujarat (Ekta Nagar, Kevadiya), he will join Prime Minister Modi at the launch of the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) booklet, logo and tagline.

In Kevadiya, the Secretary-General will pay floral tributes at Sardar Patel’s Statue of Unity. He will also visit India’s first solar-powered village in Modhera (Gujarat). 

United Nations Secretary General 

The United Nations Secretary General is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat.

The United Nations Secretary General is appointed by the United Nations General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council.

They have a term of five years and are eligible for re-appointment. 

The Secretary General of United Nations 

First; Trygve Lie of Norway.  He was in office from February 1946 to his resignation in November 1952;

Second; Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden.  He was in office from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in Africa in September 1961;

Third; U Thant of Burma, now Myanmar. He was Secretary-General from November 1962 to December 1971;

Fourth; Kurt Waldheim of Austria. He was in office from January 1972 to December 1981; 

Fifth: Javier Pèrez de Cuèllar of Peru. He was in office January 1982 to December 1991;

Sixth; Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt. He was in office from January 1992 to December 1996;

Seventh; Kofi Annan of Ghana. He was in office from January 1997 to December 2006;

Eight; Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, He was in office from January 2007 to December 2016; 

Ninth; Antonio Guterres of Portugal. He has been in office since 2017. 

Russia-Ukraine conflict forces over 4 million children into poverty: UNICEF

Tags: International News

The UN agency UNICEF has revealed that the economic crisis due to Russia-Ukraine conflict has thrown more than 4 million children into poverty across eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Important facts

• In an official statement, UNICEF said that children are bearing the biggest burden of the economic crisis caused by the Ukraine war.

• Conflict and rising inflation have pushed an additional 4 million children into poverty in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, a 19 percent increase since 2021.

• UNICEF has concluded this from a study of data from 22 countries.

• Russians and Ukrainian children have been the most affected since Russia's attack on Ukraine in February this year.

• On the other hand, the World Food Program estimates that around 19 million Afghans face food insecurity.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

• It was established by the United Nations General Assembly on 11 December 1946.

• Poland’s physician Ludwik Rauschmann was instrumental in the formation of UNICEF.

• The main purpose of establishing it was to provide food and health services in case of emergency to children and mothers in countries devastated by World War II.

Review of site work progress of Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, Gujarat

Tags: National National News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the site work progress of the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal in Gujarat on 18 October via video conferencing.

About National Maritime Heritage Complex

• It is being developed in Lothal (Indus Valley civilisation) region of Gujarat.

• The project not only showcases India's rich and diverse maritime heritage but also helps Lothal to emerge as a world class international tourist destination.

• The foundation stone of the project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the master plan was agreed in March 2019.

• Work on this project started in March 2022, it is being developed at a cost of about Rs 3500 crore.

• This heritage theme park will cover an area of 400 acres with structures like the National Maritime Heritage Museum, Lighthouse Museum, Maritime Institute, and eco-resorts.

• It is one of the major projects under the Sagarmala scheme of the Ministry of Culture (MoC) and Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW).

About Lothal

• Lothal was one of the southernmost sites of the ancient Indus Valley civilization, located in the Bhil region of the state of Gujarat.

• Construction of the city Lothal is believed to have begun around 2200 BCE.

• Lothal was discovered in 1954 by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

• Lothal is known for the discovery of the oldest man-made dockyard.

• It was an important and thriving trade centre in ancient times, with its trade in pearls, gems and precious jewellery reaching the far corners of West Asia and Africa.

About Indus Valley Civilization

• It is also known as the Harappan civilization which developed in the western part of South Asia, contemporary Pakistan and western India around 2,500 BC.

• It was basically an urban civilization and people lived in well-planned and well-built towns, which were also centres of trade.

• It had wide roads and a well-developed drainage system and houses were built of burnt bricks and had two or more storeys.

BCCI elects Roger Binny as the new President; to start women IPL

Tags: Person in news Sports News

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unanimously elected former Indian all-rounder Roger Binny as the 36th President of the BCCI at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the BCCI which was held in Mumbai on 18 October 2022. The BCCI also decided to start the women's IPL and not to participate in the Asia cricket cup to be held in Pakistan in 2023.

Roger Binny who represented Karnataka and India, played 27 Tests and 72 ODIs for India and was also a National selector. He will replace Saurav Ganguly whose three-year tenure as the board chief came to an end. 

Other Office Bearers of BCCI 

All the other office bearers of the BCCI were also elected unanimously including;

• Jay Shah as Secretary ,
• Rajeev Shukla as Vice-President.
• Ashish Shelar  as Treasurer and
• Devajit Saikia as Joint Secretary. 
• Arun Dhumal was elected as the new Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman. He will replace Brijesh Patel. 

Women's IPL approved

The General Body also approved the inaugural Women's IPL which will consist of five teams and will be held in March 2023 just after the Women's T20 World Cup ends in South Africa on February 26.

India will not tour Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023.

The BCCI secretary Jay Shah who is also the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced that India will not be going to Pakistan next year to participate in the Asia cup.

India have not toured Pakistan since 2006 and have not played bilateral cricket against them since 2012 because of strained relations between the governments of the two countries. Their contests have taken place only at ICC and Asian events.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

It is the governing body of men’s and women’s cricket in India. It selects the Indian team for International tours and for International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cup tournaments.

The BCCI is an autonomous, private organisation and does not fall under the purview of the National Sports Federation of India. 

It was set up in 1928.

Grant Govan was the first President of the BCCI.

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra  

Ulf Kristersson elected Sweden's new Prime Minister

Tags: Person in news International News

Sweden's parliament on 17 October elected Ulf Kristersson, 59, leader of the Conservative Moderate Party, as the new Prime Minister.

Important facts

• He will head a coalition that is also backed by a once radical right-wing party.

• His government is expected to assume office on October 18.

• His alliance consists of three parties. Although the coalition does not have a majority, in Sweden, the prime minister can rule as long as there is no majority against him in parliament.

• His party emerged as the major winner in Sweden's 11 September general election, with a record 20.5 percent of the vote, behind outgoing Prime Minister Magdalena Andersen's Social Democrats.

• The Social Democrats have dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s.

• The new government plans to cut taxes, start the process of building new nuclear power plants, tighten immigration rules and give more police powers as part of a policy deal with the Sweden Democrats.

About Sweden

• It is located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in northern Europe. 

• The ancient name of the country was Svitiod.

• Prime Minister - Ulf Kristersson

• Capital - Stockholm

• Currency - Swedish krona

• King - Carl XVI Gustaf

Diplomat Apoorva Srivastava appointed Ambassador to Slovak Republic

Tags: Person in news International News

Apoorva Srivastava, a diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service, has been appointed to serve as India’s Ambassador to the Slovak Republic. 

Important facts

• Apoorva, a 2001 batch officer, is currently serving as the Consul General at the Consulate General of India in Toronto.

• Prior to this, she held various positions in the Ministry of External Affairs and was posted in Kathmandu and Paris, among other places.

• India and Slovakia have signed agreements ranging from defence and air services to economic and cultural.

• India and Slovakia regularly support each other's candidacy for top positions in multilateral organisations such as the International Court of Justice and the United Nations.

Slovak Republic

• Slovak Republic or Slovakia is a landlocked country of central Europe.

• It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, and Austria to the southwest.

• Its former federal partner, the Czech Republic, lies to the west.

• Prime Minister - Eduard Heger

• Capital - Bratislava

• President - Zuzana Caputova

• Currency - Euro

• Official Language - Slovak

India-Africa Defence Dialogue

Tags: Defence International News

India-Africa Defence Dialogue (IADD) being held on 18 October on the sidelines of the 12th DefExpo in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. 

Important facts

• The theme of the dialogue is ‘India-Africa : Adopting Strategy for Synergising and Strengthening Defence and Security Cooperation’.

• It aims to explore new avenues of convergence for mutual engagement including in the areas of capacity building, training, cyber security, maritime security and counter-terrorism.

• Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (MP-IDSA), India's leading think-tank for advanced research in international relations, is the knowledge partner for the India-Africa Defence Dialogue.

• India’s approach towards Africa is guided by the Kampala Principles enunciated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.

• On February 6, 2020, the first ever India-Africa Defence Ministers' Conference was held in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in conjunction with the DefExpo.

What are Kampala Principles?

• The Kampala Principles promote the ownership of private sector partnerships (PSEs) through development cooperation by partner countries.

• These principles ensure the alignment of PSE projects and programs with national sustainable development priorities.

About African continent

• It is the second largest continent (after Asia), covering about one-fifth of the total land surface of Earth. 

• It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, the Mediterranean Sea in the north, the Red Sea and Indian Ocean in the east, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in the south.

• The island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa, is one of the largest islands in the world.

• The African continent has a population of over one billion, with a combined GDP of $2.5 trillion, making it a huge potential market.

• Africa is a resource-rich continent rich in crude oil, gas, pulses and lentils, leather, gold and other metals, all of which are lacking in substantial quantities in India.

Conference of the Secretaries of Civil Aviation

Tags: National Summits National News

The Conference of Civil Aviation Secretaries of all States and Union Territories was organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 17 October 2022 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Important facts

• The inaugural session was presided over by Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India.

• Presiding over the inaugural session, Rajiv Bansal said that a lot of progress has been made in the aviation sector in the last year.

• He said domestic air traffic is almost near the pre-Covid level, many new airports have been inaugurated and new routes have been started.

• The government has taken several steps to promote drones, helicopter medical emergency services and fractional ownership, he said.

• During the conference, requested the states to reduce VAT on Aviation Turbine Fuel, ATF and appreciated the states which have already done so.

• Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia addressed the Conference.

Objective of the conference

• The objective of the conference is to promote greater cooperation and synergy between the State Civil Aviation Departments and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to enhance the development of the civil aviation sector.

Government Initiatives in Civil Aviation sector

• National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016

• UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) Scheme

• The Government has allocated INR 10,667 crore for the Ministry of Civil Aviation in Union Budget 2022-23.

• The government has allowed 100% FDI under automatic route for greenfield projects, while 74% FDI is allowed under automatic route for brownfield projects.

Jyoti Yaraji creates history in women's 100m hurdles, first Indian athlete to do so

Tags: Sports Sports News

Jyothi Yaraji set a new record by completing the women's 100m hurdles in less than 13 seconds at the National Open Athletics Championships in Bengaluru on October 17, 2022.

Important facts

• Jyoti has become the first Indian female athlete to complete the 100m hurdles in less than 13 seconds.

• Jyoti, representing the Railways, created a new national record by completing the race in 12.82 seconds.

• Then the wind gauge was 0.9 metres per second so that she would not lose her national record for the second time.

• She had completed the same event in the National Games in Gujarat in 12.79 seconds but then the wind gauge was high and her time was not recorded in the national record.

• She had already achieved the meet mark in the heat with a time of 13.18s, breaking the record of 13.38s set by Anuradha Biswal in Chennai 20 years ago.

• Jyothi Yaraji was born on August 28, 1999 in Visakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh.

• He made his international debut on 10 May 2022 at the Cyprus International Athletics Meet in Limassol.

• Jyoti Yaraji eventually set the national record for the women's 100m hurdles with a timing of 13.23s.

Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka wins Booker Prize 2022 for his novel ‘Seven Moons of Maali Almeida'

Tags: Awards Person in news

The “Seven Moons of Maali Almeida'' by Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka has won the Booker prize 2022.  He is the second Sri Lankan to win the prestigious literature award .The Booker award was presented to Shehan Karunatilaka by Camilla, the United Kingdom’s Queen Consort on 17 October 2022.

The ‘Seven Moons of Maali Almeida; novel is about a photographer who wakes up within a week after death and asks his friends to find his photos and expose the brutality of the civil war. 

The writer said he decided in 2009 to write "a ghost story where the dead could offer their perspective" after the end of the Sri Lankan civil war, "when there was a raging debate over how many civilians died and whose fault it was during the civil war".

The winner gets £50,000(British Pound Sterling) as prize money while the other five shortlisted writers are awarded prize money of £2,500 each.

Booker Prize 

• The Booker Prize which was earlier called Man Booker was established by a British multinational company Booker McConnell in 1968. 
•  The first prize was given in 1969. PH Newby was the first winner of the prize in 1969 for his wok “Something to Answer For”. 
• It is awarded to the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland   in the same year which is considered for the prize.  
•  The first Indian to win this prize was Arundhati Roy for her book: The God of Small Things, in 1997.
• Other Indian winners are; Kiran Desai for her book The Inheritance of Loss in 2006, and Aravind Adiga for his book The White Tiger in 2008.

International Booker Prize 

• It is also given every year by the Booker foundation. 
• But unlike the Booker prize it is given to a single book that is translated into English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland in the same year which is considered for the prize.
• Geetanjali Shree became the first Indian author to win the International Booker Prize 2022. Her Hindi novel ‘Tomb of Sand’ (रेत समाधि)won the prize for her.