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By admin: Oct. 27, 2022

Government to set up NIA offices in all states by 2024; Amit Shah

Tags: place in news Summits Person in news

Addressing the two day (27-28 October 2022) Chintan Shivir at Surajkund, Haryana  on 27 October 2022, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that National Investigation Agency (NIA) will set up its branches in all the State’s by 2024. 

The Chintan shivir which has been organized by the Union Home Ministry is being attended by  Chief Ministers of the States, Home Ministers of States and Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of Union Territories .

NIA was set up by the Government of India in 2009 after Mumbai terrorist attack in 2008. It is the premier counter - terrorist agency in India.

Shaurya Diwas celebrated in Srinagar

Tags: place in news Defence

The Defence ministry organised the ‘Shaurya Diwas’ celebrations in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) on October 27, 2022 to commemorate the 75th year of air landed operations of the Indian Army at Budgam Airport in 1947. 

The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was the Chief Guest at the Shaurya Diwas’ celebrations. The event was organised as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

Background to the Day 

On October 27, 1947, the Indian Army was air-lifted by the Indian Air Force and landed at the Budgam Airport to evict the Pakistani backed Tribal invaders from J&K, a day after the ‘Instrument of Accession’ was signed between Maharaja Hari Singh and the Republic of India.

Infantry Day 

27th October is also observed by the Indian Army as ‘Infantry Day’.  It was on this day in 1947 that Infantry-men from the Indian Army became the first troops to land at Srinagar airport.

Speaking on the occasion Rajnath Singh paid rich tribute to the courage and valour of the first Param Vir Chakra recipient, Major Somnath Sharma, who despite being injured led a company & saved the Srinagar airfield. This enabled the Indian to land its forces in Jammu and Kashmir and saved the state from falling into Pakistan’s hand. 

He also paid glowing tributes to the bravery of other Gallantry award winners such as Brigadier Rajinder Singh and Lt Col Dewan Ranjit Rai, who gave away their lives to protect the motherland.

12th World Hindi Conference to be held in Nadi, Fiji in February 2023

Tags: place in news Summits

The Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has announced at an event in New Delhi on 27 October 2022 that the 12th World Hindi Conference will be held in Nadi, Fiji from 15-17 February 2023.  

The event is being organised by the External Affairs Ministry, Government of India and the Government of Fiji. The event will be used to promote Hindi as a global language.

Why Fiji?

It is for the first time that Fiji will be hosting the conference. English, Fijian and Fijian Hindi are the three official languages of Fiji.

Around 30% of the Fijian population is of Indian descent and majority of them speak Hindi.

Effort to make Hindi a UN language 

Speaking at the event the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said efforts are on to get Hindi recognised as an official language at the United Nations (UN) and progress has been made in that direction but it will take some time.

He said that Hindi is being used by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The UN Secretariat is using Hindi language in its use in social media and newsletters. 

However Hindi is not the official language of the UN.

The UN has six official languages: English, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and French.

World Hindi Conference 

The first world Hindi conference to popularize Hindi as a global language was held in Nagpur in 1975. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India.

Hindi Diwas: 

Every year 14 September is observed as Hindi Diwas in India. On this day in 1949 the Constituent Assembly adopted Hindi as the official language of the country. 

Republic of Fiji 

It is an archipelago consisting of around 300 islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

Capital: Suva 

Currency: Fijian Dollar 

Prime Minister: Frank Bainimarama

IGI Airport Delhi emerges as the 10th Busiest Airport in the world in 2022

Tags: place in news Economy/Finance

The Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi has emerged as the world's 10th busiest airport in October 2022, improving its ranking compared to the pre-pandemic period.

In its report, aviation analytics firm OAG said Delhi airport has improved its position from 14th place in October 2019, which was the pre-pandemic time.

The rankings by OAG are based on scheduled airline capacity in the current month and compared to the equivalent month in 2019, pre-pandemic. 

The world’s top 10 busiest airports 2022 (includes both domestic and International capacity )

1. Atlanta International Airport , United States of America 
2. Dubai International Airport ,United Arab Emirates 
3. Tokyo Haneda International Airport. Japan
4. Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas,United States of America 
5. Denver International Airport , United States of America 
6. Heathrow Airport, London , England
7. Chicago O'Hare International Airport , United States of America 
8. Istanbul Airport,Turkiye
9. Los Angeles International  Airport , United States of America
10. Indira Gandhi International Airport ,New Delhi 

Busiest International Airport in 2022

No Indian airport has been included in the top 10 busiest International Airport in 2022. The top three busiest  international airport are as follows ;

1. Dubai airport 
2. Heathrow Airport, 
3. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , Netherlands 

India- China trade crosses $100 billion during January -September 2022; Chinese Customs data

Tags: Economy/Finance

According to the data released by China's General Administration of Customs, the bilateral trade between India and China has crossed $100 billion during the January - September period of 2022. 

The total bilateral trade between the two was USD 103.63 billion, registering a 14.6 percent increase compared to last year during the same period.

China's exports to India climbed to USD 89.66 billion, registering an increase of 31 percent.

 However, India's exports in the past nine months stood at USD 13.97 billion, registering a decline of 36.4 percent. 

As a result, the total trade deficit went up to over USD 75.69 billion.

Trade data of 2021 

In 2021 the total trade between the two countries was over USD 125 billion despite tension between the two countries due to border clashes in the Ladakh region.

Last year, China's exports to India went up by 46.2 percent to USD 97.52 billion while India's exports to China grew by 34.2 percent to USD 28.14 billion. 

The trade deficit for India stood at USD 69.38 billion in 2021.

In 2021-22 The United States overtook China to become the largest trading partner of India.

The Government of India data is different from the Chinese as the accounting period in India is from April -March and also the method used by India and China on calculating export and import of goods are different.

India expected to lead salary hike in the world in 2023; ECA’s Salary Trends Survey

Tags: Economy/Finance

According to a recent ECA’s Salary Trends Survey, India is set to see the highest rise in real salaries in the world despite a sharp rise in inflation worldwide. The   ECA’s Salary Trends Survey, based on information collected from over 360 multinational companies in 68 countries and cities, sees just 37 per cent of countries globally expecting to report real-term wage hikes.

Real time wage hike means the nominal increase in wage - rate of Inflation.

The ECA Salary Trends Survey expects Pakistan with its high rate of inflation will be the worst performer with a decline in real wage of 9.9%.

According to the ECA Salary Trend Survey, the worst hit region is expected to be Europe, with the United Kingdom expected to fall by 4% in real terms in 2023. 

In the US a real-terms drop of 4.5% this year is expected to be reversed by falling inflation next year, translating into a 1% real-terms salary hike.

In the survey ,Asian nations make up eight of the top 10 countries forecasted to see real salaries rise, led by India, up 4.6%, Vietnam rising 4.0% and China up 3.8%.

These are the top 5 countries and their predicted real-terms salary increases in 2023:

• India (4.6 per cent)
• Vietnam (4.0 per cent)
• China (3.8 per cent)
• Brazil (3.4 per cent)
• Saudi Arabia (2.3 per cent)

And the bottom five, with their expected decreases:

• Pakistan (-9.9 per cent)
• Ghana (-11.9 per cent)
• Turkey (-14.4 per cent)
• Sri Lanka (-20.5 per cent)
• Argentina (-26.1 per cent)

Employment Conditions Abroad Limited was set up in 1971 in London, United Kingdom by 24 multinational companies.

Gujarati new year ‘Bestu Varsh’

Tags: State News

Gujarati New Year or Bestu Varsh was celebrated on 26 October, 2022.

Important facts

• In Gujarat, the new year known as Bestu Varsh is celebrated as part of the five-day Diwali celebrations.

• According to the Hindu calendar, it falls on the Pratipada of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik.

• People start their new year by visiting temples in the morning.

• To welcome the guests on the new year, houses are decorated with Asopalava Torans and marigold flowers and attractive rangolis are made at the entrance.

• Relatives and friends visit each other's house to congratulate the new year. People enjoy traditional feasts.

• This day also marks the beginning of the new financial year. New Year is considered an auspicious day in Gujarat.

• The Gujarati New Year coincides with the Hindu festival Govardhan Puja or Annakoot Puja which is celebrated in other parts of India.

Cyclone Sitrang

Tags: International News

Bangladesh has been devastated by Cyclone Sitarang, where densely populated, low-lying areas have been badly affected.

Important facts

• This cyclone named by Thailand is the first tropical cyclone of the post-monsoon season of 2022.

• The India Meteorological Department has predicted that a low pressure area is likely to form over southeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal.

• Due to this, the low pressure area may turn into a cyclonic storm which may affect Odisha, West Bengal, northern part of Andhra Pradesh and adjoining areas.

About Cyclone Sitrang

• A tropical cyclone is an intense circular storm that originates from warm tropical oceans, characterised by low atmospheric pressure, high winds and heavy rainfall.

• The name of this cyclone is given by Thailand.

• Cyclone Sitarang comes after Cyclone Asani, which developed in the Bay of Bengal in early May this year.

• This will be the second cyclonic storm of 2022.

• Cyclones forming in the North Indian Ocean including the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are named by the IMD.

• Thirteen countries – Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen – have been warned of tropical cyclones and storm surge by the IMD.

Common names of Cyclone

• Hurricanes – In the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific

• Typhoons – In Southeast Asia

• Cyclone – In the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific around Australia

Odisha Government has started working on Sukapaika River revival plan

Tags: State News

The Odisha Government has started working on the Sukapaika River revival plan following a direction from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Important facts

• The Sukapaika river which stopped flowing 70 years ago is set to be rejuvenated as the Odisha government starts working on its revival plan.

About Sukapaika River

• It is one of the several distributaries of the mighty Mahanadi river in Odisha.

• The problem began in 1952, when the state government blocked the starting point of Sukapaika with an embankment to protect the surrounding villages from flooding.

• Subsequently, in 1957, two major projects to control floods – Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur district and Naraj Barrage in Cuttack – were constructed upstream on the Mahanadi.

• The river dried up due to the development of the Taldanda Canal System, a major canal in the state.

• It rises from the Mahanadi at Ayatpur village in Cuttack district and flows for about 40 kilometers (km) before joining its parent river at Tarapur.

• The Sukapaika River is an important system of the Mahanadi river for controlling flood waters and maintaining the flow along the river into the Bay of Bengal.

About Mahanadi River

• It is the third largest of peninsular India after Godavari and Krishna, and the largest river of Odisha state.

• The catchment area of the river extends to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

• It originates near Sihawa in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.

Union Minister V. Muraleedharan attends Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa

Tags: place in news Summits

Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan who was on an official visit to Senegal from October 24-25, attended the 8th edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Dakar.

Being held annually since 2014, the Dakar Forum has become a key event for decision-makers involved in Africa. This is the first time that India is participating in the Forum at a Ministerial level.

During the visit on 24th and 25th of this month, Mr. Muraleedharan interacted with the Indian community in Dakar and greeted them on the occasion of Diwali celebrations.

On the eve of National Unity Week, Mr. Muraleedharan was joined by the Indian community in forming a Unity Chain to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

India and Senegal relationships 

Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established at the Ambassadorial level in 1962. The bilateral trade between India and Senegal was $ 1.65 billion in 2021-22.

Major items of export from India include textiles, food items, automobiles and pharmaceuticals.

Major items of import from Senegal are phosphoric acid and raw cashew.

Senegal 

It is located in the western most point in Africa. It is also called the gateway to Africa.

It is rich in phosphates of lime and aluminium phosphates minerals.

Capital: Dakar

Currency: CFA Franc 

President: Macky Sall

Netherlands replaces China as the third largest export destination in the first 5 month of the 2022-23

Tags: Economy/Finance

Netherlands has emerged as the third largest export destination for India in the first five months (April-August) of the current fiscal year of 2022-23. The Netherlands has emerged as India’s third-largest export destination, ahead of China and Bangladesh. It has moved up two spots in the list of India’s top ten export destinations since 2021-22, due to a 106% increase in export from India until August this fiscal from a year before to $7.5 billion.

US and UAE top two export destinations

Meanwhile, the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) continue to be the largest and second-largest export destinations, respectively, for India. The exports to the US climbed 18.3% until August to $35.2 billion, while those to the UAE shot up 27.3% to $13.8 billion.

Reason for drop in export to Bangladesh and China 

Bangladesh which is facing a severe foreign exchange (forex) shortage restricted imports to essential products so as to conserve its forex.

China is still battling the covid pandemic and many cities have been in lockdown affecting its economic activity. This has led to a sharp drop in demand from China. 

India’s exports to China contracted sharply by 35.6% until August this fiscal to $6.8 billion, while those to Bangladesh rose just 8.7% to $5.8 billion. In contrast, India’s merchandise exports to all destinations grew 19.5% in the first five months of this fiscal to $196.5 billion.

Boost in export to other countries led by Petroleum Products 

India’s exports to the Netherlands were driven mostly by a 238% jump in export of oil products until August this fiscal year to $3.67 billion. Export of chemicals ($513 million) and pharmaceuticals ($219 million) also increased during the period.

Meanwhile, exports to Indonesia jumped 43% to $4.8 billion. The supplies to this Asean country were dominated by petroleum products, which jumped 144% in the year up to August this fiscal to $1.8 billion. The other key products were cereals, sugar and chemicals.  

Brazil, which occupied the 21st spot in 2021-22, is now India’s 8th biggest export market. The export to Brazil increased by 70.9% in the first five months of this fiscal year to $4.7 billion. The exports were driven by a 299% jump in supplies of petroleum products to $2.3 billion, followed by those of chemicals ($684 million) and automobiles, auto parts and allied products ($233 million).