DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Sept. 30, 2023

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Food Minister unveiled Ulkia Village Food Park

Tags: State News

With the joint efforts of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat, the first food park was inaugurated on 27 September 2023 in village Ulkiya of Sitapur development block of Surguja (Ambikapur) district.

An Overview of the News

• To ensure the success of the food park, adequate arrangements have been made for essential facilities like electricity, water supply and transportation.

• The state government has allocated Rs 6 crore 27 lakh for the establishment of this new food park.

• District Collector Kundan Kumar confirmed that the ownership of 8.920 hectare area for the food park project has been transferred from District Trade and Industry Center Surguja to CSIDC (Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation).

• The proposed food park will offer around 60 plots of various sizes including 3000, 5000, 7500 and 10000 square feet exclusively for setting up micro and small scale industries. These industries are expected to contribute to government revenue through various taxes.

• The establishment of this new food park is expected to provide many benefits to the local community including job creation, economic growth and improved infrastructure.

Food Park:

• Food parks are special industrial areas built specifically for food processing businesses.

• These parks provide shared infrastructure and facilities to food processing units, including:

  • Cold Storage: A facility for preserving and storing food products at low temperatures.

  • Cold Chain: A system for maintaining cold storage and transporting perishable goods.

  • Waste treatment plant: A facility for the treatment and management of waste generated by food processing.

  • Storage: Storage space for raw materials and finished products.

  • Power Connection: Reliable power supply for processing operations.

  • Water Facilities: Adequate water supply for various processing requirements.

  • Sewerage: A system for managing waste water.

• Food parks are particularly beneficial to small and medium-sized food processing businesses as these facilities can be expensive to set up individually.

• By providing the necessary infrastructure, food parks help reduce wastage in the food processing industry.

• The types of processing units installed within a mega food park often depend on the availability of raw materials and the location of the park.

Chairman Dr. Manoj Soni administered oath to Dr. Dinesh Das as UPSC member

Tags: Person in news

On September 29, 2023, Dr. Dinesh Dasa took the oath of office and secrecy as a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). This oath was administered by UPSC Chairman Dr. Manoj Soni.

An Overview of the News

• Dr. Dinesh Dasa holds a PhD in Forest Law and Sustainable Development from Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar and an M.Sc. in Forestry (Agroforestry and Ecology) from Gujarat Agricultural University, Navsari.

• Dr. Dasa served as the Chairman of Gujarat Public Service Commission from February 2016 to January 2022.

• He was also the Chairman of the Standing Committee of All India Public Service Commission from December 2020 to January 2022.

Standing Committee of All India Public Service Commission:

• The Standing Committee consists of 9 members representing all the 28 State Public Service Commissions. It coordinates with UPSC on various matters.

• Dr. Dasa chaired the drafting committee responsible for creating model syllabus and examination pattern for civil services examinations in the states.

• The draft proposed by the committee of Dr. Dinesh Dasa received significant approval during the 20th National Conference of Chairman of all State Public Service Commissions held on 12-13 January, 2018 in Goa.

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC):

• UPSC is a central recruitment agency in India and functions as an independent constitutional body.

• Under Article 312 of the Indian Constitution, the Parliament is empowered to establish All India Services with recruitment by UPSC. State level administrative services recruitment is controlled by State Public Service Commissions.

• The composition, appointment, removal, powers and functions of UPSC are defined in Articles 315 to 323 of Part XIV of the Indian Constitution.

UPSC Member Provisions:

• The President appoints both the Chairman and other members of the UPSC.

• A UPSC member serves for a term of six years or until he reaches the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

• Once a person holds the post of UPSC member, he is not eligible for reappointment.

• Members can resign by submitting written resignation to the President of India.

• The Chairman or any UPSC member can be removed from his office only by order of the President of India.

• The President has the power to suspend the Speaker or any other member before the expiry of their term, subject to reference to the Supreme Court.

Iran's IRGC successfully launches Nour 3 Military Imaging Satellite into Orbit

Tags: Science and Technology International News

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) successfully launched its third military imaging satellite, Nour 3, from Iran's Shahroud Spaceport.

An Overview of the News

• The satellite was sent into orbit using a three-stage cassette carrier, which was developed by the IRGC.

• In Persian,"nour" (or "noor") translates to "light", while "Qased" means "messenger".

• Noor 3 was placed in low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 450 km (280 mi) above the Earth's surface.

• The primary purpose of the Nour-3 satellite is to collect data and images for intelligence purposes by the IRGC.

Previous versions of the Noor satellite include:

• Nour 1 - It was the first military reconnaissance satellite launched by Iran in April 2020. It orbited at an altitude of 425 km (265 mi) above the Earth.

• Nour 2 - It launched in March 2022, and operated in a low orbit at an altitude of 500 km (310 mi).

Other satellites of Iran

• In August 2022, Iran's high-resolution, remote-sensing Khayyam satellite was launched using Russia's Soyuz-2.1B rocket. The launch took place from the Russian-controlled Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

About Iran

• President - Ibrahim Raisi

• Capital - Tehran

• Currency - Iranian Rial

RBI appointed KN Madhusudanan as part-time chairman of Dhanalakshmi Bank

Tags: Person in news

KN Madhusudanan has been appointed part-time chairman of Dhanalakshmi Bank by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after a vacancy of 21 months.

An Overview of the News

• Madhusudanan's appointment is effective from September 26, 2023 and is for a tenure of 3 years.

• Prior to this role, KN Madhusudanan served as an independent director on the board of the bank with effect from November 9, 2022.

• KN Madhusudanan took over as part-time Chairman from G Subramaniam Iyer.

• G Subramonia Iyer, who also served as an independent director, resigned from his post in December 2021.

• After Iyer's resignation, the bank remained without a chairman for 21 months.

Background of KN Madhusudanan:

• KN Madhusudanan is currently the Managing Director of various private limited companies, including companies focused on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

• His career started in civil construction in 1983.

• He founded the Maavanal Group of companies and established two crushing units, Maavanal Granites Private Limited and Vajra Rock Mining Industries in Pathanamthitta, Kerala.

• He is also the Promoter and Managing Director of M/s Mawanal Granites Pvt. Ltd.

About Dhanlaxmi Bank

• Established - 14 November 1927

• Headquarters - Thrissur

• CEO & MD - J. Of. Shivan

About Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

• Established - 1 April 1935, Kolkata

• Founder - British Raj

• Governor - Shaktikanta Das

• Headquarters - Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Appointment of Gokul Subramaniam as Chairman of Intel India

Tags: Person in news

Intel Corporation, the leading digital chip maker headquartered in the United States, has elected Gokul Subramaniam as the President of Intel India.

An Overview of the News

• Gokul Subramaniam's responsibilities in his new role include overseeing Intel's engineering and design operations in India.

• His duties include fostering innovation, enhancing cross-group efficiencies and ensuring successful execution of Intel products from Indian facilities.

• It is noteworthy that he will continue to lead client platforms and systems within the Client Computing Group (CCG).

• In June 2023, Nivrutti Rai, former country head of Intel India and vice president of Foundry Services, resigned from her post.

• Subsequently, in July 2023, he took up the role of Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Invest India, an investment promotion and facilitation agency run by the Government of India.

About Intel Corporation

• It is commonly called Intel, is a technology company and multinational corporation based in Santa Clara, California.

• It has the distinction of being one of the world's leading semiconductor chip manufacturers, recognized for substantial revenue generation in the industry.

Established - July 18, 1968

Founders - Gordon Moore, Robert Noyce and Arthur Rock

President -Frank D. Yeary

CEO - Pat Gelsinger

FSSAI introduces 'special category' provision to promote gender equality in food industry

Tags: National News

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) introduced a new provision called 'Special Category' in the FOSCOS portal.

An Overview of the News

• This provision aims to promote gender equality and equal opportunities for women and transgender entrepreneurs in the food business sector.

• Under this provision, licensing and registration authorities will give priority to 'special category' applications.

• Priority will be maintained in such a way that a one-to-one ratio is maintained between 'Special Category' applications and regular applications, unless there are no pending applications in any category.

• Persons belonging to 'Special Category' will be identified through Aadhaar/PAN (Permanent Account Number) authentication during the application submission process.

About FOSCOS (Food Safety Compliance System):

• FOSCOS was introduced by FSSAI in 2020 as an upgraded version of the Food Licensing and Registration System (FLRS), which was initially launched in 2012.

• It serves the purpose of issuing all India FSSAI licenses and registrations.

• FOSCOS is a cloud-based online platform designed to provide various services to food business operators (FBOs), including licensing, registration and regulatory compliance.

About Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):

• FSSAI is a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, established in the year 2008 under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

• The current Chairman of FSSAI is Sudhansh Pant.

• It operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

• The headquarters of FSSAI is located in New Delhi, Delhi.

PM Narendra Modi launches Sankalp Saptaah

Tags: Government Schemes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a week-long program called "Sankalp Saptah" for aspirational blocks in New Delhi on 30 September 2023.

An Overview of the News

• The objective of the Sankalp Saptah is to effectively implement the Aspirational Block Programme, which aims to improve governance at the block level and enhance the quality of life of the citizens.

• About three thousand panchayat and block level representatives and officials from across the country will participate in this program to be held at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.

• Additionally, around two lakh people including block and panchayat level officials and farmers will join the program virtually.

• Sankalp Saptaah will be celebrated in all 500 aspirational blocks of 329 districts of the country from 3rd to 9th October.

• During this week each day will focus on a specific development theme on which all the Aspirational Blocks will work.

The topics for the first six days are as follows:

1. Sampoorna Swasthya (Comprehensive Health)

2. Suposhit Pariwaar (Well-nourished Family)

3. Swachhta (Cleanliness)

4. Krishi (Agriculture)

5. Shiksha (Education)

6. Samridhi Diwas (Prosperity Day)

The final day of the week will be dedicated to celebrating the work done throughout the week, known as Sankalp Saptaah - Samavesh Samaroh".