1. External Affairs minister S.Jaishankar to visit Egypt on his first official tour
Tags: International News
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, External Affairs Minister Dr S.Jaishankar will be on his first official visit to Egypt from 15-16 October 2022. He is going there on the invitation of Egypt's Foreign minister Sameh Hassan Shoukry. According to the ministry both the leaders will discuss a range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.
India and Egypt traditionally enjoy warm and friendly relations underpinned by historical and cultural linkages. India is trying to deepen its relation with Egypt.
Recently in the month of September Defence minister Rajnath Singh was on a visit to Egypt to deepen defence ties.
Both countries are celebrating 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations this year.
Egypt has been invited as a ‘Guest Country’ during India’s Presidency of G-20 in 2022-23.
Economic relations
Egypt has been one of India’s largest trading partners in Africa and the promotion of bilateral trade, commerce and investments will be one of the focus areas during the visit.
India - Egypt bilateral trade touched a record high at US$ 7.26 billion during the financial year 2021-22.
Indian investment in Egypt exceeds US$ 3.15 billion. Over 50 Indian companies are actively present in Egypt in a range of sectors like manufacturing, chemicals, energy, infrastructure, retail etc.
Arab Republic of Egypt
It is an Arab country which is located on the African continent.
President: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Capital: Cairo
Currency: Egyptian pound
2. Meenaskshi Lekhi leads Indian delegation at the 6th CICA Summit meeting at Astana
Tags: place in news Summits International News
Union Minister for External Affairs Meenaskshi Lekhi led the Indian delegation at the 6th Conference on Confidence Building Measures and Interaction in Asia (CICA) summit held on 12-13 October 2022 at the Kazakhstan capital, Astana.
Replying to the Statement of the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif on Kashmir she said that Pakistan is misusing the CICA for propagating malicious propaganda against India. She said that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.
Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)
The Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.
The idea of convening CICA was first proposed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, on 5 October 1992, at the 47th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
27 countries including India, China, and Pakistan are members of CICA.
Summit meetings of CICA
The First summit meeting was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 4 June 2022. It was attended by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The second CICA summit was held in Almaty, Kazakhstan on June 17, 2006
The third CICA Summit was held in Istanbul, Turkey on 8 June 2010
The Fourth CICA Summit, was held in Shanghai, China on 21 May 2014
The Fifth CICA Summit was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 15 June 2019.
3. IAEA chief Rafael Gross calls for protecting Zaporizhzhia nuclear power in a meeting with President Putin in Russia
Tags: place in news Russia-Ukraine Person in news International News
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Gross met the Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg, amid concern over the safety of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine.
Rafael Gross met Putin after his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv last week.
Rafael Gross called for setting up a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear power plant and asserted that they cannot lose any more time. He emphasised that Russia and Ukraine must do everything to help in ensuring that a nuclear accident does not occur during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Concern over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
The 6000 MW Zaporizhzhia nuclear power complex is the largest European nuclear power complex which has been occupied by the invading Russian forces since early March 2022.
The area has been heavily fortified by the Russian military and the Ukrainian forces are also launching a counter attack. This has led to the fear that the nuclear complex could be hit in an attack which could lead to a nuclear catastrophe in the area.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
The IAEA was set up in 1957 as an agency of the United Nations.
The IAEA was set up to work with the member countries and multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is the world's central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the nuclear field.
Member Countries: 175
The IAEA headquarters is at Vienna, Austria and it has two regional offices located in Toronto, Canada and Tokyo, Japan,
Director General: Rafael Gross
4. World’s first space tourist Dennis Tito to ride to moon again on SpaceX
Tags: Person in news International News
World’s first space tourist, Dennis Tito, has signed up with the Elon Musk Company SpaceX, to fly around the Moon aboard the Starship rocket.
The SpaceX Company on 12 October 2022 said that the rocket will take Tito and his wife, Akiko, within 200km (125 miles) of the far side of the Moon without landing on its surface. The date of the launch has yet to be announced as the Starship is yet to be tested.
Dennis Tito, an American engineer and entrepreneur became the first human space tourist to visit the International Space Station in 2001.
He was launched onboard a Russian rocket with the help of US-based Space Adventures in 2001.
Few companies in the world are striving to make space travel a reality. They are SpaceX , Richard Branson-founded Virgin Galactic SPCE.N, and Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin which currently offers suborbital joyrides that hit an altitude of about 106km (66 miles) above the Earth.
90 year old American actor, William Shatner, who played the role of Captain James T Kirk on the TV series Star Trek, became the oldest person to ride a rocket into space when he travelled on a Blue Origin flight last year.
Human Space Flight
The first person to go into space was Yury Gagarin of the Soviet Union on 12 April 1961 onboard the Vostok Rocket.
The first woman to go into space was Valentina Tereshkova of the Soviet Union on 16 June 1963 onboard the Vostok 6 Rocket.
The first American to go into space was Alan Shepard in 1961.
Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma is the only Indian to go into space. He was part of the Soviet mission aboard Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984.
5. India improves its ranks to 123 on the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index 2022
Tags: National International News
India has improved its ranking by 6 places in the recently released Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII) 2022. It has been ranked 123th in the world out of 161 countries. India was ranked 129 in the 2020 Index.
India’s rank has improved primarily due to improvement in indicators quantifying the impact of public spending and the impact of tax on reducing inequality.
The index ranks the countries on the policies made by the government and action taken to fight inequality in the first two years of covid pandemic.
Norway has been ranked as the top country followed by Germany and Australia. South Sudan has been ranked 161st at the bottom of the Index.
Composition of the Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII)
The Index which is prepared by Oxfam International and Development Finance International (DFI) measures governments policies and actions in three areas proven to have a major impact on reducing inequality.
The three areas are public services (health, education, and social protection), taxation and workers' rights.
India’s performance
Public service
India has been ranked 129th in the Public service spending. It was ranked 141 in the 2020 report.
According to the Index, India features among the lowest performers on health spending. It dropped to 157th rank, a drop of two places. The Indian government spends 3.64 % of all it’s spending on health which is lowest among all neighbouring countries. Pakistan spending is at 4.3%, Bangladesh is at 5.19%, Sri Lanka is at 5.88%, and Nepal is at 7.8%,
Progressive taxation
India was ranked 16 on progressive taxation in 2022 while it was ranked 19 in 2020.
Labour Ranking (workers’ rights and wages)
India was ranked 151 on labour ranking (which includes workers’ rights) while in 2020 also it was ranked 151.
South Asian country’s ranking
Country | Public service ranking | Tax ranking | Labour ranking | Regional ranking |
Maldives | 71 | 12 | 54 | 1 |
Bangladesh | 136 | 47 | 101 | 2 |
Sri Lanka | 128 | 85 | 93 | 3 |
Nepal | 116 | 36 | 126 | 4 |
Bhutan | 114 | 27 | 140 | 5 |
India | 129 | 16 | 151 | 6 |
Pakistan | 151 | 77 | 113 | 7 |
Afghanistan | 158 | 115 | 117 | 8 |
OXFAM International
Oxfam International was formed in 1995 by a group of independent non-governmental organizations. They joined together as a confederation to maximize efficiency and achieve greater impact to reduce global poverty and injustice.
The name “Oxfam” comes from the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, founded in Britain in 1942.
The Oxfam International Secretariat is based in Nairobi, Kenya
Oxfam India CEO : Amitabh Behar
6. INS Tarkash reaches South Africa to participate in 7th edition of IBSAMAR
Tags: Defence International News
INS Tarkash reached Port Gqeberha (also known as Port Elizabeth), South Africa to participate in the 7th edition of IBSAMAR, a joint multinational maritime exercise among Indian, Brazilian and South African Navies from 10 - 12 Oct 2022.
Important facts
The previous edition of IBSAMAR (IBSAMAR VI) was conducted at Simons Town, South Africa from 1 to 13 October 2018.
The Indian Navy is represented by a Teg class guided missile frigate, INS Tarkash, a Chetak helicopter and personnel from the Marine Commando Force (MARCOS).
The Harbor phase of IBSAMAR VII includes major exercises such as damage control and fire fighting exercises, VBSS/Cross boarding lectures and interactions between Special Forces.
This joint maritime exercise will strengthen inter-operability for maritime security, joint operational training, sharing of best practices and addressing common maritime threats.
INS Tarkash
INS Tarkash is a state-of-the-art stealth frigate of the Indian Navy.
It is built by Yantar Shipyard at Kaliningrad, Russia.
It is equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors capable of addressing threats in all three dimensions.
The ship incorporates the latest stealth features such as low radar, infra-red, acoustic and magnetic signatures, making it difficult to detect at sea.
The ship is part of the Western Fleet of the Indian Navy based at Mumbai under the Western Naval Command.
7. Lucknow's Jagriti Yadav becomes UK high commissioner for a day
Tags: Person in news International News
20-year-old Jagriti Yadav of Lucknow has been appointed to the highest post of British High Commission in India for a day under women empowerment after winning a competition on the occasion of International Girl Child Day on 11 October 2022.
Important Facts
Jagriti is the sixth person to receive this honour of becoming the British High Commissioner.
According to the British Embassy, Jagriti is the sixth winner to win the 'High Commissioner for a Day-India Edition' competition held every year since 2017.
Jagriti, who hails from Lucknow, remained Britain's highest diplomat in India for a whole day. She gained experience in many diplomatic activities.
Including holding meetings with various parties and presiding over the meeting. Apart from this, she has been involved in many events throughout the day.
During this, Jagriti met the Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi as well as met West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin.
High Commissioner for a Day-India Edition
The High Commissioner for a Day-India Edition competition is open to young girls in the age group of 18-23. Last year's winner was Aditi Maheshwari, 20, from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.
To celebrate International Girl Child Day, the British High Commission provides a unique opportunity for women across India to experience the life of the UK's top diplomat in the country.
8. S Jaishankar inaugurates new Indian High Commission Chancery at Wellington in New Zealand
Tags: International Relations International News
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on 9 October inaugurated the new Indian High Commission Chancery in Wellington, New Zealand.
Important facts
He said that coordinating each other's potentials is a more prudent way to further deepen the vital ties between India and New Zealand.
S. Jaishankar, who is on his first visit to New Zealand as External Affairs Minister, also said that there is a need to take the ties between the two countries afresh.
He also said that there is massive potential for partnership between India and New Zealand in the field of agri-business.
Strong cooperation between India and New Zealand will ensure peace, prosperity and progress in the shared region, he said.
There is huge potential in business, digital, agriculture, education, skills, traditional medicine and maritime security domains, he said.
About New Zealand
It is a remote, mountainous group of islands located off the southeast coast of Australia.
Prime Minister - Jacinda Ardern
Capital - Wellington
Currency - New Zealand dollar
New Zealand was the first country to allow women to vote in 1893.
New Zealand's wetapunga is one of the heaviest insects in the world.
Major rivers - Waikato, Clurtha, Rangitaiki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Buller, Rakaia, Waitaki, Waiau
Major Mountain Ranges - Southern Alps, Kaikoura Ranges
New Zealand's two main islands - North and South Islands, are separated by the Cook Strait.
9. U S and India launch a joint task force on energy storage technologies
Tags: Science and Technology International News
India and the United States have launched a new task force under the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP), which will focus on the accelerated deployment of energy storage technologies.
Battery energy storage systems (BESS), are devices that enable energy from renewables, like solar and wind, to be stored and then released when customers need power most.
The task force was announced during the meeting of the Union minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Puri and the US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in Washington on 7 October 2022.
They also issued a US India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) joint statement which highlighted the importance of bilateral clean energy engagement to strengthen energy security and to accelerate clean, secure, and just energy transition.
10. Solomon PM told Australia, no Chinese military presence in the country
Tags: place in news International News
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogaware assured Australia on 7 October that his country would not allow a Chinese military presence in its territory.
Important facts
The island nation has been at the centre of a diplomatic conflict in the southern Pacific Ocean between the United States, Australia and their allies on the one hand and China on the other.
Earlier this year, the Solomon Islands struck a security agreement with China, saying it needed Beijing's assistance with its domestic security situation.
The agreement shook the US and Australia.
There was concern that the deal could potentially lead to a Chinese military base and power test on the island nation.
The United States and its regional allies fear that China could open a Chinese naval base, which would significantly increase China's military reach in the South Pacific.
About Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands is a nation located in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of more than 990 islands.
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
It does not include the Santa Cruz Islands and the outlying islands such as Rennell and Bellona.
Its capital is Honiara, which is located on the island of Guadalcanal.
