23rd October 2018 Current Affairs
“Harit Diwali-Swasth Diwali” campaign
- Environment Ministry has launched Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign.
- This campaign was initiated in 2017-18 wherein large number of school children participated and took pledge to minimize bursting of crackers in Delhi NCR region.
- It was quite successful in limiting the air pollution post Diwali.
- This time it has been launched at Pan Indian level.
Sagar conference inaugurated in Goa
- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the ‘Sagar’ conference at Goa on 23 October 2018.
- It was organised by the Forum for Integrated National Security (FINS).
- The aim of the conference was to highlight the technological, economic and developmental opportunities with opening up of outer space.
- FINS is a Mumbai based think tank working on national security and strategy.
Cameroon: Paul Biya wins 7th presidential term
- Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has won a seventh term in office in polls
- According to officials, Me. Biya received more than 70% of the total vote.
- 85 year old president has been in power since 1982.
Pakistan & Russia have begun military drills
- Pakistan and Russia have begun annual joint military drills named ‘Druzhba-III’ in Pakistan on 22 October 2018.
- This is the third joint military drill between Pakistan and Russia under the bilateral training cooperation agreement.
- Russia and Pakistan have been holding the ‘Friendship’ drills since 2016.
- In October 2016, they held their first-ever joint military exercise in Pakistan.
Praveen Kumar Retires From All Forms Of Cricket
- Former India fast bowler Praveen Kumar has retired from all forms of international cricket. Praveen last played for India in 2012 and represented India in 84 international matches.
- He made his ODI debut for India in 2007 against Pakistan, while his Test debut came four years later against West Indies in Jamaica.
- In his first-class career, Kumar took 267 wickets for Uttar Pradesh in 66 matches.
Marc Marquez clinched fifth MotoGP title
- Spain’s Marc Marquez clinched MotoGP world champion title for the fifth time with a victory in the Japanese MotoGP on 21 October 2018.
- Marquez is the youngest-ever rider to win five premier class titles.
- Marquez has joined Valentino Rossi, Mick Doohan and Giacomo Agostini as one of only four riders to have taken five or more premier-class World Championships.
Invest India Wins UN Investment Promotion Award
- The ‘Invest India’ initiative of the Union Government won the top United Nations Investment Promotion Award in recognition of its efforts to boost investments in the renewable energy sector in India.
- The award was presented by Armenian President Armen Sarkissian to Deepak Bagla, the CEO of Invest India, in Geneva, Switzerland at the inauguration of the World Investment Forum organised by the UN Convention on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Fali S. Nariman conferred National Award
- Fali S. Nariman was conferred with Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration on 22 October 2018.
- He is a distinguished Indian Constitutional jurist and senior advocate to the Supreme Court of India.
- He has been awarded the Padma Bhushan (1991), Padma Vibhushan (2007) and Gruber Prize for Justice (2002).
ITER research project: India takes lead in delivering equipment
- India has taken a lead over others nations in delivering equipment to France for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) research project which is aimed at generating energy through nuclear fusion.
- India is one of the seven member entities including China, USA, Russia, Japan, South Korea and the European Union for the ITER, which is coming up in southern France.
- ITER is a large-scale scientific experiment that aims to demonstrate that it is possible to produce commercial energy from fusion.
India is world’s 2nd most underinsured country
- According to Lloyd’s Underinsurance Report 2018, India is the second-most underinsured country in the world with an insurance gap of $27 billion.
- China has the biggest insurance gap ($76.4 billion) followed by India ($27 billion) and Indonesia ($14.6 billion).
- Insurance gap refers to the gap between the actual sum assured required versus that taken.
Longest river bridge to be built in Assam
- The government of India has announced to build a new bridge over the Brahmaputra river.
- The 19.3 km, the four-lane bridge will be built by 2026-27.
- It will run between Dhubri in Assam and Phulbari in Meghalaya.
- India’s longest river bridge at present, which is 9.15 km long, lies between Dhola and Sadiya in Assam.
India, Croatia sign two agreements
- India and Croatia signed two agreements on 23 Oct to strengthen cultural and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.
- The agreements were signed following External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Croatia Marija Pejčinović Burić in New Delhi.
Croatia is an Eastern European country with a long coastline on the Adriatic Sea
Try out the quiz ?
1. Which Ministry launches Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign?
Environment Ministry has launched Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign.
2. Who inaugurated the ‘Sagar’ conference at Goa on 23rd October 2018?
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the ‘Sagar’ conference at Goa on 23 October 2018.
3. Who won the seventh term in office in polls?
Cameroon's President Paul Biya has won a seventh term in office in polls
4. What is the name of the joint military 2018 of Pakistan and Russia?
Pakistan and Russia have begun annual joint military drills named ‘Druzhba-III’ in Pakistan on 22 October 2018.
5. Preveen kumar ________________ has retired from all forms of International Cricket.
Former India fast bowler Praveen Kumar has retired from all forms of international cricket. Praveen last played for India in 2012 and represented India in 84 international matches.
6. Who clinched the fifth MotoGP title 2018?
Spain’s Marc Marquez clinched MotoGP world champion title for the fifth time with a victory in the Japanese MotoGP on 21 October 2018.
7. Which one of the following has recently won the UN Investment Promotion Award?
The ‘Invest India’ initiative of the Union Government won the top United Nations Investment Promotion Award in recognition of its efforts to boost investments in the renewable energy sector in India.
8. Who received the Lal Bahudur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration for 2018?
Fali S. Nariman was conferred with Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration on 22 October 2018.
9. India takes lead in delivering equipment for which country for ITER research project?
India has taken a lead over others nations in delivering equipment to France for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) research project which is aimed at generating energy through nuclear fusion.
10. According to Lloyd’s Underinsurance Report 2018, which of the following country is the second most underinsured country in the world with an insurance gap of $27 billion?
According to Lloyd’s Underinsurance Report 2018, India is the second-most underinsured country in the world with an insurance gap of $27 billion.
11. What is the name of the river in which longest river bridge to be built in Assam?
The government of India has announced to build a new bridge over the Brahmaputra river.
12. India and __________ signed two agreements on 23 Oct to strengthen cultural and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.
India and Croatia signed two agreements on 23 Oct to strengthen cultural and diplomatic cooperation between the two countries.