WHY IN NEWS?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the G20 Extraordinary Leaders’ Summit on October 12, 2021.

About:

• G20 Extraordinary Leaders’ Summit will be organised to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
• This event will be convened by the G20 Italian Presidency in virtual mode.

Agenda of the meeting

During the meeting, top world leaders will discuss the response to humanitarian needs as well as access to basic services & livelihood in Afghanistan. Leaders will also discuss the issues of counter terrorism, security and human rights.

SCO-CSTO outreach summit

PM Modi had also participated in “SCO-CSTO outreach Summit” on Afghanistan. On the occasion, he had highlighted the challenges associated with peace and security in the region. He had warned the countries that, recent developments in Afghanistan could result into an uncontrolled flow of drugs, illegal weapons as well as human trafficking.

Role of G20 in Afghanistan

The G20 grouping consists of 20 world’s major economies. This platform helps in building international consensus as well as facilitate a coordinated approach between the multilateral organisations, including the United Nations (UN) and its agencies. It also facilitates coordination among global and regional actors in order to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

About Group of Twenty (G20)

G20 is an intergovernmental forum consisting of 19 countries and European Union (EU). The group addresses major issues related to global economy like climate change mitigation, international financial stability and sustainable development. This grouping was founded in 1999 in the backdrop of several world economic crises. Since 2008, the group meets at least once a year. The G20 summits involves head of government or state, foreign minister, finance minister, and other high-ranking officials. EU is represented by European Commission and European Central Bank

WHY IN NEWS?

German rail operator, Deutsche Bahn and industrial group, Siemens launched the first automated & driverless train of the world on October 11, 2021.

About:

• The self-driving train was launched in the city of Hamburg.
• This train is more punctual and energy efficient as compared to traditional trains.
• Country has planned to add four such trains to the S-Bahn rapid urban rail network of northern city.
• These trains will start carrying passengers from December on the existing rail infrastructure.
• Other cities such as Paris have driverless metros on the other hand, airports often have automated monorail trains plying terminals. However, these trains run on exclusive single tracks while the Hamburg train will share tracks with other regular trains.

World’s first self-driving train

This project is being developed by ‘Siemens and Deutsche Bahn’. It is being dubbed as “world first”. The project is part of a 60-million-euro modernisation of rapid urban rail system of Hamburg. These automated trains will offer a reliable service without laying a single kilometre of new track. These trains can transport “up to 30 percent more passengers”. Besides improving the punctuality, these trains will save more than 30 percent of energy.

Who will run the trains?

Though the train is controlled by digital technology and is fully automated. But a driver will sit on the train to supervise journeys of the passengers on board.

Deutsche Bahn

It is a German railway company, having its headquarter in Berlin. It is a private joint-stock company. The Federal Republic of Germany is the only shareholder in the company. It is the second-largest transport company in the world. In the year 2015, Deutsche Bahn was the largest railway company of the world by revenue

WHY IN NEWS?

International Energy Agency (IEA) has invited India to become its full-time member.

About:

• This membership invitation was given in the light that, India is world’s third-largest energy consumer.
• If this proposal is accepted, it will require India to increase its strategic oil reserved to 90 days requirement.
• Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri held discussions with IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. During the discussion, IEA executive director invited India to deepen its cooperation with IEA by becoming its full member.

India as associate member

India became an associate member of the IEA in March 2017. IEA is a Paris-based body that advises industrialised nations regarding the energy policies. In January 2021, IEA members & India agreed to enter into a strategic partnership in order to strengthen their collaboration with respect to energy security and clean energy transition.

IEA report

• According to IEA report, India is becoming increasingly influential in global energy sector.
• India’s demand for energy is set to increase rapidly in the coming decades, particularly the electricity use.
• India’s reliance on fuel imports will make the improving energy security a key priority for Indian economy.

IEA members

IEA comprises of 30 member countries and eight associate nations. Four countries are seeking for a full membership namely, Colombia, Chile, Israel and Lithuania.

Conditions for IEA members

As per IEA, a member country must maintain “crude oil and/or product reserves equal to 90 days of net imports in previous year. For this purpose, government has immediate access and it can be used to address disruptions in global oil supply. The current strategic oil reserves are equal to 9.5 days of its requirement, in India. Furthermore, the IEA members has to show “a demand restraint programme for reducing national oil consumption by up to 10%.

About IEA

IEA was founded in 1974 by industrialised countries under the framework of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

WHY IN NEWS?

• At the 2021 World Wrestling Championships, Indian wrestler Anshu Malik created history as she became the first Indian women finalist at the World Championship, and also the first female player from India to claim a silver medal.
• The 19-year old Anshu settled for a silver medal after losing to 2016 Olympic champion Helen Lousie Maroulis of the United States in a 57kg freestyle bout.

WHY IN NEWS?

• World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission.
• The recommendation is based on results from an ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya & Malawi that has reached more than 800 000 children since 2019.
• The vaccine is developed by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Many vaccines exist against viruses and bacteria but this was the first time that the WHO recommended broad use of a vaccine against a human parasite.
• The vaccine acts against Plasmodium falciparum, one of five parasite species and the most deadly. The symptoms of malaria are fever, headaches, and muscle pain, then cycles of chills, fever, and sweating.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has launched the global FinTech Hackathon Series ‘I-Sprint’21’.
• The first Sprint of the series is “Sprint01: BankTech ”, which focuses on FinTechs for the Banking sector. Sprint01: BankTech is organised jointly by IFSCA and GIFT city in collaboration with NITI Aayog.
• IFSCA was established by the Ministry of Finance on April 27 2020, as a unified regulator of all financial products, financial services, and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in India. It has its headquarter at GIFT city in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• India’s rank has slipped by six places from last year to 90 on the Henley Passport Index 2021, which lists the world’s most travel-friendly passports Japan and Singapore hold the first rank on the passport index.
• The index covers 227 destinations and 199 passports. The index comes at a time when countries are easing travel restrictions for international visitors after almost two years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The rankings are based on the survey of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) data. 

Top 5 countries in the Index:

• Rank 1: Japan, Singapore
• Rank 2: Germany, South Korea
• Rank 3: Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain
• Rank 4: Austria, Denmark
• Rank 5: France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden

World’s 5 least powerful passports:

• Afghanistan
• Iraq
• Syria
• Pakistan
• Yemen

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• E.R. Sheikh has assumed charge as first Director-General of the Ordnance Directorate (Coordination and Services). It is the successor organization of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB).
• He has contributed to the establishment of the modern production line system for the manufacture of small arms ammunition at the Ordnance Factory Varangaon. He led the successful development of the Bi-Modular Charge System for artillery ammunition

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• P L Haranadh, an Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer of the 1994 batch, has been appointed as the new Chairman of Paradip Port Trust (PPT).
• Haranadh has worked in various capacities, during his 27 years of service, which includes 22 years in the Indian Railways and 5 years in the Ministry of Shipping. Paradip Port Trust (PPT) is the lone major port in Odisha.

WHY IN THE NEWS?

• A variety of rice widely grown in Wada in the Palghar district of Maharashtra has been given a ‘Geographical Indication’ tag, which will give it a unique identity as well as wider markets.
• Wada Kolam, also known as Zini or Jhini rice, is a traditional variety grown in the Wada tehsil of Palghar, with the grain being off white in colour.
• Wada Kolam rice commands a price of Rs 60-70 per kg in domestic markets and has a sizeable demand overseas as well. Wada Kolam has been grown in Palghar for years. It is known for its small grain, aroma, taste and for being light for digestion. It is gluten-free. However, it is a low yielding crop