About:

• This year, World Habitat Day will be observed on October 3.
• Theme: “Mind the Gap. Leave No One and Place Behind”.
• It seeks to draw attention to the growing inequalities and vulnerabilities in cities and human settlements that have been exacerbated by the triple ‘C’ crises — COVID-19, climate and conflict.

History: 

• The day came into existence with a resolution by the UN General Assembly in 1985.
• World Habitat Day was first celebrated in 1986 in Nairobi, Kenya, with the theme ‘Shelter is my right’.

• Navies of India and South Korea participated in a maritime partnership exercise in the Bay of Bengal.
• Indian warship INS Sumedha participated in the exercise with Republic of Korea navy ships Hansando and Dae Cheong on October
• The exercise included helicopter operations, communication drills and tactical manoeuvres. The interaction was aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation and inter-operability between the two navies. The Korean Navy’s cruise training task group consisting of the two naval ships had arrived in Chennai on September 28.
• Professional interactions and sports activities are scheduled between the personnel of the two

• State Bank of India has warned against freebies, saying they have large fiscal costs and cause inefficiencies by distorting prices and misallocating resources.
• Citing an example of just three states, SBI’s chief economic adviser Soumya Kanti Ghosh said the annual pension liabilities of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan are estimated at 3 lakh crore rupees.
• In its economic report, SBI suggested that the Supreme Court-led panel cap such welfare schemes at 1 percent of the state’s GDP or 1 percent of its own tax collection.
• The report said, in relation to these states’ own tax revenues, pension liabilities of Jharkhand are 217 percent, Rajasthan 190 percent, and Chhattisgarh 207 percent.
• The SBI report also flagged the off-budget borrowings of states, which are loans raised by state-owned entities and guaranteed by the states, to have reached around 4.5 percent of GDP in 2022.
• The report further said if we include the contingent liabilities along with freebies, then they come to around 10 percent of the GSDP for all the states combined. We must find a solution to this all-encompassing problem of fiscal hara-kiri.

• Indian-origin, Vivek Lall has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by US President Joe Biden with the citation of ‘With Grateful Recognition’.
• The citation was given to Dr. Lall  by the AmeriCorps, which is a part of the US Government and aims to foster activities that bring Americans closer together to “serve communities.”
• According to the official statement, the citation was personally signed by the President of the United States.
• Lall is an industry leader and Chief Executive Officer of General Atomics.
• The company is a global leader in the specialised fields of nuclear technology and has developed state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like the Predator, Reaper, and Guardian drones.

• Prime Minister’s Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors – YUVA 2.0 was launched on October 2, to promote reading, writing, and book culture in the country.
• In view of the significant impact of the first edition of YUVA with large-scale participation from young and budding authors in 22 different Indian languages and English, YUVA 2.0 has been launched.
• Education Ministry said, the launch of YUVA 0 (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors) is in tune with the Prime Minister’s vision to encourage the youth to understand and appreciate India’s democracy.
• It will help to develop a stream of writers who can write on a spectrum of subjects to promote the Indian heritage, culture, and knowledge system.
• The Ministry said, a total of 75 authors will be selected through an All-India Contest to be conducted through www.mygov.in from 2nd October – 30th November this year.
• The winners will be announced on 28 February next year. The young authors will be trained by eminent authors and mentors from 1st March to 31st August 2023.

• Prime Minister Modi paid tributes to the brave Shyamji Krishna Varma on his birth anniversary on October 4.

About Shyamji Krishna Varma:

• Shyamji Krishna Varma (1857 – 1930) was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer and journalist.
• Indian Home Rule Society (IHRS):It was an Indian organisation founded in London in 1905 that sought to promote the cause of self-rule in British India. The organisation was founded by Shyamji Krishna Varma, with support from Bhikaji Cama, Dadabhai Naoroji and S.R. Rana.
• India House:He founded India House in London. It was a student residence that existed between 1905 and 1910 which was opened to promote nationalist views among Indian students in Britain.
• Indian Sociologist:He founded Indian Sociologist in London. The monthly Indian Sociologist became an outlet for nationalist ideas.

• Swedish geneticist Svante Paabo won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries that provide our understanding of how modern-day humans evolved from extinct ancestors.
• The award’s panel said, his study also provides key insights into the immune system and human uniqueness compared with their extinct cousins.
• Paabo’s key achievements include sequencing an entire Neanderthal genome to reveal the link between extinct people and modern humans.
• Sixty-seven-year-old Paabo performed his prizewinning studies in Germany at the University of Munich and at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. Paabo is the son of Sune Bergstrom, who won the Nobel prize in medicine in 1982.
• Last year’s medicine recipients were David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for their discoveries into how the human body perceives temperature and touch.
• The prizes carry a cash award of nearly 900,000 US dollars and will be given on December 10 this year.

• Himachal Pradesh has again got the top ranking in the drinking water quality.
• Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat would present the award on Gandhi Jyanti and Swachh Bharat Diwas at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
• During a comprehensive survey of tap functionality, the state had been ranked first in the quality of drinking water service delivery.
• Last year too, the state had secured the top position in water quality and tap functionality in a similar survey.
• The Centre had made a financial provision of Rs 1,344.94 crore for the state this year and released the second instalment of Rs 336.23 crore on September 30.
• The Centre and state government had provided Rs 3,820.61 crore under the JJM.
• In view of the excellent work, the Centre had also released an incentive amount of Rs 1,028.43 crore to the state in three years.
• Water connections had been provided to all households of 15,300 villages of 2,551 panchayats in 21 blocks of four districts.

• Rural Development Minister Virender Kanwar inaugurated and laid stones of development works estimated at over Rs 187 crore in Kutlehar Assembly segment. These include inauguration of a water sports facility at Androuli village on the bank of Gobind Sagar reservoir of Bhakra dam in Kutlehar Assembly segment, Una.
• It is being managed by Kutlehar Tourism Development Society, chaired by the DC. Tourists will be able to take rides in speed boat, water scooter and water ski.
• Kanwar said similar facility was being developed on the other bank of the reservoir near Lathiani village.
• The minister said that two paragliding sites had already been notified by the state government on the Solasingi dhaar mountain ranges of the segment. He said that three parks, namely Eco Park, Aqua Park and Butterfly Park, were being developed in Sohari Bhanjal village.

• Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who is on an official visit to the Maldives, on Sunday witnessed the exchange of a $100 million Line of Credit agreement and handing over of a speed launch to the Maldives Correctional Services, under Indian grant assistance.
• Kawtra called on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and assured him of the firm commitment to the growth of India-Maldives ties.
• Kwatra also met his Maldivian counterpart, Ahmed Latheef.
• The Maldives President welcomed the Foreign Secretary and noted that this was his first visit to the Maldives. At the meeting, Kwatra stated that the Maldives is one of the most important regional partners, and that India would continue to support numerous development projects in the Maldives, stated a Maldives government release.
• Recently, Maldives had signed an agreement with an Indian company to develop Hanimaadhoo International Airport. The project worth $136.6 million was contracted to JMC Projects Limited and will be financed by India’s Exim Bank.