Daily Current Affairs- 21 October 2023

Today's Current Affairs 21st October 2023

INTERNATIONAL

Japan Becomes First Nation to Launch an Electromagnetic Railgun From An Offshore Vessel

• On October 17, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) in collaboration with the Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), a division of the Japanese Ministry of Defense, successfully test-fired a medium-caliber maritime electromagnetic railgun from an offshore platform.

About Japan:

Prime minister: Fumio Kishida Trending

Capital: Tokyo

 NATIONAL

India’s First Semi-High-Speed Regional Rail Service ‘Namo Bharat’

• Country’s first semi-high-speed regional rail service, Namo Bharat. Previously known as RapidX.
• This also marks the introduction of the Regional Rapid Train Service (RRTS) in India.
• The Namo Bharat trains will offer a remarkable average speed of 100 kilometers per hour.

Two day Anthurium festival begins in Mizoram

• In Mizoram, a two-day-long Anthurium Festival began with all festivities and enthusiasm at Reiek in Mamit District.
• The festival is being organized by the Department of Tourism of Mizoram.

About Mizoram:

Chief Minister: Zoramthanga

Governor: Kambhampati Hari Babu

India Sri Lanka ferry service started after 40 years

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe inaugurated a ferry service connecting India and Sri Lanka.
• The ferry plies between Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu and Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka’s Jaffna.

About Sri Lanka:

Capitals: Colombo, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte

Prime Minister: Dinesh Chandra Rupasinghe Gunawardena

 APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

HP Appoints Ipsita Dasgupta as Senior Vice President & MD for India

• Ipsita Dasgupta as the Senior Vice President & Managing Director for its India market.
• Dasgupta’s role will encompass overseeing all facets of HP’s strategy and profitability in the India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka regions.

About Hewlett-Packard (HP):

Headquarters: Palo Alto, California, United States;

President: Enrique Lores.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

National Police Commemoration Day 2023 Celebrates on 21 October

• On October 21, 1959, ten courageous Policemen laid down their lives in a fierce ambush by heavily armed Chinese troops at Hot Springs in Ladakh.

 SUMMITS AND MOU’S

IRCTC Partners With Zomato For Delivery Of Pre-Booked Meals

• As part of this groundbreaking partnership, IRCTC has launched a Proof of Concept (PoC) at five prominent railway stations: New Delhi, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Varanasi.
• This PoC allows passengers to order and receive pre-ordered meals through the IRCTC E-Catering portal, with the assistance of Zomato.

About Zomato:

Owners: Info Edge, Ant Group

Founders: Deepinder Goyal, Akriti Chopra, Gunjan Patidar, Pankaj Chaddah

Founded: July 2008; 15 years ago

Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana, India

About IRCTC:

Founder: Ministry of Railways

Headquarters: New Delhi

Founded: 27 September 1999

Owner: Government of India (67%)

 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Gujarat’s Dhordo Awarded UNWTO’s Best Tourism Village 2023

• Dhordo in Gujarat has garnered international recognition after it secured a place on the list of the 54 best tourism villages announced by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

About Gujarat:

Chief Minister: Bhupendrabhai Patel

Governor: Acharya Devvrat

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

RBI Approves Kotak Mahindra Bank To Acquire MFI Sonata Finance

• Kotak Mahindra Bank has received the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) approval to acquire 100% stake in micro-lender Sonata Finance.

About Kotak Mahindra Bank:

Founder: Uday Kotak

Founded: 21 November 1985

Headquarters: Mumbai

About RBI:

Governor: Shaktikanta Das

Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata

Founder: British Raj

RBI initiates Pilot Run to Test E-Rupee for Inter-Bank Borrowing

• Initiating a pilot run to test the E-Rupee, a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), for inter-bank borrowing.
• The pilot project is believed to have been introduced via nine prominent banks, which were already part of the G-Sec pilot. These banks include:

1. State Bank of India
2. Bank of Baroda
3. Union Bank of India
4. HDFC Bank
5. ICICI Bank
6. Kotak Mahindra Bank
7. Yes Bank
8. IDFC Bank
9. HSBC

About RBI:

Governor: Shaktikanta Das

Founded: 1 April 1935, Kolkata

Founder: British Raj