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 AFFAIRSCLOUD TODAY
Current Affairs 18 October 2023 : Headlines

❖ MoEF&CC launches Green Credit Program & Ecomark Scheme to Encourage Eco-Friendly Actions
❖ NSDC & Coca-Cola India Partners to launch Super Power Retailer Program
❖ Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania’s State
Visit to India, October 8-10, 2023
❖ East Coast Sagar Kavach 02-23: Coastal Security Exercise held in AP, TN & Puducherry
❖ Forbes’ India’s 100 Richest 2023: Mukesh Ambani Top the List with USD 92 Billion
❖ RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das receives award for A+ ranking in Global Finance’s Central Banker
Report Cards 2023
❖ Daniel Noboa Becomes Youngest President Elect of Ecuador
❖ Christopher Luxon Elected as the 42nd PM of New Zealand
❖ Mohammed Shami Appointed as Brand Ambassador of Puma India
❖ NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft was Launched to Study Metal Asteroid ‘Psyche’
❖ Padma Vibhushan Awardee & 11th CEC of India MS Gill Passed Away
❖ Martti Ahtisaari, Former Finnish President & Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Passed Away
❖ Oscar & Emmy-Nominated American Actress Piper Laurie Passed Away
❖ World White Cane Day 2023 – October 15
❖ World Students Day 2023- October 15
❖ World Food Day 2023 – October 16

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 NATIONAL AFFAIRS
MoEF&CC launches Green Credit Program & Ecomark Scheme to Encourage Eco-Friendly
Actions
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched 2 new initiatives, Green Credit
Program (GCP) and the Ecomark Scheme to encourage sustainable practices rooted in tradition and
conservation and promote the ideas of ‘LiFE’ – ‘Lifestyle for Environment’ movement.

• These 2 initiatives includes India’s pro-active approach of climate change, sustainability and
promotion of eco-conscious practices.
About Green Credit Program (GCP): Incentivizing Environmental Actions
Green Credit Program (GCP) was notified on 12th October 2023. It is an innovative market-based mechanism
designed to incentivize voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors, by various stakeholders.
• GCP is independent of the carbon credit provided under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023
under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• The MoEF&CC have made a set of rules called “Green Credit Rules, 2023” in exercise of the powers
conferred by section 3, section 6 and section 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of
1986).
Objectives of GCP:
• To promote positive actions through market based mechanism and generate green credit. These
credits are tradable and can be made available for trading on a domestic market platform.
• The green credit will arise from taking measures by a person of any environment activities referred
to in sub-rule (2) of rule 4.
• This will encourage the industries to meet the obligations under any law and to undertake voluntary
environmental measures referred to in rule 4 by generating or buying green credit.
Administrator:
Dehradun, Uttarakhand-based Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), a Society
registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, is the administrator of the Green Credit Rule 2023.
• The administrator will be responsible for program implementation, management, monitoring, and
operation.
Inter-ministerial Steering Committee:
The Steering Committee constituted by the Central Government will be responsible for the monitoring of the
implementation of the GCP.
• It will comprise of representatives from the Ministries or Departments, experts from the field of
environment, industry associations and other relevant stakeholders.
Technical Committee:
Technical Committee constituted by the Central Government, based on the recommendations of the
Administrator, for each activity to assist the Administrator in implementation of GCP.

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Key Points:
i.The ICFRE along with experts will establish or develop
• Green Credit Registry- for the registration and issuance of each Green Credit.
• Trading platform – which will perform functions regarding the trading of green credit, in accordance
with the guidelines made by the Administrator and
• · Knowledge and data platform – for providing transparency on various activities being undertaken
and for reporting sectoral progress under these rules
ii.The activities of the Administrator, designated agency, Registry, trading platform and knowledge and data
platform will be audited within a period of one year at the end of every third financial year by independent
auditors to be appointed by the Central Government on the recommendation of the Steering Committee.
Green Credits:
i.In its initial phase, the GCP focuses on two key activities: water conservation and afforestation.
• Overall, it will cover 8 types of activities viz. tree plantation, water management, sustainable
agriculture, waste management, air pollution reduction, and mangrove conservation and
restoration.
ii.To earn Green Credits, one needs to register the activity at app/website www.moefcc-gcp.in. The
Administrator will verify it, using designated agencies or self-verification for small projects. After verification,
Green Credit certificate will be granted.
iii.The calculation of Green Credit will be based on equivalence of resource requirement, parity of scale, scope,
size, and other relevant parameters to achieve the desired environmental outcome
• Draft methodologies are being prepared for awarding Green Credits which will be notified for
stakeholder consultation.
About Ecomark Scheme: Promoting Eco-Friendly Products
Ecomark Scheme notified on 11th October 2023 succeed the previous rules notified in 1991. It provides
accreditation and labelling for household and consumer products that meet specific environmental criteria
while maintaining quality standards as per Indian norms
• MoEF&CC in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1), clause (ii) of sub-section 2 of
section 3, sub-section (1) of section 6, and sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986 notified Ecomark Certification Rules, 2023 for labeling of environment
friendly products.
What is Ecomark Scheme?
The scheme under the Ecomark Certification Rules, 2023, enables labelling of products with minimal
environmental impact, and encouraging consumers and manufacturers to choose eco-friendly options. These
rules ensure products meet environmental standards, focusing on factors like climate change impact, energy
use, waste generation, pollution, and hazardous substances.
• This means Products with the ECO Logo and ISI (Indian Standards Institution) Mark meet specific
environmental and quality criteria set by Indian Standards.
Objectives:
i.To support the principles of LiFE.
ii.To promote resource efficiency & circular economy
iii.To prevent misleading information on environmental aspects of products
Key Points:
i.The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) administers the Ecomark Scheme in partnership with Bureau
of Indian Standards (BIS), which is the national body for standards and certification.

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ii.The rules will be administered by the MoEF&CC while the governance of the Ecomark Rules for its effective
implementation will be done by the Steering Committee.
iii.The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/ Pollution Control Committee (PCC) shall create awareness about
the Ecomark Rules.
India Announces Definition of Green Hydrogen
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) notified the Green Hydrogen Standard for India which
sets emission limits for hydrogen production to be considered ‘Green,’ indicating it comes from renewable
sources.
• As per this, Green Hydrogen is now defined as ‘having a well-to-gate emission (i.e., including
water treatment, electrolysis, gas purification, drying and compression of hydrogen) of not
more than 2 kg CO2 equivalent / kg H2.’
• The scope of the definition encompasses both electrolysis-based and biomass-based hydrogen
production methods.
Key Points:
i.With this notification, India becomes one of the first few countries in the world to announce a definition of
Green Hydrogen.
ii.The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power will be the Nodal Authority for accreditation of
agencies for the monitoring, verification and certification for Green Hydrogen production projects.
Click Here for Official Notification
Recent Related News:
i.Justice Sheo Kumar Singh-I was appointed as the acting chairperson of National Green Tribunal (NGT) by
the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) with the effect from July 6, 2023 until
further notice. He succeeded Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel.
ii.On 20th July 2023, NITI Aayog in collaboration with energy and climate think-tank Vasudha Foundation
released the India Climate Energy Dashboard (ICED) 3.0 during the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) in
Goa. The ICED is the country’s one-stop platform for revamped online data center on energy, electric mobility,
climate and related economic datasets.
About Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):
Director General– Pramod Kumar Tiwari
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment– April 1, 1987

NSDC & Coca-Cola India Partners to launch Super Power Retailer Program
On October 15, 2023, the New Delhi, Delhi-based National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), working
under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has partnered with Coca-Cola
India to launch the Super Power Retailer Program under the Skill India Mission.

• This will empower the retailer community in the states of Odisha and Uttar Pradesh (UP).
• The program is being piloted in Odisha.

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Key People:
The partnership was announced in the presence of Union
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship (MSDE); Ved Mani Tiwari, CEO (Chief
Executive Officer), NSDC; and Sanket Ray, President, Coca-Cola
India & Southwest Asia.
Super Power Retailer Program:
i.Under the partnership, NSDC will also assist Coca-Cola India in
expanding the Skill India Digital (SID) program by developing
industry-specific training content, recruiting trainers, and
providing necessary training infrastructure for a seamless
learning experience.
ii.Super Power Retailer will empowerSmall and micro retailers
with training to expand businesses and enhance consumer
experiences.
iii.under this initiative, around 1.40 crore retailers will get 14 hours of quality retail training via Skill India
Digital (SID) Portal.
• Training includes classroom sessions an app-based Learning Management System (LMS) and digital
modules accessible on mobile devices.
iv.Topics cover business strategies, digital platform usage, and planning implementation.
v.These training modules will be available in multiple languages.

Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania’s State
Visit to India, October 8-10, 2023
President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania visited India at invitation of President Droupadi Murmu from
October 8-10, 2023. The events took place at Kaushal Bhawan,New Moti Bagh in New Delhi,Delhi. She was
accompanied by a high-level delegation including the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation
Hon. January Makamba (MP).

• She also attended the India-Tanzania Business and Investment Forum on October 10, 2023.
• The two countries inked six agreements providing for cooperation in the digital domain, culture,
sports, maritime industries and white shipping information sharing.
India and Tanzania Sign 6 MoUs
The two leaders elevated the Indo-Tanzania relationship to a ‘Strategic Partnership,’ focusing on areas such as
maritime security, defense cooperation, development partnership, and trade and investment.

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MoUs and Agreements exchanged:
Representative from Representative from
S.No. Name of MoU/Agreement Tanzanian side Indian side
Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry
of Electronics and Information Technology of the
Republic of India and the Ministry of Information, H.E. Nape M. Nnauye,
Communication and Information Technology of the Minister for Information,
United Republic of Tanzania on cooperation in the field Communication and Dr. S. Jaishankar,
of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at Information Technology Minister of External
population scale for digital transformation of Tanzania Affairs of India
H.E. Mr. January Y.
Technical Agreement between The Indian Navy of the Makamba,
Republic of India and Tanzania Shipping Agencies Minister for Foreign Dr. S. Jaishankar,
Corporation of the United Republic of Tanzania on Affairs and East African Minister of External
2 Sharing White Shipping Information Cooperation of Tanzania Affairs of India
Cultural Exchange Programme between the H.E. January Y. Makamba,
Government of the Republic of India and the Minister for Foreign Dr. S. Jaishankar,
Government of the United Republic of Tanzania Affairs and East African Minister of External
3 for the Years 2023-2027 Cooperation of Tanzania Affairs of India
H.E. Mr. January Y.
Makamba,
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Minister for Foreign Dr. S. Jaishankar,
National Sports Council of Tanzania and Sports Affairs and East African Minister of External
4 Authority of India on cooperation in the field of sports Cooperation of Tanzania Affairs of India
MoU between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority under H.E. Prof. Kitila A.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of the Mkumbo,
Republic of India and Tanzania Investment Centre of Minister of State, Planning Dr. S. Jaishankar,
the United Republic of Tanzania for setting up of an and Investment of Minister of External
5 Industrial Park in Tanzania Tanzania Affairs of India
Amb. Ms. Anisa K. Shri Binaya Srikanta
MoU between Cochin Shipyard Ltd. of India and Mbega,High Pradhan, High
Marine Services Company Limited (MSCL) of Commissioner of Commissioner of
6 Tanzania on Cooperation in Maritime Industry Tanzania to India India to Tanzania
Five-Year Roadmap for Defense Cooperation:
India and Tanzania have agreed on a five-year plan to enhance bilateral defense cooperation, focusing on areas
such as infrastructure development and collaboration in military equipment and technology.
i.The 2nd Joint Defence Cooperation Committee(JDCC) meeting in Arusha on June 28-29, 2023, yielded a
five-year defense cooperation plan, highlighting expanded collaboration, such as the deployment of the Indian
Military Training Team in Tanzania.
ii.Tanzania also expressed appreciation for the deployment of the Indian Military Training Team (IMTT) at the
Command and Staff College in Duluti.
iii.Two successful Defense Expos in Dar es Salaam on May 31, 2022, and October 2, 2023, with Indian defense
company participation, have sparked enthusiasm for expanding defense industry cooperation.
India and Tanzania Sign MoUs in Maritime and Sports; Indian Navy to Share White Shipping
Information.
India and Tanzania emphasized the need for mutual coordination to address challenges in maritime security,
piracy, and drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean region. They expressed satisfaction with the first-ever India-
Tanzania Joint Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance exercise in July 2023, coinciding with the visit of
the Indian Naval Ship Trishul to Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam.
They also commended the first-ever trilateral maritime exercise involving India, Tanzania, and
Mozambique in the Mozambique Channel during the visit of the Indian Naval Ship Tarkash in October 2022.

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India exploring trade in local currencies with Tanzania
India and Tanzania are exploring trade in local currencies as part of their efforts to boost trade and
investment. Both countries consider each other important partners in trade and investment.
i.The Reserve Bank of India has allowed authorized banks to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVA) for
correspondent banks of Tanzania to facilitate transactions in local currencies (i.e., Indian Rupee and Tanzanian
Shilling).
ii.The bilateral trade between India and Tanzania stands at USD 6.4 billion of which India’s exports alone
amount to USD 3.9 billion and imports worth USD 2.4 billion in 2022-23, with India being the fifth-largest
investor in Tanzania with about USD 3.7 billion in investments covering a range of sectors.
• Tanzanian side acknowledged that India is amongst its top five investment sources, whereby 630
investment projects worth USD 3.74 billion have been registered and thus creating 60,000 new jobs.
iii.It was specifically noted that Water Projects in 24 towns of Tanzania worth USD 500 Million through a Line
of Credit scheme are presently being implemented.
iv.Both sides recognised that agriculture sector cooperation remains a strong pillar in the relations whereby
98% of product lines from Tanzania are imported tariff-free using India’s Duty Free Tariff Preference (DFTP)
scheme.
• India remains a major destination for Tanzanian cashew nuts, pigeon peas, spices, avocado and
other agricultural commodities.
Other Key Points:
i.India and Tanzania have bolstered bilateral engagement, notably on global and regional matters, including the
Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) ‘s Indo-Pacific Outlook.
• Both countries, linked by history and maritime proximity, hold significant roles in India’s Security
and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) vision. Tanzania’s participation in India’s annual
Humanitarian Assistance Disaster Relief (HADR) exercises was also welcomed.
ii.The two sides also expressed satisfaction on Lines of Credits (LoCs) extended by India to Tanzania that
amount to over USD 1.1 billion covering fields of drinking water infrastructure, agriculture and defence.
iii.India offers 450 Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) scholarships for capacity building and
70 Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) scholarships for long term programmes in 2023-24.
• The Indian side announced the decision to increase the number of Long term scholarships (ICCR)
from 70-85 for the year 2023-24.
iv.The Indian side offered collaboration in areas of space technologies and digital public infrastructure (DPI)
under India Stack including Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Digital Unique Identity (Aadhar).
v.Tanzania commended the decision by India to set up 2 ICT Centres at Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology
and at Nelson Mandela African Institute for Science & Technology (NMAIST) in Arusha. Tanzanian side also
express its appreciation to India for upgrading the ICT centre in NM-AIST.
vi.First overseas campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Zanzibar, with classes for the first batch
starting soon.
vii. 10 ambulances by the Government of India to Tanzania aimed at assisting in the provision of prompt
medical care to patients and support to hospital infrastructure.
viii.Donation of radiation therapy machine, “Bhabhatron II“, essential medicines, an artificial limbs fitment
camp organized in 2019 which benefited 520 Tanzanian patients among others.
xi.Signing of the Cultural Exchange Program for the 2023-27 periods.
• The Indian side extended an invitation to Tanzania to be a partner country in the upcoming
Surajkund Mela to be held in February 2024 in Surajkund, Faridabad, National Capital Region of
Delhi.
x.G20 Leaders welcomed the African Union (AU) as the permanent member of the G20.

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Tanzania’s President Hassan Granted Honorary Doctorate by JNU, the First Woman to Receive
This Honour
Samia Suluhu Hassan, the first female President of Tanzania, received an honorary doctorate from
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The recognition was for her contributions to strengthening India-Tanzania
relations, promoting economic diplomacy, and regional integration.
The honorary doctorate, Honoris Causa, was presented by JNU’s Vice
Chancellor, Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit.
i.President Hassan mentioned her educational experience in India, particularly at the National Institute of Rural
Development and Panchayati Raj in Hyderabad, where she received training under the Indian Technical and
Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program.
• ITEC is a capacity-building programme offered by the Ministry of External Affairs under which
officials and civilians receive training in the defence sector.
ii.She also mentioned that JNU has a Centre for African Studies that began in 1969, which in 2009 became a
specialized centre and the Nelson Mandela Chair, established by the Ministry of External Affairs.
About Tanzania
Capital – Dodoma
Currency – Tanzanian shilling
President – Samia Suluhu Hassan
Prime Minister – Kassim Majaliwa

East Coast Sagar Kavach 02-23: Coastal Security Exercise held in AP, TN & Puducherry
East Coast Sagar Kavach 02-23, a two-day comprehensive Coastal Security Exercise was conducted in Andhra
Pradesh(AP), Tamil Nadu(TN) and Puducherry(PY) from 11-12 October 2023 to assess the efficacy and
robustness of the coastal security system in responds to unconventional threats from the sea.
• About 2500 personnel including from Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, State and Union Territory
Administration, Marine Police, Fisheries, Customs, International Agencies, Light Houses, Ports
Forest etc were engaged in the exercise.
• The Joint Operations Centre (East) in Visakhapatnam(AP) is the nodal hub to monitor all coastal
security operations and exercises in area of operations.
• The exercise was executed under Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-
Chief (FOC-in-C), Eastern Naval Command(ENC), He is also the Commander-in-Chief, Coastal
Defence (East).
• Indian Navy ships, Coast Guard assets, and other coastal security agencies were deployed to increase
surveillance in the area.
• Enhanced security measures were put in place, and Dornier aircraft and helicopters from
Visakhapatnam, Chennai(Tamil Nadu), and Ramnathapuram(Tamil Nadu) conducted extensive
aerial surveillance.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Forbes’ India’s 100 Richest 2023: Mukesh Ambani Top the List with USD 92 Billion
Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Ltd. topped the Forbes India’s
100 Richest 2023 List with USD 92 Billion. Mukesh Ambani regains the ‘Richest Indian’ title after he slipped to
second spot in 2022.
• With a net worth of USD 68 Billion, Gautam Adani of Adani Enterprises slipped to the second rank
from the first in 2022 and Shiv Nadar of HCL Technologies ranked 3rd with a net worth of USD 29.3
Billion.

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 • Savitri Jindal of the O.P. Jindal Group is India’s richest woman with a net worth of USD 24 billion.
She ranked 4th in the list with net worth of USD 24 Billion.
• Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of the trading platform Zerodha, is the youngest billionaire at the age of
37. He ranked at 40th position along with his Brother Nithin(44 years old) with a net worth of USD
5.5 Billion.
Top 10 Richest Indians:
Net worth Net worth
Rank Name (in USD Billion) (in Rupees) Company
1 Mukesh Ambani 92 Rs 7,65,348.00 crore Reliance Industries
2 Gautam Adani 68 Rs 5,65,692.00 crore Adani Enterprises
3 Shiv Nadar 29.3 Rs 2,43,746.70 crore HCL Technologies
4 Savitri Jindal 24 Rs 1,99,656.00 crore O.P. Jindal Group
5 Radhakishan Damani 23 Rs 1,91,337.00 crore Avenue Supermarts
6 Cyrus Poonawalla 20.7 Rs 1,72,203.30 Serum Institute of India
7 Hinduja Family 20 Rs 1,66,380.00 crore Ashok Leyland
8 Dilip Shanghvi 19 Rs 1,58,061.00 crore Sun Pharmaceutical Industries
9 Kumar Birla 17.5 Rs 1,45,582.50 crore Aditya Birla Group
10 Shapoor Mistry & Family 16.9 Rs 1,40,591.10 crore Shapoorji Pallonji Group
Keypoints:
i. The combined wealth of India’s top 100 richest individuals in 2023 stands at USD799 billion which is less
compared to the USD 800 Billion in 2022.
ii.The minimum net worth to enter the list has reached an all-time high of USD 2.3 billion.
iii. Totally 9 women were featured in Forbes India’s 100 richest list in 2023.
• Savitri Jindal (4th)
• Rekha Jhunjhunwala(28th)-stock market investor
• Vinod Gupta (30th) ranked along with her son Anil Rai Gupta of Havells India
• Renuka Jagtiani(44th) of Landmark Group
• Leena Tewari(45th) of USV India
• Mallika Srinivasan(83rd) of TAFE-Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited
• Anu Aga(87th) of Thermax
• Falguni Nayar(88th) of Nykaa
• Kiran Mazumdar Shaw(92nd) of Biocon
New Entrants:
The three new billionaires entered the Forbes India Rich List in 2023 and it includes
• The Dani family of Asian Paints at 22nd rank with USD 8 Billion.

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 • Renuka Jagtiani, chairwoman of Landmark Group, a Dubai-headquartered retailing giant, ranked
44th with USD 4.8 Billion.
• KP Ramasamy, founder and chairman of KPR Mill is ranked 100th with USD 2.3 Billion.
NTPC Featured in Forbes “World’s Best Employers 2023” List:
NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation ranked 261st out of the top 700
companies in the Forbes “World’s Best Employers 2023” list and it is the only Indian Public Sector
Undertaking (PSU) featured in the list.
• NTPC is India’s largest power utility company
with an installed capacity of 73,824 Megawatt
(MW) and plans to become a 130 Gigawatt (GW)
company by 2032.
• It was Established in 1975.
World’s Best Employers 2023:
Rank Name Country
1 Samsung Electronics South Korea
2 Microsoft United States
3 Alphabet United States
261 NTPC Limited India
Forbes World’s Best Employers List 2023
About Forbes World’s Best Employers List:
i.Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista for the seventh annual list of the World’s Best
Employers.
ii.The list identifies companies that offer exciting work and a positive environment.
Recent Related News:
i.76 entries from India are featured among the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2023. The Indian winners
include Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra(25), Co-founders of
Genrobotic Innovations(Kerala) Arun George(29); Vimal Govind MK(28); Rashid Karimbanakkal(28); Nikhil
NP(29), and Elwinder Singh(29), cofounder of Connect and Heal.
ii.“360 One Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2023”, the 12th–anniversary edition of Hurun India Rich List
released in association with 360 One Wealth, is topped by Mukesh Ambani(66), Chairman of Reliance
Industries limited(RIL).Mukesh Ambani has regained the title as India’s richest man with a wealth of Rs
8,08,700 crore.
About Forbes:
Forbes is a global media company, focusing on business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership,
and lifestyle.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Mike Federle
Headquarters- New Jersey, the United States of America (USA)
Founded in – 1917

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das receives award for A+ ranking in Global Finance’s Central
Banker Report Cards 2023
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das was awarded the “Best Central Bank Award 2023” for
being ranked ‘A+’ in the Global Finance Central Banker Report Cards 2023. The award was presented
during the 30th annual World’s Best Banks Awards ceremony held at Marakesh, Morocco.
• Shaktikanta Das was rated as A+ in Global Finance’s Central Banker Report Cards 2023.
Other A+ rated governors:
Thomas J. Jordan, the Governor of Swiss National Bank (SNB) and Nguyen Thi Hong, the Governor of State

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Bank of Vietnam(SBV) were also rated A+ in Central Banker Report Cards 2023.
Central Banker Report Cards:
i.The Central Banker Report Cards is an annual publication by Global Finance magazine that grades the central
bank governors of 101 key countries, territories, and districts.
ii.The grades are based on a scale from A to F, with A representing excellent performance and F representing
outright failure.
iii.The grades are based on the central bank governors’ success in inflation control, economic growth goals,
currency stability, and interest rate management.
iv.The Central Banker Report Cards recognize central bank governors who have developed and implemented
original, creative, and tenacious strategies that have outperformed their peers.
Global Finance was founded in 1987 and headquartered in New York, United States of America(USA).

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Daniel Noboa Becomes Youngest President Elect of Ecuador
Daniel Noboa, a 35-year-old businessman and a member of National Democratic Action, won the 2023 General
Election of Ecuador defeating Luisa González of the Citizen Revolution Movement.

• With this victory, Daniel Noboa becomes the Youngest ever President elect of Ecuador.
• Daniel Noboa is scheduled to be sworn in on 25 November 2023 succeeding the outgoing President
Guillermo Lasso.
• He will serve out the term of Guillermo Lasso, which will end in May 2025.
Background:
i.Normally, the presidential terms in Ecuador is 4 years long.
ii.The outgoing President Guillermo Lasso(President since 2021) dissolved the National Assembly by decree in
May 2023, during an impeachment trial and prompted an early election.
Note:
• The President is directly elected by absolute majority vote in up to two rounds. The President may
serve up to two 4-year terms.
• All 137 members of the National Assembly are directly elected and serve 4-year terms.
Outcome of the Election:
i.At the run-off elections held on 15 October 2023, with more than 97% of votes counted, Daniel Noboa, a
centrist, had a lead of 4% points over his left-wing rival, Luisa González.
• He received 52.29% of the total votes, against rival Luisa González’s 47.71%
ii.Following the dissolution of the National Assembly, President Guillermo Lasso now has a window of up to 6
months to govern via decree.
iii.The allotted 6-month window for governance serves as a transitional phase preceding the scheduling of new
general elections.

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About Daniel Noboa:
i.Daniel Noboa is the son of Ecuador’s richest man, banana tycoon, Alvaro Noboa, who himself unsuccessfully
stood for elections multiple times.
ii.He entered politics in 2021, when he was elected to the National Assembly of Ecuador as a representative of
Santa Elena province for the United Ecuadorian movement.
iii.He was positioned as a member of the National Assembly of Ecuador from 2021 to 2023 and chaired its
Economic Development Commission.
iv.Before entering politics, he established himself as a businessman, founding his own company at the age of 18,
DNA Entertainment Group, an event organising company.
v.He also served as the Shipping Director and commercial and logistics director of Noboa Corporation between
2010 and 2018.
About Ecuador:
Capital– Quito
President– Guillermo Lasso
Currency– United States Dollar (US Dollar)

Christopher Luxon Elected as the 42nd PM of New Zealand

Christopher Luxon has been elected as the 42nd Prime Minister(PM) of New Zealand. He belongs to (and the
leader of) central-right National Party of New Zealand.

• He will succeed Labour Party’s Chris Hipkins who was appointed the 41st PM of New Zealand in
January 2023.
About Christopher Luxon:
i.Christopher Luxon was born on 19th July, 1970 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
ii.He joined Air New Zealand as a Group General Manager in 2011 and promoted to the post of Cheif Executive
Officer(CEO) in 2013.
iii.In 2008 to 2011, he has been CEO of Unilever(Canada).
Political Entry:
i.He joined New Zealand National Party in 2019 as a Candidate for Botany Downs, Auckland in New Zealand.
ii.He became Member of Parliament(MP) in 2020 by defeating Naisi Chen of Labour Party.
iii.In 2021, he became the leader of the National Party and served as Leader of the Opposition.
About the Election:
i.New Zealanders went to the polls on October 14, 2023, to elect the 54th Parliament.
• There are six parliamentary parties represented in the Parliament by 121(MPs).
• These members represent 65 general electorate seats, 7 Māori electorate seats, and 49 party list
seats.
ii.The official results will be released on November 3, 2023,once overseas and special votes(20% of the total
votes) have been counted.
iii.As of now, The National Party has won 50 seats and its ally, ACT party(headed by David Seymour), have won
11.

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 • With a one-seat majority in the New Zealand Parliament, National Party(along with ACT) will form
the government.
iv.The Labour Party has only won 34 seats.
About New Zealand:
Prime Minister – Chris Hipkins
Capital – Wellington
Currency – New Zealand Dollar

Mohammed Shami Appointed as Brand Ambassador of Puma India

Puma India has roped in Indian right-arm fast bowler fast bowler Mohammed Shami Ahmed as its brand
ambassador.
• As part of this partnership, Shami will promote Puma’s shoes, clothing, and accessories through
various activities and campaigns.
About Mohammed Shami Ahmed:
i.Shami made his international debut in a One Day International (ODI) against Pakistan in January 2013,
bowling four maiden overs.
ii.In December 2021, he became the third fastest Indian pacer with the least number of deliveries to take 200
Test wickets.
iii.He holds the record of most consecutive four wickets in an innings in One Day Internationals.
iv.He plays domestically for Bengal and, in the Indian Premier League, for Gujarat Titans.
Noted Ambassadors of Puma:
• Cricketer Virat Kohli (India)
• Sprinter Usain Bolt (Jamaica)
• Footballers Neymar Jr(Brazil) and Sunil Chhetri(India)
• Boxer MC Mary Kom(India)
• Cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur(India) and Harleen Deol (India)
• Para-shooter Avani Lekhara (India)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft was Launched to Study Metal Asteroid ‘Psyche’
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched a Psyche Spacecraft to an
interplanetary transfer orbit by using SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39a (LC-39a) at
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States of America (USA) on 13th October 2023.

• After escaping Earth’s gravity, Psyche Spacecraft will use solar electric propulsion to accomplish its
six-year journey to the asteroid called ‘Psyche’ which is orbiting the Sun between Mars and
Jupiter. .

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About Psyche Mission:
i.This is NASA’s first mission to study an asteroid that has more
metal than rock or ice. .
ii.NASA selected the Psyche mission on January 2017, as one of
two missions for its Discovery Program.
• The Discovery Program is a series of relatively low-
cost missions to explore the solar system.
iii.The mission is led by Arizona State University of USA.
iv.The Psyche mission will also test a new communication
technology called Deep Space Optical Communication (DSOC).
• DSOC uses lasers to encode data in photons, which
are then transmitted between a spacecraft in deep
space and Earth.
• DSOC will test optical, or laser, communications
beyond the Moon.
About Psyche spacecraft:
i.The Psyche spacecraft is built by Maxar Technologies Inc. of USA.
ii.The spacecraft will travel to the asteroid using solar-electric (low-thrust) propulsion, following a Mars flyby
and gravity-assist.
iii.It will reach the asteroid by 2029.
iv.After arriving, the spacecraft will map the asteroid and study its properties.
Equipments:
i.Psyche’s most of the telecommunications systems are manufactured by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of
NASA.
ii.The spacecraft is equipped with
• Four antennas(for communication with earth),
• Multispectral imager with a pair of identical cameras and telescopic lenses (to take the picture
of the surface of the asteroid).
iii.To study the chemical elements of asteroid’s surface material, it is provided with gamma-ray and neutron
spectrometer.
iv.Magnetometer will look for evidence of an ancient magnetic field at asteroid Psyche.
About Psyche asteroid:
i.Psyche is a giant metal rich asteroid, discovered by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis in 1852.
• It’s named after the goddess of the soul in ancient Greek mythology, depicted as a butterfly-winged
female figure.
ii.It is an irregular, potato-like shaped asteroid located at the distance ranging from 235 million to 309
million miles (378 million to 497 million kilometers) from the Sun.
• The asteroid dimension is 173 miles (280 kilometers) width and 144 miles (232 kilometers) long.
iii.It is made up of a mixture of rock and metal, with metal composing 30% to 60% of its volume.
iv.Psyche is also called as 16 Psyche, as it was the 16th asteroid to be discovered.
Why Psyche is important?
i.Psyche is made up of a lot of metal from the core of a planetesimal, which is one of the small building blocks of
our solar system.
ii.It is believed that Psyche is likely a survivor of many violent collisions that were common when the solar
system was forming.
iii.So, exploring Psyche will give insights into the early history of our solar system and the formation of planets.
iv.The mission aims to find whether Psyche is remnant core material, how old it is, whether it formed in
conditions similar to the Earth’s core, and what its surface is like.

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 OBITUARY
Padma Vibhushan Awardee & 11th CEC of India MS Gill Passed Away
Padma Vibhushan Awardee and the 11th Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Dr. Manohar Singh
Gill (MS Gill), passed away in New Delhi, Delhi at the age of 87. He was born on June 14, 1936, in undivided
Punjab. He had a distinguished career as an Indian bureaucrat, politician, and writer.

About MS Gill:
i.MS Gill was a 1958 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Punjab cadre.
• He served as Agriculture Secretary of Punjab from 1985 to 1987 and later as a Union Agriculture
Secretary in the 1990s.
ii.He has also served as the CEC of India between December 1996 and June 2001. During his tenure as CEC, the
Election Commission of India (ECI) successfully conducted the:
• General elections to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998 and the 13th Lok Sabha in 1999;
• 11th Presidential polls and Vice-Presidential elections in 1997; and
• Polls to assemblies in more than 20 states.
iii. He also played a major role in the introduction of Indian electronic voting machines(EVM), the replacement
of the ballot box .
• EVM’s were first used in 1982 in the By-election to the North Paravur Assembly constituency in
Kerala.
• EVM was developed by the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd. (ECIL), Hyderabad(Telangana). The
Bharat Electronic Ltd. (BEL), Bengaluru(Karnataka) was co-opted to to manufacture EVMs.
iv.He joined the Indian National Congress (INC) Party in 2004 and served as a Member of Parliament (MP) –
Rajya Sabha representing Punjab from 2004 to 2016.
• He held positions as Minister of State(MoS) in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports(MoYAS), and
the Ministry of Statistics and Programme.
v.He has also served as the President of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation(1993-99)and Himalayan Club
(1999-2005). He has also served as the as the President emeritus of Himalayan club since 2013.
Awards/Honours:
i.MS Gill was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2000 for his exceptional and distinguished services as a civil
servant.
ii.He received the Nishan-e-Khalsa honour on the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa. It is a testament to his deep-
rooted connections and contributions to the Sikh community.
Books:
Himalayan Wonder: Travels in Lahaul and Spiti (1972) and Tales from the Hills: Lahaul’s Enduring Myths and
Legends (2014).

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Martti Ahtisaari, Former Finnish President & Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Passed Away
Nobel Peace Laureate, Martti Ahtisaari, who served as the 10th President of Finland (1994 to 2000),
passed away at the age of 86 in Helsinki, Finland. He was born on 23 June 1937, Viipuri (now Vyborg, Russia),
Finland.

About Martti Ahtisaari:

i.MarttiAhtisaari joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in 1965, holding various posts in the
Ministry’s Bureau for Technical Co-operation from 1965 to 1972, and also served as Assistant Director from
1971 to 1972.
ii.He was also a member of the Government Advisory Committee on Trade and Industrialisation Affairs of
Developing Countries from 1971 to 1973.
iii.He assumed the role of the Ambassador of Finland to the United Republic of Tanzania from 1973 to 1976,
with additional accreditation to Zambia, Somalia, and Mozambique from 1975 to 1976.
iv.He first served as a member of the Senate of the United Nations (UN) Institute for Namibia between 1975
and 1976.
• He acted as UN Commissioner for Namibgia from 1977 to 1981. In July 1978 he was appointed
Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SG) for Namibia.
• He led the UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia from 1989 to 1990. His first peace-
making task resulted in the independence of Namibia.
• Between 1987 and 1991, he was the Under-SG of the UN for administration and management.
v.In 1994, Finland’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) nominated him to run for the presidency and he became
Finland’s first directly-elected president. He held office from March 1, 1994, to February 29, 2000.
vi.Later in 2000, he founded the Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), a non-governmental organisation of which
he was Chairman of the Board.
• On 1 May 2021, CMI transferred all its operations to the new legal structure CMI – Martti Ahtisaari
Peace Foundation.
vii.Between 14 November 2005 and 29 February 2008, he was a Special Envoy to the SG of the UN for the
future status process for Kosovo.
Awards:
i.In 2000, he was awarded the Hessian Peace Prize for his mediation efforts to end the Kosovo War.
ii.In 2008, Martti Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his important efforts, on several continents
and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts.
• He played a key role in negotiating peacein in multiple countries, including Namibia, Kosovo,
Indonesia and Northern Ireland.
iii.He was awarded the UNESCO Félix Houphöuet-Boigny Peace Prize in 2008 for his lifetime contribution to
world peace.
Books:
Finns in the United Nations (1996); Can the international community meet the challenges ahead of us? (2009);
Global Disorders: A New Global Order? (Co-author, 2014).

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Oscar & Emmy-Nominated American Actress Piper Laurie Passed Away
American actress Piper Laurie passed away in Los Angeles(LA), the United States of America(USA). She was
born “Rosetta Jacobs” in 1932 at Michigan, USA. She was nominated 9 times for an Emmy and 3 times for an
Academy Award(Oscar).
• She got her first Oscar nomination in 1961 for the movie “The Hustler”. Later she was nominated for
two more movies namely “Carrie,” (1976) and “Children of a Lesser God” (1986)
• She won the Emmy Award in 1987 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special
for “Promise Hallmark Hall of Fame”.
• She also won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in 1991 for her role in ‘Twin Peaks’.

IMPORTANT DAYS
World White Cane Day 2023 – October 15
World White Cane Day, also known as White Cane Safety Day, is annually observed across the globe on 15th
October to promote accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities and to increase public awareness of
the rules of conduct for the visually impaired people.

Background:
i.In 1960s, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in the United States of America(USA) began advocating
for the use of the white cane as a symbol of independence and mobility for blind and visually impaired people.
• With the effort of NFB, the United States Congress issued a joint resolution to observe World White
Cane Day.
iii.The first World White Cane Day was observed on 15th October 1964 by then-US President Lyndon Baines
Johnson.
What is White Cane?
i.The white cane is a critical mobility tool for blind people that has been used for centuries.
ii.Along with cane, blind people use their hearing and touch senses to navigate their surroundings and perform
daily tasks easily.
iii.Over time, it has become more than just a tool, but a symbol of freedom, independence, and confidence for
them.
Observance in India:
i.World White Cane Day is observed in India by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE).
• It is the nodal department which oversees the development agenda of Persons with Disabilities.
ii.DEPwD conducted activities like Awareness Programmes, Seminars & Webinars, Interviews and Rally at
more than 30 places across India.
iii.A rally was also organised by National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual
Disabilities (NIEPVD).

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World Students Day 2023- October 15
World Students Day is annually observed on 15 October to commemorate the birth anniversary of the 11th
President of India (from 2002 to 2007) and the Missile Man of India Dr. A P J (Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen)
Abdul Kalam.

• 15 October 2023 marks the 92nd birth anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
About Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam:
i.Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
ii.As an aerospace Scientist, he worked with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
iii.He was elected as the President of India in 2002 and held the post till 2007. He was nominated by the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its National Democratic Alliance(NDA).
iv.After completing his term as President, he served as a visiting professor in various esteemed institutes and
universities of India, such as the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong (Meghalaya), Ahmedabad
(Gujarat) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh).
v.He passed away in Shillong, Meghalaya on 27th July 2015.
Noted positions held by Kalam:
i.He served as the Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and Secretary of the Department of Defence
Research & Development from July 1992 to December 1999.
ii.He served as the first Principal Scientific Advisor(PSA) to the Government of India (GoI), in the rank of
Cabinet Minister, from November 1999 to November 2001.
iii.He also served as the Chief Project Coordinator of the Pokhran-II nuclear tests, a series of 5 nuclear bomb
test explosions conducted by India at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range in May 1998.
iv.He was part of the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) committee working under
Vikram Sarabhai, the renowned space scientist.
Significant Works:
i.He played a major role as in the development of India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-
III) which successfully injected the Rohini satellite into the near-earth orbit in July 1980.
ii.He served as the Chief Executive of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) at the
DRDO. He was the key figure in the development of ballistic missiles like the Prithvi, and Agni.
Awards/Honours:
i.He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1981 for Civil Service and the Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for
Science and Engineering.
ii.In 1997, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna for Science and Engineering.
iii.Other awards include the Veer Savarkar Award (1998) and; the Indira Gandhi Award for National
Integration (1997); among others.
Books:
Wings of Fire: An Autobiography (1999); India 2020 – A Vision for the New Millennium (1998); Evolution of
Enlightened Societies (2006); My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions (2013); Turning Points: A
Journey Through Challenges (2014); Reignited: Scientific Pathways to a Brighter Future (2015).

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Tributes:
i.In 2005, Switzerland declared May 26 as the Science Day, dedicated to Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who had visited
Switzerland on this day.
ii.In 2015, the Odisha government announced renaming the outer Wheeler Island in Bhadrak district as APJ
Abdul Kalam Island.
• In 2017, the Odisha government formally named Wheeler Island as APJ Abdul Kalam Island, as a
tribute to APJ Abdul Kalam on his 2nd death anniversary.
iii.In 2023, Aurangzeb Lane in Lutyens’ Delhi has been officially renamed to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lane. The New
Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) workers in Delhi unveiled a signboard bearing the name of DR. APJ Abdul
Kalam.
• NMDC in 2015, changed the name of Aurangzeb Road to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road.

World Food Day 2023 – October 16

The United Nations (UN) World Food Day (WFD) is annually observed across the globe on 16 October to
highlight the millions of people worldwide who cannot afford a healthy diet and the need for regular access to
nutritious food.

• WFD also raises awareness of hunger and action for the future of food, people, and the planet and
also to ensure food security and combating hunger.
The day 16 October also commemorates the establishment of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of
the UN in 1945.
The 2023 theme of WFD is, ‘Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind.’
• The theme highlights the basic role of water in guaranteeing food security and focuses on the need
for water resources in our attempts to battle hunger and malnutrition, emphasizing the need to
ensure equitable access to water resources for all.
The observance of WFD is led by the FAO. WFD is one of the most celebrated days on the UN calendar.
Background:
i.WFD was established in 1979 during the 20th session of the Conference of FAO, held in Rome, Italy.
ii.On 5 December 1980, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/35/70
and proclaimed the 16th of October of every year as WFD.
iii.The first-ever WFD was observed on 16 October 1981.
World Food Day Events 2023:
i.The 2023 WFD events are taking place as part of the 2023 World Food Forum (WFF), a youth-led movement
and network to transform our agrifood systems.
• The 2023 WFF flagship events are scheduled from 16 to 20 October 2023 at the Headquarters of
FAO in Rome, Italy, and virtually.
• The event is comprised of the WFF Global Youth Forum, the FAO Science and Innovation Forum, and
the FAO Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum.
Note: WFF is committed to the theme: “Agrifood systems transformation accelerates climate action.”

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ii.The 2023 WFD events include the Presentation of FAO’s Achievement Award, Intergenerational Dialogue:
The modernisation of FAO, and the Inauguration of the WFD exhibit among others.
FAO Award for Achievement:
i.The FAO Conference, during its 42nd Session in June 2021, agreed to institute the “FAO Award for
Achievement.”
ii.This award, designed to be an integral part of the annual World Food Day celebrations, will be presented to
commendable entities or individuals, including FAO teams and employees.
iii.The Award is conferred for activities and programs with remarkable achievements conducted during the
biennium preceding the current year.
Nature of the Award:
• A scroll describing the achievements of the recipient institution and/or an award;
• A cash prize of USD 10,000.
Winners of FAO Award for Partnership 2023:
• Al-Shouf Cedar Society (ACS), Lebanon.
• The Nepal Agriculture Cooperative Central Federation Limited (NACCFL), Nepal.
Winners of FAO Award for Achievement 2023
Junior World Food Day 2023:
i.The 3rd edition of the hybrid Junior WFD event will take place on 19 October 2023.
ii.The event features Rodrigo Pacheco, FAO National Goodwill Ambassador for Ecuador; Diarmuid Gavin, FAO
National Goodwill Ambassador for Ireland;
• It also includes International food heroes and chefs, Fatmata Binta, Anahita Dhondy, Bela Gil,
Michael Haddad, Olivia Mandle, Max Mariola, and Matteo Ward.
iii.The event will accompanied by a live performance of the 2023 youth music video by Piccola Orchestra di Tor
Pignattara and friends.
Key Facts:
i.Agriculture accounts for 72% of global freshwater withdrawals, but only 2.5% of water is fresh, and suitable
for drinking, agriculture, and most industrial uses.
• 16% is used by industries; and 12% by municipalities for households and services.
• Global water demand for agriculture is expected to increase by 35% by 2050.
ii.Currently 2.4 billion people live in water-stressed countries, and approximately 10% of the global population
live in countries with high and critical water stress.
iii.Around 600 million people depend, at least partially, on aquatic food systems for a living.
iv.Almost 1 billion tonnes of food, 17% of all food available to consumers worldwide, are thrown away each
year. It results in the waste of water resources too.
• 95% of our food is produced on land and all begins with soil and water.
FSSAI Launches Eat Right Creativity Challenge for Millets on World Food Day 2023
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) marked WFD 2023 by launching the Eat Right
Creativity Challenge (ERCC), a national-level initiative for Millets (Shree Anna). It aims to encourage the
consumption of millet among school children to promote their health benefits and extend this knowledge to the
wider community.
• This initiative is part of efforts taken by FSSAI during the celebration of the International Year of
Millets (IYOM) 2023 to raise public awareness about the nutritional advantages of millets through
various means.
• Millets are known for their nutritional value and sustainability, making them a suitable choice for a
balanced diet.
Note: FSSAI is the apex food regulator of India under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Eat Right Creativity Challenge (ERCC):
i.It is part of FSSAI’s Eat Right India movement, which encourages students to adopt healthy dietary habits.
ii.This initiative also motivates schools to create an environment that promotes healthy and safe food practices.

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 • So far, 3 ERCCs have been successfully conducted in multiple phases, each with its unique theme.
iii.The initiative aims to empower young people as agents of change, capable of influencing the broader
community to make healthier food choices.
Awards:
Winners of the competition will receive cash prizes and certificates. A total of 160 prizes will be awarded at the
regional level, and an additional 40 prizes will be given at the national level for each of the 4 competitions.

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Example: In 'Important Days' topics the International
Organisations publish their reports and Rankings in the evenings, to
make sure every data is covered, we delay the topics to the next day

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