National
Kushinagar International Airport
⇒ Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport on 20th October 2021.
Key Points:
- The Airports Authority of India, in its continuous endeavour to upgrade airport infrastructure in the country, has developed the Kushinagar Airport with new terminal building spread across 3600sqm, at an estimated cost of Rs 260crore in association with Govt of Uttar Pradesh.
- The new terminal is equipped to handle 300 passengers during peak hours.
- Kushinagar is an International Buddhist Pilgrimage Centre, where Lord Gautam Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana.
- It is also the centre point of the Buddhist circuit, which consists of pilgrimage sites at Lumbini, Sarnath and Gaya.
- The airport will help in attracting more followers of Buddhism from home and abroad to Kushinagar and will enhance the development of Buddhist theme-based circuit. Journey of Lumbini, Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Rajgir, Sankisa and Vaishali of Buddhist circuit will be covered in lesser time.
Chairman & Managing Director of National Research Development Corporation
⇒ Commodore Amit Rastogi (Retd), after an illustrious career of 34 years in Indian Navy has taken over as Chairman & Managing Director of National Research Development Corporation on 18 October, 2021.
About NRDC:
NRDC is an enterprise of DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. It engages in the development, promotion and transfer of technologies emanating from various national R&D institutions.
Geospatial Energy Map of India
⇒ Geospatial Energy Map of India was launched by Dr Rajiv Kumar (Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog), Dr V K Saraswat (Member, NITI Aayog), and Shri Amitabh Kant (CEO, NITI Aayog) on 18 October 2021.
Developed by:
NITI Aayog in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India with the support of Energy Ministries of Government of India.
Aim:
It is a unique effort aimed at integrating energy data scattered across multiple organizations and to present it in a consolidated, visually appealing graphical manner.
Key Points:
- The GIS map provides a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country which enables visualisation of energy installations such as conventional power plants, oil and gas wells, petroleum refineries, coal fields and coal blocks, district-wise data on renewable energy power plants and renewable energy resource potential, etc through 27 thematic layers.
- The map attempts to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transportation/transmission networks to provide a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in a country.
- It leverages latest advancements in web-GIS technology and open-source software to make it interactive and user friendly.
- The Geospatial Energy Map of India will be useful in planning and making investment decisions.
- It will also aid in disaster management using available energy assets.
Aircraft Museum at Akkulam Tourist Village
⇒ On the occasion of the 89th anniversary of the Air Force, a museum to commemorate the event was opened at Akkulam Tourist Village, Thiruvananthapuram.
The museum is a joint venture between the tourism department and the Southern Air Command of the Air Force.
The aim of the aircraft museum is to make it a highly attractive tourism spot for the public within and outside Kerala and also to motivate the youth of the state of to join the Air Force.
The project is being implemented in two phases. The first phase is being implemented at a cost of Rs 88 lakhs and the second phase costs Rs 99 lakhs.
4th Satyajit Ray Award
⇒ Noted Telugu filmmaker B Gopal, alias Bejawada Gopal received the fourth Satyajit Ray Award for his overall contribution to the Indian cinema.
The award comprises a cash prize of Rs 10,000, a memento and plaque. The award was instituted by the Satyajit Ray Film Society Kerala, a state-based organisation.
The award was presented to him in a function held in Hyderabad on 13 October 2021.
International
Cambrian Patrol Exercise
⇒ A team from 4/5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) which represented the Indian Army at the prestigious Cambrian Patrol Exercise at Brecon, Wales, UK from 13th to 15th October 2021 has been awarded Gold medal.
General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, the Chief of General Staff of British Army presented the Gold Medal to the team members in a formal ceremony on 15 October 2021.
Organized by:
Exercise Cambrian Patrol was organized by the UK Army.
Participation:
The Indian Army team competed against a total of 96 teams, which included 17 international teams representing Special Forces and prestigious Regiments from around the world.
About Exercise Cambrian Patrol:
- Exercise Cambrian Patrol is considered the ultimate test of human endurance, team spirit and is sometimes referred as the Olympics of Military Patrolling among militaries in the world.
- During the exercise, teams were assessed for their performance under harsh terrain and inclement cold weather conditions.
- This year, out of 96 participating teams, only three international patrols have been awarded a gold medal till phase 6th of this Exercise.
Sports
2021 Turkish Grand Prix Formula 1 Race
⇒ The 2021 Turkish Grand Prix Formula 1 Race took place on 10 October 2021 over 58 laps of the 5.338-kilometre Intercity Istanbul Park circuit.
Winner:
Mercedes Driver, Valtteri Bottas won 2021 Turkish Grand Prix (Formula 1 Rolex Turkish Grand Prix 2021).