The document provides information on several current events from around the world: - India ranked 71st out of 113 countries on the Global Food Security Index for 2021, higher than neighbors Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh but lower than China. - Australian fast bowler James Pattinson retired from international cricket to focus on family and helping develop the next generation of fast bowlers. - The Union Minister for AYUSH inaugurated Ayush Van, a forest for Ayurvedic plants, in Gujarat. - The President of Ecuador declared a state of emergency due to rising drug-related violence in the country.

1. z Dr.A.Prabaharan
CURRENT AFFAIRS
20 August 2021
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2. z
Global Food Security Index (GFSI) 2021: India
ranks 71st out of 113 countries
 The Global Food Security Index (GFSI) 2021 ranked
India at 71st position out of 113 countries with a
score of 57.2 points. India fared better than Pakistan
(75th), Sri Lanka (77th), Nepal (79th), and Bangladesh
(84th) however it lagged way behind China (34th).
 The GFS Index 2021 is a global report that was
released on October 19, 2021, by The Economist
Impact and Corteva Agriscience.
 Ireland (1st), Australia (2nd), the UK (3rd), Finland (4th),
Switzerland (5th), the Netherlands (6th), Canada (7th),
Japan (8th), France (9th), and the US (9th) took the top
ranks with scores between 84 to 79.1 points. France
and the US shared the same rank with the same scores
of 79.1 points.
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3. z
Australian fast bowler James Pattinson retired
from International Cricket
 James Pattinson, Australian fast bowler and once the most feared
bowler in the cricket world, has decided to retire from international
cricket. Pattinson, who made his test debut for Australia as a tearaway
right arm, has made the decision of stepping away from international cricket
to focus on family, helping develop the next generation of fast bowlers and
playing for the state.
 James Pattinson, who will miss the opening round of fixtures for Victoria
through injury, said “Leading into pre-season I really wanted to give the
Ashes back a crack but in the end, I haven’t had the preparation I would
have liked heading into the coming season.”
 Pattinson went on to say, “If I was to be part of Ashes, I would need to do
myself and my teammates' justice. I didn’t want to be in a position of
battling with my body when you need to be 100% fit and ready to go at any
time. That would not be fair to myself or the team.”
 George Bailey, the Chair of the National Selection (NSP) said that James
Pattinson’s drive, passion, and energy in his time within the Australian team
was one of his greatest strengths, along with his ability with the ball.
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4. z
Ayush Van: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal
inaugurates forest for Ayurvedic plants in Gujarat
 The Union Minister for AYUSH Sarbananda
Sonowal on October 19, 2021, inaugurated Ayush
Van in a program held at the Deendayal Port Trust
(DPT)- Rotary Forest in Gandhidham area of Kutch in
Gujarat.
 Ayush Van is a dedicated forest for the Ayurvedic
Plants. During the inauguration of Ayush Van, the Union
Minister also planted a sapling to mark the opening of
the forest.
 The member of Parliament from Kachchh Vinod
Chawla, MLA Gandhidham Malti Maheshwari, and other
officials and dignitaries were also present on the
occasion.
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5. z
Ecuador: President declares state of
emergency over drug violence in the country
 The President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso on October
18, 2021, declared a state of emergency in the country
which is struggling with the rising numbers of drug-
related violence.
 The President has ordered the mobilization of military and
police on the streets to curb the problem.
 The President of Ecuador in a broadcast speech said,
“Starting immediately, our Armed Forces and Police will
be felt with force in the streets because we are decreeing
a state of emergency throughout the national territory.”
 The right-wing leader of Ecuador further added that in the
streets of the country there is only one enemy: drug
trafficking. In recent years, Ecuador has gone from being
a drug trafficking nation to one that also consumes drugs
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6. z
Ferozepur biomass power plant generates power with stubble,
Know how Punjab deals with stubble burning issue
 A biomass power plant in Ferozepur in Punjab is
generating electricity using paddy stubble amid
increasing concerns over air pollution due to stubble
burning by farmers in the state.
 “The Sukhbir Agro Energy Limited biomass power plant is
18 MW per hr. It is a stubble-based plant that uses 600
tons of stubble in a day and around 2 to 2.5 lakh tons of
stubble in a year,” said Sukhbir Agro Energy Limited’s
General Manager (Commercial) Satish Bedi told ANI.
 The initiative by this biomass power plant in Ferozepur has
been termed favorable for farmers as they will be paid for
selling stubble to the plant.
 The initiative if scaled up could also aid in generating more
electricity while eliminating the stubble burning problem in
the state.
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7. z
North Korea confirms test of new submarine-launched
ballistic missile; US, South Korea & Japan condemn the
launch
 North Korea confirmed that it successfully tested a new type of
submarine-launched ballistic missile on October 19, 2021.
 The test launch was condemned by the United States, South Korea
and Japan as it was conducted despite international sanctions.
 North Korea is under UN Security Council sanctions for its nuclear
weapons and ballistic missile programmes, which forbid it from
testing ballistic missiles. It is also facing US sanctions over its
nuclear programme.
 The nation, however, is in a sort of missile testing spree to expand
its military capabilities and build up advanced weapons technology.
 It had recently successfully tested a newly developed hypersonic
missile called Hwasong-8. It had also test-fired a new "long-range
cruise missile" in September.
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8. z
India, Israel, US & UAE to establish international forum
for economic cooperation
 Joint forum for economic cooperation: Union External Affairs
Minister S Jaishankar and Israel Foreign Minister Yair during a
quadrilateral meeting with UAE Foriegn Minister Sheikh Abdullah
bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US secretary of State Anthony Blinken
on October 19, 2021 agreed to establish a joint economic
cooperation forum.
 The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement after the meeting
saying that the ministers decided to establish an international
forum for economic cooperation.
 The four ministers had held talks on possibilities for joint
infrastructure projects in the fields of technology, transportation,
trade, maritime security and economics.
 It was decided after the meeting that each minister will appoint
senior-level professionals to a joint working group that will form
options for cooperation in the areas identified by the ministers.
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9. z
World Statistics Day: What is the History and
Significance of day dedicated to statistics?
 World Statistics Day: Statistics Day is observed all over the world
on October 20 every five years. World Statistics Day highlights the
achievements of the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.
 World Statistics Day was created by the United Nations Statistics
Commission and was marked in the year 2010.
 The international campaign on Statistics Day is coordinated by the
Statistics Division of the Department of Economic Affairs of the
United Nations. National Statistical Offices around the world work
as the national coordinators.
 They also translate the promotional materials into the common
languages and organize events and outreach.
 The third World Statistics Day was observed on October 20,
2020, and the United Nations will now observe the fourth
World Statistics Day on October 20, 2025.
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10. z
Moscow Format meeting on Afghanistan today: India to formally
engage with Taliban representatives for second time
 India will participate in the Moscow Format Meeting on
Afghanistan today, October 20, 2021.
 The meeting will also witness participation from Taliban
representatives.
 This is the first Moscow format dialogue after Taliban's takeover
of Afghanistan in August 2021.
 India will be participating in the Moscow Format dialogue at the
joint secretary level.
 This would be India's second formal engagement with the Taliban
after the fall of Kabul and first since the Taliban set up an interim
government in Afghanistan.
 Russia has been hosting the 'Moscow Format dialogue' to
discuss Afghanistan issue since 2017.
 The other nations that will participate in the talks include
Pakistan, China and Iran.
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11. z
What is Facebook’s Metaverse for which
Facebook is hiring 10,000 in Europe?
 Facebook on October 18, 2021, announced its plan to hire 10,000 people in
the European Union over the next five years to build the Metaverse, a virtual
reality version of the internet. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been
mentioning Metaverse since July 2021.
 The tech giant is looking forward work with governments across Europe to
hire the right people and find the right markets across the region.
 Facebook defines Metaverse as a set of virtual spaces where you can create
and explore with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you.
With Metaverse, people can experience the internet in 3D.
 This means one can meet, play, work or join places as if they were actually
experiencing it rather than just viewing it as content.
 Facebook will use technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual
Reality (VR) to create a sense of virtual presence that will enable one to
experience the event as if interacting in person.
 With this technology, Facebook aims to connect its 3 billion users through
Metaverse.
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12. z
Gita Gopinath set to leave IMF in January 2022, return to
Harvard: IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva
 Gita Gopinath, the first-ever woman chief economist of the
International Monetary Fund (IMF)is set to leave her post in
January 2022. This was announced by IMF Managing Director
Kristalina Georgieva on October 19, 2021.
 The Indian-American will return to Harvard University as
planned, as per IMF.IMF Managing Director Kristalina
Georgieva in a statement highlighting Gopinath’s
“tremendous” impact on the IMF’s work said, "“Gita also won
the respect and admiration of colleagues in the Research
Department, across the Fund, and throughout the
membership for leading analytically rigorous work and policy-
relevant projects with high impact and influence."
 The 49-year-old had made history by becoming the first-ever
woman chief economist of IMF when she joined the fund in
October 2018.
 She has played a major role in leading IMF's analytical
research, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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13. z
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