8 october 2021 current affairs

1. CURRENT AFFAIRS
8 OCTOBER 2021
Dr. A. PRABAHARAN
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2. India’s economy to grow at 8.3 per cent in
FY2021-22: World Bank
 India’s GDP growth rate is expected to grow at 8.3 per cent in
FY2021-22, stated the World Bank in its latest South Asia
Economic Focus report titled ‘Shifting Gears: Digitization and
Services-Led Development’ on October 7, 2021.
 The World Bank kept the growth projection of India unchanged at
8.3 per cent from its June forecast. The Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) of India registered a growth of 20.1 per cent in first quarter
(April-June quarter) of FY2021-22 owing to ‘a significant base
effect, strong export growth and limited damage to domestic
demand’, the report stated.
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3. Indian American Astronaut Raja Chari to
command NASA-SpaceX's Crew-3 Mission
 Raja Chari is an Indian American Astronaut who will command NASA-
SpaceX's Crew-3 Mission to the International Space Station.
 NASA-SpaceX's third mission will carry four astronauts- three NASA
astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron and one ESA
astronaut Matthias Maurer to ISS aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft on a
Falcon 9 rocket, informed the US space agency in a statement.
 The mission will be launched on October 30, 2021 from Launch Complex
39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew-3 mission will
be SpaceX's fifth crewed flight to space and fourth to the International
Space Station.
 The Indian-American astronaut will serve as the commander of the Crew
Dragon spacecraft and the Crew-3 mission and as Expedition 66 flight
engineer aboard the station.
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4. Russia to invite Taliban for international talks
on Afghanistan on October 20
 The Kremlin’s envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov said on
October 7, 2021, that Russia will invite the militant group
Taliban for the international talks on Afghanistan scheduled
for October 20 in Moscow.
 While responding to the question on whether the
representatives of the hardline group will be invited to the
negotiations involving India, China, Iran, and Pakistan,
Kabulov said ‘Yes’.
 The talks between Russia and the ruling Taliban in
Afghanistan will follow a G20 Summit on Afghanistan on
October 12. The summit will seek to help the nation avoid a
humanitarian catastrophe in wake of Taliban takeover.
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5. Nobel Prize category Winner Name
Physics
Syukuro Manabe and Klaus
Hasselmann - for the physical
modelling of Earth’s climate,
quantifying variability reliably
predicting global warming.
Giorgio Parisi - for the discovery of
interplay of disorder and fluctuations
in physical systems from atomic to
planetary scales.
Chemistry
Benjamin List and David MacMillan -
for the development of asymmetric
organocatalysis.
Physiology or Medicine
David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian-
for their discoveries of receptors for
temperature and touch.
Literature
Abdulrazak Gurnah - for his
uncompromising and compassionate
penetration of the effects of
colonialism and the fate of the
refugee in the gulf between cultures
and continents.
Peace
Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov -
for their efforts to safeguard freedom
of expression, which is a precondition
for democracy and lasting peace.
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Nobel Prize 2021: Full List of Winners

6. ISRO receives ‘heaviest’ Semi-Cryogenic Propellant Tank
from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd
 The state-run aerospace company Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
(HAL) said on October 7, 2021, that the ‘heaviest’ Semi-Cryogenic
Propellent Tank (SC120-LOX) ever fabricated by it has been
delivered to the Indian Space Research Organisation.
 In 2020, Hindustan Aeronautics had delivered the ‘biggest’ ever
cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank (C32-LH2) much ahead of the
contractual schedule. The tank is four meters in diameter and
eight meters in length.
 HAL has been a strategic reliable partner of ISRO and has been
associating with India’s Space Agency for the prestigious space
programmes for the last five decades.
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7. Why is India facing a coal shortage? How will it
impact power generation and industries?
 India is facing a severe coal crisis with over half of its coal-fired power plants left with
coal stocks that would last less than three days while 80 per cent of its plants left with
less than a week’s coal stock.
 As of September 29, 2021, almost 16 out of 135 coal-fired power plants in India had
zero coal stocks, according to the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
 Coal accounts for more than 70 per cent of India's electricity output and utilities
account for approximately 75 per cent of India's coal consumption.
 India is the world’s 2nd largest importer of coal though it has the 4th largest coal
reserves. Three-fourths of India's electricity demand is fulfilled with coal.
 In a report by S&P’s unit CRISIL, the Asian coal prices (global coal prices) are
expected to continue to rise. The coal inventory at Indian thermal plants is expected
to improve gradually only by March 2022.
 But as of now, the power plants are struggling to meet the surging demand for
power production as economic activity rebound from the second wave of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
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8. India officially joins High Ambition Coalition (HAC)
for Nature and People; What is HAC?
 India, at a ceremony held between the French and Indian Governments on
October 7, 2021, officially joined the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for
Nature and People. HAC is a group of 70 nations encouraging the adoption
of the global goal to protect 30x30 (30 percent of the world’s land and ocean
by 2030).
 The Union Environment Ministry in an official statement said that India is the
first BRICS bloc of major emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China,
and South Africa) to join the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People.
 India’s announcement of joining HAC comes in the lead up to a high-level
biodiversity meeting in China from October 11 to 15. Secretary, Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Rameshwar Prasad Gupta handed
over the signed agreement to Ambassador of France to India Emmanuel
Lenain.
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9. RBI Monetary Policy Statement: RBI retains real GDP growth at
9.5 percent in 2021-22, repo rate unchanged at 4%
 The RBI Monetary Policy Committee has decided to keep the policy repo rate
unchanged at 4.0 percent and reverse repo rate unchanged at 3.35 percent and
the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 4.25 percent. This
was informed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das while reading out the Monetary
Policy Statement, 2021-22 on October 8, 2021.
 This was the RBI Governor's twelfth statement since the onset of the pandemic.
Over the period, the apex bank has taken more than 100 measures to proactively
and decisively respond to the unprecedented crisis.
 The RBI Monetary Policy Committee had met on 6th, 7th and 8th October, 2021
and based on an assessment of the evolving macroeconomic and financial
conditions and the outlook, the committee voted unanimously to maintain status
quo with regard to the policy repo rate and also decided to continue its
accommodative policy stance as long as necessary to revive and sustain growth
on a durable basis and continue to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the
economy.
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10. UK recognises Indian vaccine certificate: No quarantine for
COVISHIELD-vaccinated travellers from Oct 11
 Indian travellers fully vaccinated with COVISHIELD or any other
UK-approved vaccine will not have to quarantine on entering
the UK from October 11, 2021, onwards.
 Earlier, the UK had refused to recognize India’s COVID vaccine
certification and mandated that Indian travellers undergo 10-
days isolation even if fully vaccinated with COVISHIELD. Stating
the quarantine guidelines by the UK as discriminatory, India
also imposed reciprocal rules of mandatory 10-day quarantine
on all UK nationals arriving in the country.
 Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India tweeted, “No
quarantine for Indian travellers to UK fully vaccinated with
Covishield or another UK-approved vaccine from 11 October.
Thanks to the Indian government for close cooperation over
last month."
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11. COVID-19: Government prepared to tackle a surge of up
to five lakh Coronavirus cases a day
 The Central Government informed on October 7, 2021, that it
has made healthcare preparations to handle a surge of up to 5
lakh COVID-19 cases a day.
 However, the government also stressed that the preparations
for the surge in cases do not imply that such a high number of
infections will be reported in the future.
 Lav Aggarwal, the Health Ministry Joint Secretary said that the
Central Government is leaving no stone unturned in order to
ensure the full preparedness to tackle the surge in Coronavirus
infection cases in the country.
 Aggarwal further added that the next three months are
extremely crucial in the country’s fight against COVID-19.
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12. Forbes India Rich List 2021: Mukesh Ambani
tops list, Gautam Adani second
 Forbes India Rich List 2021: Mukesh Ambani has topped Forbes
India Rich List 2021 for the 14th year in a row since 2008 with a net
worth of $92.7 billion. Gautam Adani is ranked second with a net
worth of $74.8 billion, followed by Shiv Nadar at 3rd place with
$31 billion.
 As per Forbes India Rich List 2021, India's richest people have
increased their cumulative wealth by 50 percent in the second
year of the COVID-19 pandemic. India's 100 richest people are
now worth $775 billion.
 While most of India's rich gained wealth during 2021, four pharma
billionaires saw a fall in their wealth including Biocon's Kiran
Mazumdar-Shaw, Reddy Family from Dr. Reddy's Laboratories,
Aurobindo Pharma's P
.V. Ramprasad Reddy and Lupin's Gupta
Family.
 The other rich whose wealth declined during the pandemic
include Hero MotoCorp's Pawan Munjal, Anil Agarwal from
Vedanta Resources and P
.P
. Reddy from Megha Engineering &
Infrastructures.
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13. Air Force Day 2021
 Force Day is observed annually in India on October 8 and honours the
brave heroes of the country’s air force.
 Air Force Day is celebrated in India to raise awareness about the services
of the Indian Air Force as an organization that works to strengthen the
national authority and security.
 The Indian Air force since its establishment has participated in various
missions and wars which also includes humanitarian aids and disaster
relief missions.
 Air Force Day 2021 brings to attention the sacrifices and hard work that
contributes significantly to strengthening India’s air defence.
 To celebrate Indian Air Force Day, Air Force Parade is also organized on
the day in the presence of the IAF Chief and various other senior officials.
 The event glorifies the service of the Indian Air Force officers through
various ceremonies.
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