US aims to hobble China''s chip industry with new export rules

• Recently US officials applied FDPR to China''s advanced computing and supercomputer industry to stop it from obtaining advanced computing chips.
• The foreign direct product rule, or FDPR, was first introduced in 1959 to control trading of US technologies.
• It essentially says that if a product was made using American technology, the US government has the power to stop it from being sold – including products made in a foreign country.

Egypt historians wants the UK to return the 2,000-year-old Rosetta Stone

• The Rosetta Stone is a large stone slab with inscriptions on it and is believed to be a piece of a bigger rock.
• It has inscriptions in three scripts, all of which convey a decree or public message.
• The decree is inscribed three times, in hieroglyphs (suitable for a priestly decree), Demotic (the cursive Egyptian script used for daily purposes, meaning ‘language of the people’), and Ancient Greek (the language of the administration – the rulers of Egypt at this point were Greco-Macedonian after Alexander the Great’s conquest).
• This is similar to how in Ancient India, King Ashoka ordered stambhas or edicts that had messages of Buddha’s teachings and news about victory in a war inscribed. These were then placed throughout the kingdom for the public to see.
• Its discovery that helped develop the specific field of ancient Egypt studies, Egyptology.
• According to the British Museum, the engraving was done during the reign of King Ptolemy V who ruled from 204–181 BC.
• This stone was ‘rediscovered’ in the time of French king Napoleon Bonaparte, who launched a campaign in Egypt from 1798 to 1801.
• On Napoleon’s defeat later at the hands of the British, the Treaty of Alexandria (1801) led to its transfer and it has been at the British Museum since then.

Clean swipe for MGNREGS attendance app only in 8 States

• The usage of the National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) is 50% or less in many states even after the Union government’s order making it mandatory to record attendance of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
• National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) App was launched by the Minister of Rural Development on May, 21 2021.
• This app is aimed at bringing more transparency and ensure proper monitoring of the schemes.
• The NMMS App permits taking real time attendance of workers at Mahatma Gandhi NREGA worksites along with geo-tagged photograph.
• The app helps in increasing citizen oversight of the programme.
• The National Mobile Monitoring App is applicable for the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA workers for all the States/ Union Territories.

Key bridge linking Crimea to Russia hit by huge explosion

• The 19-km (12-mile) Crimea Bridge over the Kerch Strait is the only direct link between the transport network of Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
• The bridge is crucial for the supply of fuel, food and other products to Crimea, where the port of Sevastopol is the historic home base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
• The Kerch Strait is a crucial part of the regional grain trade connecting the Azov sea with the Black Sea.

Election Commission allots ''Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena'' as party name to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led group

• As per the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, the Election Commission allots symbols for anyone contesting in polls.
• A person contesting on behalf of a recognised political party will inherit the party''s symbol.
• An independent candidate or someone contesting on behalf of an unrecognised political party has to approach the Commission and get a symbol allotted from the list of ''free'' symbols available.
  • A candidate will have to provide three symbols from the free list at the time of submission of nomination papers, one of which will be allocated to him/her.
  • Any choice other than from the EC''s list will be summarily rejected.
• In the case of a recognised political party, the Commission allows it to ''reserve'' a symbol.
  • For example, if a political party recognised in a particular State wishes to contest in elections in another State, it can ''reserve'' the symbol being used by it.
  • The Commission will oblige, provided the symbol is not being used by anyone else.
• Two or more recognised political parties can have the same symbol provided they are not contenders in the same State or Union Territory.
  • Both Federal Party of Manipur and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) use ''Rising Sun'' as their symbol.
  • But if one of the parties wish to open their account in the other State, it will have to contest on a different symbol.
• The ECI may also derecognise a political party if it has not polled at least 6 % of votes or won two seats in the State elections. In case of a national party, it should have polled minimum 6 % votes and 2 MLAs in at least four States.
• Until 1997, unrecognised parties would lose their symbols. Later, the EC modified its order to allow them to retain its symbol.
• In case a recognised political party splits, the Commission decides which faction can use the symbol.
• The Commission may also choose to freeze the symbol and ask both factions to contest in fresh symbols.

Eid Milad-un-Nabi being celebrated across India

• This day marks the birth anniversary of the Prophet.
• According to legends, the Prophet was born on the twelfth day of Rabee-ul-Awwal in Mecca in 570 CE. Rabee-ul-Awwal is the third month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
• "Milaad Mehfils"and "Seerat Conferences" will be held highlighting the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
• On this day, hymns are sung in praise of the Prophet and it is also commonly believed that listening to those will make one receive worldly and heavenly rewards.
• Several countries celebrate the day by taking out large processions in the street and by decorating their homes.

Indian Air Force Day is celebrated on October 8 every year.

• The day aims to pay a tribute to the Air Force of India and acknowledge their contribution for a successful nation.
• As a part of the 90th anniversary celebration, nearly 80 military aircraft and helicopters participated in the Air Force Day fly-past on October 8 at the Sukhna Lake complex, Chandigarh.
• It is for the first time that the IAF decided to hold its annual Air Force Day parade and fly-past outside the Delhi NCR.
• On October 8, 1932, the former British Empire established the IAF.
• It was created to support the British Royal Air Force, particularly against Japan in World War II.
• The IAF was used to attack Japanese bases in Burma in order to stop the Japanese army''s advance toward India.
• King George VI gave the IAF''s accomplishments the prefix "Royal" in 1945.
• This honorific title was dropped in 1950, when India became a republic.

Government approves creation of Weapon Systems branch in Indian Air Force

• This is the first time since Independence that a new operational branch is being created.
• The IAF also unveiled a new digital camouflage uniform for its rank and file.
• Creation of the new branch would entail unification of all weapon system operators under one entity dedicated to the operational employment of all ground-based and specialist airborne weapon systems.
• This will essentially be for manning of four specialised streams of Surface to Surface missiles, Surface to Air Missiles, Remotely Piloted Aircraft and weapon system operators in twin and multi crew aircraft.
• Creation of this branch would result in savings of over ₹3,400 crore due to reduced expenditure on flying training.

PM Modi declares Modhera in Gujarat as India’s first 24×7 solar-powered village

• Modhera will be India’s first village to become a net renewable energy generator.
• It will be the first modern village to have a solar-based ultra-modern electric vehicle charging station.
• It is India’s first grid-connected megawatt-hours (MWh) scale battery energy storage system.
• People in Modhera would be saving 60% to 100 % on electricity bills.
• The heritage lighting and 3-D projection at the Sun Temple would operate on solar energy.
• The 3-D projection will inform visitors about the history of Modhera.

Modhera Sun Temple

• The Modhera Sun Temple was made by King Bhima I of the Chalukya dynasty in the early 11th century.
• It is a temple made to honour the Sun God in Modhera village of Mehsana district on the bank of River Pushpavati.
• The temple is designed in such a way that during every equinox, the first ray of the rising sun would fall on a diamond placed on the head of the Sun God. This would also light up the shrine with a golden glow.
• The Sabha Mandap stands on 52 pillars, signifying the 52 weeks in a year. There are carvings of the sun on the walls to show its unity with air, water, earth and space.
• In 2014, Modhera Sun Temple entered the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• It enjoys the same significance as other two well-known sun-temples in Kashmir (Martand) and Orissa (Konark).
• The Gujarat Tourism hosts a three-day dance festival every year, known as the Uttarardha Mahotsav, at the temple every January after Makar Sankranti festival.