Floating trash barrier developed by Bengaluru firm emerges winner in clean waterbody challenge

• Floating trash barrier could address the serious environmental issue of floating solid waste pollution plaguing India’s water bodies.
• The FTB uses the natural flow of water to bring the trash to the riverbank where it is deployed and from there the trash is manually or mechanically removed.
• The FTB is deployed in eight cities — Bengaluru, Chennai, Puducherry, Hyderabad, Mysuru, Thanjavur, Tuticorin and Coimbatore.
• The FTB is said to be successful in cleaning up the Cooum in Chennai and the Musi in Hyderabad.
• In Bengaluru, it has been deployed in some storm-water drains, and Nagawara and Dasarahalli lakes.
• Cleaning and Restoring India’s Water Bodies Challenge was conducted by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA).
• The challenge was conducted by the Waste to Wealth Mission — Swachh Bharat Unnat Bharat Mission under the Office of the PSA during November 27, 2020 and February 17, 2021.

100 years of Saka Panja Sahib: Why a railway station in Pakistan holds significance in Sikh history

• On October 30, 1922 two Sikhs died and several other Sikh protesters, including women, were injured at Hasan Abdal railway station after the railway authorities under the then-British government refused to stop the train ferrying Sikh prisoners from Amritsar to Attock.
• The Sikhs from nearby Panja Sahib wanted to serve langar (community kitchen food) to the Sikh prisoners but were told by the station master at Hasan Abdal station that the train would not stop at the station.
• In protest, the Sikhs squatted on the railway tracks and as the train approached, the Sikhs, who were determined to halt the train, continued to stay put, demanding their right to serve langar to the Sikh prisoners.
• The train finally came to a screeching halt, but only after crushing many of Sikh protesters — of whom Bhai Karam Singh and Bhai Partap Singh died after sustaining serious injuries.
• Since then, both Sikhs are hailed as martyrs of Saka Panja Sahib who sacrificed their lives fighting for rights of Sikhs against the British.
• The history of the shrine Gurdwara Panja Sahib, in Hasan Abdal of Pakistan, is far older than the Saka Panja Sahib incident.
• The gurdwara was built on the site believed to be visited by Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak Dev, along with his companion Bhai Mardana.

News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority, which has fined a TV channel over the Hijab issue coverage?

• It is an independent body set up by the News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA).
• It serves as a representative of private television news, current affairs and digital broadcasters.
• Funded entirely by its members, the NBDA has 26 news and current affairs broadcasters (comprising 119 news and current affairs channels) as its members.
• Various senior members of Indian media organisations serve on its Board of Directors.
• It carries out activities “to promote, protect and secure the interests including the right of freedom of speech and expression of the news broadcasters, digital news media and other related entities”.
• The body includes a Chairperson who is to be an eminent jurist, and other members such as news editors, and those experienced in the field of law, education, literature, public administration, etc. nominated by a majority of the Board.
• Former Supreme Court judge and jurist AK Sikri is currently serving as the Chairperson.
• The Authority may initiate proceedings on its own and issue notice or take action in respect to any matter which falls within its regulations.
• This can also be through complaints referred to the Authority by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting or any other governmental body, or by anyone else via its website.

MoS for External Affairs V Muraleedharan attends Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa

• This is the first time that India participated at the Ministerial level in the event.
• It was formerly known as the Dakar Peace and Security Forum.
• It annually brings together many African Heads of State and Government, international partners, as well as multiple actors of Peace and Security.
• It was launched during the 2013 Élysée Summit organized by France.
• The first edition of the forum was held in December 2014 in Dakar under the high patronage of Macky SALL, President of the Republic of Senegal.

PM Modi To Lay Foundation Stone Of C-295 Transport Aircraft Manufacturing Facility In Vadodara

• This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company.
• 16 aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition and 40 will be manufactured in India by the Indian Aircraft Contractor, TATA Consortium of Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Tata Consultancy Services.
• In September 2021, Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the procurement of 56 C-295MW transport aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space S.A.
• The first 16 fly-away aircraft are scheduled to be received between September 2023 and August 2025.
• The first Made in India aircraft is expected in September 2026.
• The aircraft can be used for civilian purposes also.
• All 56 aircraft will be fitted with indigenous Electronic Warfare suite of Indian DPSUs – Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
• After completion of delivery of 56 aircraft to IAF, M/s Airbus Defence & Space will be allowed to sell the aircraft manufactured in India to civil operators and export to countries which are cleared by the Government of India.
• C-295MW is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of IAF.
• It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo.
• It can carry around 40-45 paratroopers or around 70 passengers.
• Short take-off/land from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its features.
• The aircraft will strengthen the logistic capabilities of the IAF.

UNSC''s counter-terror meet in India to focus on these key issues

• This will be the first such meeting of the UNSC-CTC in India since its establishment in 2001.
• The Permanent Representative of India to the UN serves as the Chair of the CTC for 2022.
• The overarching theme of the meeting would be ''countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes’.
• The Counter-Terrorism Committee was established by Security Council resolution 1373 adopted unanimously on 28 September 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks in the US.
• The Committee was tasked with monitoring implementation of resolution 1373 which requested countries to implement a number of measures aimed at enhancing their legal and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities at home and around the world.
• This includes taking steps to criminalize the financing of terrorism, freezing any funds related to persons involved in acts of terrorism, deny all forms of financial support for terrorist groups, suppress the provision of safe haven, sustenance or support for terrorists and share information with other governments on any groups practicing or planning terrorist acts.
• Besides, the Committee monitors steps taken to cooperate with other governments in the investigation, detection, arrest, extradition and prosecution of those involved in terror acts and criminalizes active and passive assistance for terrorism.

NIA agency to have offices in all states by 2024, says Home Minister

• National Investigation Agency (NIA) is the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency of India.
• Parent agency:Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Establishment:NIA was created after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks with the enactment of the National Investigation Agency Act 2008.
• Jurisdiction:
  • The agency is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states.
  • A State Government may request the Central Government to hand over the investigation of a case to the NIA, provided the case has been registered for the offences as contained in the schedule to the NIA Act.
• NIA special courts:
  • Various Special Courts have been notified by the Govt. of India for trial of the cases arising out of offences committed in various states of the Union.
  • These are presided over by a judge appointed by the Central Government on the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the High Court with jurisdiction in that region.
• Offices:
  • It is headquartered in Delhi.
  • Branches: Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Raipur, Jammu, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Chennai and Imphal.

India''s first indigenous Overhauser Magnetometer may show the way towards reducing costs of sensing experiments essential for geomagnetic sampling

• The Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), an autonomous research institution under Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, has developed the magnetometer as part of its technology development program.
• It will pave way for reducing the cost of sampling and sensing experiments essential for geomagnetic sampling.
• The performance of this indigenously made magnetometer is at par with a commercial OVH sensor that is currently installed at the magnetic observatories of IIG.
• Overhauser Magnetometer is one of the most accurate magnetometers extensively used by all magnetic observatories around the world.
• They are known for their higher accuracy, higher sensitivity, and efficient power consumption and hence find applications in all magnetic observatories worldwide as well as in international space programs.
• It has so far been imported for such purposes in India.

Indian Army Celebrates 76th Infantry Day On 27 October

• It aims to acknowledge the contributions of Infantry, the largest fighting arm of the Indian Army.
• This day is commemorated to honour the brave soldiers of the infantry who fought and laid down their lives during the India-Pakistan war in 1947.
• The operation was started on October 27, 1947; to protect the people of Kashmir from the Pakistani invaders after Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir had signed the Instrument of Accession of Kashmir to India.
• The Indian Air force carried out the task of flying the troops of 1st Sikh Regiment into Srinagar on this day.

Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya receives 115,161 visitors till 30 Sept

• The Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya is a tribute to every Prime Minister of India since Independence, and a narrative record of how each one has contributed to the development of our nation over the last 75 years.
• The logo of the Sangrahalaya shows hands holding the dharma chakra, symbolising the nation and democracy.
• The Sangrahalaya will also include the Nehru Museum.
• It is located at the iconic Teen Murti complex.
• From the freedom struggle to the framing of the Constitution, the museum will have displays that showcase stories of how the respective Prime Ministers steered the nation.
• Personal items, gifts and memorabilia like medals, commemorative stamps, speeches of PMs and anecdotal representations of ideologies will be on display at the museum.
• The Teen Murti Bhawan, the site of the new museum, was the official residence of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.
• The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) was set up in his memory on its premises as an autonomous institution under the Union Culture Ministry.