1) World Food Day: 16 October
•This day generates awareness globally for those who suffer from hunger and to ensure the need for food security and nutritious diets for all. The main focus of this day is that food is a basic and fundamental human right.
2) Govt launches Food Safety Mitra Scheme
•A Food Safety Mitra Scheme is an individual professional certified by FSSAI who assists in compliances related to FSS Act, Rules & Regulations with three avatars- Digital Mitra, Trainer Mitra and Hygiene Mitra depending upon their respective roles and responsibilities. During the event, the Minister also launched Eat Right Jhola which is a reusable, washable and bio-degradable bag. Eat Right Smart Jacket has been introduced to giving an identity to FSSAI staff to ensure transparent inspection. It’s embedded with an RFID tag and QR code.
3) Indian Railways to become net zero carbon emitter by 2030
•Indian railways is the world’s largest railway network. It has a rail network of around 1,25,000km under single management. IR is to go green by setting up solar power generation capacities in its large tracts of land along its network.
4) UP Culture Dept to organise training & performance programme of KHON Ramlila
•KHON Ramlila of Thailand is included in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage and it’s a form of masked dance depicting the scenes of Ramlila. It has no dialogues and background voices narrate the whole story of Ramayana. KHON Ramlila’s performance is also a visual delight famous for its beautiful attire and golden masks.
5) CBIC launches programme to strengthen Make in India
•The Section enables conduct of manufacture and other operations in a customs bonded warehouse. The scheme has been modernized with clear and transparent procedures, simplified compliance requirements ICT-based documentation and account keeping, by the issue of Manufacture and Other Operations in Warehouse Regulations 2019.
•CBIC has collaborated with Invest India to launch a dedicated microsite for providing information and promoting the scheme and for the facilitation of investors. The site can be accessed at www.investindia.gov.in/bonded-manufacturing.
6) Kishan Dan Dewal concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Georgia
•Kishan Dan Dewal (IFS officer of 2003 batch), has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to Georgia. He will replace Yogeshwar Sangwan. Dewal is presently serving as Ambassador of India to the Republic of Armenia.
7) J.P.S. Chawla assumes charge as new Controller General of Accounts
•Prior to assuming the charge of CGA, Chawla served as Principal Chief Controller of Accounts, Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) where he was instrumental in the finalisation of the accounting procedure and operationalisation of GST Network (GSTN) before the national rollout of GST. He also played a key role in the integration of the IGST refund payment network of CBIC with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) as part of the Government of India’s decision to digitise all Government receipts and payments through the PFMS portal of the Office of Controller General of Accounts.
8) Anoop Kumar Mendiratta appointed as new Law Secretary
9) India wins four UNESCO heritage awards
| Heritage landmark | Award category | Place |
| Flora Fountain | Honourable mention | Mumbai |
| KenesethEliyahoo Synagogue | Award of Merit | Mumbai |
| Our Lady of Glory Church | Award of Merit | Mumbai |
| Vikram Sarabhai Library from (IIM) | Award of Distinction | Ahmedabad |
9) India ranked 102 in Global Hunger Index 2019
•The 2019 Global Hunger Index (GHI) indicates that the level of hunger and undernutrition worldwide falls into the serious category. As per the index, India ranks 102nd out of 117 qualifying countries, with a score of 30.3.
•India has slipped from 95th rank in 2010 to 102nd in 2019 on the Global Hunger Index (GHI), with the increase in the prevalence of wasting (low weight for height) among children with score under 5 contributing the most to the country’s poor performance. Seventeen countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Cuba and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI scores less than 5.
•There were only four countries in the alarming hunger category are Madagascar, Chad, Yemen and the Central African Republic in the extremely alarming hunger category. The report warned that climate change was causing alarming levels of hunger and making it more difficult to feed people in the world’s most vulnerable regions.
•The Global Hunger Index is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels. The aim of the GHI is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world.
10) IMF cuts World and India growth rates
•The World Bank-International Monetary Fund (IMF) annual meetings kicked off on a somber note, with the IMF downgrading global growth in 2019 to 3%, the slowest since the global financial crisis.
•India’s growth projections have also been downgraded to 6.1% and 7.0% in 2019 and 2020 respectively, down by 1.2 percentage points and 0.5 percentage points relative to April projections, owing to weaker than expected domestic demand. India’s growth rate in the April-June quarter had hit 5%, the lowest in six years, as per government data. Consumption, investment and exports were down.
•The IMF projected the U.S. would grow at 2.4% and 2.1% in 2019 and 2020 respectively. For China, growth was projected to grow at 6.1% and 5.8% in 2019 and 2020.
11) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates 41st DRDO Directors Conference in New Delhi
•Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 41st DRDO Directors Conference in New Delhi. Chiefs of the three forces & DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy were also present on the occasion. The discussion included efforts taken by DRDO to ensure technological advancement of the Indian forces to safeguard the country. It was suggested that DRDO can play a significant role in becoming a catalyst in the absorption of technology.
