Rapid Fire Current Affairs | 01 Nov 2023

World Cities Day 2023

World Cities Day, designated by the United Nations General Assembly, is celebrated annually on 31^st October and was first celebrated in 2014.

• The Day serves as an opportunity to promote the international community’s interest in global urbanization, push forward cooperation among countries in addressing challenges of urbanization and contribute to sustainable urban development around the world.
• Theme for 2023: “Financing sustainable urban future for all.”
• The UN-Habitat programme promotes the development of sustainable cities in line with sustainable development goal 11.
  • The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations agency for human settlements and sustainable urban development.

Read more: World Cities Day

Rajyotsava Awards in Karnataka

On Karnataka Rajyotsava Day, celebrated on 1^st November, Karnataka government bestows the prestigious Rajyotsava Award, the state's second-highest civilian honor.

• Rajyotsava Award recognizes exceptional contributions of Individuals in diverse fields.
• Karnataka Formation Day(Rajyotsava Day), celebrated on November 1st, marks the state's birth in 1956. It resulted from merging Kannada-speaking regions of South India.
  • At India's independence, South India was ruled by Mysuru, Nizams of Hyderabad, Madras Presidency, and Bombay Presidency. To improve administration, regions were redefined based on language.
  • In 1956, Mysuru's boundaries were adjusted to include Kannada-speaking areas.
  • The name changed from 'Mysuru' to 'Karnataka' on November 1, 1973. Since then each year November 1 marks the celebration of state formation.

Ballon d'Or 2023

Lionel Messi secured his eighth Ballon d'Or, a record in football history, and Aitana Bonmati claimed the Ballon d'Or Féminin Award for her exceptional contributions to Spain's Women's World Cup win and Barcelona's success.

• The Ballon d’Or is an annual football award presented by French news magazine France Football since 1956.
• The Ballon d'Or awards are based on a player's individual performance in the previous season. This is a change from previous criteria, which were based on player performance during the calendar year.
• The award was temporarily merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year from 2010 to 2015 and is known as the FIFA Ballon d’Or. However, in 2016, this partnership concluded.

Read more: Indian Football's Vision 2047

Strong Growth Across Core Industries in India

• The Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) in India for September 2023 indicates robust growth, rising by 8.1% compared to September 2022.
• The ICI measures combined and individual performance of production of eight core industries viz. Cement, Coal, Crude Oil, Electricity, Fertilizers, Natural Gas, Refinery Products and Steel.
  • The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• Specifically, coal production surged by 16.1%, while steel and electricity generation also saw impressive increments of 9.6% and 9.3%, respectively.
  • However, the production of crude oil witnessed a slight decline by 0.4%.
• This growth trajectory reflects an overall positive momentum in India's core industries, highlighting a promising economic landscape for the nation.

Read more: Core Sector Industries

Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat)

Recently, the Indian Prime Minister launched the 'Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat)' platform aiming to be a technology-driven facilitator for youth development and youth-led development.

• MY Bharat will benefit the youth in the age group of 15-29 years, in line with the definition of ‘Youth’ in the National Youth Policy.
  • In case of programme components specifically meant for the adolescents, the beneficiaries will be in the age group of 10-19 years.
• It is a 'Phygital Platform' (physical + digital) comprising physical activity along with an opportunity to connect digitally.
  • It envisions a framework where the youth of our country can seamlessly connect with programs, mentors, and their local communities.
  • This engagement is designed to deepen their understanding of local issues and empower them to contribute to constructive solutions.

Read more: Youth in India 2022 Report

India Shines at Para Asian Games 2023

• Indian para-athletes mark a monumental achievement in the history of Para Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China with an all-time high medal tally of 111, including an impressive 29 gold medals.
  • With this India clinches the 5^th position in the overall medal tally behind China, Iran, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
  • Out of the 111 medals secured, female para-athletes have contributed significantly, accounting for 40 medals, constituting 36% of the total medal tally.

Read more: Paralympic Games