Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

Notes:
SEBI’s board recently cleared a proposal for setting up a ‘Gold exchange’ and a ‘Social Stock Exchange’. In the Gold Exchange, the metal will be traded in the form of Electronic Gold Receipts (EGRs) and they will be notified as securities.
Any recognised stock exchange, existing as well as new, can launch trading in EGRs. Vault manager should be a body incorporated in India, registered with SEBI and should have a net worth of at least Rs 50 crore. The social stock exchange will be operated for fundraising by social enterprises.

Notes:
Delhi-based environmental organisation Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE) has received the 2021 Right Livelihood Award.
The organisation empowers vulnerable communities to protect their livelihoods and claim their right to a clean environment. The award is known as Sweden’s alternative Nobel Prize. Other awardees include Cameroonian women rights activist Marthe Wandou, Russian environmental activist Vladimir Slivyak, and Canadian Indigenous rights defender Freda Huson.

Notes:
The Union Finance Ministry has extended the validity of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) by another six months till March 31, 2022, or till guarantees for the overall ceiling of Rs 4.5 lakh crore are issued, whichever is earlier.
The scheme is aimed to support micro, small and medium enterprises, by helping them deal with funds shortage and promote exports.  As of September 24, 2021, over Rs. 2.86 lakh crore worth of loans were sanctioned under the scheme

Notes:
The state government of Rajasthan has launched a campaign named ‘Prashasan Gaon ke Sang’. It aims to enable access to 22 departments of the local administration for the people of remote villages in the state.
Under the campaign, the departments would hold camps at every gram panchayat to offer on-spot solutions to the applicants. The camps in villages would be held under the observation of respective District Collectors on weekdays. Services related to land deeds and issuance of various certificates are also done.

Notes:
The Yidan Prize is an education award that recognizes individuals, or teams, who have contributed significantly to education research and development.
The Yidan Prize Foundation have awarded India-based Dr Rukmini Banerji and US-based Professor Eric Hanushek the prestigious Yidan Prize 2021. Nine laureates have been awarded the Yidan Prize since its inception in 2016. Dr Rukmini Banerji, Chief Executive Officer of the Pratham Education Foundation, is awarded for her work in improving learning outcomes.

Notes:
The Global Financial Stability Report is a semi-annual publication by the International Monetary Fund, which gives detailed review on the stability of global financial markets.
In the recent Global Financial Stability Report, the IMF has dedicated an exclusive chapter to cryptocurrency. Under it, IMF mentions that rapid growth of the crypto ecosystem presents new opportunities at the same time, it has cautioned about the financial stability challenges.

Notes:
The Armies of India and Sri Lanka are set to participate in the 12-day military exercise – “Mitra Shakti”, which would be held in Combat Training School in Sri Lanka’s Ampara. This is the 8th edition of the joint military exercise between the two countries.
India would be represented by a contingent of 120 personnel. This exercise is aimed to promote close coordination and interoperability among the two military forces.

Notes:
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has recently inaugurated the Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Centre in the state of Assam.
150 years ago, the iconic Bungalow of Guwahati was constructed to serve as the residence of the British Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup. This heritage centre is located atop Barphukanar Tilla, a small hill named after the Ahom general Lachit Barphukan.

Notes:
PM Nair – a stressed assets expert from State Bank of India is the MD of National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd, which has recently received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India to commence its operations.
The decision to constitute the “Bad Bank” / NARCL to clean the books of PSU was declared in the Union Budget 2021-22.

Notes:
The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet has approved the proposal to provide government land in exchange for the private land being acquired for Atal Pragati Path.
It is a 313-km four-lane expressway project implemented under the Bharatmala project. The proposed Atal Pragati Path will pass through Sheopur, Morena and Bhind districts of Madhya Pradesh. The state government is providing land free for the project.