Daily Current Affairs Notes for 15 October 2022

The 19^th edition of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings was released recently. It ranked 1,799 universities from 104 countries and regions. This edition covered 137 more universities than last year.

Overview

• Oxford University in the UK holds the top position for the seventh consecutive year.
• The United States continue to dominate the ranking with 7 universities holding the top 10 positions, 12 universities in top 20.
• However, the number of US universities in the top 100 continue to decline because of the dominance by Asian universities. The Harvard University retains the second position in the ranking.
• China has 7 universities among the world’s top 100. In 2018, it had just 2 universities in the top 100 list. Tsinghua University, at the 16^th position, is the top performer in China.
• Japan leads the Asian countries with the ranking of 117 universities. It is followed by China (95 universities) and India (75 universities). Tokyo University is the top performer in Japan.
• Asia is the most represented continent in the world, with 669 universities taking part.
• In Europe, outside the United Kingdom, Switzerland’s ETH Zurich University (11^th position) is the top performer.
• Germany had 9 universities in the top 100 and 22 in top 200.
• Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar lead the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
• Africa witnessed the year-on-year participation increase by 36.6 per cent, with the ranking increasing from 71 to 97 institutes. This is the biggest increase among all continents. The top performer in Africa is University of Cape Town (160^th rank). Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe appeared in the ranking for the first time.
• For the first time, Oceania’s average score surpassed that of North America.
• Australia has 10 universities in top 200, with University of Melbourne (34^th rank) being the top performer.
• The Latin America and Caribbean region witnessed participation of 140 universities from 12 countries. Brazil, Mexico and Colombia have the highest number of new entrants in the ranking.
• The top performer in India is IISc, which is ranked in 251-300 band. The second-best performer among the Indian institutions is Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, which made a debut in the ranking at the position in the 351-400 band.

Rajnath Singh will be launching the ‘Maa Bharati Ke Sapoot’ website for the Armed Forces Battle Casualties Welfare Fund (AFBCWF) during a function at the National War Memorial Complex in New Delhi.

Overview

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fourth Vande Bharat Express Train of India. He also launched a slew of development projects in Himachal Pradesh.

Overview

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fourth Vande Bharat Express Train of India. He also launched a slew of development projects in Himachal Pradesh. PM Modi flagged off the inaugural run of the new Vande Bharat Express Train from Amb Andaura to New Delhi.  He also laid the foundation stone of Bulk Drug Park.

Key Points related to PM Modi’s visit to Himachal Pradesh

• In Chamba district, he laid the foundation stone of two hydropower projects and launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III in Himachal Pradesh.
• Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur highlighted the ninth visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Himachal Pradesh in five years.
• The Vande Bharat Express Train launched in Himachal Pradesh is much lighter and capable of reaching higher speeds in a shorter duration.
• The Vande Bharat Express Train will run six days a week except on Wednesday.
• The stops will include Ambala, Chandigarh, Anandpur Sahib, and Una.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi also dedicated IIIT Una to the Nation where he will lay the foundation stone.
• IIIT Una will be built at a cost of over Rs 1900 crore.

Indian discus thrower, Kamalpreet Kaur has been banned from competition for three years, starting March 29, 2022, due to a doping violation, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced.

Overview 

Indian discus thrower, Kamalpreet Kaur has been banned from competition for three years, starting March 29, 2022, due to a doping violation, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on October 12. The AIU, which is the independent body created by World Athletics that manages all integrity issues – including doping and age fraud, had provisionally suspended Kamalpreet in May this year for testing positive for the banned substance stanozolol, an anabolic steroid that is on the list of banned substances as per the World Athletics.

Why does this ban happen?

• Kamalpreet Kaur’s samples had been tested at a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited lab in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• The 26-year-old had tested her samples at a private lab and was also allowed by the WADA to have them tested at the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) in New Delhi, both of which came up positive for stanozolol.
• The Athlete has failed to demonstrate that the Anti-Doping Rule Violations were not intentional. Therefore, the mandatory period of Ineligibility is a period of Ineligibility of four (4) years,” the AIU said.
• However, Rule 10.8.1 ADR provides that an athlete potentially subject to an asserted period of Ineligibility of four (4) years may benefit from a one (1)-year reduction in the period of Ineligibility based on an early admission and acceptance of sanction,” it added.

This ban affects:

• The ban will rule the discus thrower out of next year’s Asian Games as well as the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kamalpreet – the national record holder in the discus throw – had made her Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, where she finished sixth in the final. She joins fellow discus thrower Navjeet Kaur Dhillon, sprinter Dhanalakshmi Sekar and quarter-miler MR Poovamma in the list of Indians who faced doping bans lately. Javelin thrower Shivpal Singh has also been suspended for doping.

JSW Steel has joined the United Nations Global Impact (UNGC) initiative. JSW Foundation, the social arm of the JSW Group, is a member of UNGC and part of the India local network of UNGC.

Overview

JSW Steel has joined the United Nations Global Impact (UNGC) initiative. The UNGC encourages companies to conduct business responsibly by aligning their operations and strategies with the UN’s 10 principles. JSW Foundation, the social arm of the JSW Group, is a member of UNGC and part of the India local network of UNGC.