Current Affairs in Short: 13 October 2022

12th edition of DefExpo to begin on October 18, 2022

• The Ministry of Defence is organizing the 12th edition of the prestigious Biennial Defence Exhibition- DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It will be held from October 18 to October 22.
• The mega defence exhibition will be focusing on Land Air, Naval, and Homeland Security systems. The seminars at the event will be held at Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Center in a hybrid format in Gandhinagar.
• The seminars will be conducted by the leading industry associations, Think Tanks, Indian Defence Public Sector Entities, and Defence Research, and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The theme of the seminars will cover broadly Exports, Financing, and Investments in Defence start-ups and MSMEs, and Atmanirbharta in Defence Research & Development.

International Monetary Fund applauds India’s DBT scheme

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has termed India’s Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, a logistical marvel.
• As per IMF, while there is a lot to learn from countries across the globe, India’s DBT scheme is quite impressive. It further added that the program seeks to help people who are at low-income levels.
• The Deputy Director of the IMF said that there are programs that target specifically women or the elderly and farmers and praised the technological innovation involved in these programs.
• IMF’s Chief Economist also applauded India’s digitization efforts terming it a game changer.

UN adopts resolution condemning annexation of four Ukrainian regions by Russia

• The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution condemning the annexation of four Ukrainian regions by Russia.
• A total of 143 members votes in favor of the resolution, while 5 voted against it. As many as 35 abstained from the resolution, including India.
• The United Nations General Assembly called on all the countries not to recognize the move, reinforcing a diplomatic international isolation of Moscow.
• The resolution has come days after Russia vetoed a similar proposal in the UN Security Council, in which India had abstained.

Indian Navy conducts Offshore Security Exercise

• The Offshore Security Exercise ‘Prasthan’ in the offshore development area off Kakinada was conducted by the Eastern Naval Command.
• The half-yearly exercise was conducted in the KG basin to validate SOPs, address various contingencies and strengthen the command & control organization toward maritime security.
• Prasthan exercise is coordinated by the Indian Navy and involves all the stakeholders in the maritime domain, including the State Marine Police, oil and gas operators, the Indian Coast Guard, and the Department of Fisheries.