Current affairs 14 October 2023

India ranks 111 out of 125 countries in Global Hunger Index.

• India ranks 111 out of a total of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2023.
• India’s ranking is based on a Global Hunger Index score of 28.7 on a 100-point scale where 0 is the best score (no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
• India’s severity of hunger as serious.
• The GHI score is based on a formula which combines four indicators that together capture the multi-dimensional nature of hunger, including under-nourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality.

1st flight from Israel under Operation Ajay brings home 212 Indian nationals.

• The first flight under Operation Ajay, carrying 212 Indian nationals from Israel, arrived at Delhi airport.
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced the launch of Operation Ajay to facilitate the return of those Indians who wish to come back home.
• The decision was taken after the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas a terror outfit based in Gaza, Palestine.

China witnesses record-low number of births last year.

• As per the data published by the National Health Commission, China witnessed a record-low number of births in 2022.
• China had just 9.56 million births in 2022.
• The number of babies born last year was the lowest figure since records began in 1949.
• Last year, the country's population also fell for the first time in sixty years.
• Its population was recorded to be 1.41 billion people.
• Nearly 40 percent of Chinese newborns last year were the second child.

World Athletics nominate Neeraj Chopra for Athlete of the Year award 2023.

• The global governing body of Athletics, World Athletics has nominated Neeraj Chopra for the Men's Athlete of the Year award 2023.
• Javelin thrower Neeraj is an Indian Olympic and World Championships Gold medalist.
• World Athletics has confirmed a list of 11 nominees, selected by an international panel of athletics experts, comprising representatives from all six continental areas of World Athletics.

Tamil writer Sivasankari presented with Saraswati Samman 2022.

• Tamil writer Sivasankari has won the prestigious Saraswati Samman in 2022 for her memoirs, Surya Vamsam.
• The book was selected by a Chayan Parishad (Selection Committee), led by former Supreme Court judge Arjan Kumar Sikri.
• Surya Vamsam, a two-volume work, offers a profound glimpse into the life of an innocent child who evolved into an acclaimed author.