Weekly Current Affairs October 2023 Week 02 - Compressed

Weekly Current Affairs October 2023 Week - 02
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Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ....................................................................................................... 3
STATES AFFAIRS......................................................................................................... 11
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS............................................................................................. 18
REPORTS & INDICES ................................................................................................... 21
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES ....................................................................... 24
BUSINESS & ECONOMY ................................................................................................ 26
BANKING & FINANCE ................................................................................................... 28
RBI IN NEWS.............................................................................................................. 32
AWARDS & RECOGNITION ............................................................................................ 36
BOOKS & AUTHORS ..................................................................................................... 37
PERSON IN NEWS ....................................................................................................... 37
SPORTS ..................................................................................................................... 38
IMPORTANT DAYS ....................................................................................................... 47
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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has hosted the 8th BRICS International
Competition Conference (BRICS ICC) 2023 in New Delhi from 11th to 13th October 2023.
The theme of the conference is ‘New Issues in Competition Law and Policy – Dimensions,
Perspectives, Challenges.’
Objective: To discuss various emerging issues and challenges in competition enforcement in

BRICS countries and take forward the agenda of cooperation among the BRICS competition
authorities.
The conference has witnessed the participation of more than 600 delegates from the
competition authorities of BRICS and non-BRICS nations, competition law experts, non-
government advisors and domestic invitees.
The conference, hosted biennially by the BRICS competition authorities, provides a platform
for promoting cooperation, experience sharing and mutual learning amongst the
competition authorities of BRICS countries.
2. India has been re-elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting
Development (AIBD) General Conference (GC) for the 3rd consecutive term.
Previously, India served as President of AIBD GC in 2018 – 2021 and 2021 – 2023.
India is set to lead the international organization and will leverage itself as the broadcasting
and media hub across the Asia Pacific.
Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD):

AIBD was established in 1977 under the auspices of UNESCO. It is a unique regional inter-
governmental organisation.
It currently has 92 member organisations across 44 countries, including 26 Government
Members (countries) represented by 48 broadcasting authorities and broadcasters, and 44
Affiliates (organisations) of which represented by 28 countries and regions in Asia, Pacific,
Europe, Africa, Arab States and North America.
India is one of the founding members of AIBD and Prasar Bharati, India’s public service
broadcaster is the representative body of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt.
of India at AIBD.
• Secretariat: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3. The Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala
inaugurated the 16th Agricultural Science Congress (ASC) at Hotel Le Meridien, Kochi,
Kerala.

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The ASC has been held for the first time in Kerala.
The ASC is organised by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and hosted by
the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).
Objective: To generate a scientific discourse around transforming India’s agri-food systems
into sustainable enterprises to facilitate its benefit for generations to come.
The Congress has discussed 10 thematic areas, including all issues related to agriculture and
allied areas and sustainability issues on land and water, agricultural production systems,
products, agricultural machinery, climate action, economics, renewable or alternative energy,
precision farming, alternative farming systems, coastal agriculture, next-generation
technologies, etc.
The theme of the Congress is "Transformation of Agri-Food Systems for Achieving
Sustainable Development Goals".
Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI):

The ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) was established by the
Government of India on 3rd February 1947 under the Ministry of Agriculture and later shifted
to the ICAR in 1967.
Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala
4. Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Vivek Ram Chaudhari has unveiled a
new Ensign for the Indian Air Force (IAF) during the Air Force Day (8th October 2023) parade
held at Air Force Station Bamrauli in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
This is the first Air Force Day Parade commanded by a woman officer, GP Capt. Shaliza
Dhami. She is also the first woman officer of the IAF to command a combat unit.
• The IAF Crest has the national symbol, the Ashoka lion on the top with the words “सत्यमेव
जयते”in Devanagari below it.
• Below the Ashoka lion is a Himalayan eagle with its wings spread, denoting the fighting
qualities of the IAF.
• A ring in light blue colour encircles the Himalayan eagle with the words “भारतीय वायु सेना”.
• The motto of the IAF "नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम्" is inscribed below Himalayan eagle in golden
Devanagari. The IAF motto has been taken from verse 24, Chapter 11 of the Bhagavad
Gita and means "Radiant Thou Touchest Heaven" or in other words "Touching the sky
with Glory".
Indian Air Force:

It was officially established on 8 October 1932 by the British Empire as the Royal Indian Air
Force. The name was changed to Indian Air Force in 1950. The Indian Air Force is divided into
7 Commands. The President of India is the Commander-in-chief of the IAF. It is
headquartered in New Delhi.
5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit
(P20) at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi. The summit has been hosted by the
Parliament of India under the broader framework of India’s G20 Presidency.

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The theme of the 9th P20 Summit is ‘Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
The Speakers of Parliaments of G20 members and invitee countries have attended the event.
The Pan-African Parliament has also participated in the P20 Summit for the first time after
the African Union became a member of G20 at the New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Summit on 9-10
September 2023.
The thematic sessions during this P20 Summit have focussed on the following four subjects:
Transformation in People’s Lives through Public Digital Platforms; Women-led development;
Accelerating SDGs; and Sustainable Energy Transition.
G20 (Group of Twenty):

The G20 was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for the Finance
Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues. It
plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on
all major international economic issues.
It comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany,
India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
Türkiye, United Kingdom and United States), the European Union, and the African Union.
6. The Ministry of Culture has organized the curtain raiser event for the India Art
Architecture Design Biennale (IAADB ‘23) at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi along
with the Logo launch for the Biennale.
Notably, the Ministry of Culture is hosting its inaugural India Art Architecture Design Biennale
from 9th to 15th December 2023, with events scheduled in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
The Biennale will serve as a precursor to India’s participation in the Venice Biennale 2024,
fostering a comprehensive dialogue among practitioners and professionals in the realms of
art, architecture, and design.
The Biennale aims to bring traditional grassroots artists and contemporary designers,
curators, architects, and thought leaders to the forefront, transcending age, gender, and
genre boundaries.
7. The Minister of State, Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (MDoNER), B.L.

Verma has launched “Data Analytics Dashboard” and “Poorvottar Sampark Setu” portal
in New Delhi.
“MDoNER Data Analytics Dashboard” has the data of 112 schemes across 55 Departments
and Ministries. It will help in:
• Data driven decision making;
• Ease of operations;
• Centralized monitoring;
• Policy level decision tool;
• Information integration.

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It will monitor NER (North Eastern Region) Aspirational districts, North East border districts
and the most backward districts in NER.
The “Poorvottar Sampark Setu” portal, is a powerful tool designed to streamline and enhance
monitoring of Fortnightly visits of Union Ministers to NER. The portal generates a curated list
of Ministers who can be nominated for visit to NER in the upcoming months.
8. The Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG) has announced the Indian Pharmacopoeia
Commission (IPC) as a PDG member on 5th October 2023 during PDG Stakeholder’s meeting
held in Hyderabad, Telangana.
The PDG will now bring together the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), the Japanese
Pharmacopoeia (JP), the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) to
harmonize global pharmacopoeial standards.
The objective is to reduce manufacturers' burden of having to perform analytical procedures
in different ways, using different acceptance criteria, in order to satisfy pharmacopoeial
requirements that vary across regions.
Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC):
IPC is an Autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It was formed
in 2009. It publishes the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) and regularly updates the standards of
drugs imported, manufactured stocked or exhibited for sale or distributed in India.
Pharmacopoeia refers to book/monograph published by a government, or recognised
organisation to provide standards of strength and purity for therapeutic drugs.
Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG):
It was formed by the US, EU and Japan in 1989 and World Health Organization joined as
observer in 2001. It works to harmonize pharmacopeial standards in the member
countries/regions.
9. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the
amendment of the Second Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and
Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) for specifying rate of royalty in respect of 3 critical and
strategic minerals, namely, Lithium, Niobium and Rare Earth Elements (REEs).
With this approval, the royalty for Lithium will be 3% of London Metal Exchange price,
Niobium will be 3% of Average Sale Price (ASP) (both primary and secondary sources) and
REEs will be 1% of ASP of rare earth oxide.
This will enable the Central Government to auction blocks for Lithium, Niobium, and REEs for
the first time.
Prior to the amendment, the Second Schedule of the MMDR Act 1957 mandated a royalty
rate of 12% of ASP for all minerals not specifically provided a royalty rate.
Mineral Royalty is economic rent due to the sovereign owner (government) in exchange for
the right to extract mineral substances.
10. The Chennai-based KCP – Heavy Engineering (KCP HE) has delivered the first Integrated
Air Drop Test – Crew Module structure (IADT-CM) to the Indian Space Research

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Organization (ISRO) for the purpose of assessing technology readiness for the Gaganyaan
spacecraft, India’s inaugural human space flight program.
This is the first IADT-CM out of two orders by ISRO to KCP while the second IADT-CM is set to
be delivered by March 2024.
The first IADT-CM, weighing 3,120 kg and made of aluminium and steel, is fabricated at KCP’s
Thiruvottiyur facility.
It will be used for parachute system, pyros, avionics, and buoyancy augmentation system
testing.
The CM structure simulates the Gaganyaan crew module, and the Integrated Air Drop Test
will validate the deceleration system using an Indian Air Force helicopter at an altitude of 3.6
to 4 km.
The Gaganyaan Mission aims to send a crew of two to three members on a 3-day mission to
a 400 km orbit, returning safely to Indian sea waters.
11. Cabinet approvals on 11th October 2023:
• The Cabinet has approved the establishment of an autonomous body Mera Yuva Bharat
(MY Bharat) to focus on Youth led development. MY Bharat will be launched on 31st
October, 2023 on National Unity Day.
• Cabinet has approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between
the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the
Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of the French
Republic on cooperation in the field of Digital Technologies.
• Cabinet has approved an MoU signed on 11th August 2023 between the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Digital
Transformation Technology of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on cooperation in
the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for
Digital Transformation.
• Cabinet has approved an MoU signed on 28 July 2023 between the Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Information and
Communications Technology of Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the field of sharing
successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.

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12. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has launched the trailer of
‘KTB-Bharat Hain Hum Animation Series’ in New Delhi. This is the first time Ministry of I&B
has launched an animated series, aimed at people of India in general and children of the
country in specific.
This series will present the story of the freedom fighters and their struggle for Independence
in a unique way.
This animated series, consisting of two seasons, is produced by Central Bureau of
Communication, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Graphiti Studios.
This is the first time the Central Bureau of Communication, an expenditure body, is entering
into the domain of earning revenue.
The series consists of 52 episodes, 11 minutes each, featuring stories from Indian Freedom
struggle from 1500s to 1947.
The series is hosted by the iconic animated characters Krish, Trish and Balti boy (KTB).
The series has been created by the creator duo of Munjal Shroff and Tilakraj Shetty from
Graphiti Studios.
The series is being produced in the following 12 Languages: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada,
Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Assamese, Odia and English.
The series will also be dubbed in the following international languages: French, Spanish,
Russian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
The Bharat Hain Hum Animation Series will commence in Doordarshan, Amazon Prime Video
and Netflix from 15th October 2023.
13. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully performed a 16-second
Trajectory Correction Maneuvers (TCM) for its Aditya L1 spacecraft.
Aditya L1 is on a 110-day journey to reach the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1 (L1), marking one
of the longest space missions undertaken by an Indian spacecraft since the 2013-2014 Mars
mission.
TCM are essential for deep space missions to ensure that the spacecraft follows the planned
trajectory accurately. ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission, for example, underwent three TCMs to
ensure it reached its intended distance of 500 km (plus or minus 60 km) from Mars.
14. The Indian Navy has introduced a '360 Degree Appraisal Mechanism’ to evaluate officers'
suitability for promotion. This is a transformative initiative that aims to promote professional
and personal development while fostering a more comprehensive understanding of an
officer's leadership abilities.
Under the existing system, senior officers provide periodic Confidential Reports, which follow
a traditional top-down approach and may not fully capture an officer's influence on
subordinates.
Under the new system, an officer’s professional knowledge, leadership attributes, suitability
in war/crisis, and potential for higher ranks will be assessed through large-scale surveys from
peers and subordinates.

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The collected data will be analysed by a specially nominated Board of Officers, led by a Flag
Officer.
15. The Ministry of Commerce & Industry has introduced a significant initiative to issue system
based automatic ‘Status Holder’ certificates under the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023.
Now certificate will be provided by the IT system based on available Directorate General of
Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS) merchandise export electronic data and other
risk parameters.
The exporter will not be required to apply to the office of Directorate General of Foreign
Trade (DGFT) for a Status Certificate.
The Status Holder certification program provides credibility to the Indian exporters in the
international markets. In addition, it provides certain other privileges including simplified
procedures under FTP 2023 and priority custom clearances on self-declaration basis,
exemption from compulsory negotiation of documents through banks, exemption from filing
Bank Guarantee for FTP schemes etc.
The new system will recognize 20,000 exporters as Status Holders under FTP 2023, from the
earlier number of 12,518 exporters.
This is also aligned with the goal of achieving a USD 2 trillion export target by 2030.
Note: Status Holders are business leaders who have excelled in international trade and have
successfully contributed to the country’s foreign trade.
16. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi hosted Samia Hassan, President of Tanzania, who
recently (Oct’23) visited India and become the first head of state to visit India from the African
continent after the African Union became a member of the G20 at the 18th G20 Summit held
in New Delhi.
Both the leaders announced the elevation of Indo-Tanzania relationship to the level of
‘Strategic Partnership’. This will help the two countries to jointly work on issues like
maritime security, defence cooperation, development partnership, trade and investment
among others.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India & Tanzania for Cooperation in
the field of:
• Sharing successful digital solutions for digital transformation.
• Setting up of an Industrial Park in Tanzania.
• Maritime Industry
• Navies on Sharing White Shipping Information
• Cultural Exchange Programme
Tanzania has decided to join the flagship Indian programmes like the International Big Cat
Alliance (IBCA) and the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA).
Both sides agreed on a five-year roadmap to significantly expand defence engagement.
Both sides agreed to cooperate under the framework of the Indian Ocean Rim Association
(IORA) to ensure a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable Indian Ocean Region.

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Notably, the President of Tanzania Samia Hassan has been conferred an honorary
doctorate by Jawaharlal Nehru University, becoming the first woman to be bestowed
with the honour for her pivotal role in fostering stronger India-Tanzania relations, promoting
economic diplomacy, and achieving success in regional integration and multilateralism.
Note: IIT-Madras will open a campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
17. The 2023 edition of the Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
(HADR) Exercise (AJHE), ‘CHAKRAVAT 2023’, has been hosted by the Indian Navy at Goa
from 9th to 11th October 2023.
It involves participation of all three Services, Paramilitary Forces, as well as several disaster
response organisations, NGOs, academic institutions, and international organisations.
This exercise synergises efforts at the national level among all stakeholders, as well as
witness participation from eight countries (Mauritius, Comoros, Seychelles, Tanzania, Sri Lanka,
Mozambique, Madagascar, and Maldives) of the Indian Ocean Region.
The exercise has witnessed participation from various national agencies namely, National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), National
Institute for Disaster Management (NIDM), Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Coast
Guard, Indian Metrological Department (IMD) and other organizations.
The CHAKRAVAT 2023 logo shows crests and logos of all participating agencies and flags of all
nations subsumed into one single entity to signify that HADR will hinge on joint and
integrated action by all agencies.
Note: The first edition of the Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
(HADR) Exercise (AJHE) was held in 2015 and has been conducted by the Indian Army, Indian
Navy (IN) and Indian Air Force (IAF) in rotation since 2016.

18. The Territorial Army (TA) has inducted its first batch of Mandarin-trained officers to
support the regular Indian Army efforts to enhance expertise in the Chinese language.
Five Chinese language interpreters were inducted into the TA in August 2023 after an
extensive selection process on the basis of Mandarin proficiency and officer-like-qualities and
are now posted in forward areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to assist in border
personnel meetings with the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Territorial Army (TA):
Territorial Army (TA) is a second line of defence after the regular Indian Army. TA was raised
by the Britishers in 1920 through Indian Territorial Act of 1920.
After Independence Territorial Army Act was passed in 1948 and the Territorial Army was
formally inaugurated by the first Indian Governor General C Rajagopalachari on 09 October
1949.

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• The duties of the TA include relieving the Regular Army from static duties, while also
providing assistance to civil authorities in times of natural calamities and tragedies.
• They also help civil administration with providing essential services in areas where state
machinery is stretched or there are security threats.
19. The Indian government has launched ‘Operation Ajay’ to evacuate Indian national from
Israel-Hamas conflict zone. As per the Ministry of External Affairs, around 18,000 Indians
are currently residing in Israel.
The special chartered flights and the Indian Navy ships is being used to repatriate citizens
from Israel and Palestine.
A 24-hour control room in New Delhi is monitoring the situation in Israel and Palestine.
On 7 October 2023, Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas launched a large-scale invasion
against Israel. Part of the Gaza–Israel conflict, the war began with a militant invasion of Israel
from the Gaza Strip named Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. The Israeli counteroffensive was named
Operation Iron Swords.
20. The Supreme Court of India has allowed the appointment of an interpreter to translate
through sign language for hearing-impaired lawyers. This will ensure that hearing-
impaired lawyers and litigants, can fully comprehend and participate in judicial proceedings.
On 22nd September 2023, a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud
heard Sarah Sunny through sign-language interpreter Saurav Roy Chowdhury in a case
related to the rights of persons with disabilities (PwD).
With this, Sarah Sunny, a Bengaluru-based hearing-impaired advocate, has become India's
first practising deaf lawyer to make her case heard by the Supreme Court. She is the second
deaf advocate in India after Saudamini Pethe (Mumbai).
She hails from Kottayam, Kerala.
STATES AFFAIRS
21. The second spaceport of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which will be
dedicated exclusively for Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs), will come up in about two
years at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu.
This launch pad will be used only by the private sector.

A small space manufacturing park will also come up near the spaceport in
Kulasekarapattinam.
At present, ISRO has one space station i.e., the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV):

SSLV is a 3-stage launch vehicle capable of launching approximately 500kg satellites in 500-
km planar orbit. The key features of SSLV are low cost, with low turnaround time, flexibility in

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accommodating multiple satellites, launch-on-demand feasibility, and minimal launch
infrastructure requirements.
22. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched the Mission Shakti Scooter Scheme to
provide mobility support to self-help group members and strengthen women’s
empowerment in the state.
The state government will provide interest-free loan up to Rs.1 lakh to Mission Shakti
members to buy scooters.
The government will pay Rs.528 core towards the interest of the loan availed by the Women
Self-Help Group (WSHG) members.
Under the scheme, more than 2 lakh members of WSHGs will be benefited.
Mo Odisha Nabin Odisha:

The Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has also launched the “Mo Odisha Nabin Odisha” scheme
to strengthen the infrastructure with focus on every village and every Panchayat in the state.
Under the scheme, every Panchayat will get Rs.50 lakh for development of digital
infrastructure, strengthening of Odia culture and conservation of Jaganath culture.
Total Rs.3397 crore would be spent in the state for implementation of 90,723 projects in
6794 Gram Panchayats.
23. ‘Bathukamma’ means ‘Mother Goddess come Alive’, is an annual festival observed
predominantly in Telangana and in some parts of Andhra Pradesh.
• This is a floral festival observed by women only.
• The festival starts on Bhadrapada Amavasya, also known as Mahalaya Amavasya or Pithru
Amavasya, and ends on Ashwayuja Ashtami, popularly known as Durgashtami.
• It is celebrated for nine days which culminates on Pedda Bathukamma panduga or
Chaddula Bathukamma festival.
• Bathukamma festival indicates the beginning of Sharath ruthu.
In 2023, the Bathukamma festival has been observed from 14th October to 23rd October.
24. The state government of Tamil Nadu has announced a new Tax Arrears Conciliation
Scheme (Samadhan scheme) with waivers and concessions for settling pending tax dues of
about Rs.25000 crore.
The scheme will be in force between 16th October 2023 to 15th February 2024.
The Samadhan scheme classifies tax dues into five categories based on the outstanding
amounts:
• Below Rs.50,000

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• Between Rs.50,000 and Rs.10 lakh
• Between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore
• Between Rs.1 crore and Rs.10 crore
• Above Rs.10 crore
The scheme presents a complete waiver of tax arrears, interest, and penalties for assessment
years with dues under Rs.50,000.
25. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma has unveiled a 35-feet statue of Ahom general
Lachit Borphukan, and a Swahid Smarak (Martyr’s Column) at Bir Lachit Borphukan Park
inside Narengi Military Station in Guwahati, Assam.
Lachit Borphukan:
He was the general of the Ahom Kingdom. He is best known for fighting off the Mughals
(Ruler Aurangzeb), defeating them in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 on the banks of the
Brahmaputra near Guwahati.
26. The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath has officially designated the Gangetic
Dolphin as the state's aquatic animal. This species is found in the Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal,
Ghaghra, Rapti, and Gerua rivers in Uttar Pradesh.
Gangetic Dolphin (Platanista gangetica):

Gangetic Dolphin has a long thin snout, rounded belly, stocky body and large flippers. It feeds
majorly on fishes. Its eyes lack lens, and as a result, this species is also referred to as the
"blind dolphin".
They are found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu River systems
of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh.
They have a highly developed bio-sonar system that facilitates them to hunt for fish even in
murky waters.
They cannot breathe in the water and must surface every 30-120 seconds. Because of the
sound it produces when breathing, the animal is popularly referred to as the 'Susu'.
Gangetic Dolphin is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List.
Note: Gangetic Dolphin was notified as India’s National Aquatic Animal in 2010.
The scientific name of Ganges dolphin is Platanista gangetica.
27. The Cabinet of Maharashtra has approved the ‘Lek Ladki’ (Beloved Daughter) scheme to
provide financial aid to families with girl children. It is an initiative designed to prevent girls
from dropping out of school due to financial constraints in their families.
This scheme was announced in the budget session of March 2023.

As per the decision, a family with a yellow and saffron ration card will receive Rs.5000 after
the birth of a girl child, Rs.6000 after she is enrolled in standard first, Rs.7000 after the sixth
standard, Rs.8000 after standard 11 and Rs.75,000 after completing 18 years of age
This scheme will be implemented for girls born from 1st April 2023.

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If a family welcomes one or two girls or one boy and one girl after 1st April 2023, the girl child
will be eligible for the Lek Ladki scheme.
In the case of twin girls born during a second delivery, both children will qualify for this
scheme.
28. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) of Mumbai, Maharashtra

has become the first in Asia to commission a Disabled Aircraft Recovery Kit (DARK) with
high pressure lifting bags (HPLB). The aim is to help stranded aircraft.
The DARK facility comprised high pressure lifting bags of superior durability but requiring
minimal manpower and providing a more efficient aircraft recovery process compared with
the conventional low-pressure counterparts.
DARK can quickly recover large commercial and transport aircraft, including the world's
biggest aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER, and others that may be involved in runway excursions
or other incidents.
29. Researchers have discovered a new species of colourful dragonfly in Wayanad, Kerala. The
new species, also known as ‘Red-rumped Hawklet’, is given the scientific nomenclature
“Epithemis wayanadensis.” It is named after its habitat “the Wayanad plateau”.
This newfound species is distinguished by its darker pigmentation, a restricted red coloration
on the abdomen, and the absence of the yellow antehumeral stripe.
This is the first instance of an Indian dragonfly being documented with genetic evidence
substantiating morphological distinctions.
30. Milton Dick, speaker of the Australian Parliament, and Philip Green, the country’s new High
Commissioner in Chennai, has announced that Australia will be a partner country for the
Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet (TNGIM) 2024.
Other partner countries (TNGIM 2024) are: Singapore, Japan, France, and South Korea.
TNGIM 2024 will be held in Chennai on 7th and 8th January 2024.
TNGIM 2024 will bring together investors, thought leaders, policymakers, and academia to
shape a future leadership role for the State as we progress towards a trillion-dollar economy
in a sustainable and inclusive environment.
Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet:
It is a business summits organized by the Government of Tamil Nadu to facilitate both
domestic and foreign investments in the State. This summit have played a pivotal role in
fostering economic growth and development in the region. The first summit was organized in
2015.
31. Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has established South Asia’s first-of-its-kind
Aircraft Recovery Training School on the premises of Kempegowda International Airport
in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

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This institution is dedicated to providing specialised aircraft recovery hands-on training,
equipped with state-of-the-art Disabled Aircraft Recovery Equipment (DARE).
BIAL, through a strategic partnership with KUNZ GmbH Aircraft Equipment, Germany, will
offer Disabled Aircraft Recovery Training under the Trainair Plus programme recognised by
the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
32. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has announced the formation of three new districts
namely, ‘Malpura’, ‘Sujangarh’, and ‘Kuchaman’ in Rajasthan during the Gau Seva
Sammelan in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
This aims to enhance administrative efficiency while law and order will be strengthened.
With this, the total number of districts in Rajasthan has now increased to 53.
33. The Geographical Indication Registry, under the Ministry of Commerce, and Industry, has
awarded geographical indication (GI) tags to a collective of 8 distinct products.
GI Tag Products State/UT Description

Yak Churpi Arunachal Churpi is a diary product derived from the milk of
Pradesh Arunachali Yak breed, primarily found in the West
Kameng and Tawang.
Khaw Tai (Khamti Arunachal Khamti Rice is a sticky rice variety cultivated in the
Rice) Pradesh Namsai district.
Tangsa Textile Arunachal Tangsa textile originates from the Tangsa tribe in
Pradesh the Changlang district.
Rasabali Odisha It is a sweet dish offered to Baladevjew. It is
originated in the Baladevjew Temple of
Kendrapara. It is one of the Chapana bhoga of
Jagannath temple.
Kaladi Jammu & It is a popular Dogra cuisine with its origins in
Kashmir Udhampur district’s Ramnagar.
Basohli Pashmina Jammu & It is an age-old traditional craft of Kathua district.
Kashmir It is famous for its exceptional softness, fineness
and feather-like weight.
Udangudi Tamil Nadu It is a specific type of palm jaggery or gur
Panangkarupatti originating from Tirunelveli district.
Goa Cashew Goa The Goa cashew has a unique identity and taste
due to the overall climatological impact of Goa
and traditional farming practices.
Geographical Indications (GI):

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GI are the form of intellectual property rights that protect the products or goods that
originate from a specific geographical region and have distinctive qualities or reputations
associated with that region.
GI can be applied to agricultural, handicraft, industrial, or food products.
GI tags are valid for 10 years, and after this period, they can be renewed.
34. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has inaugurated the 16th edition of cOcOn, the two-
day international hacking and cybersecurity conference at Hotel Grand Hyatt in Kochi,
Kerala.
• The conference has been organised by the Kerala Police in association with Information
Security Research Association (ISRA), The Society for the Policing of Cyberspace (POLCYB),
a not-for-profit society based in British Columbia, Canada, UNICEF, ICMEC, WeProtect, and
a host of other agencies.
• The motto of the 2023 edition is ‘Connect | Collaborate | Contribute.’
• The conference aims to provide a platform to discuss, showcase, educate, understand and
spread awareness on the latest trends in information, cybercrimes, and hi-tech crimes.
• It also aims at providing a common platform for security forces, government, industrial
leaders, start-ups, students, and professionals to get hands-on exposure to the latest
technological advancements in the field.
c0c0n, previously known as Cyber Safe, is the longest running conferences in the area of
Information Security and Hacking.
35. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has performed bhoomi poojan of ‘Veerangana Rani
Durgavati Smarak aur Udyaan‘ in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh during the 500th birth
anniversary of Rani Durgavati.
It will be built at a cost of about Rs.100 crore and will be spread over an area of about 21
acres.
It will showcase an impressive 52-foot-high bronze statue of Rani Durgavati. It will have a
magnificent museum highlighting the history of the Gondwana region including the valour
and courage of Rani Durgavati.
Rani Durgavati:
• Rani Durgavati was the ruling queen of Gondwana in the mid-16th century. She is
remembered as a brave, fearless and courageous warrior who fought for freedom against
the Mughals.

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• She was born on 5 October 1524 in Chandel Dynasty of Mahoba in Banda, UP and was
married to Dalpatshah of Gond Dynasty of Garha-Katanga in 1542.
• She took reins of the Gond Dynasty in 1550 after Dalpatshah’s death as the guardian of
her son Veer Narayan.
• ‘Tarikh-i-Firishta’ mentions Durgavati defeated Baz Bahadur, the ruler of Malwa, who had
attacked her kingdom between 1555 and 1560.
• During her reign, Akbar attacked the Gond Empire under the leadership of Asaf Khan.
When Rani heard about the attack, she decided to defend her kingdom with all her might.
While fighting them in battle, she is believed to have stabbed herself with her dagger to
not surrender to the Mughal forces.
Note: 24th June is observed as ‘Balidan Divas’ every year in the honour of Rani Durgavati.
In 2018, the Indian Coast Guard commissioned the 3rd Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) named
‘ICGS Durgavati’ at its district headquarters in Visakhapatnam.
36. The Uttarakhand Employment and Skill Development department has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft to provide training related to the
digital skills to the students. The MoU also supports digital training for under-privileged
groups.
The department has also signed an MoU with IIT Roorkee to utilize the technical expertise of
IIT Roorkee for the development of skill capacity of the state’s manpower.
These MoUs are signed during the Uttarakhand Youth Mahotsav 2023 program organized at
Parade Ground in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
37. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple
projects worth about Rs.5000 crore in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
The projects include:

• 350-bed Trauma Centre and Critical Care Hospital Block at AIIMS, Jodhpur.
• 7 Critical Care Blocks under Pradhan Mantri – Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure
Mission (PM-ABHIM).
• New Terminal Building at Jodhpur Airport.
• He dedicated IIT Jodhpur campus, and infrastructure upgrades to the Central University of
Rajasthan.

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• He also laid the foundation stone of multiple road development projects and dedicated
two other rail projects including the doubling of the 145 km long Degana-Rai Ka Bagh,
and the 58 km long Degana-Kuchaman City rail lines.
• He has flagged off Runicha Express which will connect Jaisalmer to Delhi. It will pass
through Jodhpur, Degana, Kuchaman City, Phulera, Ringas, Shrimadhopur, Neem Ka
Thana, Narnaul, Ateli, and Rewari.
• He has also flagged off a new heritage train connecting Marwar Junction to Khambli
Ghat.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
38. The Israel Defence Forces has launched ‘Operation Iron Swords' in response for Hamas, a
Palestinian militant organization, attack on the Israeli territory on 7th October 2023. This
operation targets attackers who have entered Israel and are conducting attacks on civilians
and defense forces.
The retaliation has led to significant casualties in Gaza strip, with at least 198 killed and 1,610
wounded.
Hamas is calling its attack as Operation ‘al-Aqsa Flood.’ This attack is a result of Israel’s
desecration of the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a site sacred to both
Judaism and Islam in the Old City of East Jerusalem.
It is the first direct conflict within Israel's boundaries since the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
Al-Aqsa Mosque:
It is considered as the third holiest by the Muslims, after Mecca and Medina. It is from here
Prophet Muhammad is believed to have ‘ascended to heaven’.
The compound is revered by the Jews as the place where the First and Second Temples,
believed to have been constructed almost 3,000 years ago, stood. In its current form, the
Second Temple is believed to have been first opened in 516 BCE and expanded by King
Herod between 20-18 BCE. The holiest site in Judaism, it was eventually destroyed by the
Romans in 70 CE, with only a portion of the Western wall remaining standing.
Palestinians view this site as a symbol of national aspirations, while some Israelis see it as a
statement of sovereignty.
In 1967, after the Six-Day War, Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip, thereby seizing control of the Al-Aqsa complex from its Arab neighbours. Under
international law, this area is considered occupied territory, while Israel sees it as disputed
territory.

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39. The European Union (EU) lawmakers has approved new standards for companies issuing
green bonds to help investors pick sustainable companies and avoid greenwashing or
misleading climate-friendly claims.
These standards introduce the "European Green Bond" label, representing a first of its kind
initiative in the world.
Companies who want to label their bonds as "green" in the EU would have to disclose
information about how the bond's proceeds would be used.
At least 85% of funds raised would have to be allocated to activities in line with the EU's
taxonomy of sustainable activities.
Note: Europe is the world's biggest issuer of green bonds, accounting for more than half of
global volume in 2021, though issuance is still only 3% to 3.5% of the overall bond market.
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 countries. It promotes
democratic values and is a powerful trade bloc.
Greenwashing:
Environmentalist Jay Westerveld coined the term “greenwashing” in 1986. Greenwashing is
the practice of making brands appears more sustainable than they actually are. It may
involve marketing strategy, misguided publicity stunts, or simply changing the packaging of
an existing product while continuing to use unsustainable ingredients or practices.
40. Spanish startup PLD Space has successfully launched the first-ever private European rocket
into orbit named “Miura 1.” The first launch of the Miura 1 took place from a site in
southwest Spain. The flight lasted 306 seconds.
Miura 1 reached a maximum altitude of 46 kilometres, before falling back down to Earth and
splashing into the Atlantic Ocean.
• Miura 1, named after a famous breed of bull in Spain’s bullfighting tradition, is a
suborbital microlauncher that has been privately developed in Europe.
• It is designed with a two-fold mission: delivering commercial payloads to space and back,
and enabling research and technology development in microgravity conditions.
• It is the first European rocket that’s designed to be recoverable.
41. Amazon has launched the first two prototype satellites ‘KuiperSat-1’ and ‘KuiperSat-2’ to
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at the height of 500 kilometres (11 miles) as part of “Protoflight”
mission of Project Kuiper.
The satellite has been launched by the United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket from
Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, United States of
America.

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The mission aims to test Amazon’s first pieces of technology in space as the e-commerce and
web services giant looks to deploy 3,236 more satellites in the next few years and offer
broadband internet globally.
Amazon has vowed to invest USD 10 billion into its Kuiper project, which was announced in
2019.
Project Kuiper:
Project Kuiper is an initiative to launch a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will
provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved
communities around the world.
42. The Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston (EGMH), North America’s first Gandhi Museum has
been opened in Houston, Texas, the United States of America (USA).
The museum aims to promote and preserve the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, who is called the
apostle of peace.
The 13,000 square-foot museum's architecture is based on Mahatma Gandhi's twenty-four-
spoke Chakra spinning wheel which he used to seek independence from colonial rule.
The museum has interactive and engaging exhibits, portraying the tale of Gandhi’s life in
three parts: "His Journey," "Our Journey" and "My Journey".
Outer walls of the semi-circular museum show various peace activists including Mahatma
Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Betty Williams and more.
There is also a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in front of the museum.
43. Sri Lanka will hold the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) from
2023 to 2025. The country has taken over the chairmanship during the 23rd Council of
Ministers' Meeting held on October 11, 2023, in Colombo.
During the meeting, the member states of IORA hold discussions on collaboration in various
sectors, including trade and investment, maritime safety and security, fisheries management,
disaster risk management, and the blue economy, among others.
Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA):

IORA is an inter-governmental organisation which was established on 7 March 1997. It is the
Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) which meets annually.
Secretariat: Cyber City, Ebene, Mauritius
Members (23): India, Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, France, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya,
Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore,
Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, and Yemen.

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REPORTS & INDICES
44. India’s fiscal deficit for the tenure April to August of the financial year 2023-24 is at Rs.6.42
trillion, 36 percent of the full-year target of Rs.17.87 trillion. This is according to the data
released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
In the same period in FY23, the fiscal deficit was 32.6 percent of the full-year target.
India aims to narrow its fiscal deficit to 5.9 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by the
end of the financial year 2023-24, against 6.4 percent in FY23.
• The primary deficit, which shows fiscal deficit without the interest payment, stood at
Rs.2.75 trillion, 38.9 percent of the full-year target of Rs.7.06 trillion.
• The revenue deficit stood at Rs.2.84 trillion, 32.7 percent of the full-year target of Rs.8.70
trillion.
• The corporate tax collections has increased over 15 percent year-on-year to Rs.2.39
trillion.
• The total expenditure during the period is Rs.16.72 trillion. It is 37.1 percent of the
annual goal, higher than the Rs.13.90 trillion in the same period last year.
• The total receipts during the period is Rs.10.29 trillion. It is 37.9 percent of the annual
goal.
45. Hurun India and 360 Wealth have released the 360 ONE Wealth Hurun India Rich List
2023. A total of 1,319 individuals from 138 cities feature on the Hurun 2023 list which uses
August 30 as the base date to assess fortunes.
The list states that India has 259 billionaires, a 4.4 fold increase in 12 years.
• Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani has become the richest Indian in the list
with a net worth of Rs.8,08,700 crore.
• Gautam Adani has secured the second spot on the list with a net worth of Rs.4,74,800
crore, followed by Cyrus Poonawalla, Shiv Nadar and Gopichand Hinduja.
• Radha Vembu of Zoho has surpassed Falguni Nayar to become the richest self-made
Indian woman, while Zepto’s Kaivalya Vohra is the youngest on the list.
The Hurun India Rich List 2023 has also identified professional managers who have built an
impressive net worth. Professional managers in this list consist of individuals who joined a
business after it has been founded and helped it grow.
• Jayshree Ullal, President and CEO of Arista Networks, has been named the richest Indian
professional manager with a net worth of Rs.20,800 crore.

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• Thomas Kurian of Oracle has secured the 2nd spot with a net worth of Rs.15,800 crore,
followed by Ajaypal Singh Banga, President of World Bank, with a net worth of Rs 7,600
crore, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (Rs.7500 crore), and Nikesh Arora of Palo Alto
Networks (Rs.7400 crore).
46. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its October 2023 World Economic Outlook
(WEO) report has raised India's FY24 GDP projection marginally by 0.2 percent to 6.3
percent.
IMF in July 2023 had estimated India's GDP forecast at 6.1 percent for 2023-24.
The growth in India is projected to remain strong at 6.3 percent in both 2023 and 2024, with
an upward revision of 0.2 percentage points for 2023, reflecting stronger-than-expected
consumption from April to June.
IMF expects retail inflation of India to rise to 5.5% in FY24 before easing to 4.6% in FY25.
The global real GDP growth in 2023 has remained unchanged at 3.0% but has declined 2024
forecast by 0.1 percentage point to 2.9% from its July 2023 forecast.
47. The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI), has released its 19th quarterly Periodic Labour Force Survey
(PLFS) bulletin for April-June 2023 (Q1FY24).
Activity Status- Usual Status: The activity status of a person is determined based on the
activities pursued by the person during the specified reference period. When the activity
status is determined based on the reference period of last 365 days preceding the date of
survey, it is known as the usual activity status of the person.
Activity Status- Current Weekly Status (CWS): The activity status determined based on a
reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey is known as the current weekly
status (CWS) of the person.
Indicators (‘Usual Status’) 2017-18 2022-23 Indicators (‘Current 2017-18 2022-23

(persons of age 15 years (%) (%) Weekly Status’) (%) (%)
and above) (persons of age 15
years and above)
Labour Force Total 49.8 57.9 LFPR Total 48.4 54.6
Participation Rate Rural 50.7 60.8 Rural 48.9 56.7
(LFPR) Urban 47.6 50.4 Urban 47.1 49.4
Male 75.8 78.5 Male 75.1 77.4
Female 23.3 37.0 Female 21.1 31.6
Worker Total 46.8 56.0 WPR Total 44.1 51.8
Population Ratio Rural 48.1 59.4 Rural 44.8 54.2
(WPR) Urban 43.9 47.7 Urban 42.6 46.0
Male 71.2 76.0 Male 68.6 73.5
Female 22.0 35.9 Female 19.2 30.0

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Unemployment Total 6.0 3.2 UR Total 8.7 5.1
Rate (UR) Rural 5.3 2.4 Rural 8.4 4.4
Urban 7.7 5.4 Urban 9.5 7.0
Male 6.1 3.3 Male 8.7 5.1
Female 5.6 2.9 Female 9.0 5.1
PFLS:
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in
April 2017. The objective of PLFS is primarily twofold:
• To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker
Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short
time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the ‘Current Weekly Status’
(CWS).
• To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both ‘Usual Status’ (ps+ss)
and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.
LFPR is defined as the percentage of persons in labour force (i.e. working or seeking or
available for work) in the population.
WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population.
UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour
force.
48. The 16th Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023, a tool for comprehensively measuring and
tracking hunger at global, regional, and national levels, has been published by Concern
Worldwide (Ireland), in partnership with Welthungerhilfe (Germany). The index focuses on 4
main parameters:
• Undernourishment
• Child wasting
• Child stunting
• Child mortality
The GHI score is calculated on a 100-point scale reflecting the severity of hunger - zero is the
best score (implies no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
The first GHI report was published in 2006.
According to the GHI 2023 report, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chile, China are among
the top ranked countries (i.e., low level of hunger) and Yemen, Madagascar, Central African
Republic (125th) are the bottom.
The GHI 2023 score for the world is 18.3, considered moderate, showing minimal
improvement since 2015.
South Asia and Africa (South of Sahara) are the world regions with highest hunger levels.
India’s performance:
• India has been ranked 111th out of 125 countries, as against 107th in 2022.

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• Neighbouring countries, such as Pakistan (102nd), Bangladesh (81st), Nepal (69th), and Sri
Lanka (60th), scored better than India.
• India's GHI score 2023 stands at 28.7, categorized as "serious" on the GHI Severity of
Hunger Scale.
• Highest child wasting rate (under five age who have low weight for their height) in world
at 18.7 percent, reflecting acute under nutrition.
• Rate of undernourishment (caloric intake is insufficient) stood at 16.6 percent and
under-five mortality (children who die before their fifth birthday) at 3.1 percent.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES

49. Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani, has launched the
“Protocol for Management of Malnutrition in Children”. This is the first such protocol by
the government.
The Protocol for Management of Malnutrition in Children has been jointly prepared by the
Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) and the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare (MoH&FW).
The protocol will be a core component of the efforts by MoWCD to reduce malnutrition
through Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Nutrition 2.0.
Key highlights:
• The protocol provides detailed guidelines for the identification and management of
malnourished children at the Anganwadi level. The identification of malnourished
children and their treatment is an integral aspect of Mission Poshan 2.0
• After the identification of children through growth monitoring data, appetite tests will be
done on all Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) children for medical complications.
• SAM children who fail the appetite test will be referred to Nutritional Rehabilitation
Centres (NRC), which will also be linked to medical centres.
• The protocol uses the concept of ‘Buddy Mother’ which was first used in the state of
Assam. Under this, the mother of a healthy baby guides the mother of a malnourished
child at an Angandwadi centre every week.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines ‘severe acute malnutrition’ (SAM) by very low
weight-for-height or a mid-upper arm circumference less than 115 mm, or by the presence of
nutritional oedema.

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At present, there are 7.7% SAM children in India.
50. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, has approved the
establishment of an autonomous body Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat).
Mera Yuva Bharat:

• The primary objective of Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) is to make it a whole Government
platform for youth development.
• It is an autonomous body which 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 the case of programme components specifically meant for adolescents, the
beneficiaries will be in the age group of 10-19 years.
• It will help in setting the focus of the Government on Youth Led development and to make
the Youth “active drivers” of development and not merely “passive recipients”.
• Under the new arrangement, with access to resources & connection to opportunities,
youth would become community change agents and nation builders allowing them to act
as the Yuva Setu between the Government and the citizens.
• It will be launched on 31st October 2023 on National Unity Day.
51. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched the scheme ‘SHRESHTA.’
This scheme is known as Scheme for residential education for students in High school in
Targeted Areas.
Objective: To uplift the socio-economic status of the Scheduled Castes (SC) peoples by
providing high quality education to their children in best private residential schools in the
country.
The admission will be provided in Class 9 and Class 11 of CBSE affiliated private schools.
The scheme is being implemented in two Modes:
• One is SHRESHTA schools (Best CBSE/State Board affiliated Private Residential Schools)
Under this, each year a specified number of meritorious SC students in States/UTs will be
selected through the National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS) to be conducted by the
National Testing Agency (NTA) and admitted in the best private residential schools
affiliated by CBSE/State Board in classes 9th and 11th for completion of education till 12th
standard.
Government has targeted that every year around 3000 students belonging to SC category
will be admitted to Class 9 and Class 11 under this system.

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The specified admissible fees for each class are as follows: 9th: Rs.1,00,000; 10th: Rs.1,10,000;
11th: Rs.1,25,000; 12th: Rs.1,35,000.
Students from the SC community who come from a marginalized income group with an
annual income of up to Rs.2.5 lakh is eligible.
• Second Mode is NGO/VO operated Schools/Hostels (EXISTING COMPONENT), (Guidelines
hereinafter applicable only for Mode 2 of the Scheme), Schools/Hostels run by VOs/NGOs
and other organizations having higher classes (up to class 12) and who have been
receiving Grant-in-aid will be continued, subject to satisfactory performance.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY

52. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), in collaboration with the Savitribai Phule
Pune University (SPPU), has launched an ambitious initiative titled Universalization of
Traditional Indian Knowledge System (UTIKS) at Manipal Academy of Higher Education
(MAHE), Manipal, in Karnataka.
The aim is to disseminate traditional Indian knowledge across the world and to make
present-day Indian citizens aware of their roots and culture.
This platform will serve as an authentic single-window source for introductory-level
knowledge on a range of subjects under the Traditional Indian Knowledge System.
53. India and Italy have inked an agreement to promote engagement in various defence
domains, including security and defence policy, research and development, industrial co-
development, co-production and setting up of joint ventures.
The agreement has been signed during the official visit of India’s Defense Minister, Rajnath
Singh, to Italy, in the presence of his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto in Rome.
During the discussions, particular emphasis was placed on fostering defense industrial
cooperation. This includes encouraging interactions between Indian start-ups and Italian
defense companies to leverage the strengths of both nations.
India and Italy elevated their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership in March 2023
during the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to India.
54. The Government of India (GoI) has signed two Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in
ocean sciences and medical product regulation with Dominican Republic.
The MoUs have been signed during a meeting between Raquel Pena Rodriguez, the Vice
President of Dominican Republic, and India's Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar in New Delhi.
First MoU: Between India's CSIR-NIO (National Institute of Oceanography) and the
Dominican Republic's National Institute of Maritime Affairs for scientific cooperation in ocean
sciences.

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Second MoU: Between the Union Health & Family Welfare Ministry's Central Drugs Standards
Control Organisation and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Dominican Republic on medical
product regulation.
55. The Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ahmedabad-based Nav Wireless
Technologies Pvt Ltd (NavTech) to use light-based high-speed communication for satellite
communication in space.
SAC will use high speed secure quantum key communication using light from base station to
satellite in space & terrestrial communication.
The MoU has been signed for a tenure of three years.
Nav Wireless Technologies is the first company in India to provide this technology to SAC,
ISRO.
56. India and Saudi Arabia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the fields of
electrical interconnection; exchange of electricity during peak times and emergencies; co-
development of projects; co-production of green / clean hydrogen and renewable energy.
The MoU also aims to establish secure, reliable and resilient supply chains of materials used
in green / clean hydrogen and the renewable energy sector.
The MoU has been signed between the Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable
Energy, Government of India, R.K. Singh and the Minister of Energy, Government of Saudi
Arabia, Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud.
The MoU has been signed on the side-lines of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
Climate Week 2023 held in Riyadh.
57. The Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati to establish
the Common Engineering Facility Center titled “Digital Twin Center for Emerging Automotive
Systems” in Hub and Spoke model.
The Common Engineering Facility Center (CEFC) is being established under Capital Goods
scheme Phase II of the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) by ARAI along with Industry Partner
named Micelio Mobility Pvt Ltd.
The CEFC will enable “SAMARTH Udyog Bharat 4.0”, for the benefit of the industry at large,
and more specifically MSMEs and Start-ups by creating digital twin for the different systems
across industries.
The entire facility is being established in Hub and Spoke manner with:
Hub: Pune
Spoke1: Bengaluru
Spoke 2: Guwahati
The Digital Twin Center will help the MSMEs and Start-ups in experimenting, experiencing,
up-skilling and finding solutions using this domain for their needs.

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Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI):
ARAI is an autonomous body under the aegis of the Ministry of Heavy Industries. It was
established in 1966. It is a prime Testing and Certification Agency notified by Government of
India under Rule 126 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989.
• Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra
• Director: Reji Mathai
58. The Assam Skill Development Mission (ASDM) under the Skill, Employment &
Entrepreneurship Department, Government of Assam has inked a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Army to upskill ex-servicemen and their dependents.
The MoU will empower ex-servicemen and their dependents to get remunerative
employment and self-employment.
BANKING & FINANCE

59. Axis Bank has launched its digital bank proposition called ‘open by Axis Bank’ in its latest
advertising campaign ‘Open 2023’ that focuses on the Bank's digital capabilities.
The Open 2023 campaign highlights the top 15 features of the Bank's digital offerings.
‘open by Axis Bank’ is a future-ready mobile application underscores the Bank's pivot towards
enhanced digital offerings.
60. The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a 'Mobile Handheld Device’ for its financial
inclusion customers in a bid to enhance accessibility and convenience.
In its first phase, the device will provide five core banking services that account for 75 percent
of transactions conducted at CSP (Customer Service Point) outlets. These include cash
withdrawals, cash deposits, fund transfers, balance inquiries, and mini statements.
61. REC Limited, the Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power,
has launched a mobile application, exclusively for current and future investors in REC’s 54EC
Capital Gain Tax Exemption Bonds.
The app named ‘SUGAM REC’ will offer investors with complete details of their investment in
REC 54EC Bonds.
Section 54EC Bonds:
Section 54EC Bonds are a type of fixed income financial instruments which provide tax
exemption under capital gains to investors, under Section 54EC of the Income Tax Act. These
bonds allow an assessee/investor to save income tax on long-term capital gain by investing
the gains.
The investment into these bonds has to be made within 6 months from the date of long-term
capital gain. They have a fixed lock-in period of 5 years and can be either held in Physical or
Demat form.

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They are issued by various institutions managed by the Government of India to finance
specific capital projects.
62. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 200 million loan to strengthen
flood and riverbank erosion risk management along the 650 kilometers (km) long main stem
of the Brahmaputra River in Assam.
• The Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of Assam will lead, manage, and
coordinate the project activities.
• The Water Resources Department of the Government of Assam will implement the works
and the Assam Agroforestry Development Board will use nature-based solutions.
• The Brahmaputra Board, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, and the Assam
Inland Water Transport Development Society will be partner agencies of the project.
The project will benefit about 1 million people and increase crop production over 50,000
hectares.
63. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed 12 General Managers
(GMs) as Executive Directors (EDs) of various Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
Appointee GM (Previous ED (New Post)

Post)
Sanjay Rudra Bank of Union Bank of
Maharashtra India
Vijaykumar N Bank of UCO Bank
Kamble Maharashtra
Bhavendra Kumar Canara Bank Canara Bank
Bibhu Prasad Punjab Punjab National
Mahapatra National Bank Bank
Ravi Mehra Punjab & Sindh Punjab & Sind
Bank Bank
Rajiv Mishra Union Bank of Bank of India
India
Brajesh Kumar Bank of Baroda Indian Bank
Singh
Rohit Rishi Indian Bank Bank of
Maharashtra
Lal Singh Union Bank of Bank of Baroda
India
Shiv Bajrang Bank of India Indian Bank
Singh

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Mahendra Dohare Punjab Central Bank of
National Bank India
Dhanaraj T Indian Bank Indian Overseas
Bank
64. The Christ University, Pune has inked a pact with the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) to collaborate in the field of weather and climate sciences.
This five-year pact has been inked between Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general, IMD,
and Fr Lijo Thomas, director, Christ University, Lavasa, during the Stakeholder Consultation
Workshop on the National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS) in India.
The scope of this pact extends to human resource training, development, research and
publications in climate sciences.
It will facilitate the capacity-building programme, one of the main goals of the proposed
NFCS.
National Framework for Climate Services (NFCS):

NFCS - India is proposed under Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS). It is premised
on strengthening the production, availability, delivery and application of science-based
climate monitoring and prediction services. The nodal agency for formulation and
implementation of the national framework in India will be IMD.
Switzerland, China, Germany and UK have also launched the NFCS.
65. Star Health & Allied Insurance has introduced a surrogacy cover and oocyte donor cover
to its popular women-centric policy namely ‘Star Women Care Insurance Policy’ at no extra
charge for policyholders.
The policy will offer inpatient hospitalisation coverage under the surrogacy cover for post-
partum delivery complications to the surrogate mother for up to 36 months.
The oocyte donor coverage will indemnify inpatient hospitalisation expenses for
complications arising from assisted reproductive treatment for a period of 12 months.
The surrogate mother cover and oocyte donor cover is valid for adults aged between 25
years to 35 years. In both these covers, the proposer has to be one of the intending couple.
The sum assured is available up to Rs.1 crore.
Under the policy, a newborn will gain health cover of up to 25 percent of the sum insured
from Day 1 and 100 percent of sum insured from the next subsequent year onward.
The policy also has a Start Mother Cover feature which covers the hospital room rent of the
insured mother if the insured child is less than 12 years old and is hospitalised in the
intensive care unit (ICU).

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66. ManipalCigna Health insurance Company Limited (formerly known as CignaTTK Health
Insurance Company Limited) has launched 'ManipalCigna Accident Shield'.
This new advanced personal accident plan provides comprehensive coverage for Accidental
Death (AD), Permanent Total Disablement (PTD), and Permanent Partial Disablement (PPD),
ensuring that policyholders are safeguarded against a wide array of accidents.
The plan comes in three variants:
• Classic Plan
• Plus Plan
• Pro Plan
67. The India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) has sanctioned loans worth
Rs.8,800 crore to develop airports and civil aviation infrastructure in India.
The IIFCL has already sanctioned loans of around Rs.4000 crore.

IIFCL is one of the major financiers of airports in India and has supported airports with a total
project outlay of about Rs.74,000 crore.
68. Axis Bank has launched India’s first numberless credit card in collaboration with fintech
startup Fibe (formerly known as EarlySalary) for tech-savvy Generation Z (people born
between 1996 and 2010) of India.
The card, ‘Fibe Axis Bank Credit Card’, is powered by RuPay.

It allows the customer to link this credit card to Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
It offers enhanced security as it doesn't have a card number, expiry date, or CVV printed on it,
reducing the risk of identity theft.
69. The Mahindra Last Mile Mobility (MLMML), a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra, has
received Rs.300 crore as the first tranche of its investment from the International Finance
Corporation (IFC) for its electric vehicle division.
This investment is IFC’s first in an EV maker in India.

With this transaction, MLMML will no longer be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mahindra and
Mahindra with effect from 9th October 2023, while it continues to be a subsidiary of the
company.
In March 2023, IFC agreed to invest Rs.600 crore in the company housing the last mile
mobility division of the Mahindra Group, valuing it at up to Rs.6,020 crore.
70. Federal Bank has launched the Unified Interface Payments (UPI) integration for Non-
Residential Indian (NRI) clients through its mobile banking platform, FedMobile. The aim is
to enhance banking convenience for its NRI clients.

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With the integration of UPI, NRI clients can now make payments seamlessly using their Non-
Residential External (NRE) accounts in regions where traditional payment methods may be
limited.
The plan has been approved by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for NRIs
from countries including Singapore (+65), Australia (+61), Malaysia (+60), Canada (+1), Hong
Kong (+852), Oman (+968), Qatar (+974), United States of America (+1), Saudi Arabia (+966),
United Arab Emirates (+971), and United Kingdom (+44).
71. Paysharp, a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in-principle approved payment aggregator, has
received ISO / IEC 27001: 2022 certification, an international standard in information
security management systems.
ISO/IEC 27001: 2022:

• It is an international standard on how to manage information security.
• The standard was originally published jointly by the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in 2005 and
then revised in 2013 and 2022.
• The framework specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining,
and continually improving an (ISMS) information security management system within the
context of the organization.
72. Navneet Munot, the Managing Director and CEO of HDFC Asset Management, has been
elected as the Chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI). He will take
over the charge from A Balasubramanian, CEO of Aditya Birla Sun Life Asset Management, on
16th October 2023.
Anthony Heredia, MD and CEO of Mahindra Manulife Mutual Fund, has been elected as its
Vice-Chairman.
Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI):
AMFI is an association of all the Asset Management Companies of SEBI registered mutual
funds in India. It was incorporated on August 22, 1995, as a non-profit organisation. As of
now, 44 Asset Management Companies that are registered with SEBI, are its members. It is
headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
RBI IN NEWS
73. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the merger of North-East Small Finance
Bank and Bengaluru-based fintech credit and payments start-sup Slice.
Following the merger, Slice will become the first fintech company to transform into a Small
Finance Bank (SFB).

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All Slice entities, including its NBFC licence, will be merged with the combined banking entity.
The merger will be effective only after the final approval from the National Company Law
Tribunal (NCLT).
74. The Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI), and Digital India Bhashini Division (DIBD) have collaborated to explore and
develop innovative solutions that foster linguistic inclusivity in the financial services sector.
The aim is to make financial services more accessible and user-friendly for everyone,
regardless of the language they speak.
Under this collaboration, Bhashini has planned to launch RBI’s Public Tech Platform for
frictionless credit in multiple languages.
Digital India Bhashini Division is a Division under Digital India Corporation, section 8
Company under Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
75. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced its 4th bi-monthly monetary policy. The
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das-led Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on 4-6 October
2023 and has decided to keep the rates unchanged.
MPC has also decided to remain focused on withdrawal of accommodation to ensure that
inflation progressively aligns to the target, while supporting growth.
The decisions made align with the goal of achieving a medium-term target for the consumer
price index (CPI) inflation rate, which is 4% with a band of +/- 2 percent.
The target for FY24 GDP growth has remained at 6.5%.
During the meeting, RBI has announced to double the gold loan limit under bullet payment
scheme for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs).
Policy rates as of October 2023

Repo rate 6.50%
Reverse Repo Rate 3.35%
Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate 6.75%
Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) Rate 6.25%
Bank Rate 6.75%
Reserves Ratio as of October 2023
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) 4.50%
Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) 18%
Note: The next meeting of the RBI Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is scheduled to be held
during December 6-8, 2023.
Additional Information:
Monetary Policy Committee is a statutory body under the Reserve Bank of India Act
1934. It is headed by the RBI Governor including 5 members (2 officials of the RBI and 3
external members nominated by the Government of India). It meets 4 times in a year.
Current Monetary Policy Committee structure is:

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• Shaktikanta Das: RBI Governor as a Head
• Other members: Dr. Shashanka Bhide, Dr. Ashima Goyal, Prof. Jayanth R. Varma,
Dr. Rajiv Ranjan, and Dr. Michael Debabrata Patra.
76. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Muneesh Kapur as the new Executive
Director (ED) with effect from October 3, 2023. As Executive Director, he will look after the
Department of Economic and Policy Research.
Earlier, he served as the Adviser-in-Charge, Monetary Policy Department and Secretary to the
Monetary Policy Committee.
He also served as Adviser to Executive Director, International Monetary Fund during 2012-15.
77. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has formed an external Working Group (WG) on the
Expected Credit Loss (ECL) framework for loan loss provisioning.
The Working Group will be chaired by Prof. R. Narayanaswamy, former Professor, IIM
Bangalore and shall consist of domain experts from academia and industry as well as
representatives from select banks as given below:
• Prof. Sanjay Kallapur, ISB, Hyderabad
• Shri Rajosik Banerjee, KPMG
• Shri S Srinivasa Rao, SBI
• Shri Rajendra Khandelwal, ICICI Bank
• Shri Susanta Baishya, HDFC Bank
• Shri Adish Yadav, Canara Bank
• Shri Pravinkumar Taparia, Saraswat Co-operative Bank
• Shri Sridharan N, Equitas Small Finance Bank
This group aims to obtain independent insights on the intricate details related to the
substantial shift involved.
The group's mandate includes outlining the principles banks must follow when creating
credit risk models for evaluating and quantifying expected credit losses.
They are tasked with proposing the elements banks need to address when determining
credit risks, drawing from guidelines in IFRS 9 and principles established by the Basel
Committee on Banking Supervision.
The group will advise on the methodology for independent external validation of these
models and based on thorough data analysis, will propose prudential floors for provisioning.
Expected Credit Loss (ECL):

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Under this practice, a bank is required to estimate expected credit losses based on forward-
looking estimations rather than wait for credit losses to be actually incurred before making
corresponding loss provisions.
As per the proposed framework, banks will need to classify financial assets (primarily loans)
as Stage 1, 2, or 3, depending on their credit risk profile, with Stage 2 and 3 loans having
higher provisions based on the historical credit loss patterns observed by banks.
78. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in exercise of its power, under Section 35A of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949, has directed Bank of Baroda (BoB) to suspend, with immediate effect,
any further onboarding of their customers onto the ‘bob World’ mobile application.
The action on the bank is based on certain material supervisory concerns observed in the
manner of onboarding of their customers onto this mobile application.
Any further onboarding of customers of the bank on the “bob World” application will be
subject to rectification of the deficiencies observed and strengthening of the related
processes by the bank to the satisfaction of RBI.
79. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to extend the ‘Prompt Corrective Action (PCA)’
framework for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to government NBFCs (except
those in base layer) with effect from 1st October 2024.
This will be based on the audited financials of these NBFCs as on 31st March 2024, or
thereafter.
Some of the major government non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) include Power
Finance Corporation (PFC), REC Limited, Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) and
Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI).
Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework:
The PCA Framework for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) was introduced on 14th
December 2021.
Objective: To enable supervisory intervention at the appropriate time and requires the
supervised entities to initiate and implement remedial measures in a timely manner so as to
restore their financial health.
The corrective actions include:
• Restriction on dividend distribution/remittance of profit;
• Restriction on branch expansion;
• Discretionary actions related to governance, capital, profitability and business.
NBFCs layers:
The Base layer is categorised as those non-deposit-taking NBFCs, below the asset size of
Rs.1000 crore.
The Middle layer comprises all deposit-taking NBFCs and non-deposit-taking NBFCs with
assets exceeding Rs.1,000 crore.

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The Upper layer includes NBFCs specifically identified by the RBI as warranting enhanced
regulatory requirements based on a set of parameters and scoring methodology. The top 10
eligible NBFCs in terms of asset size will always reside in the upper layer, regardless of other
factors.
The Top layer should ideally remain empty but could be populated if RBI perceives a
substantial increase in potential systemic risk from specific NBFCs in the upper layer.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION

80. The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2023
(Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences) has been awarded to Claudia Goldin (USA), a professor
of Economics at Harvard University, for having advanced our understanding of women’s
labour market outcomes.
She has provided the first comprehensive account of women’s earnings and labour market
participation through the centuries. Her research revealed the causes of change and the
main sources of the remaining gender gap.
The prize will be awarded on 10th December 2023, the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel.
The prize includes a gold-plated green gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary award of
Swedish kronor (SEK) 11.0 million ($986,000).
Notably, the Nobel Foundation has raised the Nobel Prize amount for 2023 by extra 1 million
SEK i.e. from 10 million SEK to 11 million SEK.
The Nobel Prize was first awarded in 1901. It is named after Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel.
It is awarded annually to individuals or organizations who do exceptional work in the fields of
physics, chemistry, literature, peace, physiology or medicine and economics.
Economics award wasn’t created by Nobel Foundation, but by Sweden’s central bank in 1968.
81. The Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has won the 'Best Innovation in
Refinery' award presented by the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
MRPL has secured the award for 2022-23 for the second consecutive year.
The award has been presented to a team led by the Managing Director of MRPL, Sanjay
Varma, during the Energy Technology Meet 2023 held in New Delhi.
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) is Category 1 schedule ‘A’ Miniratna,
Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. It is
located in Mangaluru city, in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.

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It is a subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
82. NTPC Limited has been recognized as one of the “World’s Best Employers 2023” in the
Forbes World’s Best Employers list 2023 released on 10th October 2023.
NTPC has been ranked 261st out of top 700 companies in the World ranking and is the only
Indian Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) to figure in the list.
This recognises NTPC’s progressive and “People before PLF (Plant Load Factor)'” approach,
excellence in development and management of its Human Resources through continuous
process improvement, creating a caring, learning and engaging workplace, employee well-
being and care and creating a meaningful, collaborative employee experience by putting the
needs of employees first and adopting people practices aligned strategically to business
needs.
Forbes has partnered with market research firm Statista to create the 7th annual list of the
World’s Best Employers in 2023.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

83. Noted author and activist Sivasankari has been presented with the prestigious Saraswati
Samman for the year 2022 for her memoir written in Tamil, ‘Surya Vamsam’, at the National
Museum in Delhi.
She is the 32nd recipient of Saraswati Samman.

Her 2019 memoir, Surya Vamsam, unfolds in two volumes: the first is the metamorphosis
from a child to a young writer, and the second is the life and times of an acclaimed author
spreading her wings.
Saraswati Samman:
The Saraswati Samman, given annually for outstanding literary works in 22 Indian languages
in the last 10 years, is among the highest recognitions in the field of Indian literature. It was
instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991. It carries a plaque, a citation, and a cash prize
of Rs.15 lakh.
The first Saraswati Samman was given to Harivanshrai Bachchan for his four volume
autobiography, ‘Kya Bhooloon Kya Yaad Karoon, Needa Ka Nirman Phir, Basere Se Door and
Dashdwar se Sopan Tak.’
PERSON IN NEWS
84. Ajay Jhunjhunwala, Managing Director (MD) of JR Agro Industries Pvt Ltd, Lucknow, has
been re-elected as the President of the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) for
2023-24.

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Sanjeev K Asthana, COO of Patanjali Foods Ltd, Noida, and Angshu Mallick, MD and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of Adani Wilmar Ltd, Ahmedabad, have been elected as Vice-
Presidents of SEA.
85. Nandini Azad, President of the Chennai-based Indian Cooperative Network for Women
(ICNW), has been elected to the board of the International Raiffeisen Union (IRU), one of
the oldest cooperative bodies in the world responsible for evolving a global policy on
cooperatives in agriculture and other allied sectors, for the second term.
In 2018, she got elected to the IRU, becoming the first Indian as well as the first woman to be
appointed to the assignment.
At present, she is also serving as the Chairperson of the International Cooperative Alliance
(ICA)- Asia Pacific (AP) Committee on Women.
Other appointments:
• Guy Hoffmann from Banque Raiffeisen Luxembourg has been elected as the new IRU
President, succeeding Franky Depickere from Cera.
• National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) President Dileepbhai Sanghani has been
re-elected unopposed as the director on the board of IRU.
International Raiffeisen Union (IRU):

The International Raiffeisen Union (IRU) is a voluntary organization of worldwide national
cooperative organizations which work on the ideas of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisens principles
i.e., self-responsibility, self-democracy & self-administration.
• Members: 53
• Headquarters: Bonn, Germany
86. Pankaj Bohra, a chartered accountant from Ahmedabad, has assumed the role of National
President of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC). He is currently serving as the
senior partner at Pankaj Bohra & Co., Chartered Accountants.
He has become the first person from Gujarat to assume charge as President of IACC.
He has succeeded Lalit Bhasin.
Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC):
IACC is the apex bi-lateral Chamber synergizing India-US Economic Engagement. It was set up
in 1968. Its main aim is to promote bilateral trade and investments between India and the
USA. IACC has 14 offices in India and 27 offices in USA.
SPORTS
87. Indian badminton player Ayush Shetty has won the bronze medal in the Badminton
World Federation (BWF) World Juinor Championships 2023 held from 25th September to
8th October 2023 in Spokane, the USA.

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He has lost to Alwi Farhan of Indonesia, who has won the Gold medal by defeating Hu Zhe An
of China (silver) in the 23rd edition of the BWF World Junior Championships finals.
Note: Saina Nehwal won the Gold medal in 2008 and silver in 2006 while India’s Sankar
Muthusamy Subramanian won silver in 2022 in Spain.
88. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) with the Olympic Museum has joined hands
with the Reliance Foundation to promote Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP)
through sport among children starting with the Mumbai region and soon expanding it across
the state of Maharashtra.
The agreement will focus on grade-specific activities in selected schools, sessions between
athletes and students to promote physical activity and raising awareness to promote
Olympism and Olympic values.
Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP):
OVEP is an initiative led by the Olympic Museum that advances the IOC’s Olympism365
strategy. It aims to increase access to sport and bring the health and societal benefits of
physical activity to communities across the globe.
OVEP was first launched in India in 2022 with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation in the Indian
state of Odisha.

89. India has finished fourth in the medal tally with 107 medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games
2022 held in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8. This includes 28 Gold, 38
Bronze and 41 Silver. This feat has surpassed India’s previous best of 70 medals at the 18th
Asian games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
This is the 19th edition of the Asian Games 2022.

India has won the highest number of medals in the Shooting event with 22 medals (7 Gold, 9
Silver, and 6 Bronze). It is followed by Athletics (29 medals) and Archery (9 medals).
With this, 74 Indian players have secured their place to participate in the Paris 2024
Olympics.
China has topped the list with 383 medals followed by Japan (188), and Republic of Korea
(190).
Medals were contested across 61 disciplines, including non-Olympic ones such as kabaddi,
sepaktakraw, cricket, Go board game and newcomers like breaking, sport climbing and e-
sports.
Motto of Asian games 2022 is ‘Heart to heart, @ Future’.
Note: 20th Asian Games will be held in Japan in 2027.
No. Athletes Sport Event Medal

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1 Team India Shooting Women's 10m Silver
air rifle team
2 Team India Rowing Men's Silver
lightweight
double sculls
3 Team India Rowing Men's pair Bronze
4 Team India Rowing Men's eight Silver
5 Ramita Jindal Shooting Women's 10m Bronze
air rifle
6 Team India Shooting Men's 10m air Gold
rifle team
7 Team India Rowing Men's four Bronze
8 Team India Rowing Men's Bronze
quadruple
9 Aishwary Pratap Singh Shooting Men's 10m air Bronze
Tomar rifle
10 Team India Shooting Men's 25m Bronze
rapid file pistol
team
11 Team India Cricket Women's T20 Gold
cricket
(Defeated Sri Lanka)
12 Neha Thakur Sailing Girl's Dinghy - Silver
ILCA4
13 Eabad Ali Sailing Men's Bronze
Windsurfer -
RS:X
14 Team India Equestrian Team dressage Gold

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rifle 3 positions
team
16 Team India Shooting Women's 25m Gold
pistol team
17 Sift Kaur Samra Shooting Women's 50m Gold
rifle 3 positions
18 Ashi Chouksey Shooting Women's 50m Bronze
rifle 3 positions
19 Team India Shooting Men's skeet Bronze
team
20 Vishnu Saravanan Sailing Men's dinghy Bronze
ICLA7
21 Esha Singh Shooting Women's 25m Silver
pistol
22 Anantjeet Singh Naruka Shooting Men's skeet Silver
23 Naorem Roshibina Devi Wushu Women's 60kg Silver
sanda
24 Team India Shooting Men's 10m air Gold
pistol team
25 Anush Agarwalla Equestrian Individual Bronze
dressage
air pistol team
27 Team India Shooting Men's 50m rifle Gold
3 positions
team
28 Team India Tennis Men's doubles Silver

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29 Esha Singh Shooting Women's 10m Silver
air pistol
30 Palak Gulia Shooting Women's 10m Gold
air pistol
31 Team India Squash Women's team Bronze
32 Aishwary Pratap Singh Shooting Men's 50m rifle Silver
Tomar 3 positions
33 Kiran Baliyan Athletics Women's shot Bronze
put
34 Team India Shooting Mixed team Silver
10m air pistol
35 Team India (Rohan Tennis Mixed doubles Gold
Bopanna and Rutuja
Bhosale)
36 Team India Squash Men's team Gold
37 Karthik Kumar Athletics Men's 10,000m Silver
38 Gulveer Singh Athletics Men's 10,000m Bronze
39 Aditi Ashok Golf Women's golf Silver
40 Team India Shooting Women's trap Silver
team
41 Team India Shooting Men's trap Gold
team
42 Kynan Chenai Shooting Men's trap Bronze
43 Nikhat Zareen Boxing Women's 50kg Bronze
44 Avinash Sable Athletics Men's 3000m Gold
steeplechase
45 Tajinderpal Singh Toor Athletics Men's shot put Gold

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46 Harmilan Bains Athletics Women's Silver
1500m
47 Ajay Kumar Saroj Athletics Men's 1500m Silver
48 Jinson Johnson Athletics Men's 1500m Bronze
49 Nandini Agasara Athletics Women's Bronze
heptathlon
50 Murali Sreeshankar Athletics Men's long Silver
jump
51 Seema Punia Athletics Women's Bronze
discus throw
52 Jyothi Yarraji Athletics Women's 100m Silver
hurdles
53 Team India Badminton Men's team Silver
54 Team India Roller Women's Bronze
skating speed skating
3000m relay
55 Team India Roller Men's speed Bronze
skating skating 3000m
relay
56 Team India Table tennis Women's Bronze
doubles
57 Parul Chaudhary Athletics Women's Silver
3000m
steeplechase
58 Priti Lamba Athletics Women's Bronze
3000m
steeplechase
59 Ancy Sojan Athletics Women's long Silver
jump

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60 Team India Athletics Mixed 4x400m Silver
relay
61 Team India Canoe Men's canoe Bronze
Sprint double 1000m
62 Preeti Pawar Boxing Women's 54kg Bronze
63 Vithya Ramraj Athletics Women's 400m Bronze
hurdles
64 Parul Chaudhary Athletics Women's Gold
5000m
65 Mohammed Afsal Athletics Men's 800m Silver
66 Praveen Chithravel Athletics Men's triple Bronze
jump
67 Tejaswin Shankar Athletics Men's Silver
decathlon
68 Annu Rani Athletics Women's Gold
javelin throw
69 Narender Berwal Boxing Men's +92kg Bronze
70 Team India Athletics Mixed team Bronze
race walk
71 Team India Archery Mixed team Gold
compound
72 Team India Squash Mixed team Bronze
73 Parveen Hooda Boxing Women's 57kg Bronze
74 Lovlina Borgohain Boxing Women's 75kg Silver
75 Sunil Kumar Wrestling Greco-Roman Bronze
87kg
76 Harmilan Bains Athletics Women's 800m Silver
77 Avinash Sable Athletics Men's 5000m Silver

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78 Team India Athletics Women's Silver
4x400m relay
79 Neeraj Chopra Athletics Men's javelin Gold
throw
80 Kishore Jena Athletics Men's javelin Silver
throw
81 Team India Athletics Men's 4x400m Gold
relay
82 Team India Archery Women's Gold
compound
team
83 Team India Squash Mixed doubles Gold
84 Team India Archery Men's Gold
compound
team
85 Saurav Ghosal Squash Men's singles Silver
86 Antim Panghal Wrestling Women's 53kg Bronze
87 Team India Archery Women's Bronze
recurve team
88 HS Prannoy Badminton Men's singles Bronze
89 Team India Sepaktakraw Women's regu Bronze
90 Team India Archery Men's recurve Silver
team
91 Sonam Malik Wrestling Women's 62kg Bronze
92 Kiran Bishnoi Wrestling Women's 76kg Bronze
93 Aman Sehrawat Wrestling Men's freestyle Bronze
57kg
94 Team India Bridge Men's team Silver

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95 Team India Hockey Men's team Gold
(Defeated Japan)
96 Aditi Swami Archery Women's Bronze
compound
individual
97 Jyothi Surekha Vennam Archery Women's Gold
compound
individual
98 Ojas Pravin Deotale Archery Men's Gold
compound
individual
99 Abhishek Verma Archery Men's Silver
compound
individual
100 Team India Kabaddi Women's Gold
kabaddi
(Defeated Chinese Taipei)
101 Team India (Chirag Shetty Badminton Men's doubles Gold
and Satwiksairaj
Rankireddy)
102 Team India Cricket Men's team Gold
(Defeated Afghanistan)
103 Team India Kabaddi Men's kabaddi Gold
(Defeated Iran)
104 Team India Hockey Women's team Bronze
(Defeated Japan)

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105 Deepak Punia Wrestling Men's freestyle Silver
86kg
106 Team India Chess Men's team Silver
107 Team India Chess Women's team Silver
Asian Games:
Asian Games are the oldest and most prestigious event on Olympic Council of Asia calendar.
It is recognised by International Olympic Committee and is second largest multi-sport event
after Olympics. Like Olympic Games, they are held every four years.
The first and ninth edition were held in New Delhi in 1951 and 1982 respectively.
90. Ojas Pravin Deotale has become the first Indian archer to win three Gold medals in the
Hangzhou Asian Games 2022. The events include men’s individual, men’s compound team
event along with Abhishek Verma and Prathamesh Jawkar, mixed team event along with
Jyothi Surekha Vennam.
Indian archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam (Vijaywada) has also won three gold medals at the
Asian Games 2022 archery events. The events include women’s individual, women’s
compound team event along with Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur, and mixed team event.
91. Jannik Sinner of Italy has won the men’s singles title at the China Open 2023 by defeating
Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the final held at the Beijing Olympic Green Tennis Center,
Beijing, China from 28th September to 4th October 2023.
Iga Swiatek of Poland has won the women’s singles title at the China Open 2023 by
defeating Liudmila Samsonova of Russia.
This is the 22nd edition of the China Open (1993 to 2023).
China Open is an annual men’s and women’s professional tennis tournament held in Beijing,
China.
92. Max Verstappen, the Belgian-Dutch driver of Red Bull, has won the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix,
a Formula One motor race, held at the Lusail International Circuit in Lusail, Qatar.
With this, he has won the consecutive F1 World Championship in 2023, 2022, & 2021.
Oscar Piastri, the Australian driver of McLaren, has secured the second place and Lando
Norris, the British driver of McLaren, has secured the third place.
This is the seventeenth round of the 2023 Formula One World Championship and the fourth
Grand Prix weekend of the season to utilise the sprint format.
IMPORTANT DAYS

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93. Indian Air Force Day is observed annually on 8th October to pay respect and honour to our
brave Indian Air Force who protects the country and makes people feel safe and secure.
The year 2023 marks the observance of the 91st Anniversary of the Indian Air Force.
Theme 2023: ‘IAF - Air Power Beyond Boundaries’
Indian Air Force:

It was officially established on 8 October 1932 by the British Empire as the Royal Indian Air
Force. The name was changed to Indian Air Force in 1950. The Indian Air Force is divided into
7 Commands. The President of India is the Commander-in-chief of the IAF.
The present Indian Air Force Air chief Marshall is Vivek Ram Chaudhari.
94. World Post Day is observed annually on 9th October to raise awareness of the role of the
postal sector in people’s and businesses’ everyday lives and its contribution to the social and
economic development of countries.
The day also marks the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in Bern,
Switzerland. The day was first declared as the World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in
Tokyo, Japan, in 1969.
Theme 2023: “Together for trust: Collaborating for a safe and connected future”
95. The National Postal Day is observed annually on 10th October to commemorate the role
played by the Indian postal department for the past 150 years, which was founded in 1854 by
Lord Dalhousie.
96. World Mental Health Day is observed annually on 10th October to create awareness of
mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
The day was first observed in 1992.
The day is a global initiative supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), World
Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), and its member organizations.
The green ribbon is a symbol of mental health.
Theme 2023: “Mental Health is a Universal Human Right”
97. The Indian government, in partnership with the Indian Drugs Manufacturers’ Association
(IDMA), has designated 10th October to be observed annually as National Current Good
Manufacturing Practice Day (cGMP Day).
Theme 2023: “cGMP: Transforming Helathcare”

The day was proposed by Dr. Girish Pai K, Coordinator of the Centre for cGMP, at Manipal
College of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
The day aims to address the issue of substandard drugs in the Indian pharmaceutical
industry, which has tarnished its reputation.

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The recent incidents involving Indian cough syrups causing harm in other countries have
prompted the government to make Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines
mandatory for all drug manufacturers.
The GMP rules align with the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO)
The day also raise awareness about GMP guidelines and their vital role in ensuring
pharmaceutical product quality.
Note: There are around 10,500 drug manufacturing units in India, out of which only 2,000
have WHO GMP certification.
Indian Drug Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA):
IDMA was established in 1961. It is the industry association of leading pharmaceutical
companies based out of India.
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Secretary-General: Daara B. Patel
98. International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually on 11th October to spread
awareness of issues facing girls internationally surrounding education, nutrition, child
marriage, legal and medical rights.
The year 2023 marks the observance of the 11th anniversary of the International Day of the
Girl Child.
United Nations General Assembly has declared 11th October as the International Day of the
Girl Child on 19th December 2011. The day was first observed in 2012.
Theme 2023: “Invest in Girls' Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being”
99. World Arthritis Day is observed annually on 12th October to spread awareness about
arthritis, an inflammatory condition that causes pain and stiffness in joints that can worsen
with age. The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The day was first observed in 1996 by the Arthritis and Rheumatism International (ARI).
Theme 2023: “Living with an RMD (Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Disease) at all stages of
life”
100. World Sight Day is celebrated every year on the Second Thursday of October to raise
awareness of eye health amongst individuals, families and communities.
In 2023, the day falls on 12th October.

Theme 2023: “Love Your Eyes at Work”
The day is organized by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) in
cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO). The day was first observed in 2000.
101. The United Nations International Day for Disaster Reduction is observed annually on
13th October to promote a global culture of risk awareness and disaster reduction.

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The International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) was first observed on 10th
October 1990. In 2009, the UN General Assembly had decided to change the name to
International Day for Disaster Reduction and designated 13th October as the official date for
the day. Since 2010, the day is observed on the 13th October every year.
Theme 2023: “Fighting inequality for a resilient future”
102. National Cinema Day has been observed on 13th October 2023. The day was initially
conceived by the Multiplex Association of India (MAI) in 2022. The MAI initiated National
Cinema Day to commemorate the reopening of cinema halls post the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2022, the day was observed on 23rd September.
103. International E-Waste Day is observed annually on 14th October to promote the correct
disposal of e-waste throughout the world with the aim to increase re-use, recovery and
recycling rates. The day was first observed in 2018 by the Waste Electrical and Electronic
Equipment (WEEE) Forum.
The year 2023 marks the sixth edition of the day.

Theme 2023: “You can recycle anything with a plug, battery or cable!”
104. World Student’s Day is observed annually on 15th October to commemorate the birth
anniversary of the former President of India, Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
The year 2023 marks the 92nd birth anniversary of him.

A.P.J Abdul Kalam:
He was born on 15 October 1931 at Dhanushkodi, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. His full name
was Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam. He was known as the ‘Missile Man of India’. He
played a crucial role in the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998.
He became the President of India in 2002.
Awards/Honours: Bharat Ratna in 1997, Padma Vibhushan in 1990, and Padma Bhushan in
1981.
Major works: India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, Wings of Fire, Ignited Minds:
Unleashing the Power within India, Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh
Swamiji, A Manifesto for Change: A Sequel to India 2020, etc.

105. Global Handwashing Day is observed annually on 15th October. The day is dedicated to
advocate handwashing with soap as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent
diseases and save lives.
The day was founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership.

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The first Global Handwashing Day was held in 2008.
The 2023 Global Handwashing Day theme is “Clean hands are within reach.”
Important Day Date/Month Theme for 2023 Remark
Indian Air Force Day 8th October IAF - Air Power Indian Air Force has
Beyond Boundaries observed its 91st
Raising Day on 8th
October 2023.
World Dyslexia Day 8th October Uniquely You
World Hospice and Second Compassionate
Palliative Care Day Saturday of Communities:
October Together for
(14 October
th Palliative Care
2023)
World Migratory Bird Second Water: Sustaining
Day (WMBD) Saturday of Bird Life
May
(13th May
2023) and
Second
Saturday of
October
(14th October
2023)
World Post Day 9 October
th Together for trust:
Collaborating for a
safe and connected
future
Indian Foreign 9 October
th Indian Foreign
Service Day Service was
established on 9th
October 1946.
National Postal Week 9 to 13
th th
October
2023
National Post Day 10 October
th
World Mental Health 10th October Mental Health is a

Day Universal Human
Right
World Day Against 10th October
the Death Penalty

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National Current 10th October cGMP:
Good Manufacturing Transforming
Practice Day (cGMP Helathcare
Day)
International Day of 11th October Invest in Girls' The day was first
Girl Child Rights: Our observed in 2012.
Leadership, Our
Well-being
World Arthritis Day 12th October It's in your hands,
take action
World Sloth Bear Day 12th October IUCN Red List status
of Sloth Bear is
‘Vulnerable’.
International Day for 13th October Early Warning
Disaster Reduction
World Sight Day Second Love Your Eyes at
Thursday of Work
October
(12th October
2023)
International E-Waste 14 October
th You can recycle The day was first
Day anything with a observed in 2018.
plug, battery or
cable!
World Standard Day 14th October Shared Vision for a The day was first
Better World – observed in 1970.
Standards for
Sustainable
Development
Goals”
(incorporating
SDG3)
World Egg Day Second Eggs for a healthy
Friday of future
October
(13th October
2023)
World Student’s Day 15 October
th The day
commemorate the
birth anniversary of
the former president
of India, Late Dr APJ
Abdul Kalam.
International Day of 15th October The day was first
Rural Women observed in 2008.

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Global Handwashing 15th October Clean hands are The day was first
Day within reach observed in 2008.

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Weekly Current Affairs October 2023 Week - 02

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Take SBI PO 2023 Prelims Free Mock Test

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Objective: To discuss various emerging issues and challenges in competition enforcement in

Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD):

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Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI):

Indian Air Force:

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G20 (Group of Twenty):

7. The Minister of State, Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (MDoNER), B.L.

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11. Cabinet approvals on 11th October 2023:

October, 2023 on National Unity Day.

Republic on cooperation in the field of Digital Technologies.

Transformation Technology of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on cooperation in

Communications Technology of Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the field of sharing

successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.

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Note: IIT-Madras will open a campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

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This launch pad will be used only by the private sector.

Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV):

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Mo Odisha Nabin Odisha:

Amavasya, and ends on Ashwayuja Ashtami, popularly known as Durgashtami.

• It is celebrated for nine days which culminates on Pedda Bathukamma panduga or

Chaddula Bathukamma festival.

• Bathukamma festival indicates the beginning of Sharath ruthu.

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Gangetic Dolphin (Platanista gangetica):

This scheme was announced in the budget session of March 2023.

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28. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) of Mumbai, Maharashtra

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GI Tag Products State/UT Description

Geographical Indications (GI):

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a host of other agencies.

• The motto of the 2023 edition is ‘Connect | Collaborate | Contribute.’

technological advancements in the field.

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married to Dalpatshah of Gond Dynasty of Garha-Katanga in 1542.

her son Veer Narayan.

attacked her kingdom between 1555 and 1560.

not surrender to the Mughal forces.

The projects include:

• New Terminal Building at Jodhpur Airport.

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and the 58 km long Degana-Kuchaman City rail lines.

through Jodhpur, Degana, Kuchaman City, Phulera, Ringas, Shrimadhopur, Neem Ka

Thana, Narnaul, Ateli, and Rewari.

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suborbital microlauncher that has been privately developed in Europe.