Current Affairs | National | International | SSC

1. Ministry of Rural Development signs MoU with ten banks to promote individual financing for higher order enterprises

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development signed a MoU with nine Public Sector Banks and one Private Bank.
These Banks are Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, UCO Bank and, IDBI Bank Limited.
These Banks have designed specific products for financing individual women entrepreneurs under the fold of DAY-NRLM.
The loan products so designed will help women avail bigger ticket size loans for scaling up their enterprises. This move is in lines with the realisation of goal of making Lakhpati Didi, as announced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
DAY NRLM has witnessed SHG Bank linkage grow leaps and bounds as the programme evolved. More than Rs. 9.5 crore loans have been extended by Banks to the self-help groups since the start of the Mission.

India and Mauritania signed four MoUs to strengthen and deepen their bilateral ties. The MoUs were signed during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Mauritania.
It is the first visit to Mauritania by an Indian leader at the highest level since the African nation won independence in 1960.
Four MoUs were signed on the occasion between the two countries;

These agreements mark a significant boost to India-Mauritania ties, which have been growing stronger since the establishment of India’s embassy in Nouakchott in June 2021.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and emphasised the need for multilateralism in the world.
The 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union was held at the IPUs headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The IPU is the global organisation of the National Parliaments.
The Indian delegation led by Om Birla included Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh, the Secretary General of both Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and various other Members of Parliament.
The theme of the 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union was Harnessing Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for a more peaceful and sustainable future.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishanakar represented India at the 23rd Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisations (SCO) Council of Heads of Government, held in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The two-day meeting was hosted by the Pakistani Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif.
This was the first visit of an Indian minister to Pakistan after the 2015 visit of the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Sushma Swaraj visited Islamabad, Pakistan, in December 2015 to attend the Heart of Asia Conference.

Founded – 15 June 2001
Headquarters – Beijing, China
Member Countries – 10 (Iran, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus)
The founding members (5) of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) were China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. India and Pakistan officially joined this organization in 2017. Iran joined in 2023.
Observer members – 2 (Afghanistan and Mongolia).
Belarus, which was earlier the Observer country at the SCO, was upgraded and made the 10th full member of the SCO in 2024.
The annual Presidency of the SCO rotates amongst the member states.

Former Indian captain and BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) chief Saurav Ganguly has been named as director of cricket of Jindal South West (JSW) Sports.
In this role, Ganguly will oversee all cricketing operations for the organization, including its key franchises like Delhi Capitals’ men’s and women’s IPL and WPL teams, and Pretoria Capitals, which competes in the SA20 League.
For the next two years, the GMR Group will oversee the Delhi Capitals’ operations in the IPL, while JSW Sports will manage the team’s participation in the WPL. In 2027, the roles will reverse, with JSW Sports taking over the management of the men’s team.

CM of Haryana – Nayab Singh Saini (2nd time)
CM of UTs of Jammu and Kashmir – Omar Abdullah
Deputy of UTs of Jammu and Kashmir – Surinder Kumar Choudhary
MD and CEO of Indian Railways Financial Corporation (IRFC) – Manoj Kumar Dubey
Chairman of Tata Trusts – Noel Tata (replace Ratan Tata)
CEO of Government e Marketplace (GeM) Portal – L Satya Srinivas (additional charge)

India commemorates National Solidarity Day every year on October 20 to honour the soldiers who fought during the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
This significant day marks the national integrity displayed by India in its conflict with China.
The Sino-Indian War, also known as the China–India War, occurred from October to November 1962. The conflict emerged from a series of border skirmishes and territorial disputes.
On October 20, 1962, China launched a devastating attack, resulting in India’s defeat and territorial losses, notably Aksai Chin.
In 1966, a committee elected by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi established October 20 as National Solidarity Day to honour soldiers and their families who sacrificed in conflicts.