Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 21st October 2024

1. Government to set up a committee to reduce the disparity between farm-gate prices and retail costs of horticulture produce. 

• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the government will establish a committee to reduce the farm-gate prices and retail costs of horticulture produce. 
• Farmers sell vegetables at 5 rupees a kilo and consumers purchase it in 50 rupees. 
• Shivraj Singh Chouhan also outlined a two-pronged approach to tackle price volatility. 
• Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also unveiled a plan to launch ‘Krishi Chaupal’. 
• It is an initiative aimed to bidge the lab-to-land gap in agricultural research. 
• Agriculture is India’s economic backbone and no progress is possible without strengthening this sector. 
• He emphasised upon the need to optimise the functioning of over 730 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) across India. 

2. India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) will be introduced in Maldives. 

• President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has decided to introduce India’s UPI in the Maldives. 
• This step will bring benefits to the Maldivian economy. 
• These benefits include increased financial inclusion, improved efficiency in financial transactions and enhanced digital infrastructure. 
• With this, Indian tourists will be able to make transactions in Indian rupees on UPI-enabled apps. 
• They will not be required to go through the hassle of converting currency. 
• It has been decided by President Muizzu to form a consortium in order to implement UPI in the Maldives. 
• He also recommended that the consortium include national banks, telecommunications firms, state-owned enterprises, and fintech firms. 
• In August 2024, two nations have signed an MoU to implement the Unified Payments Interface in the Maldives. 

3. Abhyuday Jindal has taken over as president of Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). 

• ICC has announced his appointment as its new President at its annual plenary session held in New Delhi. 
• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was the chief guest at the session. 
• Jindal is a Boston University graduate with a background in Economics and Business Management. 
• As the Managing Director (MD) of Jindal Stainless, he has led significant improvements in the company. 
• Brij Bhushan Agarwal, vice chairman and managing director of Shyam Metalics, was appointed as the senior vice president of ICC. 
• Parthiv Vikram Neotia, executive director of Ambuja Neotia, assumed the role of vice president. 

4. Indo-Oman conducted bilateral naval exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr. 

• INS Trikand and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft took part in the exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr with the Royal Navy of Oman Vessel Al Seeb off Goa from 13 to 18 October 24. 
• The exercise was carried out in two phases. The harbour phase lasted from 13 to 15 October 24. 
• The harbour phase was followed by the sea phase (16 to 18 October 24). 
• Under harbour activities, personnel from both Navies engaged in professional interactions. 
• During the sea phase, both ships carried out various evolutions, including manoeuvres, and Replenishment at Sea Approaches (RASAPS). 
• The integral helicopter undertook cross-deck landings and vertical replenishment (VERTREP) with RNOV Al Seeb. 

5. New Zealand women's team won the 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup title. 

• On 20 October, New Zealand created history by winning their first Women's T20 World Cup title by defeating South Africa by 32 runs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai. 
• It was the first time that New Zealand had won either the men's or women's World Cup title. 
• Chasing the target of 159 runs given by New Zealand, South Africa scored 126 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the stipulated twenty overs. 
• Amelia Kerr was named player of the series and player of the match.
• Earlier, New Zealand played the finals in 2009 and 2010 but failed to cross the final hurdle. 
• The first edition of the Women's T20 World Cup title was held in England in 2009. 
• As of 2024, a total of nine editions have been held, with Australia, who have won the tournament a record six times (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020, 2023), being the most successful team.
• In addition, England (2009), West Indies (2016) and New Zealand (2024) have won one title each. 

6. Mission Basundhara 3.0 launched in Guwahati by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. 

• Its objective is to provide land rights to indigenous people. 
• Under this, steps will also be taken to digitize various land related services and publish maps for the benefit of the people of the state. 
• The Chief Minister also launched the Revenue Department's DigiDoc, a digital directory for non-registrable and optionally registrable documents. 
• This directory will streamline services, reduce processing time, and enhance public convenience and improve accessibility and efficiency. 
• The Chief Minister said that soon after assuming office, his government decided to grant land rights to indigenous communities in Assam, a move first taken after 75 years of Independence. 
• For this purpose, Mission Vasundhara was started in 2021. 
• The Assam government has resolved eight lakh applications in nine months under Mission Basundhara 1. 

7. Labour and Employment Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya launched the eShram in New Delhi on 21 October 2024. 

• eShram is a One Stop Solution for Unorganized Workers. 
• It will act as a mediator to make sure that unorganized workers get easy access to various government schemes. 
• The initiative's primary aim is to efficiently integrate data regarding recipients of all social security and welfare programs intended for unorganised workers onto a single platform.
• This initiative will assist in making unorganised labourers aware of the schemes available to them. 

8. On 21 st October 2024, the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN) completed eight years of its launch. 

• Ministry of Civil Aviation had launched the scheme on 21st of October, 2016. 
• Improving unserved air routes in underprivileged areas of the nation is the main goal of the UDAN program. 
• On April 27, 2017, PM Modi launched the first RCS-UDAN flight under the scheme.
• More than 600 UDAN routes have been operationalised since the scheme's launch. 
• Over one crore forty-four lakh passengers have taken flights since the launch. 
• Thus far, the plan has linked 34 Indian states and union territories. 
• Under the scheme, two heliports and 10 airports have been operationalised in the Northeast. 

9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated a project worth 6,700 crore rupees in Varanasi. 

• Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the Airport runway and the construction of a new terminal building and Allied works at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi. 
• He also laid the foundation stone of the New Civil Enclave at Agra Airport in Uttar Pradesh. 
• Prime Minister also inaugurated tourism development works in Buddhism-related areas in Sarnath. 
• He also launched many other initiatives, like tourism development works at Banasur Temple and the Gurudham Temple and beautification and redevelopment of parks. 
• He also inaugurated the RJ Sankara Eye Hospital in Varanasi. 
• Under the Khelo India scheme and the Smart City Mission, the Prime Minister inaugurated Phases 2 and 3 of the redevelopment of the Varanasi Sports Complex. 

10. Cyclonic Storm 'Dana' is expected to land in Odisha. 

• Odisha is preparing for the potential impact of severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana'. 
• It is expected to hit the Coast of Odisha. The cyclonic storm will form over the east-central Bay of Bengal. 
• It will land with a wind speed of 100 to 120 km per hour along the Odisha and West Bengal coasts. 
• Cyclonic circulation originated over the Andaman Sea and is moving northwest, and a low-pressure area is likely to form in the east-central Bay of Bengal. 
• A cyclone is a large air mass that rotates around a strong centre of low atmospheric pressure. 

11. Srinivas got additional charge of CEO of the public procurement portal GeM. 

• L Satya Srinivas, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, has been given the additional charge of CEO of public procurement portal GeM by the government. 
• P K Singh, the last CEO of Government e-Marketplace (GeM), has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Renewable Energy. 
• Hence, Srinivas has been given additional charge. 
• On August 9, 2016, the GeM portal was launched for online purchases of goods and services by all central government ministries and departments. 

12. Navi Finserv and three other NBFCs barred by RBI from sanctioning and disbursing loans. 

• Four non-banking finance companies (NBFCs), including two microfinance institutions (MFIs), have been barred by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from sanctioning and disbursing loans for charging exorbitant interest rates from borrowers. 
• These four entities are: Ashirvad Microfinance, Arohan Financial Services (also an MFI), and DMI Finance, which provides loans for personal consumption and micro, small and medium enterprises. 
• Apart from this, Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal's Navi Finserv, which provides home and personal loans. 
• This restriction will come into effect from October 21 to facilitate the closing of transactions that are in the pipeline. 
• This action is based on material supervisory concerns observed in the pricing policy of these companies in respect of their weighted average lending rate (WALR) and interest spread charged on their cost of funds, which have been found to be excessive and not in conformity with the regulations. 

13. India and Germany will sign a pact on labour mobility and skill recognition. 

• India and Germany will sign a pact on labour mobility and skill recognition to facilitate the movement of workers. 
• Under this agreement, skilled professionals will be hired by German industries. 
• It will be the first agreement under the G20 “Skills-based migration pathways” framework. 
• Under this framework, the top 20 economies of the world have recognized that integrated skill-based migration pathways will expand job opportunities for skilled professionals. 
• It will also open an avenue for skilled Indian professionals to migrate to Germany. 
• This agreement will focus on introducing a digital visa by the end of 2024. 

14. Mohanji received the Humanitarian Award at the 2024 Conscious Companies Awards in Johannesburg. 

• Mohanji, a renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader, received special recognition for his global humanitarian leadership at the 9th Conscious Companies Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa. 
• The prestigious annual event celebrates ethical and visionary leaders who demonstrate conscious leadership within their organizations. 
• The Conscious Companies Awards are given to individuals and organizations that promote ethical behaviour and sustainable practices. 
• Mohanji is a globally recognized humanitarian and philanthropist. He devoted his life to guiding people from selfishness to selflessness. 

15. Karnataka Launches AI Tool Shiksha Copilot for Teacher 

• Karnataka’s School Education and Literacy Minister, Madhu Bangarappa, launched “Shiksha Copilot,” a digital tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI). 
• This tool aims to improve the education system in government schools, helping both teachers and students perform better academically. It was developed in partnership with the Sikshana Foundation and Microsoft Research India. 
• The main goal of Shiksha Copilot is to make teaching easier by helping teachers with lesson planning and providing resources like activities and videos. 
• This allows teachers to focus more on the individual needs of their students, making their teaching more personalized and effective. By improving classroom management, the tool aims to enhance students’ board exam results in Karnataka. 
• Shiksha Copilot is designed to quickly create lesson plans that include engaging activities, videos, and quizzes that match the school curriculum. It uses Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service, which means it can process textbook content and other materials to create rich learning resources. 
• The tool can handle different types of media, including text, images, and videos, making learning more interactive. 

About Karnataka 

• Capital – Bengaluru 
• Chief Minister –Siddaramaiah 
• Deputy Chief Minister – DK Shivakumar 
• Governor – Thawar Chand Gehlot 

16. First G-7 Defence Ministers meeting hosted by Italy in Naples 

• For the first time in Group of Seven (G-7) history, the defence ministers of the G7 countries met in Naples, Italy. Italian defence minister Guido Crosetto hosted the meeting. 
• Italy holds the rotating presidency of the G-7 for 2024.
• The meeting was also attended by the representatives of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the European Union, and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov. 
• The G-7 is a group of advanced industrialised western countries: Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and the United States. 

17. Surgeon Vice Admiral Kavita Sahai appointed as DG of Medical Services (Navy) 

• Surgeon Vice Admiral Kavita Sahai, SM, VSM, assumed charge as Director General Medical Services (Navy). 
• Commissioned into the Army Medical Corps on December 30, 1986, Vice Admiral Sahai has had an illustrious career in military medicine, underscored by exceptional achievements and leadership roles. 

Recent Appointment in Defence Sector 

• Director General of Indian Coast Guard – Paramesh Sivamani (26th) 
• Vice Chief of Air Staff – Air Marshal SP Dharkar (replace AP Singh) 
• First woman DG of Armed Forces Medical Services – Arti Sarin 
• Chief of Indian Air Force – Amar Preet Singh (replace V.R. Chaudhari) 
• DG of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) -Amrit Mohan Prasad 

18. Vijaya Rahatkar appointed as Chairperson of National Commission for Women 

• The Government of India has appointed Vijaya Rahatkar as the 9th chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW). 
• The post was vacant after the term of Rekha Sharma ended on 6 August 2024. 
• Vijaya Rahatkar has previously served as the chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women from 2016 to 2021. 
• The central government has also appointed Dr Archana Majumdar as a member of the National Commission for Women. 
• Currently, Ms Delina Khongdup and Mrs Mamta Kumari are the other members of the Commission. 
• Vijaya Rahatkar and Dr Archana Majumdar have been appointed for a three-year term. 

About the National Commission for Women 

• The National Commission for Women is a statutory body, setup by the GoI in January 1992 under the provision of the National Commission for Women Act 1990. 
• The body is under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. 
• Its head office is in New Delhi. 
• Jayanti Patnaik was the first chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW). 

19. Prabowo Subianto takes oath as Indonesia President 

• Indonesia’s newly minted leader, President Prabowo Subianto, officially swore in his cabinet. 
• Prabowo took office as the eighth Indonesian president, taking the mantle from Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. 
• Prabowo’s cabinet has 48 ministries with over 100 ministers and deputies, including re-appointments of Sri Mulyani Indrawati as finance minister and Bahlil Lahadalia as energy minister. 

Newly Appointed Prime Minister & President 

• President of Tunisia – Kais Saied (2nd time) 
• President of Mexico – Claudia Sheinbaum (first woman president of nation) 
• PM of Japan – Shigeru Ishiba (replace Fumio Kishida) 
• President of Sri Lanka – Anura Kumara Dissanayake;9th (replace Ranil Wickremesinghe) 
• PM of Jordan – Jafar Hassan 
• President of Algeria – Abdelmadjid Tebboune 

20. Chiratae Ventures honours Narayana Murthy with the Patrick J. McGovern Award 

• Chiratae Ventures, a prominent Indian venture capital fund, has recognized three influential leaders with the 2024 Patrick J. McGovern Awards. 
• Narayana Murthy, the Founder of Infosys, received the India Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking contributions to the tech industry. 
• While, Shantanu Narayen, Chair and CEO of Adobe, was awarded the Global Lifetime Achievement Award, while Abhinav Asthana, CEO and Founder of Postman, received the Exceptional Entrepreneurial Achievement Award. 
• The awards honor the legacy of Patrick J. McGovern, a pioneer in technology media and an early supporter of Indian entrepreneurship 

About Chiratae Ventures 

• Chiratae Ventures is one of India’s largest homegrown VC funds. 
• Established in 2016, the awards commemorate Patrick J. McGovern, anchor investor of Chiratae’s first fund and the founder of International Data Group (IDG). 

21. President Droupadi Murmu confered 5th National Water Awards 2023 

• President Droupadi Murmu has confered the 5th National Water Awards 2023 in New Delhi. 
• Union Jal Shakti Ministry has announced 38 winners in nine categories including Best State, Best District, Best Village Panchayat, Best Urban Local Body, Best Water User Association and Best Civil Society. 
• In the category of Best State, the first prize has been conferred upon Odisha, with Uttar Pradesh securing the second position, and Gujarat and Puducherry jointly securing the third position. 
• Each, award winner will be conferred with a citation and a trophy as well as cash prizes in certain categories. 
• Government has been undertaking a comprehensive campaign to spread awareness about water management and water conservation on a national level. 

22. Neetu David, AB de Villiers, Alastair Cook inducted into ICC Hall of Fame 

• Former spinner Neetu David became only the second Indian woman to be inducted into the ICC’s Hall of Fame. 
• For the 47-year-old, it was an emotional moment when ICC named her alongside men’s greats A B de Villiers and Alastair Cook as the latest entrants to the select club. 
• David is currently the chief selector of the Indian women’s cricket team. 
• Former India spinner Neetu David, who still holds the record for the best figures (8/53) by a woman in an individual Test innings against England in 1995. 

About International Cricket Council (ICC)

• Formation – 15 June 1909 
• Headquarters – Dubai, UAE 
• Chairman – Jay Shah (replace Greg Barclay) effect from 1 Dec 2024 
• Deputy Chairman – Imran Khwaja (Singapore)
• CEO – Geoff Allardice (Australia)
• General Manager – Wasim Khan 
• Membership – 108 members 

23. 20 October – World Osteoporosis Day 

• World Osteoporosis Day is observed every year on October 20. 
• Objective – To raise awareness around the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. 
• Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease wherein your new bone formation doesn’t keep up with the loss of old bone. 
• It results from loss of bone mass and mineralisation leading to fragile bones and sometimes fractures even with minor falls, therefore termed as fragility fractures. 

24. 21 October – National Police Commemoration Day 

• National Police Commemoration Day is observed on October 21 to pay tribute to police officers who die while on duty. 
• This solemn day provides an opportunity to express gratitude to the officers currently serving and their families who stand by them every day. 
• The roots of Police Commemoration Day are traced back to the tumultuous events of 1958 and 1959 when the relationship between India and China was strained due to political and geographical issues.