Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 23rd October 2024

1. Assam government launches SWIFT project with ADB support 

• Assam government has launched the Sustainable Wetland and Integrated Fisheries Transformation (SWIFT) project to revitalise 129 Beels and boost Indigenous fish production. 
• The state government’s SWIFT project is funded and supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). 
• The total outlay for the project is Rs 800 crore. It aims to revitalise 129 Beels of the state. 
• The project aims to restore nearly 4,000 hectares of beel areas. 
• It will help with flood control, groundwater replenishment, and river flow regulation in the state. 
• The SWIFT project is expected to increase fish production by 1,200 kg per hectare annually in the state. 

What is a Beel? 

• Beel are floodplain wetlands and cover around one lakh hectares of land in Assam. 
• Floodplain wetlands are low-lying areas bordering large rivers that are inundated during the monsoon season due to overflow from the main river channel. They are part of the Ganga and Brahmaputra River systems in the country. 
• Assam has the maximum number of water areas under floodplain wetlands in the country. The floodplain wetlands are mainly associated with the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers in the state. 

2. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has received SHRM - HR Excellence Awards. 

• SAIL has received these awards for ‘Excellence in Inclusion, Equity & Diversity’ and ‘Excellence in Managing the Distributed Workforce’ categories. 
• It has received these awards at the SHRM India Annual Conference 2024 held in New Delhi, recently. 
• The awards are a testimony to HR practices and initiatives being carried out across SAIL. 
• Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) was established in 1954. It is the largest steel-producing company in India. 
• It is a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Steel. Its headquarters is in New Delhi. 

3. Shri Amit Shah addressed 14th All India Home Guards and Civil Defence Conference in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. 

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has made a commitment to make India a fully developed country by 2047, according to Shri Amit Shah's address. 
• He further said that the Home Guards and Civil Defence's service and security aspects can help fulfil the objective to creating a developed India. 
• The Union Home Minister stated that there will be in-depth talks on a number of topics pertaining to the bolstering of Civil Defence and Home Guards during this two-day conference. 
• He mentioned that the Civil Defence Act was passed in 1968 and that the Civil Defence Directorate was founded in 1962. 
• He stated that 27 members of the Home Guards and Civil Defence died while protecting the people during the pandemic. 

4. Paytm has received National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) approval to onboard new UPI users.

• However, approval is subject to the adherence to all procedural guidelines and circulars. 
• In March, the NPCI granted nod to Paytm to take part in UPI as a Third-Party Application Provider. 
• The NPCI permitted Paytm to continue UPI transactions through four banks. 
• The four banks were SBI, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank and YES Bank. 
• On January 31, RBI had directed Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL) to stop accepting deposits or top-ups in customer accounts, wallets, FASTags and other instruments.
• RBI cited persistent non-compliance and continued material supervisory concerns. 
• One97 Communications is the parent company of Paytm, which is a fintech firm. 

5. Ministry Approved 50 NH Projects in Manipur, Prioritizes 902 km of Road Development in Hill Areas 

• The Ministry has approved 50 National Highway projects of 1026 km length in Manipur. Out of this, 44 projects of 902 km length lie in the hills of the State so far. 
• In hills, 8 projects for 125 km have been completed and balance 36 projects of Rs 12000 cr for 777 km are in progress. 
• In the Annual Plan 2024-25 of the Ministry, there are 2 National Highway projects of Rs 1350 cr for a total length of 90 km which lies in hills. 
• Under CRIF Ministry approves the list of work on State roads as prioritised by the State Government. Out of a total 111 Nos. of works in the priority list given by the State Government, depending on the BOS ratio Ministry has approved 57 Nos. of works in the order of priority. The BOS ratio now stands at 9.81 against the permissible BoS ratio of 4 for hilly States. 

6. DoPPW to conduct Nationwide Digital Life Certificate Campaign 3.0 from 1st to 30th November, 2024 

• The Centre will conduct a month-long campaign from November 1 to promote submission of digital life certificates (DLCs) by pensioners. 
• Pensioners have to submit a life certificate every year in the month of November for continuation of pension. 
• The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) will be conducting the third nation-wide digital life certificate campaign which will be held in 800 cities/districts across India from November 1-30. 
• This year the focus will be on promoting face authentication technology. The Campaign will be held in collaboration with Pension Disbursing Banks, India Post Payments Bank, Pensioners’ Welfare Associations, CGDA, DoT, Railways, UIDAI & MeitY to touch all the pensioners in the remotest corners of the country. 
• MeitY and UIDAI will provide full technical support during this Campaign. Face Auth has been made more seamless and convenient for the elderly Pensioners. 
• DD, AIR, and PIB teams are fully geared up to provide full support to this campaign for Audio, Visual, and Print publicity. 
• This will be the largest ever digital empowerment campaign and seeks to achieve maximum outreach to all the categories of the Pensioners. 

7. To promote exports, India has removed export tax on parboiled rice.

• The central government said in an official order on October 22 that it has abolished the export tax on parboiled rice. 
• Stocks have risen in India, the world's biggest grain exporter, and the country is expected to have a bumper harvest after abundant monsoon rains. 
• The decision to remove the tax follows the move last month to reduce the duty from 20% to 10% to boost exports. 
• The government also approved the resumption of exports of non-basmati white rice in September 2024. 
• Large consignments of rice from India will increase overall global supply and soften international prices by forcing other major exporters - such as Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam - to reduce their rates. 

8. PM Modi reached in Kazan city of Russia to take part in the 16th BRICS Summit. 

• The Summit is being held under the Chairmanship of Russia from October 22-24. 
• The theme of the Summit is Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security. 
• According to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the summit will provide an important platform for leaders to discuss key global issues. 
• This visit marks, PM Modi’s second visit to Russia this year. 
• He earlier travelled to Moscow in July to attend the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. 
• He was awarded Russia’s highest civilian award, the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle. 
• The first BRIC Summit was held in Russia’s Yekaterinburg in 2009. 
• South Africa attended the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya in 2011. 
• Five new members were added to BRICS in 2024. These new members were Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

9. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) members adopted the Rome Declaration on Water Scarcity in Agriculture. 

• Rome Declaration on Water Scarcity in Agriculture aims to resolve the water scarcity and climate crisis. 
• The Water Scarcity in Agriculture (WASAG) initiative was launched at the United Nations Climate Conference in 2016 to support countries in addressing water scarcity challenges. 
• Under this declaration, the countries have committed to mobilize greater political support in terms of policies, legal, and institutional frameworks. 
• They will also work on accessing finance and responsible water governance to address the effects of water scarcity and climate change, 
• On the occasion of the High-level Rome Water Dialogue, the declaration has been launched. 
• The theme of this year’s annual World Food Forum (WFF) was ‘Good food for all, for today and tomorrow’. 
• Global Family Farming Forum and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) were also launched at the WFF. 

10. National-level Amaravati Drone Summit 2024 begin in Amaravati. 

• Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister for Civil Aviation K Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated the two-day national-level Amaravati Drone Summit 2024. 
• Its main aim is to attract investments in drone manufacturing and to create a platform to foster discussions on the future of drone technology. 
• India’s largest drone show with over 5000 drones has been organized on the banks of River Krishna in Vijayawada. 
• The Andhra Pradesh government aims to use this summit to position the state as the drone capital of the country. 

11. RBI said that India's real GDP growth rate is likely to be 7.2% in FY 2024-25. 

• Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das has said India's growth remains intact as its fundamental drivers - consumption and investment demand - are gathering pace.
• Mr Das said in the RBI's monthly bulletin, India's real GDP growth rate is likely to be 7.2% in FY 2024-25. 
• He said private consumption prospects look bright due to improved agricultural scenario and rural demand. 
• The continued surge in services would also support urban demand, he added. 
• Government expenditure of the Centre and the states is expected to increase in line with budget estimates. 
• According to the RBI document, CPI inflation is projected at 4.5% for 2024-25. 

12. The 18 th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be hosted by Odisha in Bhubaneswar from 8th to 10th of January, 2025. 

• The proposal sent by the Union External Affairs Ministry in this regard has been approved by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. 
• This event will be attended by President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union ministers and the Odisha Chief Minister among other dignitaries. 
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated every year on 9th January. 
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated to commemorate the arrival of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915. 
• India has been celebrating Pravasi Bharatiya Divas since 2003 to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of the country. 
• From 2003 till 2015, the PBD Convention was held every year. After 2015, its format was changed to once in two years. 
• The 17th PBD Convention was held at Indore in Madhya Pradesh in 2023. 

13. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved the creation of the Chief General Manager post in five more nationalized banks. 

• These banks include the Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, and UCO Bank. 
• The Finance Minister has also approved an increase in the existing number of CGMs in the banks that already have the posts. 
• The number of CGM posts in 11 Nationalized Banks has been increased from 80 to 144. 
• The number of posts has been revised based on the business structure of the banks with the ratio of one CGM for every four General Managers. 
• This step has been taken due to the demands being received from various banks and also due to the substantial growth in business. 

14. According to GTRI, solar imports might reach $30 billion a year as India works towards its 2030 renewable goals. 

• India increased its solar capacity by 15 GW in 2023–2024 and the total stood at 90.8 GW by September. 
• Compared to merely 2.8 GW in 2014, this is a substantial increase. 
• The necessity for India to establish an independent solar manufacturing ecosystem has been underlined by the think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). 
• According to GTRI, the nation has to raise installations to 65–70 GW each year in order to meet the 500 GW target by 2030. 
• It is anticipated that more than 80% of this capacity will come from solar energy. 
• China supplied 62.6% of the $7 billion worth of solar equipment that India imported in 2023–2024. 
• 80 per cent of solar modules and 97 percent of polysilicon are produced in China. 
• Only 15% of India's solar production is locally value-added. Nearly 90% of the modules are assembled from imported cells. 
• China continues to be India's top supplier of solar equipment, with Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand coming in second, third and fourth. 

15. Adani Group Donates ₹ 100 Crore For Skills University In Telangana 

• The Adani Foundation, which is the corporate social responsibility arm of the Adani Group, has donated ₹ 100 crore to the Telangana government for the establishment of a university that will help young people develop industry-specific skills. 
• The Young India Skills University (YISU) has been established in Hyderabad under the Young India Skills University, Telangana (Public-Private Partnership) Act, 2024, to bridge the gap between industry requirements and academic offerings. 

16. NCRTC organises 1st Namo Bharat Diwas in New Delhi 

• The Namo Bharat Diwas was observed in New Delhi on 21 October 2024 to mark the anniversary of the operation of the Namo Bharat Trains. 
• On 20 October 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 17-kilometer section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot section of the country’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). 
• The first Regional Rapid Transit System of the country is the 82 km long Delhi-Ghaziabad -Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System, being implemented and operated by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). 
• The high-speed self-propelled trains running on the Regional Rapid Transit System are referred to as the Namo Bharat trains. 

17. Kerala launched Citizen Sentinel app to keep tabs on traffic rule violations 

• Kerala ‘s Minister for Transport K.B. Ganesh Kumar has launched Citizen Sentinel, an app using which members of the public can upload photographs and videos of traffic rule violations in the NextGen Parivahan app. 
• Photos and videos of up to 8 MB of any rule violation can be uploaded in the app, following which Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) officials will verify them. Subsequently, e-challans would be sent to the vehicle owner. 
• The app was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and is part of the 100-day action plan of the Government of Kerala. The app is ready for use, while challans to violators will be sent shortly. 

About Kerala 

• Capital – Thiruvananthapuram
•  Chief Minister – Pinarayi Vijayan 
• Governor – Arif Mohammad Khan 

18. Rajasthan government set up Rajasthan Economic Revival Task Force 

• Rajasthan government has constituted a high-powered Rajasthan Economic Revival Task Force for the holistic economic development of the state. 
• The task force has been set up by the state government in pursuance to the announcement made by the State Finance Minister Diya Kumari in her 2024-25 budget speech. 
• CM Bhajan Lal Sharma will be the Chairman of the Task Force and the Deputy Chief Minister and the Minister of Finance and Tourism, Diya Kumari will be the Deputy Chairman of the Task Force. 
• The Task force will identify key economic sectors, including policy formulation and implementation, skill development and education, infrastructure development, promotion of innovation and technology, promotion of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and startups, tourism and cultural heritage, promotion of green growth. 
• The task force will be in existence till 31st March 2028. 

About Rajasthan 

• Capital – Jaipur 
• Chief Minister – Bhajan Lal Sharma (replace Ashok Gehlot) 
• Deputy Chief Minister – Diya Kumari and Premchand Bairwa 
• Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly – Vasudev Devnani 
• Governor – Haribhau Bagade 

19. WHO certifies Egypt as malaria-free

• Egypt was officially declared ‘malaria-free’ by the World Health Organization (WHO). 
• The country became the second country in the world, following Cabo Verde, to be officially declared malaria-free this year. It is also the fifth African nation to receive malaria-free certification from the WHO. 
• Egypt is the third country within the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region to receive malaria-free certification, achieving this milestone in the region after 14 years. Morocco was declared malaria-free in 2010, following the United Arab Emirates, which received the certification in 2007. 
• With this announcement, a total of 44 countries and one territory have been certified as malaria-free by the WHO. 

About Egypt 

• Capital- Cairo 
• Currency- Egyptian pound 
• Continent – Africa, Asia 
• President – Abdel Fattah El-Sisi 

20. Neowise Unveils India’s First AI-Driven Debt Collection SaaS Tools 

• Neowise, India’s fastest-growing debt recovery solutions provider, has launched the country’s first generative AI-powered debt collection tools. 
• With the debut of NeoBot, a voice-based debt collection assistant, and NeoSight, an AI call analytics tool, Neowise aims to revolutionise the debt recovery landscape. 
• These tools were developed in collaboration with Bangalore-based generative AI startup, Sarvam AI. 
• These AI-driven solutions tend to improve debt recovery efficiency by 15% and reduce operational costs by 33%. 
• Early trials with three lenders have shown promising results, and Neowise plans to scale these tools to more than 150 lenders across India. 

21. PFRDA appoints Chitra Jayasimha as NPS Trust Board’s Chairperson 

• Pension regulator PFRDA has appointed Chitra Jayasimha as the Chairperson of the Board of National Pension System (NPS) Trust . 
• She has been serving the NPS Trust Board as a Trustee since December 2020. 
• Jayasimha has been appointed as Chairperson of NPS Trust in the place of erstwhile Chairman Venkata Rao Yadagani. Yadagani was designated to the position of NPS Trust Chairman on December 12,2023. 

About NPS Trust 

• The NPS Trust is administered by a Board of Trustees. They are entrusted with the task to ensure that the NPS Trust works in the best interest of National Pension System (NPS) subscribers. 
• NPS is a market-linked, voluntary, portable and flexible scheme that helps people save for retirement. 

Recent Appointment 

• Secretary of the Ministry of Coal – Vikram Dev Dutt 
• Chairperson of National Commission for Women – Vijaya Rahatkar (9th; replace Rekha Shrama) 
• Member of the National Commission for Women – Dr Archana Majumdar 
• President of Indian Chamber of Commerce – Abhyuday Jindal (replace Ameya Prabhu) 
• Director of Cricket at JSW Sports – Saurav Ganguly 

22. India and Oman Conduct Joint Naval Drill ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ coast off Goa 

• INS Trikand and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft participated in the Indo-Oman bilateral naval exercise Naseem-Al-Bahr with the Royal Navy of Oman Vessel Al Seeb off Goa. 
• The exercise was conducted in two phases: with harbour phase followed by the sea phase. 
• As part of harbour activities, personnel from both Navies engaged in professional interactions, including Subject Matter Expert Exchanges and planning conferences. 
• The exercise helped strengthen interoperability and enhanced understanding of each other’s best practices. 

Recent Exercise 

• Army’s Sudarshan Chakra Corps of Southern Command is conducting ‘Exercise SWAVLAMBAN SHAKTI’ at Babina Field Firing Ranges near Jhansi. 
• Exercise Malabar 2024 between India, Australia, Japan, and USA – Visakhapatnam 
• 8th edition of Exercise KAZIND 2024 between India -Kazakhstan military in Auli, Uttrakhand. 
• 7th edition of Exercise Eastern Bridge between Indian Air Force and Royal Oman Air Force – Air Force Base Masirah, Oman. 
• 5th edition of Exercise Al NAJAH between Indian Army and Royal Army of Oman – Rabkoot Training Area in Salalah, Oman. 
• Exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield between South Korea and USA 
• Exercise Udara Shakti 2024 between Indian Air Force and Malaysia Air Force – Kuantan, Malaysia 

23. 23 October – Mole Day 

• Mole Day is celebrated on October 23 each year, from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. This date and time are significant because 6.02 x 10²³ is Avogadro’s number, a fundamental constant in chemistry. 
• Theme 2024 – EncantMole 
• Mole Day was first celebrated on October 23, 1980, by a group of chemistry teachers in an effort to inspire students and foster a love for chemistry.