Current Affairs - October 2023

Month October 2023 Type All

166 Current Affairs were found in Month - October 2023 for Type - All

Appointments
1. Mohamed Muizzu has been elected as New president of Maldives.
Notably, the elections were observed by India's Election Commissioner Arun Goel.
2. VJ Kurian has been named non-executive part-time chairman of Thrissur-based South Indian Bank.
3. Arindam Bagchi has been appointed new Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to United Nations and other
International Organisations in Geneva (Switzerland). He will succeed Indra Mani Pandey, who has been named BIMSTEC
Secretary General.
Notably, The post is different from permanent representative of India to the United Nations (Ruchira Kamboj presently),
which is India's foremost diplomatic representative to UN, and head of Permanent Mission of India to UN in New York City.
4. Ashok Vaswani has been elected as MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank, to succeed Uday Kotak.
5. Christopher Luxon has been elected as new Prime Minister of New Zealand.
6. Election Commission of India named Actor Rajkummar Rao as a National Icon for voter awareness and education.
He has been noted primarily for his portrayal of a clerk in Hindi film Newton, tasked with conducting elections in Naxal-
affected areas of Chhattisgarh.
7. Ramaswamy N has been named new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC
Re).
8. Robert Fico has been named new Prime Minister of Slovakia (Central Europe), for his 4th term.
9. Tarun Sobti took charge as Deputy Chief of Indian Navy.
Notably, The post is different from Vice Chief of Indian Navy (Sanjay Jasjit Singh currently).
10. Former Cricketer Amol Muzumdar has been named head coach of India women’s national team.
11. India's Indra Mani Pandey has been named new Secretary General of Dhaka (Bangladesh)-based Bay of Bengal Initiative
for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), making him first Indian to hold the post.
12. Malaysia‘s royal families elected Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar (ruler of southern Johor state) as country’s new king (5 year
term), under rotating monarchy system (among 9 state rulers).
13. Misc. Appointments (Oct 2023) -
Abhay Karandikar (former Director of IIT Kanpur) has been named as Secretary of Department of Science and Technology
(Ministry of Science and Technology).
Sadhna S Nair has been named Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces), becoming first woman to hold the post.
RBI named Muneesh Kapur as an Executive Director (ED).
Govt extended tenure of Dinesh Khara as SBI Chairman, until August 2024.
Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) elected Navneet Munot (HDFC Asset Management) as its Chairman.
Sanjay Kumar Jain has been named CMD of Railways PSU Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
India's Sarang Deo (Indian School of Business) has been named as a member of Strategic and Technical Advisory Group
(STAG) for Tuberculosis by World Health Organization (WHO).
Sanjay Kulshrestha has been named CMD of PSU HUDCO (Housing and Urban Development Corporation).
Meenesh Shah (CMD of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)) has been elected to Board of International Dairy
Federation (IDF).
 New Notable Indian Ambassadors -
Vani Sarraju Rao - Italy
14. President Droupadi Murmu appointed new governors in 2 States -
Odisha - Raghubar Das
Tripura - Indrasena Reddy
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Awards
1. 19th Asian Games 2022 (Hangzhou, China) -
About -
11909 Athletes from 45 Nations participated in 481 events (40 sports).
Signs -
Motto - Heart to Heart.
Mascots - Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen (collectively knwon as Memories of Jiangnan).
Originally scheduled to be held in Sep 2022, the Games were postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Notable Changes compared to 2018 Asian Games -
6 Sports Added - Marathon swimming, Breakdancing, Chess, Esports, Go & Xiangqi. In Athletics, Mixed team 35
KM race walk was added and Men's 50 KM walk removed.
Cricket has been included in 2022 Asian Games (which was removed from 2018 games).
Next Edition, 2026 Asian Games will be held in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture (Japan).
Medals -
Medal Table -
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 201 111 71 383

2 Japan 52 67 69 188

3 South Korea 42 59 89 190

4 India 28 38 41 107

5 Uzbekistan 22 18 31 71

6 Chinese Taipei 19 20 28 67

7 Iran 13 21 20 54

8 Thailand 12 14 32 58

9 Bahrain 12 3 5 20

10 North Korea 11 18 10 39

India at 2022 Asian Games -

With 107 Medals (28 Gold, 38 Silver & 41 Bronze), India achieved its best ever medal tally at Asian Games.
Most medals won by India in -
Overall - Athletics (29), Shooting (22), Archery (9)
Gold - Shooting (7), Athletics (6), Archery (5)
Gold Medals -
Athlete (S) Sport Event
Divyansh Panwar
Rudrankksh Patil Shooting Men's 10m air rifle team
Aishwary Tomar

India women's national cricket team Cricket Women's tournament

Anush Agarwalla
Hriday Chheda Equestrian (Horse Riding)*
Team dressage
Divyakirti Singh * this is India's 1st gold medal in Horse riding, since 1982 Delhi Asian Games.
Sudipti Hajela
 Athlete (S) Sport Event
Esha Singh
Manu Bhaker Women's 25m pistol team
Rhythm Sangwan

Sift Kaur Samra Women's 50m rifle three positions

Arjun Cheema
Shiva Narwal Shooting Men's 10m air pistol team
Sarabjot Singh

Aishwary Tomar
Akhil Sheoran Men's 50m rifle three positions team
Swapnil Kusale

Palak Gulia Women's 10m air pistol

Rohan Bopanna
Lawn Tennis Mixed doubles
Rutuja Bhosale

Saurav Ghosal
Abhay Singh
Squash Men's team
Mahesh Mangaonkar
Harinder Pal Sandhu

Kynan Chenai
Prithviraj Tondaiman Shooting Men's trap team
Zoravar Singh

Avinash Sable Men's 3000 m steeplechase

Tajinderpal Singh Toor Men's shot put
Athletics
Parul Chaudhary Women's 5000 m
Annu Rani Women's javelin throw

Jyothi Surekha
Archery Mixed team compound
Ojas Deotale

Neeraj Chopra Men's javelin throw

Amoj Jacob
Rajesh Ramesh Athletics
Men's 4 × 400 m relay
Mohammad Anas
Muhammad Ajmal

Aditi Swami
Jyothi Surekha Archery Women's team compound
Parneet Kaur

Harinder Pal Sandhu

Squash Mixed doubles
Dipika Pallikal

Abhishek Verma
Ojas Deotale Archery Men's team compound
Prathamesh Jawkar

India men's national field hockey team Field hockey Men's tournament
Jyothi Surekha Women compound individual
Archery
Ojas Deotale Men compound individual
India women's national kabaddi team Kabaddi Women's team

Chirag Shetty
Badminton Men's doubles
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy
India men's national cricket team Cricket Men's tournament
India men's national kabaddi team Kabaddi Men's team

Other Notable Facts about 2022 Asian Games -

Nepal cricket team has set new record for highest ever total in a T20 International Cricket match, with score of 314
against Mongolia. It went past Afghanistan's record of 278 runs. During the same game, Nepal's Kushal Malla has set
new record for fastest men's T20I century, scoring it in 34 balls.
About India's Campaign -
Sports Authority of India (SAI) had launched short movie Halla Bol, under Campaign Cheer4India, to motivate
Indian Atheletes for Asian Games 2022.
Amul was named official sponsor of Indian Contingent for Asian Games 2022.
 Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and boxer Lovlina Borgohain were India's flag-bearers for Asian Games 2022
opening ceremony.
2. Andrea Rubio (Venezuela) won Miss International 2023 pageant title, in Tokyo (Japan).
India was represented by Praveena Aanjna, at the global beauty Pageant.
3. Dhordo Village in Gujarat's Kutch district has been named among Best Tourism Villages 2023 by United Nations World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO), to mark Dhordo's contributions to sustainable tourism, cultural preservation, and rural
development.
Also, Madla (from Madhya Pradesh's Panna district) has been named among villages selected to participate in Upgrade
Programme this year.
4. Nobel Prize Winners 2023 -
Winners -
Physics -
Pierre Agostini (France), Ferenc Krausz (Hungary), Anne L’Huillier (France) - for experimental methods that
generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter.
Chemistry -
Moungi G. Bawendi (France), Louis E. Brus (USA), Aleksey I. Yekimov (Russia) - for the discovery and synthesis
of quantum dots.
Physiology / Medicine -
Katalin Karikó (Hungary), Drew Weissman (USA) - for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base
modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.
Literature -
Jon Fosse (Norway).
Peace -
Narges Mohammadi (Iran) - For her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote
human rights and freedom for all
Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel -
Claudia Goldin (USA) - for having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes
Facts About Nobel prizes -
Each Nobel Prize recipient receives a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary award of 10,000,000 SEK (Approx 1
Million USD). Prize in a single category can be shared by up to 3 recipients.
Background -
Will of Swedish scientist Alfred Nobel established five Nobel prizes in 1895 - Chemistry, Literature, Peace,
Physics, and Physiology or Medicine, first awarded in 1901.
In 1968, Sweden's central bank Sveriges Riksbank established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences
in Memory of Alfred Nobel, which, although not being a Nobel Prize, has become informally known as Nobel
Prize in Economics.
Indian Nobel Laureates -
Rabindranath Tagore in 1913 (Literature)
C.V. Raman in 1930 (Physics)
Mother Teresa in 1979 (Peace)
Amartya Sen in 1998 (Economic Studies)
Kailash Satyarthi in 2014 (Peace)
Indian Origin Nobel Laureates -
Har Gobind Khorana (US) - In 1968 for Physiology / Medicine.
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (US) - In 1983 for Physics.
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (UK/US) - In 2009 for Chemistry.
Abhijit Banerjee (US) - In 2019 for Economics
5. Sudha Murthy (Author and wife of Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy) has been honored with Global Indian Award by
Canada India Foundation, carrying prize of $50000. She is 1st female recepient of this award.
6. European Parliament honored Jina Mahsa Amini (Iran) and Woman, Life, Freedom Movement (Iran) with 2023 Sakharov
Prize.
 Jina Mahsa Amini's arrest for opposing mandatory hijab and subsequent death in police custody sparked a wave of protests
throughout Iran and world.
Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought (commonly known as Sakharov Prize) is an honorary award for individuals / groups
who have dedicated their lives to defence of human rights and freedom of thought. It has been Named after Russian scientist
and dissident Andrei Sakharov.
7. Indian-origin professor at University of Amsterdam Joyeeta Gupta received Spinoza Prize by Dutch Research Council
(NWO), for her work in field of climate change.
Spinoza Prize is an annual award of 1.5 million euro prize money, to be spent on new research given by Dutch Research
Council (NWO). It is named after philosopher Baruch de Spinoza.
8. Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’s (ICAI) won UN Award for its contribution to sustainability reporting.
Award was conferred by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) working group on International
Standards for Accounting and Reporting (ISAR).
9. Misc. / Industrial Awards (Oct 2023) -
US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) honored Nita Ambani (Chairperson of Reliance Foundation) with 2023
Global Leadership Award for Philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud received Award for Global Leadership by his alma mater Harvard Law School
(US).
10. Odia scientist Swati Nayak received Norman Borlaug Field Award 2023.
She has been recognized for her innovative approach to engaging smallholder farmers in demand-driven rice seed systems,
from testing and deployment to equitable access and adoption of climate-resilient and nutritious rice varieties.
About -
Norman E Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, endowed by Rockefeller Foundation, is presented
annually by World Food Prize Foundation.
This $10,000 award recognizes exceptional science-based achievement in international agriculture and food
production by an individual under age of 40.
11. US President Joe Biden awarded National Medals in fields of science and technology to 2 Indian American scientists. Ashok
Gadgil has been awarded National Medal of Technology and Innovation, and Subra Suresh has been awarded National Medal
of Science.
About -
National Medal of Technology and Innovation is highest honor that can be conferred to a US citizen for achievements
related to technological progress.
National Medal of Science is conferred to individuals with important contributions to advancement of knowledge in
fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and physics.
12. West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose conferred Durga Bharat Samman 2023 (1st edition) on -
Hindustani classical vocalist and composer Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty
Visva-Bharati (central university)
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE)
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Books
1. Vivek Agnihotri (director of The Kashmir Files) launched his new book The Book of Life: My Dance with Buddha for Success.
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Committees
1. RBI constituted an external Working Group on Expected Credit Loss (ECL) based Framework for Provisioning by Banks, to
be chaired by R Narayanaswamy (former Professor at IIM Bangalore).
ECL approach to provisioning is a paradigm shift from current incurred loss-based provisioning regime.
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Days
1. Oct 1 is observed as UN International Day of Older Persons. 2023 Theme is Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons.
Oct 1 is also observed as -
National Pension System Diwas (NPS Diwas), by PFRDA.
International Coffee Day.
World Vegetarian Day.
National day of China.
2. Oct 15 is observed by UN as International Day of Rural Women. 2023 theme is Invaluable Contribution of Rural Women
to Development.
India observes this day as Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas, since 2016.
Oct 15 is also marked as Global Handwashing Day.
3. Oct 5 is observed by UNESCO as World Teachers' Day. 2023 Theme is The teachers we need for the education we want.
Note that National Teachers' Day in India is observed on Sep 5. It commemorates Birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan, first Vice President and second President of India.
Oct 05 is also observed as Gangetic Dolphin Day in India. On October 5 in 2010, dolphins were declared as National Aquatic
Animal.
4. World Space Week (WSW) is observed Annually Between Oct 4 - 10, declared by UN in 1999. 2023 theme is Space and
Entrepreneurship.
Dates commemorate launch of first artificial satellite Sputnik I (on 4 October 1957) and entry into force of Treaty on
Principles Governing the Activities of States in Exploration and Use of Outer Space including Moon and Other Celestial
Bodies (10 October 1967).
5. Oct 02 is Birth Anniversary of M K Gandhi and Former PM Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji (2nd PM of India). It is observed by UN
as International Day of Non-Violence, since 2007.
On this occaison -
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first high-tech sports training centre for Divyangjan, named after former Prime
Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh).
Notably, Oct 2 is also observed as -
Swachh Bharat Diwas in India.
Annual Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) fortnight organised between 15th Sept to 2nd Oct ‘23.
J&K Govt named highest gallantry awardee (Param Vir Chakra recipient) Bana Singh as ambassador for War
Against Waste initiative in Jammu & Kashmir, to combat sanitation challenges in rural areas of UT.
75% villages across India achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status under Phase II of Swachh Bharat
Mission (Grameen) Mission. Over 4.43 lakh villages have declared themselves ODF Plus, as significant step
towards achieving SBM-G phase II goals by 2024-25.
World Day for Farmed Animals.
World Habitat Day (observed annually on 1st Monday of October), with 2023 theme Resilient Urban Economies: Cities
as Drivers of Growth and Recovery.
6. Oct 07 is observed by UN as World Cotton Day.
7. Oct 10 is Observed as World Mental Health Day by World Health Organization.
Also, beginning in 2023, Indian govt and Indian Drugs Manufacturers’ Association (IDMA) will annually observe Oct 10 as
National Current Good Manufacturing Practice Day.
8. Oct 11 is observed by UN as International Day of Girl Child. 2023 Theme is Invest in Girls' Rights: Our Leadership, Our
Well-being.
9. Oct 12, 2023 is obseved as World Sight Day, observed annually on second Thursday of October.
10. Oct 13 is observed by UN as International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction.
11. Oct 14 is observed as World Standards Day. 2023 theme is shared vision for a better world.
Oct 14 is also observed as International E-Waste Day.
12. Oct 14, 2023 is observed as World Migratory Bird Day. 2023 theme is Water: Sustaining Bird Life.
It is officially celebrated twice in a year since 2006, Firstly on Second Saturday of May and again on Second Saturday of
October. In 2023, earlier observance was on May 13.
13. Oct 15 is observed globally by UN as World Student’s Day, on occasion of birth anniversary of former president of India,
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
UN marked this day in 2010.
Note that similar sounding International Students' Day is observed internationally on 17 November.
14. Oct 16 as observed by UN as World Food Day, commemorating creation of UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in
1945. 2023 Theme is Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind.
15. Oct 17 is observed by UN International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. 2023 Theme is Decent Work and Social
Protection: Putting dignity in practice for all.
16. Oct 20 is observed by UN as World Statistics Day, with 2023 theme Connecting the world with data we can trust.
Oct 20 is also observed as -
National Solidarity Day in India, marking date on which China began assaults on India in 1962.
International Chefs' Day.
17. Oct 21 is observed as Police Commemoration Day in India, in memory of the policemen killed at Hot Springs in North Eastern
Ladakh by Chinese troops on this date in 1959. Till October to November of 1959, Indian Police personnel were responsible for
defending 2,500 mile long border of India with then Tibet. Oct 21 also observed as -
World Iodine Deficiency Day.
Marks anniversary of Azad Hind Movement, which marks establishment of Azad Hind Movement in Singapore, on Oct 21, in
1943. It was conceptualized by Shri Netaji Subhsh Chandra Bose Ji, who has been credited with greater share in helping
India in gaining Independence.
18. Oct 23 - International Snow Leopard Day, observed since 2014. It commemorates anniversary of Bishkek Declaration 2013, to
raise awareness for its conservation and protection of snow leopards.
19. Oct 24 is observed as -
United Nations Day. It marks enactment of UN Charter on this day in 1945. 2023 theme is A symbol of hope for global
unity.
WHO World Polio Day.
International Day of Diplomats.
World Development Information Day.
Oct 24 is also foundation day of ITBP.
20. Oct 24-30 is observed by UN annually as Global Disarmament Week.
21. Oct 26 is observed as Accession Day of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
On Oct 26 in 1947, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to become part of
India.
This came after Maharaja Hari Singh sought the help of the Indian Armed Forces after an invasion from Pakistan Army
supported tribesmen of Pakistan. Indian Government extended its help on condition of accession of the state to India.
22. Oct 27 is observed as World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, observed by UNESCO.
Oct 27 is also observed as Infantry Day (Shaurya Diwas) by Indian Army, as on this day an Infantry Company of First
Battalion of Sikh Regiment was airlifted from Delhi to Srinagar to liberate Kashmir from invading Pakistan Army, in 1947.
23. Oct 28 is observed as International Animation Day, to celebrate art of animation.
It commemorates first public performance of Charles-Émile Reynaud's Théâtre Optique at Grevin Museum in Paris, 1892.
24. Oct 29, 2023 is observed by UN as First-ever International Day of Care and Support, to be observed annually.
25. Oct 31 is Observed by UN as World Cities Day. 2023 Theme is Financing a sustainable urban future for all.
26. Oct 31 is observed as National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas), which marks birth anniversary of Shri Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel (1st Deputy PM and Home Minister of India).
On this occasion -
Yashaswini, the bike expedition of women bikers of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) culminated its journey at
Ekta nagar (Gujarat). It was flagged off From Srinagar (J&K).
Iconic Throne Room at Raj Bhavan (Kolkata), which stands as a testament to the British era’s grandeur, has been
renamed after Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Independent India.
PM Narendra Modi launched Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) platform for youth of the country.
Earlier, cabinet had apporoved establishment of an autonomous body Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat).
 It will aim to be a technology powered enabling mechanism for youth development, and provide equitable
access to youth to actualize their aspirations and build Viksit Bharat.
It will benefit youth in age-group of 15-29 years, in line with the definition of Youth in the National Youth
Policy. In case of programme components specifically meant for adolescents, beneficiaries will be in age-
group of 10-19 years.
PM Narendra Modi participated in programme marking culmination of Meri Maati Mera Desh campaign’s Amrit
Kalash Yatra.
Meri Mati Mera Desh Campaign was launched nationwide, to pay tribute to freedom fighters & Martyrs. As part
of it, An Amrit Kalash Yatra was conducted, carrying soil from all corners of country in 7500 kalash to create
an Amrit Vatika in Delhi.
The programme also marked closing ceremony of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75-week grand celebration to mark
75 years of Independence).
Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was inaugurated by PM on March 12, 2021; by flagging off Dandi March from
Sabarmati Ashram (Ahmedabad).
PM laid foundation stone of Amrit Vatika and Amrit Mahotsav Memorial.
PM presented Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Awards to -
Top 3 performing States / UTs - Jammu and Kashmir (1), Gujarat (2) and Haryana and Rajasthan (joint 3rd).
Top 3 performing ministries - Ministry of External Affairs (1), Ministry of Defence (2), and Ministry of Railways
and Ministry of Education (joint 3rd).
Background -
It was introduced by Government in 2014, marking Birth Anniversary of Legendary Leader and 1st Home Minister and
Deputy PM of India, Shri Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.
On this occasion in 2018, PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's memorial in Gujarat's Narmada
district. Called the Statue of Unity, the bronze sculpture is the world's tallest statue measuring 600 feet (182m). It has
overtook China's Spring Temple Buddha (153m) and USA's Statue of Liberty (93m). It was constructed in 33 months,
at cost 2989 crores.
Other observations on Oct 31 -
Oct 31 is also Death Anniversary of Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She was killed on this day in 1984.
Oct 24 - 31 is observed annually as Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, initiated in 2012.
27. Oct 4 is observed as World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare.
It is observed annually on October 4, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
28. Oct 8 is observed as Indian Air Force Day. 2023 is 91st observance of the day.
On this occasion -
Chief of Air Staff Vivek Ram Chaudhari unveiled new IAF ensign, at Air Force Station-Bamrauli in Prayagraj.
New IAF ensign has been formed after 72 years. In the new ensign, the IAF crest will be in top right corner.
IAF announced to retire its ageing Russian-origin MiG-21 fighter jets, and replace them with indigenous HAL Light
Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark 1A, by 2025.
IAF received first trainer version of light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
Also -
National Wildlife Week is observed in India annually between October 2-8, with 2023 theme Partnerships for Wildlife
Conservation.
Oct is obsreved annually as World Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day.
29. Oct 9 is observed as World Post Day. It marks establishment of Universal Postal Union in 1874 in Swiss Capital, Bern. It was
declared in 1969. 2023 Theme is Innovation, Integration and Inclusion.
In India, National Postal Day is celebrated annually on 10 October, as an extension of World Post Day. Also, National Postal
Week in India is observed Between 9th to 15th October.
Oct 9 is also obsebved as Indian foreign service (IFS) day in India, observed since 2011, to commemorate the day the Cabinet
created the Foreign Service (in 1946).
Oct 9 is also observed as Territorial Army Day, which came into being when Territorial Army Act was enacted on Aug 18,
1948. It was formally raised by first Governor General Shri C Rajagopalachari on 09 Oct. 1949.
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Defence
1. 19th edition of Indo-US Joint annual Army Exercise YUDH ABHYAS held in Alaska (USA).
2. 1st edition of Indian Military Heritage Festival held in New Delhi, to mark India’s rich military culture and heritage.
On this occasion, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh launched Project Udbhav, as a joint collaboration of Indian Army and
United Service Institution of India (153 years old New Delhi based defence services think), to promote indigenous discourse
through exploration and integration of country’s ancient strategic acumen into contemporary military domain.
3. India and Bangladesh commenced 11th edition of annual joint military exercise SAMPRITI, in Umroi (Meghalaya).
4. Annual Joint HADR Exercise (AJHE) CHAKRAVAT 2023 hosted by Indian Navy at Goa.
AJHE is held since 2015, involving participation of all three Services, Paramilitary Forces, disaster response forces and other
related organisations.
It is conducted by Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force in rotation.
5. India launched Operation Ajay to facilitate return from Israel of its citizens who wish to return, amid esclation of Israel-Hamas
conflict after terror Attacks on Israel by Islamic terrorist Group Hamas.
6. Indian Army Chief Manoj Pande presented President’s Colours to Third Battalion of the Naga Regiment.
President's Colour Award is highest honour that can be bestowed upon any military unit of India, also known as Nishaan.
7. Indian Navy’s third indigenous stealth destroyer of Project 15B class, Named Imphal, has been delivered to Indian Navy by
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL).
Contract for four ships of Project 15B was signed with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in 2011, as a follow-on of Kolkata class
(Project 15A) destroyers.
2 ships have been commissioned into Indian Navy under Project 15B, named INS Visakhapatnam & INS Mormugao.
Another ship Surat has also been launched. Imphal and Surat will be commissioned into Indian Navy in 2023 & 2024
respectively.
8. Misc. Defence News / Events (Oct 2023) -
Israel unveiled its battle tank Merkava Mark 5 Battle tank (known as Barak), to advance its defense capabilities.
2nd Edition of Indian Navy’s Naval Innovation and Indigenisation (NIIO) Seminar – ‘Swavlamban 2023’ held in New Delhi.
Notably, during the event, SBI NAVeCash Card was launched, as one-of-its-kind dual-chip debit card developed by SBI
and Indian Navy. The card can be used in online mode (as a regular debit card) as well as in offline mode while at sea
with no direct connectivity with the bank.
Ministry of Defence signed contract for Mid Life Upgrade and Re-Powering of INS Beas, with Kochi-based Cochin Shipyard
Limited, at cost 313 crores.
INS Beas is 3rd in series of of Brahmaputra Class Frigates (Others are Brahmaputra, Betwa).
Coastal Security Exercise Sagar Kavach 2023 conducted by Indian Navy in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Russia announced successful testing of its new nuclear-powered missile Burevestnik, with range up to 20000 kilometers.
Indian Navy implemented 360 Degree Appraisal Mechanism, as a novel transformative initiative aimed at replacing reliance
on periodic Confidential Reports submitted by senior officers, for evaluation of Navy personnel.
India and European Union (EU) ships conducted their first joint naval exercise, in Gulf of Guinea.
New weapons demonstrated by Israel -
Iron Sting system - designed to neutralize rocket launchers with remarkable accuracy.
Iron Beam missile defence system - Designed to destroy short-range rockets, artillery, mortar bombs & unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs). It has range of up to 7 km.
Indian Army's first Vertical Wind Tunnel has been inaugurated at Special Forces Training School (SFTS) at Bakloh
(Himachal Pradesh). It will help refine Combat Freefall skills of armed forces personnel.
Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command (ENC) hosted Mid Planning Conference (MPC) of MILAN 24 (Multilateral Naval
Exercise 2024), to be hosted by Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam in Feb 2024.
Flagship event MILAN is a biennial multilateral naval exercise, incepted by Indian Navy in 1995. Previous edition,
MILAN 2022 was conducted at Visakhapatnam, with participation from 39 countries.
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force successfully test-fired a medium-caliber maritime electromagnetic railgun from an
offshore platform, as a global first in defense technology.
9. NATO concluded collective defence exercise STEADFAST JUPITER 2023 at 27 locations across Europe and North America,
as NATO’s largest and most complex computer-assisted command post exercise (CAX/CPX) so far.
 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance between 31 member states – 29
European and 2 North American.
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Economy
1. AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) approved to merge Fincare Small Finance Bank with itself, in an all-share deal.
This is 1st such merger between 2 SFBs in India. It will enable AU SFB to diversify its portfolio by gaining access to Fincare
SFB's rural and financial inclusion-focused microfinance business.
The merger is set to come into effect from February 1, 2024.
Under it, shareholders of Fincare SFB will receive 579 shares in AU SFB for every 2000 shares they hold in Fincare SFB.
2. Tata Group acquired Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron's India operations, paving way for it to manufacture and
assemble Apple iPhones in India for both domestic and global markets.
This will enable Tata Electronics to become 1st Indian iPhone maker.
3. As per S&P Global Market Intelligence -
Indian economy will grow to $7.3 trillion and become third-largest economy by 2030, surpassing Japan and Germany.
India's GDP is expected to grow between 6.2 - 6.3 % in current FY 24 (2023-24), remaining fastest-growing major economy.
Top 5 Economies Presently -
US ($25.5 trillion)
China ($18 trillion)
Japan ($4.2 trillion)
Germany ($4 trillion)
India ($3.5 trillion)
4. Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $181 million loan to build quality infrastructure and services toward improving
urban livability and mobility in peri-urban areas of Ahmedabad (Gujarat).
5. Environment Ministry introduced initiatives named Green Credit Program (GCP) and Ecomark Scheme, to further govt's
LiFE - Lifestyle for Environment movement. It aims to help tackle climate change and promote sustainable eco-conscious
practices.
Green Credit Program (GCP) -
It is a market-based mechanism designed to incentivize voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors.
GCP's governance framework is supported by an inter-ministerial Steering Committee and Indian Council of Forestry
Research and Education (ICFRE) as Administrator.
In initial phase, GCP focuses on water conservation and afforestation.
To obtain Green Credits, individuals / entities must register their activities through app/website (www.moefcc-gcp.in).
Upon verification, the Administrator will grant a Green Credit certificate which will be tradable on the green credit
platform.
Ecomark Scheme (Promoting Eco-Friendly Products) -
It will enable consumers to opt for eco-friendly products, by providing accreditation / labelling for products that meet
specific environmental criteria, while maintaining quality standards.
It will also motivate manufacturers to shift towards environmentally friendly production.
Central Pollution Control Board will administer Ecomark Scheme, in partnership with Bureau of Indian Standards
(BIS).
6. Fibe (formerly known as EarlySalary) and Axis Bank jointly launched India’s first numberless credit card (on Rupay
Platform), which aims at prioritizing security of customers.
7. Finance Ministry granted Navaratna Status on Railways PSUs Ircon International Limited (IRCON) and RITES Ltd.
8. GST revenue collected in September 2023 stood at 1,62,712 crores (out of which CGST 29,818 crore, SGST 37,657 crore, IGST
83,623 crore & cess 11,613 crore).
9. HDFC Bank launched digital platform XpressWay, to streamline and expedite its products and services.
It has been launched as an integral component of HDFC Bank’s NOW, an umbrella brand encompassing bank’s digital
products and services.
10. ICICI Bank launched iFinance, which aims to change customers (including retail clients and sole proprietors) manage their
finances.
 It will empower customers to consolidate their savings and current accounts from multiple banks into one convenient
location.
11. India's National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) partnered with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), to
launch a $600 million India-Japan Fund (IJF).
It marks NIIF’s first bi-lateral fund, with Govt of India contributing 49% of target corpus and remaining 51% contributed by
JBIC.
The Fund will focus on investing in environmental sustainability, and will help enhance Japanese investments into India.
12. Kotak Mahindra Bank received RBI approval to acquire 100% stake in micro-lender Sonata Finance, valued at 537 crores.
13. Misc. Economy / Financial News (Oct 2023) -
India opposed US Based Moody’s Investors Service's concerns about security and privacy vulnerabilities associated with
biometric technologies, particularly India’s Aadhaar program, raised under report Decentralized Finance and Digital
Assets.
RBI cancelled Banking licence of Nagar Urban Co-operative Bank (Ahmednagar, Maharashtra).
Notable Penalties imposed by RBI -
Paytm Payments Bank - 5.39 Crores.
Kotak Mahindra Bank - 3.95 Crores.
ICICI Bank - 12.19 Crores.
L&T Finance - 2.50 Crores.
Union Bank of India - 1 Crore.
RBI approved Amalgamation of Suvikas People’s Co-operative Bank (Ahmedabad, Gujarat) with Kalupur Commercial Co-
operative Bank (Ahmedabad, Gujarat).
RBI canceled certificate of registration of Indian Bank subsidiary Ind Bank Housing, in which Indian bank holds 51%.
RBI announced to regulate entities facilitating payment and settlement for online cross border export / import transactions
as Payment Aggregators – Cross Border (PA-CB), under Payment and Settlement Systems Act 2007.
RBI inaugurated its Sub-office in Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh).
Govt notified Minimum Export Price (MEP) of USD 800 per Metric Ton for onion (upto 31st Dec 2023), to maintain
sufficient availability of onion to domestic consumers at affordable prices.
Navratna PSU NLC India Limited incorporated its subsidiary NLC India Green Energy Limited (NIGEL), focused on taking
up Renewable Energy initiatives.
Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (Oct 2023) -
As per World Bank's latest India Development Update (IDU) -
Retained growth forecast for India in FY24 (2023-24) at 6.3 % (down from 7.2 % in FY23 (2022-23)).
Revised retail inflation forecast for India for FY24 (2023-24), to 5.9 % (earlier 5.2 %).
As per UNCTAD Trade and Development Report 2023 -
World economic growth to slow from 3% in 2022 to 2.4% in 2023. It will improve slightly to 2.5 % in 2024.
For India, it predicts 6.6 % GDP growth in 2023 & 6.2 % in 2024.
As per IMF's World Economic Outlook (October 2023 Update) -
Revised India’s GDP growth forecast for FY 24 (2023-24), to 6.3% (from previous prediction of 6.1%).
Global growth is expected to be 3% in 2023 and 2.9% in 2024.
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) expects Indian GDP to grow at 6.3% during FY24
(2023-24).
Outlook Group launched retirement planning event 40After40, in association with IDFC FIRST Bank. It will be hosted at Jio
World Convention Centre (Mumbai) in January 2024.
Bharti Group acquired French insurer AXA’s 49% stake in Bharti AXA Life Insurance, marking consolidation of the joint
venture between India's Bharti Group and French insurer Axa.
Food tech firm Zomato introduced its hyperlocal delivery service Xtreme. It aims to enable intracity delivery of small
packages, by leveraging fleet of 3 lakh delivery executives.
RBL Bank launched digital Savings Account named GO, enabling faster and more convenient banking experience.
Swan Energy Ltd completed acquisition of Reliance Naval and Engineering Limited, which completes takeover process of
the company from NCLT. The process includced payment of 231 crores by Swan Energy.
 Swan Energy partnered with resolution applicant Hazel Mercantile Ltd through its special purpose vehicle Hazel Infra,
to acquire RNEL under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved merger of Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC) with
IDFC First Bank.
Federal Bank inaugurated Mookkannoor Mission, designed to drive change and progress in village of Mookkannoor in
Ernakulam district of Kerala.
Mookkannoor is birthplace of Federal bank founder K P Hormis.
14. Monthly Trade and Inflation Data (Sep 2023) -
Inflation and Trade Data for Sep 2023 -
Wholesale price Index Based (WPI) -
WPI based inflation stayed at - 0.26% (Negative) in September 2023.
WPI Inflation in last 12 months -
August 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
July 2023 - (-) 1.36 % (Negative)
June 2023 - (-) 4.12 % (Negative) (lowest in 8 years)
May 2023 - (-) 3.48 % (Negative)
April 2023 - (-) 0.92 % (Negative)
March 2023 - 1.34 %
February 2023 - 3.85 %
January 2023 - 4.73 %
December 2022 - 4.95 %
November 2022 - 5.85 %
October 2022 - 8.39 %
September 2022 - 10.07 %
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Based (retail inflation) -
CPI-based inflation rate for September 2023 fell to 5.02 %.
CPI Inflation in Last 12 Months -
August 2023 - 6.83 %
July 2023 - 7.44 % (15 Month High)
June 2023 - 4.81 %
May 2023 - 4.25 % (25 Month Low)
April 2023 - 4.7 %
March 2023 - 5.66 %
February 2023 - 6.44 %
January 2023 - 6.52 %
December 2022 - 5.72 %
November 2022 - 5.88 %
October 2022 - 6.77 %
September 2022 - 7.41 %
Trade -
Overall Trade in September 2023 (Merchandise + Services) -
Overall Imports - 68.75
Overall Exports - 63.84
Overall Trade Deficit - 4.92 Billion USD
Compared to Last Month (August 2023)
Overall Imports - 72.50
Overall Exports - 60.87
Overall Trade Deficit - 11.63 Billion USD
Notably, India's Overall Trade Deficit stood at 21 month low of 1.38 Billion USD, in April 2023.
Notable facts about India’s Trade during Previous Financial Year (FY 23 (2022-23)) -
 Exports stood at highest ever USD 770.18 billion during FY 2022-23, growing 13.84 % over FY
2021-22.
Out of this, Merchandise exports stood at USD 447.46 billion & Services exports at USD 322.72
billion, both a new annual record.
US and UAE retained first and second places respectively as India's largest export destinations,
during FY 2022-23. Netherlands rose to third place, replacing China.
In terms of overall trade too (exports + imports), US remained India's top partner in 2022-23, with
$128.55 Billion Trade (Exports $78.31 billion & imports $50.24 billion).
As per data by National Import-Export for Yearly Analysis of Trade (NIRYAT) portal -
Tamil Nadu stayed at top in terms of export of electronic goods for FY 23 (2022-23), tripling in a
year at $5.37 billion from $1.86 billion in previous year.
15. Notable recommendations under 52nd GST Council Meeting -
Amendments in conditions of appointment of President and Member of proposed GST Appellate Tribunals (regarding
eligibility and age).
President and Members shall have tenure up to age of 70 years and 67 years respectively.
Notable GST Rate Chnages -
Nil rate for food preparation of millet flour in powder form and containing at least 70% millets by weight when sold in
loose form, and 5% if sold in pre-packaged and labelled form.
Keep Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) used for manufacture of alcoholic liquor for human consumption outside GST.
Reduced GST on molasses from 28% to 5% in relief to cane farmers for faster clearance of dues and to reduce cost of
manufacturing cattle feed.
16. RBI announced results for 2nd edition of its global hackathon HARBINGER 2023 – Innovation for Transformation, with
theme Inclusive Digital Services.
Winners for Problem Statements -
Innovative, easy-to-use, digital banking services for differently abled (Divyaang) - Ezetap Mobile Solutions (India)
RegTech solutions to facilitate more efficient compliance by Regulated Entities (REs) - WeavAir (Singapore)
Exploring use cases/solutions for CBDC-Retail transactions, including transactions in offline mode - Dygnify Ventures
Private Limited (India)
Increasing Transactions Per Second (TPS)/ throughput and scalability of blockchains - Fortis Net Ltd (UK).
17. RBI approved merger of Fintech startup Slice with North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB). Merged entity will look to
expand tech-enabled financial accessibility across nation.
18. RBI doubled lending limits for gold loans under bullet repayment scheme for urban cooperative banks to 4 lakh.
It will be applicable for UCBs who have met overall target under Priority Sector Lending (PSL) as on end FY23.
A bullet repayment scheme is one where a borrower repays interest and principal amount at the end of a loan tenure, without
worrying about repayment during the loan tenure.
19. RBI increased bulk deposit limits for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) from 15 lakh to 1 crore, to help create a more equitable
banking landscape.
RBI also mandated that banks must allow premature withdrawals on all term deposits up to 1 crore, up from previous limit
of 15 lakh for non-callable fixed deposits.
20. State Bank of India (SBI) introduced Mobile Handheld Device for its Financial Inclusion (FI) customers, to enhance
convenience in availing banking services and extend essential banking services to the masses.
Mobile Handheld Device will provide five core banking services - cash withdrawal, cash deposit, fund transfer, balance
inquiry and mini statement. Bank plans to expand its offerings by including several other services.
21. YES Bank issued an ONDC Network Gift Card, becoming 1st bank to do so. It aims to enhance shopping experience for Indian
consumers.
Unlike traditional gift cards, the ONDC Network Gift Card will enable customers to purchase products from any brand /
seller across a wide array of segments on ONDC Network.
Working on Rupay network, it offers flexibility to load up to Rs 10000.
Top

International
 1. Swaminarayan Akshardham temple has been inaugurated in Robbinsville Township (New Jersey, USA), as second-largest Hindu
temple in world (after Angkor Wat in Cambodia). It spreads across 183-acres area, and is 191-feet tall.
2. Microsoft completed $69 billion acquisition of Video game firm Activision Blizzard, as Microsoft's largest-ever acquisition.
3. FATF (Financial Action Task Force) announced removal of Jordan, Cayman Islands, Panama, and Albania from its Grey List.
Grey list, also known as jurisdiction under increased monitoring list, includes countries that are actively working with FATF
to address strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation
financing.
Notably, FATF added Bulgaria in the Grey list. The Grey list now includes 23 nations.
4. Global Hunger Index 2023 -
India ranked 111th in list. Notably, India rejected its Global Hunger Index ranking, claiming it as having methodological
issues.
Neighbors - Bangladesh (81), Pakistan (102), Sri Lanka (60).
5. Indonesia inaugurated Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway, named Whoosh.
The project is a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, built with estimated cost of $7.3 billion, predominantly
funded by China.
Whoosh stands for Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal. It means timesaving, optimal operation, reliable
system in Indonesian language.
6. Norway announced to fund The Hunger Project in India, and help strengthen women leaders to protect environment and
promote food security in Uttarakhand. Norway's support of USD 44.7 Million will be for 3 years, until September 2026.
The Hunger Project works in 23 countries, in partnership with local organizations, for sustainable end of hunger. In India, it
works in 6 states - Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka.
7. As per Forbes World’s Best Employers 2023 List -
Top 5 Employers globally -
Samsung, Microsoft, Alphabet, Apple, Ferrari
Indian Brands in List -
Reliance Industries is best ranked Indian employer (Ranked 70th globally), Followed by Bajaj Group (242), Aditya
Birla Group (253), NTPC (261).
8. As per report by Statista -
India ranks 3rd among countries with most financial technology (fintech) unicorns, with US and UK retaining top 2 positions
globally.
US has 134 fintech unicorns, followed by UK (27) & India (17).
9. Competition Commission of India (CCI) become a member of steering group of International Competition Network (ICN), which
comprises 140 competition agencies from 130 countries.
CCI become a member of ICN's steering group for the first time, which is for 2 years.
10. European Union Tax Observatory's Global Tax Evasion Report 2024 recommended implementation of global minimum tax on
billionaires, set at 2% of their wealth.
This is expected to address issue of tax evasion, and generate approx $250 billion.
11. European Union approved new standards for companies issuing green bonds, to help investors pick sustainable companies and
avoid greenwashing (misleading climate-friendly claims).
Europe accounts for over half of global green bonds issuance volume. Though green bonds issuance is still only 3-3.5% of
overall bond market.
12. India has been re-elected as President of Asia- Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) General Conference (GC),
for 3rd successive 3-year term.
Kualalumpur (Malaysia) based AIBD was established in 1977, under UNESCO.
13. Mercer CFA Institute's Global Pension Index 2023 -
Top 3 - Netherlands, Iceland, Denmark
India Ranked 45th in list.
14. Sri Lanka announced to issue free visas to citizens of 7 countries (India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and
Thailand), as part of a pilot project to boost tourism. The pilot project will run until March 31, 2024.
Notably, Thailand and Malaysia have also announced visa free entries for Indians, for limited time period.
 15. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres launched a new AI Advisory Body to support international community’s
efforts to govern artificial intelligence.
It will aim to foster a globally inclusive approach, drawing on UN’s unique convening power as a universal and inclusive
forum on critical challenges.
Top

Meetings
1. 6th Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) hosted at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi), presided over by Power and New &
Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh. Delegates from across 116 Member and Signatory countries participated in the Assembly.
During the meet -
ISA Assembly increased viability gap funding for projects in developing countries, to now be in range of 10% to 35% of
project cost (up from upto 10 % of project cost earlier).
ISA has a programme for making available VGF for projects in developing countries. Grant provided is USD
150,000 or 10% of project cost (whichever is lower), per country per project. The same has now been increased to
be in range of 10% to 35% of project cost.
Announced to set up Global Solar Facility (GSF) as a payment guarantee fund, to stimulate investments into solar
power projects, with a capital contribution of $35 million USD.
GSF will catalyze solar investments in underserved segments by attracting private capital into off-grid solar
projects, rooftop solar projects, and productive use solar projects.
India will make capital contribution of $25 million in the GSF, in addition to $10 million coming from ISA.
4 projects set up with ISA’s assistance were inaugurated -
Solarisation of parliament building of Malawi.
Solarisation of 2 rural health care centres in Fiji.
Installation of 1 solar powered cold storage of capacity 5 MT for benefit of agricultural stakeholders at La Digue
Island (Seychelles).
Solarisation of Nawai Junior Secondary school (JSS) in Kiribati.
Chile joined India-led International Solar Alliance, becoming its 95th member.
About ISA -
India holds Presidency of ISA, with France being Co-President. Ajay Mathur is director general of ISA.
ISA is an alliance of over 120 signatory countries, aimed at working for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce
dependence on fossil fuels.
This initiative was first proposed by Indian PM Narendra Modi in London in November 2015.
It is first treaty-based inter-governmental organization based in India. It is headquartered in Haryana State.
2. 7th Edition of India Mobile Congress 2023 held at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi), as largest telecom, media, and technology
forum in Asia. 2023 theme is Global Digital Innovation.
During the event -
PM Narendra Modi awarded 100 ‘5G Use Case Labs’ to educational institutions across country.
100 5G labs initiative aims to realize opportunities with 5G technology by encouraging development of 5G
applications which cater to India’s unique needs and global demands.
Reliance Jio unveiled JioSpaceFiber, as India's first satellite-based gigabit broadband service for nationwide
broadband internet access.
3. 9th P20 Summit 2023 hosted by Parliament of India in cooperation with IPU (Inter-Parliamentary Union) in New Delhi, with
theme One Earth, One Family, One Future.
4. World Health Summit 2023 hosted in Berlin (Germany), with theme A Defining Year for Global Health Action.
World Health Summit is hosted annually in Berlin (Germany), since 2009.
5. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways organized 3rd Edition of Global Maritime India Summit 2023 (GMIS 2023) at
Pragati Maidan (New Delhi).
Top

National
1. Arunachal Pradesh cabinet approved constitution of a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF), as per guidelines of National
Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
STPF would comprise of one company of 112 personnel each for three tiger reserves of state – Namdapha, Pakke and
Kamlang.
2. Rajasthan Govt announced formation of 3 new districts in state - Malpura, Sujangarh and Kuchman City. It will take number
of districts in state up to 53.
3. As per 360 One Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2023 -
Top 3 Richest Indians - Mukesh Ambani (RIL), Gautam Adani (Adani Group), Cyrus S Poonawalla (Serum Institute of
India).
4. As per Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Annual Report 2022-2023 (6th edition) -
Estimates of key labour market indicators in usual status -
Unemployment Rate -
In rural areas, UR decreased from 5.3% in 2017-18 to 2.4% in 2022-23 while for urban areas it decreased from
7.7% to 5.4%.
UR for male decreased from 6.1% in 2017-18 to 3.3% in 2022-23 and corresponding decrease in UR for female
was from 5.6% to 2.9%.
Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) -
In rural areas, LFPR increased from 50.7% in 2017-18 to 60.8% in 2022-23. In urban areas, LFPR increased from
47.6% to 50.4%.
LFPR for male increased from 75.8% in 2017-18 to 78.5% in 2022-23 and corresponding increase in LFPR for
female was from 23.3% to 37.0%.
Worker Population Ratio (WPR) -
In rural areas, WPR increased from 48.1% in 2017-18 to 59.4% in 2022-23 while for urban areas it increased from
43.9% to 47.7%.
WPR for male increased from 71.2% in 2017-18 to 76.0% in 2022-23 and corresponding increase in WPR for
female was from 22.0% to 35.9%.
About -
To ensure availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals, National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)
launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017.
5. As per data released under 2022 Bihar caste-based survey -
Survey was conducted in 2 phases - house listing and caste and economic enumeration.
Results -
Total population of State is 1.3 crores.
Top 3 Religions - Hinduism (81.99% ), Islam (17.70%), Buddhism (0.08%).
Community wise -
Other Backward Classes (63.14%)
Scheduled Castes (19.65%)
General (15.52%)
Scheduled Tribes (1.68%)
6. Assam cabinet approved to build a 1000 km-long economic corridor project in state, under Asom Mala Scheme. It will cost
approx 3000 crores.
7. Bihar govt announced 10 % reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in judicial services and state-run law colleges
and universities.
8. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 04, 2023) -
General -
Approved introduction of Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2023 in Parliament, to amend Central Universities
Act 2009, for setting up of Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University at Mulugu District in Telangana.
Approved promulgation of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Tenancy Regulation 2023, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and
Daman and Diu Tenancy Regulation 2023 AND Lakshadweep Tenancy Regulation 2023, under Article 240 of
Constitution of India.
 It will provide legal framework for creating an accountable and transparent ecosystem for renting premises in
UTs of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and Lakshadweep; by
balancing interests and rights of both landlord and tenant.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Approvals -
Approved proposal of Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (Ministry of Jal
Shakti) to complete balance works of North Koel Reservoir Project, at revised cost of 2431 crores (Earlier 1622 crores).
The project will provide additional annual irrigation to 42301 ha in four drought prone districts of Jharkhand and
Bihar.
Approved issue of further Terms of Reference to existing Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II under ISRWD Act, for
its adjudication between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
This is based on issues raised by Telangana Govt in their complaint under Inter State River Water Disputes
(ISRWD) Act 1956.
9. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 11, 2023) -
MOUs -
Trinidad and Tobago, France, Papua New Guinea - Cooperation in field of sharing successful Digital Solutions
implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.
General -
Approved establishment of an autonomous body Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat).
It will aim to be a technology powered enabling mechanism for youth development, and provide equitable access
to youth to actualize their aspirations and build Viksit Bharat.
It will benefit youth in age-group of 15-29 years, in line with the definition of Youth in the National Youth Policy.
In case of programme components specifically meant for adolescents, beneficiaries will be in age-group of 10-19
years.
Approved amendment of 2nd Schedule of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 (MMDR Act),
for specifying rate of royalty in respect of 3 critical and strategic minerals - Lithium, Niobium and Rare Earth Elements
(REEs). It will enable govt to auction blocks for Lithium, Niobium and REEs for the first time.
2nd Schedule of MMDR Act provides royalty rates for various minerals. It states that royalty rate for minerals
whose royalty rate is not specifically provided therein shall be 12% of Average Sale Price (ASP).
As 12% of ASP is considerably high compared to other critical / strategic minerals, it has been decided to specify a
reasonable royalty rate of Lithium, Niobium and REE as below -
Lithium – 3% of London Metal Exchange price
Niobium –3% of Average Sale Price (both for primary and secondary sources)
REE- 1% of Average Sale Price of Rare Earth Oxide
Notably, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act 2023 was passed by the
Parliament Recently.
It delisted 6 minerals (including Lithium and Niobium) from list of atomic minerals, allowing grant of
concessions for these minerals to private sector through auction.
Also, amendment provided that mining lease and composite license of 24 critical and strategic minerals
(including Lithium, Niobium and REEs (not containing Uranium and Thorium)), shall be auctioned by
Central Govt.
10. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 18, 2023) -
CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) Approvals -
Approved project on Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II – Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) for 13 GW
Renewable Energy Project in Ladakh.
Project is targeted to be set up by FY 2029-30, with cost 20,774 crores (with 40% Central Financial Assistance).
Keeping in view complex terrain, adverse climatic conditions and defence sensitivities of Ladakh region, Power
Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) will be Implementing Agency for this project.
Project will contribute to achieving target of 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuels by
2030.
Approved increase in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2024-25.
 MSP
MSP 2023- MSP 2024- Cost of production RMS Increase in MSP Margin over cost (in
Crops 2014- 24 25 2024-25 (Absolute) %)
15

Wheat 1400 2125 2275 1128 150 102

Barley 1100 1735 1850 1158 115 60

Gram 3100 5335 5440 3400 105 60

Lentil
2950 6000 6425 3405 425 89
(Masur)

Rapeseed
& 3050 5450 5650 2855 200 98
Mustard

Safflower 3000 5650 5800 3807 150 52

General -
Approved Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for FY 23 (2022-23), to all eligible non-
gazetted Railway employees.
Under it, 1966 crores will be paid to over 11 lakh railway employees. Indian Railways in 2022-23 loaded record
cargo of 1509 Million Tonnes and carried 6.5 Billion Passengers.
11. Cabinet Approvals (Oct 25, 2023) -
MOUs -
Japan - On Japan-India Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnership.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Approvals -
Approved inclusion of Jamrani Dam Multipurpose Project (Uttarakhand) under Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchayee Yojana-Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (PMKSY-AIBP) of Department of Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Under it, CCEA has approved central support of 1557 crore to Uttarakhand for completion of the project with
estimated cost of 2584 crores, by March 2028.
Project envisages construction of a dam near Jamrani village across river Gola, a tributary of river Ram Ganga, in
Nainital district of Uttarakhand.
General -
Approved proposal of Department of Fertilizers for fixing Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for Rabi Season 2023-24
(from 01-10-2023 to 31-03-2024) on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers.
Year Rs. Per Kg

RABI, 2023-24 N P K S

(from 01.10.2023 to 31.03.2024) 47.02 20.82 2.38 1.89

12. Crop production Estimates released by Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare -
Total horticulture production during 2022-23 - 351.92 million tonnes (2nd Advance Estimates).
Production of major crops during 2022-23 - 3296.87 Lakh tonnes (Final Estimates). It is 140.71 Lakh tonnes more than
production of foodgrains during 2021-22.
13. Education Ministry introduced One Nation, One Student ID for school students around country, under project named
Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR). It will be a life-long ID that will track students’ achievements and
academic journeys.
It was part of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, under which govt aims to create unique ID numbers for school
students across India.
14. General News / Events (Oct 1-10, 2023) -
Google launched an Android Earthquake Alerts System to provide early warning alerts to users about earthquakes in their
area, developed in association with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and National Seismology Center
(NSC).
 Week-long programme for Aspirational Blocks held across country (Beginning Sep 30, 2023), called Sankalp Saptaah. It
was launched by PM Narendra Modi (at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi).
It is linked to effective implementation of Aspirational Blocks Programme nationwide, to improve governance at block
level and enhance quality of life for citizens.
It was implemented in 500 Aspirational Blocks across 329 districts.
Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Telengana -
Launched Hassan-Cherlapalli LPG Pipeline Project, Built at cost 2170 crores.
Laid foundation stone of 425 km long Multi- Product Petroleum Pipeline of BPCL from Krishnapatnam to Hyderabad
(Malkapur), to be built at cost 1940 crores.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav and Technology & Bharatiya Bhasha Summit,
held in New Delhi.
Russia hosted 5th meet of Moscow format consultation on Afghanistan, in Kazan.
All India Police Science Congress 2023 held in Dehradun (Uttarakhand).
A new standardised Protocol for Management of Malnutrition in Children has been launched, prepared by Ministry of
Women and Child Development and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Anti-Terror Conference 2023 organized by National Investigation Agency in New Delhi.
Ministry of Tourism organised Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2023 in New Delhi.
Govt declared Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP) as an Unlawful Association under Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967.
Agricultural Science Congress 2023 held at Kochi (Kerala).
National Security Council Secretariat organized 2nd Edition of National Cyber Security Exercise (Bharat NCX 2023), to
strengthen India’s Cyber Security .
Govt launched A-HELP (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) programme in State of
Jharkhand.
Under this, trained A-HELPs will give their vital contribution in preventing various infectious diseases of animals,
artificial insemination under Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), tagging of animals and animal insurance.
It was earlier launched in Uttarakhand & Karnataka.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur launched KTB- Bharat Hain Hum animated series produced by
Central Bureau of Communication.
The series features stories from Indian Freedom struggle from 1500s to 1947, hosted by iconic animated characters
Krish, Trish and Balti boy.
Event titled Swiss Himalayan Bounty held in Nainital district (Uttarakhand), to mark 75 years of friendship treaty signed
between Switzerland and India.
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurated 82-km Padma Bridge Rail Link, as Bangladesh's largest infrastructure project
built under China's Belt and Road Initiative (connecting Dhaka-Jashore ).
Remaining portion of the project linking Jessore is expected to be launched in June 2024.
The project is estimated to cost Tk 39,247 crore, with Exim Bank of China providing loan of Tk 21,037 crores.
15. General News / Events (Oct 11-20, 2023) -
Inaugural India-UK 2+2 Foreign and Defence Dialogue held in New Delhi.
3rd edition of North East India Festival (NEIF) held in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). 1st and 2nd editions of NEIF were held
in 2019 and 2022 in Bangkok.
Rajasthan govt nominated Udaipur to be marked as India's first wetland city. Udaipur, also called city of lakes, has been
surrounded by five major lakes - Fateh Sagar, Pichola, Swaroop Sagar, Rang Sagar, and Doodh Talai.
Competition Commission of India (CCI) hosted BRICS International Competition Conference 2023 in New Delhi.
Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh launched EV-Ready India Dashboard (evreadyindia.org),
developed by OMI Foundation.
It will enbale tracking near real-time Electric Vehicle adoption and forecasts, associated battery demand, charging
density, and market growth trends.
President Droupadi Murmu launched 4th Krishi Road Map (2023-2028) of Bihar.
Govt launched Standards & Labelling Programme for solar panels, to enbale customers to make an informed decision while
purchasing and deploying solar photovoltaic modules.
 Bharat Tex 2024 will be organized in New Delhi in Feb 2024, as biggest textiles event globally so far.
Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan declared 166-year-old Sir JJ School of Art (Mumbai) as a
de novo Deemed University.
Cyclone Hamoon struck Bangladesh and Indian States of West Bengal, Mizoram.
Kati Bihu festival celebrated across Assam, marking beginning of rice crop’s growth and start of new harvest season. Kati
Bihu is one of 3 major festivals in Assam, alongside Bhogali Bihu and Rongali Bihu.
16. General News / Events (Oct 21-31, 2023) -
1st Global Conference on Cooperation in Enforcement Matters (GCCEM) held in New Delhi.
Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference & Exhibition 2023 held in New Delhi.
Vimarsh 2023 launched as National Hackathon on 5G technology use for police.
Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise (NCX) 2023 hosted at SCOPE Convention Centre in New Delhi.
17. Govt notified Amendment to Aircraft Rules 1937, to promote ease of doing business and ensuring safety within aviation sector.
Notable changes -
Validity of Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) and Commercial Pilot License (CPL) has been increased from 5 to 10
years.
Key changes introduced to address concerns related to display of false lights in vicinity of an aerodrome. Govt's jurisdiction
over those exhibiting such lights has been extended from 5 KM to 5 nautical miles around an aerodrome.
Rule 118 for validation of foreign licenses has been removed as being redundant.
A clause to liberalise recency and competency requirements while ensuring continued competence for Air Traffic Controller
License holders has been added under Schedule III.
18. Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated India’s first Nano DAP plant by IFFCO near Kalol in Gandhinagar (Gujarat). The plant
will produce 5 crore bottles of Nano dap liquid equivalent to 25 tons of DAP.
1 bag of conventional DAP costs around 1300 rupees, while 1 bottle of nano liquid DAP will cost 600 rupees. The plant will
lead to a significant reduction in imports of DAP and also will bring down logistics and warehousing costs.
Notably, Home Minister Amit Shah also inaugurated Samau Shaheed Memorial and Library in Gandhinagar, to honor 12
freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives in 1857 during freedom struggle in Samau.
19. Jharkhand govt became first to initiate groundwork to define minimum wages for gig workers working with different app-based
companies..
20. Kerala govt approved setting up a graphene pilot production facility in state under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Earlier, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) had launched Graphene-Aurora program in Kerala, to be
implemented by Digital University Kerala.
Graphene is an allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice nanostructure.
Graphene is 200 times more resistant than steel and 5 times lighter than aluminum. With these properties, graphene has
applications in energy, construction, health, and electronics sectors.
21. Madhya Pradesh Govt announced 35% reservation in all state government jobs for women (excluding Forest Department), by
introducing an amendment to Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Special Provision for Appointment of Women) Rules 1997.
22. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified amendments in Cable Television Networks Rules 1994, to decriminalize
provisions of Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995.
To make the Act more business-friendly and boost investor confidence, punishments under Section 16 of the Act have been
removed through Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provision) Act 2023.
The imprisonment provisions have been now replaced with monetary penalty and other non-monetary measures like
Advisory, Warning and Censure.
23. Misc. MOUs (Oct 2023) -
Between Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) & IT Firm IBM, to accelerate innovation in AI,
Semiconductor and quantum technology in India. Under it, IBM will work with IndiaAI, India Semiconductor Mission (ISM)
and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
Between Ministry of Commerce and Industry's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and
GatiShakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), to advance India's infrastructure and logistics sectors.
Between ARAI and IIT Guwahati, for Establishment of Common Engineering Facility Center titled Digital Twin Center for
Emerging Automotive Systems in Hub and Spoke model.
 Between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Safran Aircraft Engines (France), to develop industrial cooperation in
Ring forging manufacturing for commercial engines.
Under it, HAL will produce LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion, powering Airbus A320 Neo family and Boeing
737 Max) engine Forgings at its facility in Bengaluru.
Between IIT Kanpur and Airbus, to facilitate increased collaboration in developing education programmes with a focus on
research to foster talent development in Indian aerospace sector.
24. National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) partnered with Coca-Cola India, to launch Super Power Retailer Program
under Skill India Mission, to empower retailer community in states of Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
25. Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's Visit to Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana & Madhya Pradesh -
Chhattisgarh -
Launched NMDC’s Steel Plant at Nagarnar in Bastar district, Built at cost over 23800 crores, as a greenfield project
that will produce high quality steel.
Telangana-
Announced formation of National Turmeric Board, to focus on growth of turmeric and turmeric products in
country. Notably -
India is largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in world, with production of 11.61 lakh tonnes in
2022-23 (over 75% of global turmeric production). Largest producing states are Maharashtra, Telangana,
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Turmeric and turmeric products exports from India in 2022-23 valued at 207 million USD. It is expected to reach
USD 1 Billion by 2030.
Announced to establish new Central Tribal University in Mulugu district, to be named after revered tribal goddesses
Sammakka-Sarakka. It will set up at cost 900 crores.
Launched 1st 800 MW Unit of phase 1 of Telangana Super Thermal Power Project of NTPC, which will provide low cost
power to Telangana.
The plant will have capacity of 1600 MW (2x800 MW) in first phase and in total planned capacity of 4000 MW.
Madhya Pradesh -
On occasion of M K Gandhi's birthday (Oct 02), PM Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first high-tech sports training
centre for Divyangjan, named after former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh).
Launched Delhi-Vadodara Stretch of Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, developed at cost 11895 crores.
This stretch will reduce distance between Delhi & Vadodara to 845 KM (From 1000 Km earlier), with travel time
reduced to 10 Hours.
Inaugurated academic building of IIT Indore and laid foundation stone of Multi-Modal Logistics Park at Indore (State's
1st).
Laid foundation stone for Veerangana Rani Durgavati Smarak aur Udyaan, to be built at cost 100 crores, in Jabalpur
(to mark 500th birth centenary of Rani Durgavati).
Rani Durgavati was ruling queen of Gondwana in mid 16th century, remembered for her courageous fight against
Mughals.
Rajasthan -
Laid foundation stone for development of New Terminal Building at Jodhpur Airport, to cater to 35 lakh passengers
annually.
Inaugurated IIT Jodhpur campus.
Flagged off 2 new train services in Rajasthan - Runicha Express (Jaisalmer to Delhi) and a new heritage train
connecting Marwar Jn. - Khambli Ghat.
26. Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Maharashtra and Goa -
Maharashtra -
Launched left bank (85 km) canal network of Nilwande Dam, to benefit 182 villages in Ahmednagar & Nashik districts.
Launched Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana, to benefit over 86 lakh beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri
Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in Maharashtra, by providing an additional amount of Rs 6000 per year to
beneficiaries.
Goa -
 Inaugurated 37th National Games at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao (Goa). National Games are being
held in Goa for the first time.
27. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated 17 Km priority section of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor (Called RapidX),
flagging off Namo Bharat RapidX train connecting Sahibabad to Duhai Depot. It marks launch of Regional Rapid Transit
System (RRTS) in India.
To be operated by NCRTC, RapidX aims to replace conventional MEMU-operated local train network with an elevated rapid
rail system. Trainsets on RapidX have been named as Namo Bharat, to operate on average speed of 100 km/h (and design
speed of upto 180 km/h).
Total 8 RRTS corridors have been identified to be developed in NCR, out of which 3 corridors have been prioritised to be
implemented in Phase-I including Delhi - Ghaziabad - Meerut Corridor (82 km); Delhi - Gurugram - SNB - Alwar Corridor
(164 km); and Delhi - Panipat Corridor (103 km).
All 3 phase-1 RapidX corridors will converge at Delhi's Sarai Kale Khan, and will be interoperable.
Delhi Metro lines will also be connected to RapidX, acting as feeder lines.
Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS is being developed at cost over 30000 crores, and will connect Delhi to Meerut in under 60
Minutes. Germany’s Deutsche Bahn will operate and maintain Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut rapid rail transit corridor for 12
years.
28. PM Narendra Modi launched 511 Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras across 34 rural districts of
Maharashtra.
These Kendras will conduct skill development training programs across various sectors to provide employment opportunities
to rural youth.
29. Rajasthan govt launched iStart Talent Connect Portal, under flagship initiative iStart Rajasthan, in collaboration with Jaipur-
based startup Hyrefox.
It aims to be a user-friendly platform for both job providers and job seekers, to boost employment opportunities in state.
30. Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched project Heartland Tripura, to enhance
employability and skills of the youth of Tripura.
It has been launched in partnership with Deloitte India and National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology
(NIELIT).
31. Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin launched Project Nilgiri Tahr, as an initiative aimed at conserving and protecting endangered Nilgiri
Tahr species (Also Tamil Nadu's state animal).
32. Tech firm Google launched DigiKavach, to help address growing concern of online financial frauds in India.
It aims to create and implement countermeasures to combat emerging online scams in India.
33. Tripura CM Manik Saha launched e-cabinet system, to develop digital infrastructure in state.
Tripura is 4th state to implement e-cabinet system, after Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh.
34. Uttar Pradesh Govt designated Gangetic Dolphin as state’s aquatic animal.
35. Uttarakhand government launched Yuva Uttarakhand mobile application, to provide information about self-employment to
youth across state.
Top

Persons
1. Biographical film about life of Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has been released, directed by Anurag
Rajan Bhusari.
2. Obituaries (Oct 2023) -
Manohar Singh Gill - Former Chief Election Commissioner of India.
Dahyabhai Shastri - Noted Padma Shri Awardee Sanskrit scholar and founder of Brahmarshi Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya
(Nadiad).
Anathalavattom Anandan - Former Member of Kerala Legislative Assembly.
Terence Davies - Noted British filmmaker, known for his work in autobiographical films.
P V Gangadharan - Noted Malayalam film producer.
Bishan Singh Bedi - Noted Former Indian Cricketer.
Li Keqiang - Former premier of China (2nd-highest ranked leader of China).
Richard Arnold Roundtree - Noted American Actor, Considered as first Black action hero.
3. Tallest statue of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar outside India has been inaugurated in Accokeek city (Maryland, USA).
The 19 ft tall statue has been named Statue of Equality.
B R Ambedkar was principal architect of India's Constitution.
4. Visits from India (Oct 2023) -
Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, R K Singh Visited Saudi Arabia, to attend MENA (Middle East and North
Africa) Climate Week 2023 hosted in Riyadh.
During the visit, India and Saudi Arabia signed MoU in Electrical Interconnections, Green / Clean Hydrogen and
Supply Chains.
​Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan visited Republic of Congo, to attend 2nd Summit of three
basins (Amazon, Congo and Borneo Mekong South-east Asia) for Biodiversity Ecosystem and Tropical Forests.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Kyrgyzstan, to attend 22nd meeting of Heads of Government (Prime
Ministers) Council of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), in Bishkek.
Notably, In July 2023, India hosted 23rd SCO summit 2023 in virtual format, under its 2023 SCO Presidency.
Kazakhstan took over SCO chairmanship fr0m India, to last until 2024 SCO Summit to be held in Astana.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Sri Lanka. During the visit -
Attended 23rd Council of Ministers’ (COM) meet of Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), hosted by current IORA
Chair Sri Lanka.
Ferry service between Nagappatinam in India and Kankesanthurai (KKS) near Jaffna in Northern Province of Sri
Lanka commenced. It will enable covering 110 km distance in 3.5 hours.
Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan visited Mauritius. Duiring the visit -
MOU signed for joint development and launch of a satellite for Earth Observation-based applications for Mauritius.
Joint commemorative postage stamp released to mark 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and
Mauritius.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal visited -
Japan, to attend Group of Seven (G7) Trade Ministers' Meeting in Osaka.
UAE. During the visit -
MOU signed to drive investment and collaboration in industry and advanced technologies.
India's NPCI International Payments Limited (NPCI subsidiary) partnered with UAE's Al Etihad Payments
(AEP), for Domestic Card Scheme (DCS) Implementation in UAE.
Under it, NIPL and AEP will work together to build, implement, and operationalize UAE's national
domestic card scheme.
Saudi Arabia, to attend 7th Edition of Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh.
Indian Army Chief Manoj Pande visited Tanzania.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari attended 27th World Road Congress in Prague (Czech Republic).
Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT) attended AI
Safety Summit 2023 hosted in Bletchley Park (UK).
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh visited Italy & France. During the visit -
Agreement signed between India & Italy, to boost cooperation in field of defence.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited -
Sri Lanka -
Attended NAAM 200, to commemorate 200th anniversary of arrival of India-origin Tamils to Sri Lanka.
Inaugurated SBI Branches at Trincomalee and Jaffna.
Marrakech (Morocco), to attend IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings 2023.
5. Visits to India (Oct 2023) -
Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania visited India.
MOUs signed during the visit -
Cooperation in field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital
transformation.
Cooperation in the field of sports.
Cooperation in Maritime Industry.
 MoU between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and Tanzania Investment Centre, for setting up of an Industrial
Park in Tanzania.
Technical Agreement between Indian Navy and Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation, on Sharing White
Shipping Information.
Cultural Exchange Programme between India and Tanzania for Years 2023-2027.
Samia Suluhu Hassan (1st woman President of Tanzania) was conferred an Honorary Doctorate (Honoris Causa) by
India's Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Raquel Peña Rodríguez - Vice President of Dominican Republic (Caribbean).
Ian Borg - Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta.
Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency visited India.
Top

Science
1. China announced to build world's largest ghost particle detector, called Tropical Deep-sea Neutrino Telescope (TRIDENT).
Located 11500 feet beneath surface of the ocean (called Hai ling or Ocean Bell in Chinese), it will be anchored to seabed of
Western Pacific Ocean. Upon completion in 2030, it will scan for rare flashes of light made by elusive particles as they briefly
become tangible in ocean depths.
About -
Neutrinos are second only to photons as most abundant subatomic particles in universe. Despite their ubiquity, their
minimal interactions with other matter make neutrinos incredibly difficult to detect.
Neutrinos pass completely unimpeded through most matter, but they do occasionally interact with water molecules. As
neutrinos travel through water or ice, they sometimes create particle byproducts called muons that give off flashes of
light. To increase chances of ghost particle interactions, detectors have to sit under a lot of water or ice.
2. ISRO Successfully conducted Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) high altitude abort test, as part of Gaganyaan program.
Crew module successfully separated from the launch vehicle, and were successfully recovered by Indian Navy. India is 4th
country (after Russia, US , and China), to successfully test this technology.
As part of Gaganyaan Mission -
ISRO will hold 3 more Test Vehicle Abort Missions.
It will be followed by 3 orbital test flights, in 2024.
Finally, First crewed flight of Gaganyaan Mission will be launched in 2025, carrying 2-3 Indian astronauts in an orbit at
400 km altitude for up to 7 days.
Notably, ISRO also aims to set up an Indian space station by 2035 and land first Indian on Moon by 2040.
3. India Semiconductor R&D Committee handed over its report on setting up India Semiconductor Research Center (ISRC),
envisioned as a world-class research institution focusing on semiconductor processes, advanced packaging, compound
semiconductors and Fabless design and EDA tools.
4. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) introduced India's first Reference fuel, to cater to domestic demand.
Reference fuels are distinct from regular / premium grade fuel, as they possess higher specifications (primarily octane
number), making them vital for calibrating and testing vehicles by manufacturers and agencies.
Regular fuel typically has octane number of 87, while premium fuel has octane number of 91. Reference grade fuel, comes
with an octane number of 97.
Producing reference fuel domestically offers significant economic advantage. While imported reference fuel costs 800-850
per liter, its domestic production will reduce costs to 450 / liter.
IOC’s Paradip refinery in Odisha will produce reference grade petrol, while Panipat unit in Haryana will produce high-
quality diesel.
5. Misc. Science News / Events (Oct 2023) -
Nokia established a 6G lab at its Global R&D center in Bangalore, to accelerate development of fundamental technologies
and innovative use cases under 6G technology.
ISRO in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) organized exhibition called Space on Wheels in East Siang District
(Arunachal Pradesh), showcasing sophisticated models of satellites, launching vehicles, and communication systems.
Kerala’s 1st 3D-printed building named Amaze-28 has been unveiled in Thiruvananthapuram, constructed in quick period of
28 days.
 Department of Consumer Affairs launched Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon 2023, in collaboration with IIT (BHU), to
design app / software that can detect dark patterns on e-Commerce platforms.
Chip designer Qualcomm partnered with Google to make wearable devices like smartwatches using chips based on RISC-V
technology.
RISC-V is an open-source technology that competes with costly proprietary technology from British chip designer Arm
Holdings.
6. NASA Launched its Psyche mission, to explore origin of planetary cores by orbiting and studying metallic asteroid 16 Psyche,
between 2029-2031.
16 Psyche is heaviest known M-type asteroid with a mean diameter of 220 kilometers, and may be an exposed iron core of a
protoplanet.
Mission is expected to travel 5 years to reach the asteroid. It will stay in orbit for 21 months, to perform planned studies.
7. Spacetech startup Skyroot Aerospace unveiled its multi-stage launch vehicle Vikram-1, which has payload capacity of 300 kg,
along with capability to place satellites in lower earth orbit (LEO).
Skyroot Aerospace will perform its first orbital space launch in first quarter of 2024.
Earlier in 2022, Skyroot Aerospace had sent India’s first privately built rocket, Vikram-S, into space.
Top

Sports
1. 2023 Abu Dhabi Masters Badminton (UAE) -
Men's singles - Mads Christophersen (Denmark)
Women's singles - Unnati Hooda (India). She defeated India's Samiya Imad Farooqui in final.
Men's doubles - Goh Sze Fei & Nur Izzuddin (Malaysia)
Women's doubles - Tanisha Crasto & Ashwini Ponnappa (India)
Mixed doubles - Mads Vestergaard & Christine Busch (Denmark)
2. 2023 Ballon d'Or (2022- 23 season) -
Winners -
Men's -Argentina's Lionel Messi (record-extending 8th award). Club - Inter Miami (USA).
Women's - Spain's Aitana Bonmatí (1st award). Club - Barcelona (Spain).
Other Awards -
Kopa Trophy (best performing player under age of 21) - Jude Bellingham (England)
Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper) - Emiliano Martínez (Argentina)
Sócrates Award - Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
About -
Ballon d'Or are Presented by France Football, recognising best footballers in world.
3. 2023 Rugby World Cup (10th edition, hosted by France) -
South Africa won the title (their 4th), with New Zealand as Runner-up and England at 3rd place. 20 Nations participated
in the event.
England's Owen Farrell remained Top scorer (75).
4. 4th Para Asian Games 2022 (Hangzhou, China) -
About -
3100 Athletes from 44 Nations participated in 501 events (22 sports).
Signs -
Motto - Hearts Meet, Dreams Shine
Mascots - Fei Fei, a character inspired by motive of the divine bird in Liangzhu culture.
Originally scheduled to be held in Oct 2022, the Games were postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Notable Changes compared to 2018 Para Asian Games -
1 Sport removed - Bowling
5 Sports added - Para Taekwondo, Para Canoeing, Go , Blind Football , Para Rowing
Next Edition, 2026 Para Asian Games will be held in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture (Japan).
Medals -
Medal Table -
 Rank NPC Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 214 167 140 521

2 Iran 44 46 41 131

3 Japan 42 49 59 150

4 South Korea 30 33 40 103

5 India 29 31 51 111

6 Indonesia 29 30 36 95

7 Thailand 27 26 55 108

8 Uzbekistan 25 24 30 79

9 Philippines 10 4 5 19

10 Hong Kong 8 15 24 47

India at 2022 Para Asian Games -

With 111 Medals (29 Gold, 31 Silver & 51 Bronze), India achieved its best ever medal tally at Para Asian Games.
Gold Medals -
Athelete (s) Sport Event
Pranav Soorma Men's Club Throw-F51
Shailesh Kumar Men's High Jump-T63
Nishad Kumar Athletics Men's High Jump-T47
Ankur Dhama Men's 5000m-T11
Praveen Kumar Men's High Jump-T64
Avani Lekhara Shooting Women's 10m AR Stand SH1
Prachi Yadav Canoeing Women's KL2
Deepthi Jeevanji Women's 400m-T20
Athletics
Neeraj Yadav Men's Discus Throw-F54/55/56
Sumit Antil Men's Javelin Throw Throw-F64
Haney Men's Javelin Throw Throw-F37/38
Sundar Singh Gurjar Men's Javelin Throw Throw-F46
Athletics
Ankur Dhama Men's 1500m-T11
Rakshitha Raju Women's 1500m-T11
Nimisha Chakkungalparambil Women's Long Jump-T47
Rakesh Kumar
Archery Mixed Team Compound - Open
Sheetal Devi
Sidhartha Babu Shooting Mixed 50m Rifle Prone
Sachin Khilari Athletics Men's Shot Put-F46
Sheetal Devi Archery Women's Individual Compound - Open
Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj Men's Singles SL4
Pramod Bhagat Men's Singles SL3
Thulasimathi Murugesan Badminton Women's Singles SU5

Tarun Dhillon
Men's DOUBLES SL3-SL4
Nitesh Kumar
Raman Sharma Men's 1500m-T38
Athletics
Solairaj Dharmaraj Men's Long Jump-T64
Darpan Inani Men's Individual Rapid VI-B1
Darpan Inani

Soundarya Kumar Pradhan Chess Men's Team Rapid VI-B1

Ashwin Makwana
Neeraj Yadav Men's Javelin Throw Throw-F55
Athletics
Dilip Gavit Men's 400m-T47

Notably -
Reigning Paralympics & World champion Javelin Thrower Sumit Antil bettered his own javelin throw F64
world record with a throw of 73.29 meters, to win gold at 2022 Para Asian Games.
Sundar Singh Gurjar has set men’s F46 javelin throw world record, with throw of 68.60 meters.
 Ankur Dhama became first Indian to claim 2 gold medals in a single edition of Asian Para Games, in Men's
5000m-T11.
5. Qatar Masters Chess 2023 (3rd edition) -
Winners - Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzbekistan), followed by Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan).
Notably -
India's Vaishali R won top women's prize in the tournament.
During the tournament, India's Karthikeyan Murali became 3rd Indian player (after Harikrishna and Viswanathan
Anand) to beat world's number one player Magnus Carlsen.
6. During International Olympic Committee (IOC)'s 141st Session in Mumbai, IOC Board approved inclusion of 5 sports in
upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, including Baseball/softball, Cricket (T20), Flag football, Lacrosse
& Squash.
Cricket was earlier played at 1900 Summer Olympics, which was won by Great Britain (Defeated France in Final). It will be
back at olympics now after 128 years. It will be played between 6 teams, in T20 Format.
Notably -
India hosted an IOC session after a gap of 40 years. IOC's 1st session in India was held in New Delhi in 1983.
PM Narendra Modi formally declared India's interest in bidding for 2036 Olympics and 2029 Youth Olympics.
7. Indian Olympic champion Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been named a Laureus Ambassador, pledging his support to
Laureus Sport for Good, the global foundation that uses sport to eradicate inequality and discrimination for young people around
world.
Neeraj Chopra has also been nominated for Men’s Athlete of the Year award 2023, by World Athletics (global governing
body for athletics).
8. Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum has set new world record in Men's marathon, by completing Chicago Marathon 2023 in 2 Hrs 35 Secs.
He went past previous world record of 2:01:09, set by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge at 2022 Berlin Marathon.
Women's race was won by Ethiopian-born Dutch Sifan Hassan (2:13:44).
Notably, The length of a full marathon is 26.2 miles (42.195 km).
9. Misc. Sports News / Events (Oct 2023) -
Uganda won Street Child Cricket World Cup 2023 in Chennai, defeating Zimbabwe in final.
Chandigarh's GMSS won Subroto Cup Junior (U 17) Boys Inter School International Football Title.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) partnered with Reliance Foundation, to further Olympic Values Education
Programme (OVEP) in India.
Manikanta Hoblidhar has set new national record in men’s 100m by clocking 10.23s at National Open Athletics
Championships 2023 in Bengaluru.
Indian Grandmaster Raunak Sadhwani won FIDE World Junior Rapid Chess Championship 2023 in Sardinia (Italy).
England cricketer Alastair Cook announced retirement from all forms of cricket.
2nd edition of Hyderabad EPrix Formula E race will be held in Feb 2024.
10. Red Bull's Dutch-Belgian F1 Racer Max Verstappen won Mexico City Grand Prix 2023.
With this -
Max Verstappen broke his own record for most wins in a single Formula One season, with his 16th victory of 2023 at
Mexico City Grand Prix.
Also, Max Verstappen has already won 2023 F1 Season title (his 3rd F1 title).
F1 Season 2023 -
Grand Prix Winner Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 5 March
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Sergio Pérez (Mexico) 19 March
Australian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 2 April
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sergio Pérez (Mexico) 30 April
Miami Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 7 May
Monaco Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 28 May
Spanish Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 4 June
Canadian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 18 June
Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 2 July
British Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 9 July
 Grand Prix Winner Race date
Hungarian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 23 July
Belgian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 30 July
Dutch Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 27 August
Italian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 3 September
Singapore Grand Prix Carlos Sainz Jr. (France) 17 September
Japanese Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 24 September
Qatar Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 8 October
United States Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 22 October
Mexico City Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 29 October
São Paulo Grand Prix 5 November
Las Vegas Grand Prix 18 November
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 26 November

11. Red Bull's Dutch-Belgian F1 Racer Max Verstappen won Qatar Grand Prix 2023.
With this, Max Verstappen won his 3rd F1 title, after his 14th victory of 2023 F1 season at Qatar GP.
F1 Season 2023 -
Grand Prix Winner Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 5 March
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Sergio Pérez (Mexico) 19 March
Australian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 2 April
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sergio Pérez (Mexico) 30 April
Miami Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 7 May
Monaco Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 28 May
Spanish Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 4 June
Canadian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 18 June
Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 2 July
British Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 9 July
Hungarian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 23 July
Belgian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 30 July
Dutch Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 27 August
Italian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 3 September
Singapore Grand Prix Carlos Sainz Jr. (France) 17 September
Japanese Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 24 September
Qatar Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 8 October
United States Grand Prix 22 October
Mexico City Grand Prix 29 October
São Paulo Grand Prix 5 November
Las Vegas Grand Prix 18 November
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 26 November

12. Red Bull's Dutch-Belgian F1 Racer Max Verstappen won US Grand Prix 2023.
Also, Max Verstappen has already won 2023 F1 Season title (his 3rd F1 title).
F1 Season 2023 -
Grand Prix Winner Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 5 March
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Sergio Pérez (Mexico) 19 March
Australian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 2 April
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sergio Pérez (Mexico) 30 April
Miami Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 7 May
Monaco Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 28 May
Spanish Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 4 June
Canadian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 18 June
Austrian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 2 July
British Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 9 July
Hungarian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 23 July
Belgian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 30 July
Dutch Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 27 August
Italian Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 3 September
Singapore Grand Prix Carlos Sainz Jr. (France) 17 September
Grand Prix Winner Race date
Japanese Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 24 September
Qatar Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 8 October
United States Grand Prix Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian) 22 October
Mexico City Grand Prix 29 October
São Paulo Grand Prix 5 November
Las Vegas Grand Prix 18 November
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 26 November

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