Dear Readers, get to know the daily current affairs today covering all the National & International Events provided here in this article. Current Affairs is an important topic in various competitive exams like IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk and other competitive exams. To score better in this section, be updated with the daily happenings. Check the Daily Current Affairs September 2023 updates here. Revision is very important in remembering current affairs. Candidates after learning the Daily current affairs October 17 2023, can test their knowledge by attempting Current Affairs Quiz provided with answers. Daily current affairs October 17 2023 covers current affairs from International & National news, Important Days, State News, Banking & Economy, Business News, Appointments & Resignation, Awards & Honour, Books & Authors, Sports News, etc.,

Daily Current Affairs PDF of 17th October 2023

Get More: Static GK Pdfs

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI Extends Deadline for Adding Nominees to Demat Accounts Until December 31

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has extended the deadline for adding nominees to demat accounts and for submitting PAN and KYC details for physical security holders until December 31, 2023.
• Earlier, the deadline for existing eligible trading and demat account holders to provide a choice of nomination was on or before September 30, 2023.

History :

• In July 2021, SEBI asked all existing eligible trading and demat account holders to provide a choice of nomination on or before March 31, 2022.
• Later, this was extended by one more year till March 31, 2023 and again till September 30, 2023.

Key Highlights :

• This requirement applies to both new and existing demat account holders.
• SEBI's goal is to ensure that the proceeds from these accounts ultimately reach the legal heirs or designated beneficiaries.
• As of August,2023 the number of demat accounts in India had exceeded 7 crore.
• Along with the above decisions, SEBI also advised stock exchanges, depositories, RTAs and listed companies to
• Take necessary steps to implement the provisions of its circular, including making necessary amendment to the relevant bye-laws / business rules / regulations / operational instructions, as the case may be;
• Bring the provisions of its circular to the notice of their respective constituents and also disseminate this circular on their websites.

About SEBI :

• Established : 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch (first woman to lead the SEBI)
• SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), GoI.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

PM to inaugurate the Global Maritime India Summit 2023

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the third edition of the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023 via video conferencing.
• The summit will be held from 17th to 19th October at MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai.
• During the programme, the Prime Minister will unveil 'Amrit Kaal Vision 2047', the long-term blueprint for the Indian maritime blue economy.
• The blueprint outlines strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing port facilities, promoting sustainable practices, and facilitating international collaboration.
• In line with this futuristic plan, the Prime Minister will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs 23,000 crore, that are aligned with the 'Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’ for the Indian maritime blue economy.
• The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of Tuna Tekra all-weather deep draft terminal, to be built at a cost of more than Rs. 4,500 crore at Deendayal Port Authority in Gujarat.

Key Highlights

• The summit is the biggest Maritime Event in the country. It will witness the participation of Ministers from across the globe representing countries from Europe, Africa, South America, Asia (including central Asia, Middle East and BIMSTEC region).
• The summit will also be attended by Global CEOs, Business leaders, Investors, Officials, and other stakeholders from across the world.
• Further, several Indian states will also be represented at the summit by the Ministers and other dignitaries.
• The first Maritime India summit was held in 2016 in Mumbai.
• The Second Maritime Summit was held virtually in 2021.

Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the Samau Shaheed Memorial and Library in Gandhinagar, Gujarat

• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the Samau Shaheed Memorial and Library in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• During the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji started initiatives to build memorials of countless unsung martyrs across the country who sacrificed their lives in the 90 years of freedom struggle from 1857 to 1947 and revive their history so that the youth and the new generation could draw inspiration from them.
• 12 heroes sacrificed their lives in 1857 during the freedom struggle in Samau, but there was no memorial for them till 2022-23, the memorial inaugurated will serve to immortalize their saga of bravery
• When the national flag is hoisted here every 15th of August and 26th of January, the souls of these 12 martyrs will find eternal peace
• Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi India as envisioned by the freedom fighters will occupy the highest position in the world
• The Youth & Cultural Activities Department of the Government of Gujarat has created a library of complete Gujarati grammar books, bringing children and youth towards this library will improve the future of Gujarat and the entire country.
• Shri Narendra Modi ji had started Vanche Gujarat campaign here and with a plan to enrich all the libraries in the entire Gujarat, the library of Samau village has been inspired by this vision

Carbon emission-reducing practices under the Green Credit Programme will earn carbon credits too: Government

• The government notified rules for the GCP, which aims to incentivise environmentally conscious practices and promote a sustainable lifestyle through a market-based mechanism.
• Green credits generated through such actions can be traded on a domestic market platform.
• According to rules, environment-friendly actions include tree plantation, water management, sustainable agriculture, waste management, air pollution reduction, mangrove conservation and restoration, ecomark label development, and sustainable building and infrastructure.
• The rules also specify that green credits generated or procured by industries, companies and other entities to fulfil any legal obligation cannot be traded.
• The Green Credit programme is independent of the carbon credit programme under the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023, established under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• The government notified India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme in June under the Energy Conservation Act to develop the country's first-ever domestic carbon market.

Key Highlights

• The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) is responsible for effectively implementing the Green Credit programme, including its management and operation.
• According to the rules, individuals or entities seeking green credits must submit an application for registration to ICFRE through a government-established website.
• As per the scheme, individuals, industries, farmers producer’s organizations (FPOs), urban local bodies (ULB), gram panchayats, and the private sector, among a host of other entities, will be able to earn green credit for undertaking environment-friendly actions.
• Green credits generated through such actions can be traded on a domestic market platform.
• The programme will be implemented in phases.
• In the initial phase, two to three activities from the chosen sectors will be considered, and more activities will be added subsequently.

Government launches global health innovation fellowship to promote medtech sector

• The Union Minister for Science and Technology launched the Global Health Innovation Fellowship to promote medtech startups and innovators among youth.
• Global Health Innovation Fellowship is an initiative in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology.
• This collaboration will leverage intellectual property (IP), innovation and medical technology to solve local health challenges using global partnerships.
• It aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among young professionals from diverse countries”.
• The World Intellectual Property Organisation was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property (IP) throughout the world."
• It is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations.

About WIPO

• Currently, there are 193 members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation. India joined this organization in 1975.
• Headquarter: Geneva,
• Daren Tang, Director General, WIPO

Shri B.L. Verma launched MDoNER “Data Analytics Dashboard” and “Poorvottar Sampark Setu” portal

• The Union Ministry of Development of North-East Region virtually launched “MDoNER Data Analytics Dashboard” and “Poorvottar Sampark Setu” portal at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delh
• Poorvottar Sampark Setu portal is a powerful tool designed to streamline and enhance the monitoring of Fortnightly visits of Union Ministers to NER.
• The dashboard provides valuable insights and graphical information about State-wise/ District-wise visits to the North-Eastern Region by Union Ministers to be used by all the stakeholders in one place.
• The portal generates a curated list of Ministers who can be nominated for a visit to NER in the upcoming months.
• After the visit, the Minister can submit their tour reports along with their recommendations online.
• MDoNER Data Analytics Dashboard has the data of 112 schemes across 55 Departments and Ministries.
• It will help in

(a) Data driven decision making;

(b) Ease of operations;

(c) Centralized monitoring;

(d) Policy level decision tool; and

(e) Information integration.

• It will keep a close watch on NER Aspirational districts, North-East border districts and the most backward districts in NER.

Unemployment Rate In Urban Areas Declines To 6.6% In April-June 2023

• India’s unemployment rate declined to 6.6% in urban areas in the first (April-June) quarter of this fiscal.
• The quarterly bulletin of PLFS was released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• The unemployment rate for urban areas was at the lowest level since the launch of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) bulletin in 2018.
• In the case of youth for urban females in the age group 15-29 years, the unemployment rate increased to 23.4% in April-June from 22.9% in the previous quarter.
• In the case of urban males in the 15-29 years age group, the unemployment rate increased to 15.9% in April-June from 15.6% in the previous quarter.
• About 14 states/UTs have shown a higher urban unemployment rate than the national average.
• These states/UTs include Himachal Pradesh (13.8%) , Rajasthan (11.7%), Chhattisgarh (11.2%), Jammu and Kashmir (10.9%) and Kerala (10%).
• Delhi (2.7%), Gujarat (2.8%), West Bengal (4.4%), and Bihar (6.1%) are states/UTs which recorded a lower than national average unemployment rate.
• The key labour market indicators are Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and unemployment rates.
• All key indicators improved in urban areas in the April-June quarter for persons aged 15 years and above compared to the pre-pandemic period.
• LFPR during April-June 2023 was 48.8%. This is higher than the LFPR observed in the quarters covered in the pre-pandemic period.
• WPR during April-June 2023 was 45.5%. This is higher than the WPR observed in the quarters covered in the pre-pandemic period.
• Considering the importance of the availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals, the National Statistical Office (NSO) launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey in April 2017

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ICRISAT Signs Agreement to Join One CGIAR Partnership

• The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) joined the One Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) global initiative.
• CGIAR's global initiative aims to build a unified approach to transforming food, land, and water systems to address the challenges posed by the climate crisis.
• This initiative involves the CGIAR System Organization and 12 One CGIAR research centres.

Key Highlights :

• The ICRISAT signed the CGIAR Integration Framework Agreement (IFA), which was developed by the research centre boards and CGIAR leadership to work towards a One CGIAR approach.
• CGIAR is a network of publicly-funded agrifood systems research centres working to transform food, land, and water systems in response to the climate crisis.
• It operates in over 80 countries.

About ICRISAT :

• Headquarters : Hyderabad, Telangana, India
• Two regional hubs : Nairobi, Kenya and Bamako, Mali
• ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political public international research organisation that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia & sub-Saharan Africa.
• It helps farmers by providing improved crop varieties and hybrids and also helps smallholder farmers in the drylands fight climate change.
• ICRISAT was awarded the 2021 Africa Food Prize for its Tropical Legumes Project, which has contributed to improving food security across 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

About CGIAR :

• The CGIAR is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security.
• Aim : To Reduce rural poverty, increase food security, improve human health and nutrition, and sustainable management of natural resources.
• The CGIAR consists of 15 international agricultural research institutes.
• The list includes Africa Rice Center (formerly WARDA), Ivory Coast; Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Columbia; Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Indonesia; Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Mexico; International Potato Center (CIP), Peru; International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Syria; and ICRISAT, India.

World's 2nd largest Hindu temple outside India inaugurated in New Jersey       

• The Akshardham Hindu temple was inaugurated in New Jersey, United States of America (USA).
• Akshardham is recognized as the second-largest temple worldwide and is the largest Hindu temple in the western hemisphere.
• The temple is located 99 kilometres south of New York City.

Key Highlights :

• The Akshardham Temple in Robbinsville City, New Jersey, is spread across a vast area of 185 acres and stands at an impressive height of 191 feet.
• The temple's inauguration took place in the presence of Mahant Swami Maharaj, the leader of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) organisation.
• The event was attended by several thousand people.
• The temple showcases the epic tales of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, with intricate carvings on its stones.
• It also features more than 150 Indian musical instruments and depicts major dance postures on its pillars and walls.
• The construction of the temple utilised stones from seven different countries, including Bulgaria, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and India.

World Cooperative of Economic Firms (WCopEF) Established to Represent Over 3 Million Cooperatives Worldwide

• Leading cooperative sector experts have come together to form the World Cooperative Economic Forum (WCopEF) have been formed cooperative sector leaders and experts in India.

About WCopEF :

• WCopEF is structured along the lines of the World Economic Forum.
• The forum will be headquartered in New Delhi, India.
• WCopEF's primary purpose is to provide a platform for over 3 million cooperatives worldwide, promoting cooperative thinking and the cooperative movement.
• The forum will actively address issues and concerns of the cooperative sector with governments and other stakeholders on a global scale.

Founding Members :

• Dileep Bhai Sanghani, President of the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), is one of the founding members of WCopEF.
• The Other founder members include Binod Anand, a member of the MSP Committee on Agriculture Reforms, Rakesh Arrawatia, a professor at the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), and Ashish Anand, Founder of Whrrl (www.WHR.loans).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Kerala’s first 3D-printed building to be inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram

• The first 3D-printed building in Kerala, named Amaze-28, was inaugurated at the Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra (Kesnik) campus in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

About Amaze-28 :

• Amaze-28 is a one-room summer house with a 380-square-foot area and was constructed in just 28 days.
• This building serves as a demonstration project and was completed through the collaboration of Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra and Tvasta, a Chennai-based construction tech startup.
• The structure is situated on a concrete platform on a small mound within the Kesnik campus.
• Tvasta utilised a patented concrete mix as the construction material, which was deposited layer by layer using a robotic arm equipped with a nozzle.
• This technology can significantly expedite the construction process, allowing for the completion of a 1,500-1,600 sq ft home within two to two-and-a-half months.

About Kerala:

• Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
• Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• National Parks: Periyar National Park, Mathikettan National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Silent Valley National Park, Indira Gandhi National Park

Goan Cashew (Kernel) Receives the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag                               

• Goan cashew (kernel) has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• Goan cashew is known for being organic and having a distinctive flavour.
• Goa Chief Minister Shri Pramod Sawant expressed his enthusiasm for the recognition, considering it a significant opportunity for the state's cashew industry and a milestone towards the "Swayampurna Goa mission."
• Local cashew manufacturers and processors hope that the GI tag will assist consumers in distinguishing between genuine Goan cashews and those sourced from outside the state, which are sometimes marketed as 'Goan cashews.'

Key Highlights :

• The application for the GI tag for Goan cashew, known by the Portuguese name 'caju' or 'kaju' in Konkani, was submitted by the Goa Cashew Manufacturers’ Association (GCMA), with the Department of Science, Technology, and Waste Management, Government of Goa, facilitating the process.
• The term "cashew" itself is derived from the Portuguese word 'caju' or 'kaju' in Konkani.

About Goa :

• Governor : P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
• Chief Minister : Pramod Sawant
• Capital : Panaji

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

Defence Ministry signs contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited for Mid Life Upgrade and Re-Powering of INS Beas

• The Defence Ministry has signed a contract for the Mid-Life Upgrade and Re-Powering of INS Beas with Cochin Shipyard Limited at the cost of over 313 crore rupees.
• INS Beas is the first of Brahmaputra Class Frigates to be re-powered from Steam to Diesel Propulsion.
• After completion of the mid-life upgrade and re-powering in 2026, INS Beas will join the active fleet of the Indian Navy with a modernised weapon suite and upgraded combat capability
• The transformative maiden re-powering project marks a significant stride in the maintenance philosophy of the Indian Navy and repair capabilities of M/S CSL.
• The project would involve more than 50 MSMEs and would lead to a generation of employment for more than 3,500 personnel.

Bharti Group has signed an agreement with its partner AXA

• Bharti Group has signed an agreement with its partner AXA to acquire the latter’s 49 per cent stake in Bharti AXA Life Insurance.
• Bharti Life Ventures, the group’s holding company for Bharti AXA Life Insurance, will become the sole owner of the life insurance post the stake sale.
• Currently, France-based AXA owns a 49 per cent stake in the joint venture with Bharti.
• The transaction, expected to be completed by December 2023, is subject to receipt of regulatory approvals.
• Post transaction, Bharti Life Ventures Private Limited (BLVPL), the holding company of Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company, will own 100 per cent stake in the life insurer.

About Bharti AXA:

• Bharti set up the ventures with AXA in 2006 and held 74 per cent stake in both - Bharti AXA Life Insurance and Bharti AXA General Insurance.
• In 2020, Bharti Group and AXA exited the general insurance business by selling Bharti AXA General Insurance to ICICI Lombard.

Skill India partners with Coca-Cola India to launch Retailer Skill Development Program

• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), working under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), announced a partnership with Coca-Cola India to launch the Super Power Retailer Program under the Skill India Mission.
• The program is being piloted in the state of Odisha.

Key Highlights

• The partnership was formally announced in the presence of the Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan; Ved Mani Tiwari, COO, NSDC; and Sanket Ray, President, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia.
• Under the partnership, NSDC will support Coca-Cola India in expanding the program's outreach on SID.
• This involves creating and refining training content that aligns with industry-specific skill requirements.
• Additionally, NSDC will facilitate the recruitment of trainers for program implementation and ensure a seamless learning experience by providing the requisite training infrastructure.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Centre extends Amit Agrawal's tenure as CEO of UIDAI for one year

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension of Amit Agrawal's central deputation tenure as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for a period of one year.
• Amit Agrawal's extended tenure will now continue beyond November 2, 2023, for one year, until November 2, 2024, or until further orders, whichever occurs earlier.
• Amit Agrawal assumed the role of CEO of UIDAI in June 2023, following the retirement of Saurabh Garg.

Other Appointments :

• The ACC also approved the appointment of Reeta Vasishta, secretary in the legislative department of law ministry, as in-charge of the central agency section of the law ministry, by temporarily upgrading the post to secretary to the Indian government, from October 2, 2023 till the date of her superannuation, i.e. July 31, 2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

About Amit Agrawal :

• Amit Agrawal is a 1993 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Chhattisgarh cadre.
• He has held several significant positions in the government, including serving as the secretary in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• He also serves as the Chairman of the National Digital Communications Policy Committee.

Recent news :

• In Aug 2023, Neelkanth Mishra was reportedly appointed by the Union government as the part-time chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the nodal body in charge of issuing Aadhaar numbers.

About UIDAI :

• The UIDAI is a statutory authority established under the provisions of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 (Aadhaar Act 2016) on July 12, 2016, by the Government of India, under the MeitY.
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi
• UIDAI was created to issue Unique Identification numbers (UID), named as "Aadhaar", to all residents of India.
• The authority consists of a Chairperson, two part-time Members and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is also the Member-Secretary of the Authority.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Army Gears Up for Tri Shakti Prahar Combat Exercise

• The Indian Army is actively preparing for the "Tri Shakti Prahar" combat exercise, which aims to test and validate current cutting-edge weapon systems and technologies.
• It provides a platform to assess long-range firepower, battle readiness, and force preservation strategies.
• This exercise will draw valuable lessons from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, applying these insights to enhance the Indian Army's capabilities.
• The exercise is scheduled to take place in the Rajasthan Sector and is organized by the 21 Corps, one of the four major strike formations within the Indian Army, which comprises around 12 lakh (1.2 million) personnel.
• The final phase of the Tri Shakti Prahar Exercise, scheduled for the first half of November, will involve more than 30,000 troops.
• This includes the use of T-90 Bhishma, a Main Battle Tank.
• During the exercise, several newly inducted weapon systems and technologies will undergo testing to evaluate their effectiveness and suitability for military operations.

About Indian Army :

• Chief of Defence Staff : General Anil Chauhan
• Chief of the Army Staff : General Manoj Pande

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ISRO Initiates Unmanned Test Flights for India's First Manned Space Mission, Gaganyaan                      

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will start unmanned test flights for Gaganyaan, the country’s first manned space mission.
• The Gaganyaan project's primary objective is to showcase India's human spaceflight capability.
• It aims to launch a three-member crew into a low Earth orbit at an altitude of 400 km for a duration of 3 days and ensure their safe return with a planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
• The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3/GSLV Mk3), a reliable heavy-lift launcher developed by ISRO, has been selected as the launch vehicle for the Gaganyaan mission.
• This rocket comprises solid stages, liquid stages, and a cryogenic stage.
• Preparations for the flight test vehicle abort mission-1,Test Vehicle Development flight (TV-D1) , the first development flight that tests the performance of the crew escape system, are underway.
• The Gaganyaan crew module, which is at various stages of development, will serve as the living quarters for the astronauts in pressurized, earth-like atmospheric conditions.
• In contrast, TV-D1 is an unpressurized version that has completed integration and testing.

About ISRO :

• Established: 15 August 1969
• Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka, India
• Chairman: S. Somanath

NASA's Solar Probe Achieves Record as Fastest Man-Made Object                              

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Parker Solar Probe becomes the fastest man-made object.
• Parker Solar Probe of NASA attained a speed of 635,266 kilometres per hour during a recent solar flyby.
• This speed surpasses its previous record of 586,000 kilometres (364,621 miles) per hour achieved in 2021.
• The probe also reached a record proximity to the Sun, coming as close as 7.26 million kilometres above the radiant ocean of plasma on the Sun's surface.

Key Highlights :

• The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to collect information about the outer corona of the Sun.
• The corona is hotter than the layer immediately below it.
• The observation of the Parker Solar Probe about the corona will help scientists to understand the Sun’s atmosphere.
• It will provide crucial information about the solar winds.
• It also collects data on how solar eruptions boost particles into energies that can be dangerous for astronauts and technology in space.
• The Parker Solar Probe is planned to complete 24 orbits around the Sun, reaching as close as 3.8 million miles from the Sun's surface.
• It is equipped with a 4.5-inch-thick (11.43 centimetres) carbon-composite shield to withstand the extreme conditions near the Sun.

About NASA :

• Established : July 29, 1958
• Headquarters : Washington, D.C, United States of America
• Administrator : Bill Nelson

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Former Bureaucrat & Former Chairman of Sir Ganga Ram Trust Society Ashok Chandra Passed Away

• Former bureaucrat Ashok Chandra, who played a key role in shaping policies across different Central ministries and also served as an advisor to the governor of Uttar Pradesh in the early 1990s, has passed away at the age of 86.

About Ashok Chandra :

• Ashok Chandra began his illustrious career in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1959.
• He held pivotal positions in Uttar Pradesh, significantly contributing to the industrial development and water resource management as a secretary in the department of industries and as chairman of the state Jal Nigam.
• He played a crucial role in shaping policies and programs at the national level across various central ministries.
• He also served as an advisor to the Governor of Uttar Pradesh during the challenging times of the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992.
• He served as the chairman of the Sir Ganga Ram Trust Society from 2012 to 2022.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: October 17

• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2023 is observed on the 17th of October 2023.

Themes:

• The theme for this year's (2023) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is "Decent Work and Social Protection: Putting Dignity in Practice for All".

History

• The first commemoration of this day took place in 1987 at the Trocadéro in Paris, where more than 100,000 people gathered to remember those who had died from extreme poverty, violence, and hunger at the unveiling of a memorial stone by a French priest and humanitarian activist named Joseph Wresinski.
• Such people declared that poverty is a violation of human rights and that we must work together to guarantee that these rights are upheld.
• The general assembly established October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on December 22, 1992, four years after Wresinski passed away in 1988.
• The eradication of poverty and misery was the subject of an invitation to all nations to submit and promote initiatives.

Daily CA One- Liner: October 17

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has extended the deadline for adding nominees to demat accounts and for submitting PAN and KYC details for physical security holders until December 31, 2023.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the third edition of the Global Maritime India Summit (GMIS) 2023 via video conferencing.
• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the Samau Shaheed Memorial and Library in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
• The government notified rules for the GCP, which aims to incentivise environmentally conscious practices and promote a sustainable lifestyle through a market-based mechanism.
• The Union Minister for Science and Technology launched the Global Health Innovation Fellowship to promote medtech startups and innovators among youth.
• Union Ministry of Development of North-East Region virtually launched “MDoNER Data Analytics Dashboard” and “Poorvottar Sampark Setu” portal at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
• India’s unemployment rate declined to 6.6% in urban areas in the first (April-June) quarter of this fiscal.
• The Defence Ministry has signed a contract for the Mid-Life Upgrade and Re-Powering of INS Beas with Cochin Shipyard Limited at the cost of over 313 crore rupees.
• Bharti Group has signed an agreement with its partner AXA to acquire the latter’s 49 per cent stake in Bharti AXA Life Insurance.
• National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), working under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), announced a partnership with Coca-Cola India to launch the Super Power Retailer Program under the Skill India Mission.
• The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) joined the One Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) global initiative.
• The Akshardham Hindu temple was inaugurated in New Jersey,United States of America (USA).
• Leading cooperative sector experts have come together to form the World Cooperative Economic Forum (WCopEF) have been formed co-operative sector leaders and experts in India.
• The first 3D-printed building in Kerala, named Amaze-28, was inaugurated at the Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra (Kesnik) campus in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• Goan cashew (kernel) has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension of Amit Agrawal's central deputation tenure as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for a period of one year.
• The Indian Army is actively preparing for the "Tri Shakti Prahar" combat exercise, which aims to test and validate current cutting-edge weapon systems and technologies.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will start unmanned test flights for Gaganyaan, the country’s first manned space mission.
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Parker Solar Probe becomes the fastest man-made object.
• Former bureaucrat Ashok Chandra, who played a key role in shaping policies across different Central ministries and also served as an advisor to the governor of Uttar Pradesh in the early 1990s, has passed away at the age of 86.
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2023 is observed on the 17th of October 2023.