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CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

Reserve Bank of India Grants In-Principle Approval to MobiKwik's Zaakpay for Payment Aggregator Operations                                  

• Zaakpay, the secure payment gateway arm of MobiKwik, has received in-principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payment aggregator.
• This authorisation will allow Zaakpay to onboard new merchants onto its platform, facilitating quick and easy processing of online payments.

Key Highlights :

• The in-principle approval comes two years after the Gurugram-based payments company filed its application with the RBI.
• Mobikwik had applied for the payments aggregator licence in 2021, but was rejected by the regulator.
• The firm re-applied in October, 2022.
• MobiKwik first filed the application for the licence during the second wave of pandemic (March to June 2021), but it was rejected as the company fell short of minimum net worth threshold of INR 15 Crore for the first year of application.
• Zaakpay’s net worth then stood at INR 14.3 Crore, rendering it ineligible for the licence.
• Earlier, all the companies in the business of processing payments were called ‘payment gateways’.
• Payment Aggregators vs. Payment Gateways: The RBI's 2020 Payment Aggregator and Payment Gateway (PAPG) guidelines distinguish between payment aggregators and payment gateways. Payment aggregators handle the settlement of funds, while payment gateways offer the technology platform for transactions.
• To operate as a payment aggregator, RBI approval is necessary.
• According to the RBI, only existing companies, which have received the in-principle nod, can onboard merchants on their platforms.
• Currently, the top 4 payment aggregators Razorpay, PayU, Cashfree, and Paytm are being barred from onboarding new merchants, despite receiving the in-principle approval.

About MobiKwik :

• Established : 2009
• Headquarters : Gurugram, Haryana
• Founders : Bipin Preet Singh, Upasana Taku
• MD & CEO : Bipin Preet Singh

Muthoot Finance Offloads Rs 725 Crore Distressed Gold Loan Portfolio to Arcil

• Muthoot Finance, a Kerala-based Indian financial corporation and the largest gold loan Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) in the country, has sold a gold loan portfolio worth Rs 725 crore to the Asset Reconstruction Company of India (Arcil).
• This transaction marks the first instance of a lender selling a gold loan portfolio to an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC).
• Most lenders typically prefer in-house recovery due to the sufficient value of gold collateral, which can cover the loan amount.
• The sale of the gold loan portfolio by Muthoot Finance was structured under the 15:85 arrangement.
• Under this structure, 15% of the consideration is paid in cash, and the remaining 85% is provided in the form of security receipts.

About Muthoot Finance :

• Headquarters: Kochi, Kerala
• Chairman : George Jacob Muthoot
• In addition to offering gold loans, Muthoot Finance provides a range of financial services, including other types of loans, insurance products, money transfer services, and the sale of gold coins.

ESAF Small Finance Bank Gets SEBI Nod For Initial Public Offering     

• ESAF Small Finance Bank Limited, is a Small Finance Bank with a focus on unbanked and under-banked customer segments, especially in rural and semi-urban areas has received final observation from the capital markets regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO).
• The company had refiled preliminary IPO papers with SEBI in July 2023.
• The IPO includes a fresh issue up to ₹486.74 crore and an offer for sale of up to ₹142.30 crore by Promoter and other selling shareholders.
• The offer for sale comprises up to Rs 119.26 crore by ESAF Financial Holdings Private Limited, up to Rs 12.67 crore by PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited, up to Rs 10.37 crore by Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Limited.

About ESAF Small Finance Bank :

• Founded : March 2017
• Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala
• Chairman : P R Ravi Mohan
• MD & CEO : K. Paul Thomas

Asian Development Bank Grants $175 Million Loan for Road Upgrades in Madhya Pradesh

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of USD 175 million to enhance road connectivity and climate resilience in Madhya Pradesh, India.

Background :

• ADB has played a pivotal role in supporting the development of road networks in Madhya Pradesh since 2002.
• This endeavour has led to the enhancement of over 9,000 kilometres of state highways and major district roads, as highlighted by ADB Transport Specialist Yang Lu.

Key Highlights :

• The project's primary features include the upgrade of approximately 500 kilometres of state highways and major district roads to a standard two-lane design.
• These upgraded roads will incorporate climate- and disaster-resilient aspects, innovative road safety elements, and facilities designed to meet the needs of various demographics, including the elderly, women, children, and individuals with disabilities.
• Furthermore, ADB plans to enhance the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation Limited (MPRDC) in terms of climate change adaptation and mitigation, disaster resilience, and road safety in road network planning and management.
• Additionally, the project intends to support MPRDC in creating a strategy for gender equality and social inclusion and to institute an internship program to encourage female students to work in the road sector.
• It also aims to collaborate with women's self-help groups to raise awareness about road safety.
• The project will conduct livelihood and entrepreneurship training programs for women and girls, promoting economic empowerment, and aims to construct at least two roadside markets.

About ADB : 

• Established : 1966
• Headquarters : Manila, Philippines
• President : Masatsugu Asakawa
• Membership : 68 members, including 49 regional members (countries in Asia and the Pacific) and 19 non-regional members (countries outside the region)

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

President Murmu launches Bihar’s 4th agri road map budgeted at ₹1.62 lakh crore

• President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the Fourth Agriculture Roadmap of Bihar (2023-28) by unveiling the stone slab remote at the Bapu Auditorium of the Samrat Ashoka Convention Centre.
• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, that the first agricultural roadmap of the state was started in the year 2008.
• The second agricultural roadmap was launched by then-President Pranab Mukherjee and the third agricultural roadmap was launched by President Ramnath Kovind.
• Farmers have benefited a lot from the agricultural roadmap in Bihar.
• The production and productivity of paddy, maize, wheat and potatoes has increased.

Key Highlights

• From 2008 to 2012, work was done under the first agricultural roadmap. In the year 2011-12, a farmer from Nalanda left China behind by producing the highest amount of paddy per hectare.
• Earlier the record per hectare was in the name of China. A village in Nalanda district also set a world record in the production of potatoes.
• From 2012 to 2017, work was done under the second agricultural roadmap, as a result of which the production of fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and fish has increased significantly. Farmers have benefited greatly from increased productivity.
• Fish production in Bihar has increased two and a half times. Now Bihar has become self-sufficient in fish production.
• Bihar has received the Krishi Karman Awards for the production of rice, wheat and maize.
• To meet the goals of the Fourth Agriculture Roadmap, the Cabinet approved Rs 1 lakh 62 thousand crore. Agriculture is the basis of the livelihood of 75 percent people in the state.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurates the 16th Urban Mobility India Conference & Exhibition 2023 in New Delhi

• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the 16th Urban Mobility India Conference and Exhibition 2023 in New Delhi.
• Addressing the gathering Mr Puri, that the government has succeeded in changing the methods and approaches to solve issues related to Urban Transportation.
• At present operational length of the metro system in the country is 895 km and is set to grow towards becoming the world's second-largest metro network in a few years.
• The government is working towards an e-mobility solution and is ready to introduce ten thousand electric buses.
• The three-day conference will focus on designing and implementing of efficient, high-quality, integrated, and resilient urban transport systems in the cities.
• The theme of the conference is Integrated and Resilient Urban Transport.

Coal Ministry and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy to Work Jointly to Promote Green Energy

• The Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy decided to work together for the promotion of green energy.
• During a secretary-level joint meeting between the two ministries, it was decided that the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy would provide technical, policy & capacity building support and Ministry of  Coal will provide land, capital and undertake implementation of solar energy, green hydrogen and  other renewable energy projects.
• The central public sector undertakings of Ministry of Coal, Coal India Limited, NLCIL and SCCL have already embarked upon a net zero plan in furtherance of the Panchamrit targets.
• Over 1600 MW solar Energy generation capacity have been installed.
• Work on another 500 MW solar projects is at different stages.

Key Highlights

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will support the Ministry of Coal and its CPSEs of capacity-building training of engineers, technicians and other functionaries through the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE).
• It was also decided that a suitable knowledge partnership through IIT Roorkee, Solar Energy Corporation of India and other resource agencies associated with MNRE shall also be provided.
• CPSEs under the Ministry of Coal will create a generation capacity of about 12GW by year 2030.
• The Ministry of Coal is in the process of identifying about 10 patches of land of more than 300 acres each so as to offer to private investors for setting up of green hydrogen projects under the policy of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UNCCD Data Dashboard Highlights Accelerating Global Land Degradation Warning

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has introduced its first-ever Data Dashboard, which shows that Land Degradation is advancing at an astonishing rate across all regions.
• The dashboard compiles national reporting figures from 126 countries to provide a comprehensive global overview of the current state of land degradation.

Key Highlights :

• The 21st session of the UNCCD is scheduled to take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in November 2023.
• The primary focus of this session will be to review global progress in achieving Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and addressing related issues.
• The report also points out that 36.8% of India’s land area was drought-prone and 854.4 million or 83.85% of the Indian population was exposed to drought situations.
• In 2019, India reported 30.51 million hectares of degraded land, which accounted for 9.45% of the total land area in that year.
• According to the UNCCD's data dashboard, 18.39% of India's population, equivalent to 251.71 million people, is exposed to land degradation.
• Overall between 2015 and 2019, the world lost at least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land each year, adding up to twice the size of Greenland.
• The analysis shows that a significant portion of the global population lives on land affected by drought, with 4.7% of 1.84 billion people exposed to severe or extreme drought.
• The UNCCD Data Dashboard also reveals significant disparities on the proportion of degraded land per region.
• Eastern and Central Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean regions experience the most severe degradation, affecting at least 20% of their total land area.
• Meanwhile, sub-Saharan Africa, Western and Southern Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean experienced land degradation at rates faster than the global average.
• Notably, in sub-Saharan Africa and in Latin America and the Caribbean, 163 million hectares and 108 million hectares, respectively, have succumbed to land degradation since 2015.
• The report stated that the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), one of the eight missions under the national action plan on climate change, aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India’s forest cover and responding to climate change.
• The target under the Mission is 10 m ha on forest and non-forest lands for increasing the forest/tree cover and to improve the quality of existing forest, thus helping in reducing land degradation.
• India has allocated ₹298.09 crore and utilised ₹233.43 crores from FY2018 to 2021 under this programme.
• It also states that India would raise its ambition of the total area that would be restored from its land degradation status from 21 million hectares to 26 million hectares between 2020 and 2030.

About UNCCD :

• Headquarters : Bonn, Germany
• Executive Director : Ibrahim Thiaw
• The UNCCD is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.

Japan Becomes 1st Nation To Launch An Electromagnetic Railgun From An Offshore Vessel                          

• Japan achieved a significant milestone in defence technology by successfully test-firing a medium-calibre maritime electromagnetic railgun.
• The test was conducted in collaboration between the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), a division of the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
• This remarkable feat marks the first time any nation has managed to launch a railgun from an offshore platform.
• Typically, railguns are mounted on ships, but Japan aspires to employ this technology both on land and at sea, making this test an unprecedented advancement in the field.

About Japan :

• Prime Minister: Fumio Kishida
• Capital: Tokyo
• Currency: Japanese yen

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Launches Fleet of 51 Buses Exclusively Operated by Women

• Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath flagged off 51 buses of the State transport corporation under “Mission Mahila Sarathi”, on the occasion of Durga Ashtami, in Ayodhya.
• These buses will be operated exclusively by women as drivers and conductors.
• The initiative seeks to connect and empower women drivers and conductors.

About UP :

• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• Chief Minister : Yogi Adityanath
• Capital : Lucknow
• National Park : Dudhwa National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary, Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups Baiga Tribe Gets Habitat Rights in Chhattisgarh                          

• Chhattisgarh Government has granted habitat rights to its Baiga PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) right after the Kamar PVTG received habitat rights in August 2023.
• The Baiga PVTG has become the 2nd group in Chhattisgarh to receive habitat rights.
• Chhattisgarh is home to 7 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), including the Kamar, Baiga, Pahadi Korba, Abujhmadiya, Birhor, Pando, and Bhujia.
• The recognition of habitat rights grants the concerned community rights over their customary territory of habitation. It encompasses various aspects, including socio-cultural practices, economic and livelihood means, intellectual knowledge of biodiversity and ecology, traditional knowledge of the use of natural resources, as well as the protection and conservation of their natural and cultural heritage.
• Out of the 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India, only 3 have been granted habitat rights.
• The Bharia PVTG in Madhya Pradesh was the first, followed by the Kamar tribe, and now the Baiga tribe in Chhattisgarh.
• Habitat rights for PVTGs are granted under Section 3(1)(e) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, also known as the FRA (Forest Rights Act).

About Chhattisgarh :

• Governor : Biswabhusan Harichandan
• Chief Minister : Bhupesh Baghel
• National Park : Kanger Valley National Park, Indravati National Park, Sanjay National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Horticulture output rises to 351.92 million tonne in 2022-23

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the 2nd Advance Estimates of the area and production of various horticultural crops for the year 2022-23.
• According to this estimate, total horticulture production in the country is expected to be a record 351.92 million tonnes in the year 2022-23.
• Total horticulture production in the year 2022-23 is estimated to be 351.92 million tonnes, an increase of about 4.74 million tonnes (1.37%) as compared to the year 2021-22 (final).

Key Highlights

• Production of fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, flowers and honey is expected to increase.
• Fruit production is estimated to be 108.34 million tonnes in the year 2022-23 as compared to 107.51 million tonnes in the year 2021-22.
• The production of vegetables is estimated to be 212.91 million tonnes in the year 2022-23 compared to 209.14 million tonnes in the year 2021-22.
• Production of plantation crops is estimated to increase from 15.76 million tonnes in 2021-22 to 16.05 million tonnes in 2022-23, which is an increase of about 1.78%.
• Potato production is expected to be 60.54 million tonnes, compared to 56.18 million tonnes in the year 2021-22.
• The agriculture and farmers welfare ministry said that final estimates for food grain output in 2022-23 stood at a record 329.68 million tonne, up 4% or 14.1 million tonne higher than a year ago.
• Official data showed that food grain output has consistently grown over the last decade from 257.1 million tonne in 2012-13 to 315.6 million tonne in 2021-22.
• As per this, total production of rice in 2022-23 is estimated at a record 135.75 million tonnes, up by 6.28 million tonnes from previous year’s output.
• Production of wheat during 2022-23 is estimated at record 110.55 million tonnes. It is 2.8 million tonnes more than previous year’s wheat production.
• Total pulses production during 2022-23 is estimated at 26 million tonnes which is higher by 1.4 million tonnes.
• Oilseed production in the country during 2022-23 is estimated at a record 41.35 million tonnes.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Republican Mike Johnson Elected New US House Speaker

• Republican Mike Johnson, representing Louisiana, has been elected as the new Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
• He is the 56th Speaker of the House and the first Speaker from Louisiana since Henry M. Speaker in 1859
• Johnson was elected by 220 to 209 votes in a bitterly divided Congress, three weeks after his predecessor Kevin McCarthy was unceremoniously voted out of the seat for the first time in US history.
• In the 435-member House of Representatives, the Republicans hold a slender majority with 221 seats, as opposed to 212 seats held by the Democrats.

About Mike Johnson :

• Johnson was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on January 30, 1972.
• He is a lawyer by profession and has served as a four-term Congressman from the Fourth Congressional District of Louisiana.
• In 2015, he was elected to the Louisiana State House of Representatives and served one term.
• In 2016, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Louisiana's 4th congressional district.
• Notably, Mike Johnson is the first African-American to be elected Speaker of the House since Frederick G. Douglass in 1889.

Ministry of Home Affairs appoints Rashmi Ranjan Swain as 17th J&K Police chief                                    

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the Government of India (GoI) has appointed Rashmi Ranjan Swain, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the AGMUT 1991 cadre, as the 17th Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
• Swain will take over as the DGP of Jammu and Kashmir Police from the outgoing incumbent, Dilbag Singh, who retired on October 31, 2023.
• Presently, Swain is serving as J&K intelligence chief, besides the Director of the State Investigation Agency (SIA) and Terror Monitoring Group (TMG).

About Rashmi Ranjan Swain :

• Swain has played a crucial role in breaking the backbone of separatism and militancy in Jammu & Kashmir after his return from central deputation in 2020.
• He was instrumental in the establishment of the State Investigation Agency (SIA) in 2021, aimed at expediting investigations in terror-related cases.
• He served as district police chief of Srinagar and Jammu- considered most sensitive postings in the UT-between 2001 to 2004.
• He also held positions of district police chief of Ramban, Poonch, and Leh.
• He also served as Assistant Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General in the State Vigilance Organisation from 2004 to 2006.
• The post of J&K DGP was created in 1982 and Peer Ghulam Hassan Shah was the first DGP of J&K.
• Before creating the post of DGP, the J&K Police force was headed by an Inspector General of Police (IGP) rank officer.

Government appoints BCG to ready vision 2047 blueprint

• The Indian government has engaged the services of Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global consulting firm, to assist in the preparation of the Vision 2047 document.
• This document is expected to shape India's medium-term goals and priorities for the next 25 years.

Key Highlights :

• The vision document, expected to be unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will outline an economic strategy towards becoming a middle-income nation by leveraging India’s strengths in industry, services, agriculture, trade and human capital while improving the governance systems and access to public goods.
• Making economic progress inclusive will be a key element of the vision document.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Ministry of Defence signs contract for construction of the 1st Indian Coast Guard Training Ship with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai                    

• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract for the construction of one Training Ship for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 310 crore under the Buy (Indian- IDDM) category in New Delhi.
• This is the first dedicated training platform with integral helicopter capabilities that will provide basic sea training to 70 Coast Guard and other international under-trainee officers to prepare these budding mariners on the multi-dimensional maritime aspects of Coast Guard life.
• This training ship with advanced and modern high-tech surveillance and monitoring systems will provide profound insight and expertise to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) cadets on the challenges at sea while ensuring the security of coastline and offshore assets.
• The majority of the equipment and systems used in the training ship will be sourced from indigenous manufacturers, including Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• This project is expected to generate substantial employment opportunities over a period of 3 years.
• The contract aligns with the objectives of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) by emphasizing indigenous manufacturing and sourcing.
• It will also contribute to enhancing the indigenous shipbuilding capability and bolstering maritime economic capabilities.

About Ministry of Defence :

• Defence Minister : Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State : Ministry of Defence
• Defence Secretary : Giridhar Aramane

Indian Army Prepares to Induct Indigenous Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to Replace Cheetah and Chetak Helicopters    

• The Indian Army is preparing to induct indigenous Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to replace the ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters currently in service.
• On the completion of their Total Technical Life (TTL), the army plans to gradually start phasing out these machines from 2027 onwards.
• The plan is to replace these birds with indigenous helicopters over a period of a decade.
• In November 2021, the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of 12 Limited Series Production (LSP) variants of the LUH, with an estimated cost of around Rs 1,500 crore.
• Both the Indian Army and the Air Force are expected to receive 6 LSP variants.
• These LUH variants have been designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a state-owned company.
• The production of LUH has experienced delays due to issues related to the auto-pilot system.
• Once trials are completed, the Indian Army is anticipated to receive the first six LSP LUH between December 2024 and June 2025.
• The larger contract for the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) is anticipated to be finalised by January 2024, with deliveries projected to commence from 2026 onward.
• More than 70% of the 190 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters currently in service are over 30 years old.
• These helicopters are also operated by the Navy and the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• The replacement of these ageing helicopters is vital for modernising the aerial capabilities of the Indian armed forces.

About Indian Army :

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Amazon Testing Humanoid Robot ‘Digit’ In Warehouses                                               

• Amazon has initiated testing of a humanoid robot called Digit, which is developed by Agility Robotics and has received support from Amazon.

About Digit :

• Digit is a two-legged robot, standing at 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) and weighing 143 pounds (65 kg).
• It possesses the ability to walk in multiple directions, including forwards, backwards, sideways, and can also crouch.
• It's capable of carrying loads of up to 35 pounds (16 kg).
• The primary function of Digit in Amazon's warehouses is to handle tasks such as shifting empty tote boxes, which are commonly used for transporting items within the warehouse.
• Amazon's plan involves deploying Digit in various locations within its warehouses, with a specific focus on assisting employees in tote recycling.
• This implies that the robot will collaborate with human workers in specific operations.
• Amazon is also testing Agility Robotics' mobile manipulation system called Sequoia.
• This system is already operational at an Amazon fulfilment centre located in Houston.
• It is designed to integrate multiple robots for containerizing inventory, suggesting a broader role in managing inventory within the warehouse.

Dharmendra Pradhan Introduces 'Apna Chandrayaan' Portal for Interactive Learning about 'Chandrayaan-3    

• The ‘Apna Chandrayaan’ portal, which offers activity-based support material such as quizzes and puzzles inspired by the Chandrayaan-3 Mission , was launched by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development.
• The portal was developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) under the Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education.
• It is designed to cater to school students.
• He also released 10 special modules on Chandrayaan-3, offering a comprehensive overview of its various facets - including scientific, technological, and social aspects, as well as the emotional journey and team spirit of the scientists involved.
• He suggested making the modules launched on this occasion elective for all classes.
• He also mentioned that additional modules would be prepared on 14 different topics, including subjects like women empowerment, COVID-19 vaccination, and India's G20 Presidency, among others
• The 'Apna Chandrayaan' portal offers a variety of learning materials, including colouring books, online quizzes, jigsaw puzzles, picture builders, and graphic novels that tell inspiring stories related to Chandrayaan-3.
• The portal caters to students at foundational and preparatory levels by providing them with activities such as colouring sheets, dot-to-dot activities, and colour-coding exercises with instructions.

About NCERT :

• Established : 1961
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi
• Director : Dr. Dinesh Prasad Saklani

About Ministry of Education :

• Union Minister : Dharmendra Pradhan
• Minister of State : Subhas Sarkar, Annapurna Devi Yadav,Rajkumar Ranjan Singh

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Asian ShootingChampionships: Manu Bhaker secures India's 11th Paris Olympics quota in Korea

• In shooting, Manu Bhaker secured the 11th Paris Olympics quota place for India after finishing fifth in women’s 25-metre sports pistol at the Asian Championships in Changwon, Korea.
• Tokyo Olympian Bhaker topped qualification with a score of 591 to qualify for the final but could only manage 24 in the medal round to finish fifth.

Key Highligts

• Arjun Babuta in men’s 10 metre air rifle event and Sarabjot Singh in men’s 10 metre air pistol event have also secured Paris 2024 quotas.
• Manu is the second shooter after 10-metre air pistol marksman Sarabjot Singh to clinch an Olympic quota in the pistol events.
• India has so far won seven quota places in rifle events and two each in shotgun and pistol in men’s and women’s sections.

Maharashtra leads the medal table in the National Games 2023

• Maharashtra is leading the medal table in the National Games 2023 with 78 medals - 37 gold, 19 silvers and 22 bronze on the fourth day of the Games currently underway in Goa.
• Haryana has clinched 31 medals while defending champion Services is placed in third place with 19 medals.
• So far, 21 teams have won at least one gold medal at the Games.
• The multi-sport event is currently underway in five Goan cities - Mapusa, Margao, Panjim, Ponda and Vasco.
• It will conclude on 9th of November.
• Over 10,000 athletes are competing in the Games across 43 sports, which include traditional Olympic disciplines as well as indigenous sports like mallakhamb, kho kho, and kabaddi, amongst others.
• Though the Games officially got underway at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Panaji, badminton, weightlifting, gymnastics and some of the other disciplines started a day earlier.

Indian para-athletes create history at Hangzhou Asian Para Games; Bag 111 medals including 29 Gold

• In the Asian Para Games at Hangzhou in China, the Indian contingent wrapped up the event with their best-ever medal haul after clinching a record-breaking 111 medals.
• They won 29 gold, 31 silver, and 51 bronze medals, placing the country fifth in the medal count.
• This remarkable feat supersedes India’s previous best of 72 medals, which was recorded in the 2018 edition of the Asian Para Games in Indonesia.

Key Highlights

• Dilip Gavit kickstarted medal streak by helping India to reach the coveted three-figure mark.
• He secured gold in the men's T-47 400m event with a time of 49.48 secs while the trio of Sanskruti, Himanshi & Vruthi secured a bronze, adding the final medal to India's glorious tally in Women's Chess B1 Category Event.
• Adding a total 12 medals, Indian para-athletes secured an impressive haul of four Gold, two Silver, and six Bronze medals.
• In Men's Javelin Throw F55 event, India finished a double Podium victory.
• Neeraj Yadav claimed gold with a massive throw of 33.69m, setting a new Para Games Record while Tek Chand secured the bronze with an impressive throw of 30.36.
• In the Para Chess Men's team of B1 Category, the terrific trio of Ashwin, Darpan, and Soundarya secured a spectacular Gold.
• Meanwhile, India sweeps the podium in the men's Chess B1 individual event.
• Darpan Irani brought home the Gold with his middle game maneuvering, Soundarya Pradhan bagged Silver while Ashwin Makwana clinched Bronze.
• In PR3 Mixed Double Sculls rowing event, the Indian duo Narayana and Anitha bagged Silver with the timing of 8:50.71.
• Pooja clinched a brilliant bronze with her amazing athletic skill and a finish time of 5:38.81, in Women's 1500m T-20.
• The closing ceremony of the Asian Para Games will take place at Hangzhou

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR

Hardeep Singh Puri launched the book titled "The Reverse Swing: Colonialism to Cooperation".

• A veteran journalist Ashok Tandon's book 'The Reverse Swing Colonialism to Cooperation' was launched at Gandhi Smriti, in the presence of Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.
• The book sheds light on New India’s (Naya Bharat) march to glory leaving behind the unfortunate and painful memories of the foreign subjugation spanning several centuries.
• This book reflects the pride of the new India, leaving behind the painful memories of foreign subjugation that continued for many centuries.
• Europeans were attracted to trade with India in the 17th century because India was the golden bird where spices, tea and silk were produced.
• This book tells about historical events and changes in India-Britain relations since independence.
• How India achieved success in various fields after independence in 1947 and became the fifth-largest economy in the world.
• This book has been published by Prabhat Prakashan.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Stroke Day 2023 Theme and History: 29th October

• World Stroke Day 2023 is observed on the 29th of October
• The theme for World Stroke Day 2023 is "Together we are Greater Than Stroke." This theme emphasises preventing stroke.
• In the 1990s, the European Stroke Initiative came up with the idea of holding a day of awareness.
• However, the project could only be carried out in Europe because of financial limitations.
• The European Stroke Organization, which spearheaded the initiative, observes its awareness day on May 10.
• October 29 is designated as World Stroke Day, an event that was started in 2004 during the World Stroke Congress in Vancouver, Canada.
• A working group headed by Dr. Vladimir Hachinski was formed, and in October 2006, it became the World Stroke Proclamation. About the same time that the World Stroke Federation and the International Stroke Society merged, the World Stroke Organization was established, taking over as the organization responsible for World Stroke Day.
• The WSO leadership moved from focusing on a single awareness day to a year-round campaign in 2009 in order to develop a more sustained strategy for increasing public awareness of significant issues in stroke recognition, prevention, and treatment.

Daily CA One- Liner: Oct 29 & 30

• Zaakpay, the secure payment gateway arm of MobiKwik, has received in-principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payment aggregator.
• Muthoot Finance, a Kerala-based Indian financial corporation and the largest gold loan Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) in the country, has sold a gold loan portfolio worth Rs 725 crore to the Asset Reconstruction Company of India (Arcil).
• ESAF Small Finance Bank Limited, is a Small Finance Bank with a focus on unbanked and under-banked customer segments, especially in rural and semi-urban areas has received final observation from the capital markets regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO).
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of USD 175 million to enhance road connectivity and climate resilience in Madhya Pradesh, India.
• President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the Fourth Agriculture Roadmap of Bihar (2023-28) by unveiling the stone slab remote at the Bapu Auditorium of the Samrat Ashoka Convention Centre
• Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the 16th Urban Mobility India Conference and Exhibition 2023 in New Delhi.
• The Ministry of Coal and the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy decided to work together for the promotion of green energy.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the 2nd Advance Estimates of the area and production of various horticultural crops for the year 2022-23.
• In shooting, Manu Bhaker secured the 11th Paris Olympics quota place for India after finishing fifth in women’s 25-metre sports pistol at the Asian Championships in Changwon, Korea.
• Maharashtra is leading the medal table in the National Games 2023 with 78 medals - 37 gold, 19 silvers and 22 bronze on the fourth day of the Games currently underway in Goa.
• In the Asian Para Games at Hangzhou in China, the Indian contingent wrapped up the event with their best-ever medal haul after clinching a record-breaking 111 medals.
• A veteran journalist Ashok Tandon's book 'The Reverse Swing Colonialism to Cooperation' was launched at Gandhi Smriti, in the presence of Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri.
• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has introduced its first-ever Data Dashboard, which shows that Land Degradation is advancing at an astonishing rate across all regions.
• Japan achieved a significant milestone in defence technology by successfully test-firing a medium-caliber maritime electromagnetic railgun.
• Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath flagged off 51 buses of the State transport corporation under “Mission Mahila Sarathi”, on the occasion of Durga Ashtami, in Ayodhya.
• Chhattisgarh Government has granted habitat rights to its Baiga PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) right after the Kamar PVTG received habitat rights in August 2023.
• Republican Mike Johnson, representing Louisiana, has been elected as the new Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the Government of India (GoI) has appointed Rashmi Ranjan Swain, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the AGMUT 1991 cadre, as the 17th Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
• The Indian government has engaged the services of Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global consulting firm, to assist in the preparation of the Vision 2047 document.
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract for the construction of one Training Ship for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 310 crore under the Buy (Indian- IDDM) category in New Delhi.
• The Indian Army is preparing to induct indigenous Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to replace the ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters currently in service.
• Amazon has initiated testing of a humanoid robot called Digit, which is developed by Agility Robotics and has received support from Amazon.
• The ‘Apna Chandrayaan’ portal, which offers activity-based support material such as quiz and puzzles inspired by the Chandrayaan-3 Mission , was launched by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development.
• World Stroke Day 2023 is observed on the 29th of October 2023.