Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Oct 08th to 14th Oct 2023. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2023 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

Weekly Current Affairs October 08th to 14th PDF Download

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• The Indian Air Force Day is celebrated on the 8th of October of every year in India.
• World Post Day is celebrated on 9th October of every year
• The date of National Post Day 2023 is October 10.
• World Mental Health Day 2023 falls on the 10th of October.
• International Day of Girl Child 2023 will occur on October 11.
• World Arthritis Day 2023 falls on October 12.
• World Sight Day 2023 will occur on October 12.
• World Egg Day is observed annually on the second Friday in October.
• The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2023 is observed on the 13th of October
• World Standards Day is observed annually on the 14th of October 2023

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• The Union Minister for Ayush, Ports, Shipping & Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the 50 bedded Ayurvedic Hospital at Sriram Chapori in
• The output of India's eight core sectors grew by 12.1 per cent on an annual basis in August.
• The Union government floated the country's first-ever tender to allocate seabed sites along the coast of Tamil Nadu for developing offshore wind projects.
• State-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has approved the proposal to form joint venture companies with EverEnviro Resource Management and GPS Renewables to set up compressed biogas (CBG) plants in India.
• Billionaire Anil Agarwal’s Vedanta Group unveiled a complete overhaul of its Indian metals, mining, and energy conglomerate, Vedanta Ltd, involving the demerger of its businesses into six independent companies, with a plan to list five of them by FY25.
• President Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated an International Research Conference on ‘From research to impact: Towards Just and Resilient Agri-Food Systems’.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of Papua New Guinea on cooperation in the field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved amendment of the Second Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (‘MMDR Act’) for specifying the rate of royalty in respect of 3 critical and strategic minerals, namely, Lithium, Niobium and Rare Earth Elements.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of the French Republic on cooperation in the field of Digital Technologies.

• The 8th BRICS International Competition Conference, held in New Delhi and organized by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), is focused on the theme of "New Issues in Competition Law and Policy Dimensions, Perspectives, and Challenges.
• The 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi. This summit is being hosted by the Parliament of India as part of India's G20 Presidency.
• The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, announced the approval of seven bridge projects in Arunachal Pradesh under the Setu Bandhan Scheme for the fiscal year 2023-24.
• The Government of India’s Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the ‘A-HELP’ programme in Jharkhand.
• The Centre has approved an initiative aimed at computerising and empowering the registrars of all 28 states and 8 union territories as well as 1,851 Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) operating across 13 states with a budget of Rs 225.09 crore
• Ircon International Limited (IRCON) and RITES Ltd(RITES) both Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Railways, have been announced as 15th and 16thNavratna respectively among CPSEs.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai.
• The 2nd Edition of the National Cyber Security Exercise ‘Bharat NCX 2023’ started from 09 to 20 October 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The United States House of Representatives made history by removing its Speaker, Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, for the first time in the body's 234-year history.
• The United Kingdom (UK) has awarded a £4 billion ($4.9 billion) contract to BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, and Babcock for the design and manufacturing of nuclear-powered attack submarines, known as SSN-AUKUS.
• Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated Southeast Asia's first high-speed railway connecting Jakarta and Bandung, a project under China’s Belt and Road initiative.
• The 8th BRICS International Competition Conference will be held in New Delhi.
• Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India Ajay Kumar Sood inaugurated the Bharat NCX 2023.
• Sri Lanka is set to take over the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) during the 23rd Council of Ministers' Meeting, which is scheduled for October 11, 2023, in Colombo.
• Denmark granted the inventors of Bluetooth technology permission to use the name and symbol of Harald the Bluetooth for the next 1,000 years.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

• Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Ashok Gehlot has announced the establishment of 3 new districts in the state, namely Malpura, Sujangarh, and Kuchman City ahead of the crucial assembly elections.
• The Assam government is set to conduct a socio-economic survey focused on the state's 5 indigenous Muslim communities, namely Goria, Moria, Deshi, Syed, and Jolha to gather data for the upliftment of these communities.
• The Bihar government has announced a 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in judicial services and state-run law colleges and universities.
• The Madhya Pradesh (MP) government has announced a 35% reservation for women in all government job recruitments, excluding the Forest Department.
• In a significant milestone for the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, the unique and culturally significant yak milk product, ‘Yak Churpi,’ has been granted the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister (CM) Shivraj Singh Chouhan laid the foundation stone for the largest pumped storage project in India, located in the Khemla block, Neemuch district, Madhya Pradesh.
• A cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim led to flash floods in the Teesta River basin.
• The Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed the Guaranteed Pension Scheme bill to bring all state government employees under the hybrid model of Contributory Pension System (CPS) and Old Pension System (OPS).
• NLC India Limited, a Navratna Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSE) under the Ministry of Coal has won 810 MW Solar PV project capacity from Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Nigam Limited.
• Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shri Parshottam Rupala will inaugurate the 16th Agricultural Science Congress (ASC) at Hotel Le Meridien, Kochi, Kerala.
• The Department of Labour and Employment of the Uttar Pradesh government has extended the 'Sewa Mitra' services to cover both urban and rural areas in all 75 districts of the state.
• The Intellectual Property of India (IPI) conferred a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the famous 'Udangudi Panangkarupatti' (palm jaggery/ gur), a product widely associated with the Tirunelveli District Palmyrah Products Cooperative Federation Limited, Tamil Nadu.
• The Uttar Pradesh government has allowed a factory owned by Marion Biotech, the pharmaceutical firm whose cough syrup has been blamed for the death of 65 children in Uzbekistan last year, to resume most of its production.
• Narendra Modi to lay the foundation stone of projects worth ₹4,200crores in Uttarakhand.
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari in a post stated in Arunachal Pradesh under the Setu Bandhan Scheme approval has been granted for 7 bridge projects with a cumulative cost of ₹118.50 Crores, in the fiscal year 2023-24.
• Udaipur, 'City of Lakes' known for its enchanting surroundings, lakes, forts, palaces, and historical significance, is in a race to earn the prestigious title of India's first-ever wetland city.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• The government will borrow ₹6.55 lakh crore in the second half of 2023 -24 through dated securities, including ₹20,000 crore through issuance of Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs).
• India needs to grow at 8% to achieve its goal of becoming a developed economy by 2047.
• Indian oil PSU Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has firmed up plans to pump in over Rs 2,600 crore in setting up several greenfield units and expanding its facilities across the northeast over the next few years.
• GST collection increased to ₹1.63 lakh cr in September year-on-year.
• India’s overall exports (Merchandise and Services combined) in September 2023* is estimated to be USD 63.84 Billion, exhibiting a negative growth of (-) 1.20 per cent over September 2022.
• According to Sa-Dhan, 21% portfolio growth has been recorded in the microfinance sector as of June-end 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has expanded its Centralised Web Portal called UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access inforMation) to include 30 banks.
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is in the process of appointing DSP Pension Fund Managers as the 11th fund manager authorised to manage retirement savings within the National Pension System (NPS).
• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), which is India's principal financial institution for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the Shell Foundation have jointly launched a $6-million Risk Sharing Facility (RSF) to enhance access to finance and promote the widespread adoption of electric two- and three-wheelers in India.
• The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has entered into a collaboration with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to launch a $600 million India-Japan Fund (IJF) with JBIC and Government of India (GoI) as anchor investors.
• YES Bank has become the first bank in India to issue the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) Network Gift Card.
• The government has maintained the interest rate on General Provident Fund (GPF) savings at 7.1% for the October-December quarter.
• Bangladesh received the first batch of uranium from Russia for its Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP).
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed monetary penalties on 5 cooperative banks for deficiencies in regulatory compliance, These co-operative banks are: SBPP Co-operative Bank Limited - ₹13 lakh, The Sahayadri Sahakari Bank Ltd - ₹6.00 lakh, Rahimatpur Sahakari Bank Ltd - ₹1.00 lakh, The Gadhinglaj Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd - ₹3.00 lakh, The Kalyan Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd - ₹4.50 lakh.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das released the 4th bi-monthly monetary policy for 2023-24.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has raised the limit for gold loans under the Bullet Repayment Scheme from ₹2 lakh to ₹4 lakh for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) that have met their target and sub-targets under Priority Sector Lending (PSL) as of March 31, 2023.
• The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) decision to consider Open Market Operations (OMO) sale of government securities is a significant tool in its arsenal for managing liquidity in the financial system.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) classified as middle and base layer entities, to utilise credit risk mitigation tools to offset their exposure with eligible credit risk transfer instruments.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made the decision to extend the 'prompt corrective action (PCA) framework for non-banking financial companies (NBFCs)' to government-owned NBFCs, excluding those in the base layer with effect from October 1, 2024.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has instructed Bank of Baroda (BoB) to immediately cease the onboarding of new customers onto the 'bob World' mobile application.
• For Pakistan, The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) World Economic Outlook for October, released, forecasts a growth of 2.5% for the country's economy in the current year, doubling to 5% in the next fiscal year.
• India's market regulator is investigating the relationship between the Adani Group and a fund incorporated in the British Virgin Islands to see if there has been a violation of share ownership rules, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter stated. The fund is called Gulf Asia Trade & Investment, the sources stated.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT), in a notification, has stated that Permanent Account Number (PAN) will no longer be required for non-resident individuals and foreign companies opening bank accounts in GIFT IFSC and not having any other taxable income in India.
• Fibe, (formerly known as EarlySalary), India’s leading Fintech and Axis Bank, one of the largest private sector banks in India, partnered to launch India’s first-ever numberless credit card for tech-savvy Gen Zs.
• Texmo Precision Castings has acquired a 75.1 % stake in Feinguss Blank, a German company with plants in Germany and Romania, for an undisclosed amount.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on October 11 issued its approval to SBI Mutual Fund (SBI MF), the mutual fund's arm of the State Bank of India, to acquire 9.99 percent of the paid-up share capital in private lender IndusInd Bank.
• The Reserve Bank of India stated it has imposed a penalty of Rs 5.39 crore on Paytm Payments Bank Ltd for non-compliance with certain provisions, including Know Your Customer (KYC) norms.
• The Reserve Bank has imposed monetary penalties on three co-operative banks and one NBFC for deficiencies in regulatory compliance. These co-operative banks are: Annasaheb Magar Sahakari Bank Ltd, The Jawhar Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd, Janata Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd and Finquest Financial Solutions Private Ltd.
• State-owned Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) stated that it has increased its marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR) for select tenure by 10 basis points.
• Sri Lanka stated that it has reached an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China to cover about $4.2 billion of the island nation's outstanding debt while talks with other official creditors stall.
• Annual retail inflation low 5.02% in September from 6.83% the previous month.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has discovered several instances of circumventing regulations through alternative investment funds (AIFs) and is discussing this with other regulators, stated Ananth Narayan, whole-time member (WTM) of the market regulator.
• India will likely contribute 22 per cent to the Global ER&D sourcing market by FY30.
• Mannan stated that the ADB in the meeting offered a $338 million loan for the project in Bangladesh.
• Bank of India has upgraded its savings accounts for all segments which cover salaried employees, households, individuals, youth, etc. stated Rajneesh Karnatak, MD & CEO of Bank of India.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the Certificate of Registrationof Chennai-based Ind Bank Housing Ltd.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• The MGR Chennai Central railway station has been awarded the platinum certificate by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for developing the railway station into a net zero energy building.
• Tanzania President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by Jawaharlal Nehru University for her pivotal role in fostering stronger India-Tanzania relations.
• Indian-origin professor Dr Joyeeta Gupta has received the Spinoza Prize, the highest distinction in Dutch science for her work in the field of climate change at a ceremony in the Netherlands.
• Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has won the ‘Best Innovation in Refinery’ award from the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• The prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed upon the renowned Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas at the 54th International Film Festival of India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• India has been re-elected as the President of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) General Conference (GC) for the 3rd consecutive term.
• India’s biggest asset management company (AMC) by assets, SBI Mutual Fund, has elevated DP Singh to the post of joint chief executive officer (CEO).
• N. Shanth Kumar, representing The Printers (Mysore) Private. Limited., has been elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Press Trust of India (PTI) for a one-year term.
• Vivek Johri, an Indian intelligence officer, is set to become the new National Security Advisor (NSA) for Mauritius, in line with a longstanding arrangement between the two countries.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Muneesh Kapur as Executive Director (ED).
• Saugata Gupta, Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Marico, has been appointed as the chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
• JioMart has appointed India’s most iconic cricketer, Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador.
• Ramaswamy N has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re).
• The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) has elected Navneet Munot, the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HDFC Asset Management, as the new Chairman.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has extended the tenure of State Bank of India (SBI) Managing Director Ashwini Kumar Tewari by 2 years.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) unveiled its new ensign at the 91st annual Air Force Day parade in Prayagraj.
• Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has resigned as a director of the Pune District Central Cooperative (PDCC) Bank.
• Asian Games Gold medalist and reigning Olympic, and World Champion in men’s javelin, Neeraj Chopra was named Laureus Ambassador, pledging his support to Laureus Sport for Good.
• Renowned British-Canadian computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the ‘Godfather of AI,’ has accepted a role on the advisory board of robotics startup Vayu Robotics.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• Uttarakhand government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) of Rs 2,000 crore with the French cable car company POMA ropeways for investment in the state under the Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit in London.
• India and Saudi Arabia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Riyadh, in the fields of Electrical Interconnections, Green / Clean Hydrogen and Supply Chains.
• Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA),has committed to work with India to expand the Travel for LiFE initiative across the Asia Pacific region.
• Maharashtra’s Cultural Affairs Minister recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to bring back Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s legendary wagh nakh (tiger claw) to the state.
• The Central Reserve Police Force, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, is organizing a cross-country bike expedition with "Yashaswini" a group of CRPF women bikers to celebrate women's power or Nari Shakti of the country.
• India’s Department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) under the commerce and industry ministry and Vadodara-based GatiShakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost the country’s infrastructure and logistics sectors.
• India and Saudi Arabia have agreed to promote investments in each other’s country in the new and renewable energy sector.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) with the Olympic Museum has signed agreement with Reliance Foundation to build on the success of the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) in India and signed a new cooperation agreement.
• Defence cooperation agreement has been signed between India and Italy.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Pusa Krishi, ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute here and Start-up Incubation & Innovation Centre (SIIC), IIT Kanpur.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITION AND MERGERS 

• The Indian Navy, in collaboration with the State Bank of India (SBI), introduced the 'Nav-eCash' card, an innovative e-cash card designed to function in both online and offline modes, even at sea without direct connectivity to the bank.
• Air India has successfully acquired its inaugural A350-900 aircraft through a finance lease transaction facilitated by HSBC, with the transaction taking place within the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).
• Bharti Group stated it has entered into a binding agreement with its joint venture partner AXA to acquire its 49 per cent stake in Bharti AXA Life Insurance.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

• According to a report by Respirer Living Sciences, which provides real-time information on various aspects including air quality and climate trends, Delhi was the most polluted city in India for air pollution.
• Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambanihas reclaimed the first position on the 2023 Forbes list of India’s 100 Richest with a net worth of $92 billion.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, launched Swavalamban 2.0, an updated indigenous program of the Indian Navy.
• The Annual Joint HADR Exercise (AJHE) is a result of the directive of the Hon'ble Prime Minister announced during the Joint Commanders' Conference-2015.
• India is likely to skip China’s third summit marking President Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which, Beijing announced, will be held on October 17 in the Chinese capital.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Search giant Google in consultation with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Seismology Center (NSC) and the Ministry of Earth Sciences has launched its Earthquake Alerts System for Android smartphone users in India.
• President Vladimir V. Putin claimed that Russia had successfully tested the Burevestnik missile.
• The Delhi government has established a 'green war room' with the aim of addressing air pollution by implementing a 24x7 monitoring system and the Winter Action Plan.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is set to launch a mission called Atmospheric Perturbations around the Eclipse Path (APEP) to study how a solar eclipse affects the upper atmosphere.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• The Indian contingent achieved a historic milestone at the Asian Games, securing their 100th medal with a nail-biting 26-25 victory over Chinese Taipei in the women's kabaddi final.
• The closing ceremony of the 19th Asian Games concluded at the Hangzhou Olympics Stadium in China.
• World Athletics has nominated Neeraj Chopra for the Men's Athlete of the Year award 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• Ram D. Zodge, former senior racing correspondent of The Hindu, passed away.
• Prominent journalist K S Sachidananda Murthy passed away.