Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Oct 15th to 21st Oct 2023. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2023 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

Weekly Current Affairs October 15th to 21st PDF Download

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed penalties on Union Bank of India (UBI) Rs 1 Crore, RBL Bank (Rs 64 lakhs) (formerly known as Ratnakar Bank), and Bajaj Finance Limited (Rs 8.5 lakh) for non-compliance with regulatory norms.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has extended the deadline for mandatory confirmation or denial of market rumours by listed companies.
• ICICI Bank has introduced 'iFinance,' a service that allows millions of customers, including retail customers and sole proprietors, to access a consolidated view of their savings and current accounts in one place.
• Indian Post Payments Bank (IPPB), a division of the Indian Post, under the ownership of the Department of Post and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the principal financial institution for the promotion of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs have tied up to accelerate formal financial services in rural India and among smaller companies.
• The disbursal of small business loans under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) achieved a remarkable 38% growth during the first half of the current financial year, which concluded in September 2023.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) tweaked guidelines pertaining to anti-money laundering standards, whereby partners holding a 10% stake in a firm will come under the definition of beneficial owners.
• 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.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 181 million loan to bolster the quality of urban infrastructure and services, thereby enhancing urban liveability and mobility in the peri-urban regions of Ahmedabad city in Gujarat.
• Groww, a financial services platform, has applied for a 'corporate agent' license with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the Certificate of Registration of Chennai-based Ind Bank Housing Limited.
• According to data available on the website of National Stock Depository (NSDL), Sberbank of Moscow (Russia) has become the first Russian bank to register with the Indian markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as a foreign portfolio investor (FPI).
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the principal institution of financial lending for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME), a mass entrepreneurship enablement platform, have announced onboarding the first cohort of small or lower-rated non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) to their NBFC Growth Accelerator Program (NGAP).
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a penalty of ₹12 crore 19 lakh on ICICI Bank for breaching rules related to the code of conduct for the bank's directors and for failing to report fraud incidents.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya as he laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various health infrastructure projects under Pradhan Mantri- Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), National Health Mission (NHM) and XV Finance Commission Health Grants in the presence of Shri. Keshab Mahanta, State Health Minister, Assam, in Guwahati, Assam and delivered a keynote address on the Transformation of Healthcare in Amrit Kaal while chairing the Amrit Kaal Vimarsh Viksit Bharat @2047, Development Dialogue.
• The Centre has extended the 20 per cent export duty on parboiled rice until March 31, 2024, as it was to expire on October 15.
• 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.
• 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
• India’s unemployment rate declined to 6.6% in urban areas in the first (April-June) quarter of this fiscal.
• The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed that need-based research is crucial for India to fulfil the aspirations of society.
• India assumed the Vice-Chair role of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) for 2023-25 at the IORA Council of Ministers meeting in Colombo.
• The Pharmacopoeial Discussion Group (PDG) announced the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) as a PDG member, during the PDG Stakeholders meeting in Hyderabad.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for the financial year 2022-23 to all eligible non-gazetted Railway employees namely Track maintainers, Loco Pilots, Train Managers (Guards), Station Masters, Supervisors, Technicians, Technician Helpers, Pointsman, Ministerial Staff and other Group ‘C’ staff (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel).
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 01.07.2023 representing an increase of 4% over the existing rate of 42% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate against price rise.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, approved the project on Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II – Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) for 13 GW Renewable Energy Project in Ladakh.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2024-25.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the priority section of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor at Sahibabad RapidX Station, Uttar Pradesh.
• The G20 expert group has presented a roadmap (in its report The Triple Agenda: A Roadmap for Better, Bolder and Bigger MDBs) for enhancing the performance of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to be bigger, better, and bolder by 2030.
• The Ecomark Certification Rules (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Ecomark Rules’) is for labelling of products which will have lesser adverse impacts on the environment, with the objective to encourage the consumers to adopt such products as well as the manufacturers to transition to production of Ecomark certified products for promoting sustainability.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India's first Regional Rail, RAPIDX from Sahibabad, Uttar Pradesh.
• WhatsApp users in India can now access railway-related information by chatting with redRail’s innovative Railbot or via the redRail app.
• The Indian government will sell up to a 7% stake in state-run housing finance company, Housing and Urban Development Corp.(HUDC.NS), through an offer for sale.
• India has decided to skip the BRI meet and India did not attend the summits in 2017 and 2019, having raised concerns about the BRI.
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor at Sahibabad RapidX Station in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi hailed the Dhordo village in Kutch district of Gujarat for being awarded as the Best Tourism Village by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
• Commercial pilot licenses will now be valid for ten years, with the government amending rules as part of efforts to further improve ease of doing business in the aviation sector.
• The Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana.
• The Union Ministry of Education is planning to create a unique identification number, Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR), for every student from pre-primary to higher education.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• The European Union (EU) has given its approval for the world's first green bond standards.
• India and Tanzania announced the elevation of their relations to a strategic partnership and agreed on a five-year roadmap to significantly expand defence cooperation.
• India and Argentina have entered into a Social Security Agreement (SSA) with the aim of safeguarding the legal rights of professionals working in each other's countries.
• Israel has officially declared war against Hamas, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two parties.
• 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 cooperative sector leaders and experts in India.
• India has launched Operation Ajay to evacuate Indian nationals from the Israel-Hamas conflict zone.
• Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced Tanzania's decision to join the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), led by India.
• Dubai, a global economic powerhouse, achieved a remarkable growth rate of 3.2% in the services sector during the first half of 2023, making it the world's fastest-recovering destination in this sector.
• Russia's Olympic Committee has been suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with immediate effect and until further notice for violating the Olympic Charter after it involved sports bodies from four regions associated with Ukraine.
• The 9th G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit, also known as the P20 Summit, was hosted by the Parliament of India in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU, in New Delhi.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) and National Institute of Communication Finance (NICF).
• The Department of Land Resources, DOLR and National Remote Sensing Centre, NRSC signed an MoU for monitoring of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana - Watershed Development Component, WDC 2.O.
• A two-day comprehensive Coastal Security Exercise Sagar Kavach 02/23 involving all maritime security agencies was conducted by the Indian Navy in Andhra Pradesh (AP), Tamil Nadu (TN) and the Union Territory (UT) of Puducherry.
• The Regional Conference of India's ASEAN and East Asia Ambassadors was chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar in Singapore.
• The G20 expert group has outlined a roadmap in its report, "The Triple Agenda: A Roadmap for Better, Bolder, and Bigger MDBs," aimed at enhancing the performance of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) by 2030.
• India and Vietnam have deep historical ties dating back nearly 2,000 years, linked to the heritage of Buddhism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar while unveiling the bust of Nobel Prize-winning author-poet Rabindranath Tagore in Bac Ninh city.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

• The two-day Ladakh Zanskar Festival 2023, which is the 8th edition of the festival, commenced in Padum, Zanskar, Ladakh.
• The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Shri M.K. Stalin initiated 'The Nilgiri Tahr' project to conserve the state's animals.
• The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Department (UPNEDA) is actively working to transform Ayodhya into a solar city.
• 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.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be launching 511 Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras in Maharashtra via video conferencing.
• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approved the Delhi Motor Vehicle Aggregator and Delivery Service Provider Scheme 2023, a policy aimed at regulating cab aggregators and delivery service providers in the national capital.
• Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar will inaugurate project “Heartland Tripura,” a skill development initiative in collaboration with Deloitte and the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) in
• Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Yogi Adityanath launched the fourth phase of Mission Shakti, an initiative aimed at empowering women.
• The Chief Minister of Kerala Shri Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed the first Chinese ship Zhen Hua 15 at the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Thiruvananthapuram.
• The Jaderi Namakatti has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
• Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya, inaugurated the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR) in Kohima, Nagaland.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• 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 Department of Land Resources (DOLR) organized an event for the signing of MOU with (the National Remote Sensing Center) NRSC in the presence of Shri Ajay Tirkey, Secretary, DOLR and Sh. S. Somanath, Secretary, of the Department of Space along with other senior officers from DOLR, Department of Space and NRSC.
• The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and WHO have signed a four-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to allow experts from both international organizations to collaborate and share information on issues where anti-doping and public health intersect.
• Indian Oil Corporation, the nation's biggest oil firm, will invest ₹1,660.15 crore as equity in a newly set up joint venture with energy major NTPC Ltd for setting up renewable power plants.
• IBM has announced the signing of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with three entities engaged with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to advance and accelerate innovation in AI, Semiconductor and quantum technology for India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

• Noted author and activist Sivasankari was honoured with the prestigious 32nd Saraswati Samman for the year 2022 at the National Museum in Delhi.
• President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 69th National Film Awards in New Delhi.
• REC Limited, the Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, has been recognized for its exceptional performance in risk management with the esteemed Golden Peacock Award, given by the Institute of Directors (IOD).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) principal bench in New Delhi has issued an order in favour of Deepak Chhabria, allowing him to continue serving as the chairman of Finolex Cables.
• VJ Kurian has been appointed as the new chairman of South Indian Bank.
• 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.
• Akash Tripathi, who currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MyGov, will assume the role of CEO of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).
• Puma, a prominent sports brand, has appointed Mohammed Shami, the fast bowler from Team India, as its brand ambassador.
• Global body Worldsteel has elected Leon Topalian as its Chairman and India's T V Narendran as one of its vice-chairmen.
• Christopher Luxon has been elected as the 42nd Prime Minister of New Zealand.
• Arindam Bagchi, presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next Ambassador/Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, Switzerland.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

• India’s rank on the Global Pension Index 2023 declines to 45th position out of 47 countries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

• 'East Tech ', the first-ever defence tech show in Northeast India, has commenced in Guwahati, Assam with an aim to expose manufacturers to the requirements of the armed forces and facilitate direct procurement of their products.
• 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 Navy's Advanced Light Helicopter has arrived at the Sri Lanka Air Force base in Katunayake.
• The 21st edition of the India-France Military Sub Committee (MSC) meeting was held at Air Force Station, New Delhi.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• Amazon's (AMZN.O) first pair of prototype satellites for its planned Kuiper internet network were launched into space on from Florida in low Earth orbit (LEO), the company's first step before it deploys thousands more into orbit to beam internet service globally and compete with SpaceX's Starlink.
• 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.
• Spanish aerospace company PLD Space achieved a significant milestone by successfully launching its recoverable Miura-1 rocket.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Psyche mission is designed to study an asteroid known as Psyche, which is rich in metal content.
• The 2nd spaceport of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which will be dedicated exclusively for Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs) developed by the private sector, will come up in about two years at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu (TN).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• Chief Minister Hemant Soren unveiled the mascot- Juhi and the trophy of the Asian Women's Hockey Championship 2023 in Ranchi.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has accepted the proposal to include cricket in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
• The International Olympic Committee has announced the inclusion of Twenty-20 cricket and four other sports as part of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
• Raunak Sadhwani has won at the FIDE World Junior Rapid Chess Championship 2023.
• In Qatar Masters, the 24-year-old Indian chess grandmaster, Karthikeyan Murali, became the third Indian player to beat the world's number one player, Magnus Carlsen in classical chess.
• Former England captain Alastair Cook, his country's record Test runs scorer, has announced his retirement from professional cricket.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• World Students Day 2023 is observed on the 15th of October 2023, to honour the birthday of our former president, the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
• Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day 2023 is observed on the 15th of October 2023.
• International Day of Rural Women 2023 is observed on the 15th of October 2023.
• World Food Day 2023 is observed annually on the 16th of October 2023 & the theme is - Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind. "
• World Anaesthesia Day 2023 is observed on the 16th of October 2023 & the theme is "Anaesthesia and Cancer Care".
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2023 is observed on the 17th of October 2023 & the theme is "Decent Work and Social Protection: Putting Dignity in Practice for All".
• On 20th October, National Solidarity Day 2023 is observed.
• World Osteoporosis Day 2023 is observed on the 20th of October & the theme is “Build Better Bones”.
• Police Commemoration Day 2023 is observed on the 21st of October 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

• 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.
• Karthyayani Amma, who made history by becoming the oldest learner under the Kerala State Literacy Mission has passed away at the age of 101.
• The Nobel prize-winning author and a former poet laureate of the United States Louise Glück, has passed away at the age of 80 in Cambridge, Massachusetts,the United States of America (USA).