1 PM Modi will visit Russia to attend BRICS summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Russia to attend the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan on October 22-23 . He will attend this summit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin . The Ministry of External Affairs gave this information on October 18. During this visit, PM Modi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with counterparts and invited leaders of BRICS member countries in Kazan. The 15th BRICS summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa was expanded by inviting 6 additional countries. The newly invited countries included Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from West Asia, Egypt and Ethiopia from Africa and Argentina from Latin America. BRICS is an abbreviation for the group of the world’s five leading emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
2 Rural Development Ministry signs MoU with ten banks to promote personal finance
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY NRLM) under the Ministry of Rural Development signed MoUs with nine public sector banks and one private bank to promote personal finance . These banks include- . These banks include Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, UCO Bank and IDBI Bank Ltd. These banks have designed a specific loan scheme for financing individual women entrepreneurs under DAY-NRLM. The scheme thus designed will help women entrepreneurs to get loans according to their needs to grow their businesses. This move is in line with the goal of creating Lakhpati Didi announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
3 Scientists developed chitosan nano-aggregates, it will be a better treatment for brain TB
Scientists in India have created a unique way to deliver tuberculosis (TB) drugs directly to the brain, overcoming the challenging blood-brain barrier (BBB) , which limits the effectiveness of many brain TB drugs. This unique drug delivery method can effectively treat brain TB, a serious condition for life with high mortality. The Ministry of Science and Technology has given this information through a press release. The Ministry of Science and Technology said that the team of scientists led by Rahul Kumar Verma, along with Krishna Jadhav, Agraim Jilta, Raghuraj Singh, Yupa Ray, Vimal Kumar, Awadh Yadav and Amit Kumar Singh developed chitosan nano-aggregates , which are small clusters of nanoparticles made of chitosan, a biocompatible and biodegradable substance. These small particles, known as nanoparticles, were then formed into slightly larger clusters called nano-aggregates, which are designed to be easily delivered through the nose. They can administer TB drugs such as isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF).
4 Supreme Court’s decision on child marriage
The Supreme Court gave its verdict on child marriage on 18 October. The bench of CJI DY Chandrachud , Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra said that we need awareness to stop child marriage, only provision of punishment will not do anything. CJI said, we saw and understood the purpose of the law made on the prevention of child marriage (PCMA). There is a provision of punishment without any harm in it, which proved to be ineffective. We need awareness campaigning. The Supreme Court reserved the decision after hearing on 10 July. This petition was filed by the Society for Enlightenment and Voluntary Action in 2017. The NGO alleged that the Child Marriage Prohibition Act was not being implemented literally.
5 Senior National Conference leader Mubarak Gul appointed Protem Speaker
After the formation of the new government of Jammu and Kashmir , all the ministers were given their departments. After this, now Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha appointed Mubarak Gul as the Protem Speaker for the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory on 18 October . The newly elected assembly members of Jammu and Kashmir will be sworn in at the Srinagar Assembly at 2 pm on October 21. Gul will also hold the responsibility of the Speaker until a permanent Speaker is elected. This appointment has been made as part of the constitutional framework established under Section 24 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019. Earlier, National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah took oath as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir on 16 October .
6 ‘Aviation Park’ showcasing India’s aviation heritage inaugurated
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, led by the Minister of Civil Aviation , Shri Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu inaugurated the Aviation Park at the Ministry premises . Spectacular aircraft models are displayed amidst a serene reservoir, depicting the evolution of aircraft and the growth of India’s civil aviation sector. These exhibits symbolize the Ministry’s journey towards progress and innovation in the aviation sector. The backdrop of independent architectural pillars representing various regions of India celebrates the rich cultural and architectural heritage of the country. A special pathway in the park highlights important milestones, spanning from early flight and aircraft development to modern advancements in India’s civil aviation history. The pathway provides an educational experience to the visitors.
7 Pilot projects launched in steel sector under National Green Hydrogen Mission
Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the Central Government has approved three pilot projects for the use of hydrogen in steel production . Earlier, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had issued guidelines for implementation of pilot projects in the steel sector under this mission. The scheme aimed to identify advanced technologies for using green hydrogen in steelmaking through pilot projects. These pilot projects can demonstrate safe and secure operation of green hydrogen based steelmaking processes, validate technical feasibility and performance, and evaluate their economic viability, leading to production of low carbon iron and steel. Accordingly, proposals were invited for three components (i) pilot project to produce DRI using 100 per cent hydrogen using vertical shaft, (ii) use of hydrogen in blast furnace to reduce coal/coke consumption and (iii) injection of hydrogen in vertical shaft based DRI manufacturing unit.
8 Supermoon visible all over the world
Supermoon was seen all over the world on 17 October . During this time , the size of the moon appeared 14% larger than usual. The moon also appeared 30% brighter . Due to this, the moon appears bigger and brighter. On seeing this supermoon, it seemed as if it was coming closer to the earth. This was the third supermoon this year. On Thursday, the moon was about 351,519 km away from the earth . Whereas usually it is at its farthest distance of 4,05,000 km and at its closest distance of 3,63,104 km . The moon revolves around the earth in an elliptical orbit, so the distance between the earth and the moon changes every day. When the moon is farthest from the earth, it is called apogee. When the moon is closest to the earth, it is called perigee. When the moon is closest to the earth in perigee i.e. and the full moon occurs, it is called supermoon.
9 Israel killed Hamas chief Sinwar
Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was killed in the attack on the night of October 17. He was the mastermind of the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Israel Katz have confirmed Sinwar’s death. Earlier on October 7, 2023, Hamas fired more than 3 thousand rockets on Israel. Apart from this, several hundred Hamas fighters entered Israel who killed many Israelis and took more than 200 hostage. From this day onwards, Israel started searching for Sinwar. Hamas is a Palestinian Islamic extremist group, which operates from the Gaza Strip.