1 President presents National Water Awards in New Delhi
President Draupadi Murmu presented the 5th National Water Awards in New Delhi on 22 October . Odisha has received the National Water Award from the Central Government . Odisha beat Uttar Pradesh in the Best State category. Puducherry and Gujarat have been jointly placed third. The Best District (Region-wise) award went to Visakhapatnam ( Andhra Pradesh ) from the South, Dhalai ( Tripura ) from the North-East , Banda (Uttar Pradesh) and Ganderbal ( Jammu and Kashmir ) jointly from the North, Indore ( Madhya Pradesh ) from the West and Balangir (Odisha) from the East. The Best Gram Panchayat award went to Pulampara, Thiruvananthapuram ( Kerala ). The Best Urban Local Body award went to Surat (Gujarat). The Best School or College award went to ‘Government Higher Primary School, Jethwanka Bas ( Rajasthan ). The Best Industry award went to Aravali Power Company Private Limited, Haryana . The Best Water Users Association award went to Pentakli Project Union of Water Users Association, Maharashtra . The award for the best institution (other than school/college) went to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamil Nadu. The award for the best civil society went to BAIF Development Research Foundation, Maharashtra. The National Water Awards were instituted in 2018.
2 PM Modi reached Russia to attend BRICS Summit 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kazan, Russia on 22 October to attend the BRICS Summit 2024. He will attend the 16th BRICS summit. Modi held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Putin. The BRICS Summit will be held in two sessions. First of all, there will be a closed plenary in the morning. After this, there will be an open plenary in the evening, during which PM Modi will also hold bilateral talks with many leaders. Russia is chairing the 16th BRICS summit. PM Modi is attending this summit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 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, as well as 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.
3 Indian Air Force and Singapore Air Force participated in joint military exercise
The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) began the Joint Military Training (JMT) exercise at Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Bengal on 21 October . This is the 12th edition of the joint military exercise between the two countries. The bilateral phase is expected to further enhance cooperation between the armies of the two countries. It will include advanced air combat simulations, joint mission planning and debriefing sessions. The bilateral phase aims to enhance interoperability, strengthen combat readiness and promote the exchange of knowledge between the two air forces.
4 BSNL launches seven new services to bring a revolution in enhancing digital security
Public sector telecom company BSNL has launched its new logo and slogan . Apart from the new logo, seven new BSNL services have also been launched with the aim of revolutionizing the way India connects, communicates and enhances its digital security. These include spam-free network, National Wi-Fi Roaming, Intranet Fiber TV, Anytime, Kiosk, Direct-to-Device Service, Public Safety and Disaster Relief, and first 5G in Mines . The National Wi-Fi Roaming facility will provide its Fiber to the Home customers free high-speed internet access on BSNL hotspots at no additional cost. In addition, Any Time SIM Kiosk will allow users to purchase, upgrade, port or replace SIMs. BSNL has also introduced 5G connectivity for mining operations. Additionally, BSNL has also guaranteed encrypted communications and seamless connectivity for government and relief agencies during crises and disasters.
5 Jyotiraditya Scindia launches International Incoming Spoofed Call Prevention System in New Delhi
Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched the International Incoming Spoofed Call Prevention System in New Delhi . The Department of Communications and Telecommunication Services has jointly developed this system, which aims to identify and block fake calls coming from abroad. Within 24 hours of the launch of this system, about 1 crore 35 lakh foreign fake numbers were identified and blocked. These fake calls are often used to spread financial scams, fraud and panic.
6 Quad countries announce continuation of Quad Cyber Challenge
The governments of the United States, Australia and Japan have announced the continuation of the Quad Cyber Challenge-2024 . Its objective is to strengthen the cyber ecosystem, promote public resources and increase cybersecurity awareness. The Quad countries said in a joint statement that the theme of this year’s challenge is to build a strong workforce along with promoting cybersecurity education. According to the website of the US Department of State, a joint statement of the Quad countries has been issued on October 21. It said that under the aegis of the Quad Senior Cyber Group, the Quad partners of Australia, India, Japan and the United States announced the continuation of the Quad Cyber Challenge as a joint campaign to strengthen responsible cyber ecosystem, promote public resources and enhance cybersecurity.
7 50 national highway projects approved in Manipur
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved 50 national highway projects of 1,026 km in Manipur . Of these, 44 projects of 902 km are in the hilly areas of the state. 8 projects of 125 km in these areas have been completed and the remaining 36 projects of 777 km costing Rs 12,000 crore are in progress. The ministry’s annual plan for 2024-25 includes two national highway projects of Rs 1,350 crore in the hilly region, with a total length of 90 km. Under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), the ministry approves the list of works on state roads given by the state government on priority basis.
8 India launched its fourth nuclear submarine S-4, capable of firing 8 missiles simultaneously
The fourth nuclear submarine of the Arihant class, S-4, has been launched from the Ship Building Center in Visakhapatnam , India . The nuclear submarine S-4 is capable of firing 8 K-4 ballistic missiles simultaneously in a range of 3,500 km. 06 submarines of the Arihant class are being built with the help of Russia . Let us tell you that the launch of the submarine S-4 was kept confidential. The third submarine was also launched secretly in January 2022. At the same time, two ballistic nuclear submarines of the same class have been included in the Navy fleet. Amid a diplomatic dispute with Canada, India has quietly launched its fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile (SSBN) submarine at the Ship Building Center (SBC) in Visakhapatnam to strengthen its nuclear deterrence against its enemies. It is equipped with K-4 nuclear ballistic missiles of 3,500 km range. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone of the Navy’s VLF radar station at Vikarabad in Telangana on October 15 , a day after which the fourth nuclear submarine was launched on October 16. It has about 75 percent indigenous content, which can be fired through a vertical launching system. INS Arihant and INS Arighat are already patrolling the deep sea. India’s first ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant was launched by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur on July 26, 2009. This day was also chosen because it was also the anniversary of victory in the Kargil war .
9 MIGHTY-MHI joint initiative to promote indigenous technology in EV sector
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in collaboration with the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) on Monday announced a joint call for proposals for development of electric vehicle (EV) sub-systems at an event held at Electronics Niketan in New Delhi . Launching the joint initiative for development of electric vehicle (EV) sub-systems, MeitY Secretary S Krishnan said that “innovators and researchers in collaboration with industry and academia can promote technology development and provide indigenous products for the EV ecosystem.” The joint call for proposals will focus on key areas of innovation such as EV chargers and charging infrastructure, machines and drives for EVs, batteries and battery management systems, telematics, functional safety and security, centres for prototyping, testing for validation of EV sub-systems. The initiative encourages participation of research institutes, startups and industry players.
10 Telangana Government launches ‘Power Ambulance’ to streamline emergency power restoration services
The Telangana government has launched a fleet of special vehicles called ‘ Power Ambulances ‘ to streamline emergency power restoration services . These ambulances will operate in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits. Designed like ambulances, these vehicles are aimed at ensuring immediate response and restoration of power during any interruption in power supply across the city.
11 India’s real GDP growth rate likely to be 7.2 percent in FY 2024-25: RBI
In the RBI ‘s monthly bulletin, the RBI governor said that India’s real GDP growth rate is likely to be 7.2 percent in FY 2024-25 . He said that the prospects for private consumption look bright due to better agricultural scenario and rural demand. The RBI governor said that the continued boom in services will also support urban demand. Government expenditure of the Center and the states is expected to accelerate in line with budget estimates. According to the RBI document, CPI inflation is projected to be 4.5 percent for 2024-25.
12 International Monetary Fund maintained India’s GDP growth forecast for the current financial year at 7 percent
The International Monetary Fund has maintained India’s GDP growth rate at seven percent for the current financial year ending March 31, 2025. In its latest estimate of the world economic situation, the IMF has said that India’s growth rate is expected to be six and a half percent in the next financial year 2025-26. Deloitte India has also projected India’s growth rate to be between seven and 7.2 percent in its latest economic scenario in the current financial year.
13 9 sports including hockey, wrestling and badminton out of Commonwealth Games 2026
Badminton, shooting, cricket, hockey, squash, table tennis, wrestling, triathlon and archery have been excluded from the Commonwealth Games to be held in Glasgow in 2026. It was decided to remove these major sports due to lack of budget. There will be only 10 events in the Glasgow Commonwealth and it will be held from 23 July to 2 August 2026. The 10 events include athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, track cycling, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls and basketball . All these events will be held at four places. Apart from this, there will be events for para athletes. Earlier these Commonwealth Games were to be held in Australia . Last year the Australian government refused to organize the event. After this, it was decided to hold the games in Glasgow (Scotland). The last Commonwealth Games (in 2022) were held in Birmingham, England, which included 19 sports. Archery and shooting were not included in the Birmingham Games. India won 12 medals in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
14 Harmanpreet Kaur included in the Best Team of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been included in the best team of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 competition . She is the only player from India in the 12-member team announced by the ICC. This ICC team includes women players from seven countries. Harmanpreet Kaur performed brilliantly for the Indian team in the recently held Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup. She scored 150 runs in four innings. On the other hand, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt has been chosen as the captain of this best team.