1 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches 511 Pramod Mahajan Rural Skill Development Centers in Maharashtra
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched 511 Pramod Mahajan Rural Skill Development Centers in Maharashtra through video conference . These centers established in 34 rural districts of Maharashtra will conduct skill development training programs in various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth. Rural Skill Development Centers will organize skill development training programs in various fields to provide employment opportunities to rural youth. Each center will train about 100 youth in at least two vocational courses. This training will be provided by industry partners and agencies empaneled under the National Skill Development Council.
2 CBSE develops Vidya Samiksha Software- Sagar Se Samarshan to enhance data-based decision making
Central Board of Secondary Education-CBSE has developed Vidya Samiksha Software – Sagar Se Saarhan as part of Vidya Samiksha Kendra to enhance data-based decision making. The goal of this software is to leverage data and technology to achieve greater success in decision making and governance. This software will have data of more than 28 thousand CBSE schools, more than 13 lakh teachers and about three crore students. The data will be used to enhance overall monitoring of the CBSE education system and for effective analysis of academic enrichment projects in schools. It contains more than 12 billion data points. This software is in line with the National Digital Education Architecture which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2021. The software mainly consists of three datasets which include comprehensive school data, academic skills training and sports data and examination result data.
3 Three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed between IBM and the Government of India
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) has signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with entities associated with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY ) to promote innovation in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Semiconductor Technology and Quantum Technology in India. Signing has been announced. These collaborations are aimed at accelerating India’s national strategy for Artificial Intelligence (AI), self-reliance in semiconductor technology and advancing the National Quantum Mission. The partnership includes setting up a National AI Innovation Platform (AIIP) to promote AI skills and development and a Semiconductor Research Center to promote innovation in semiconductor technology.
4 Unique ID will be made for school children on the lines of One Nation, One Student.
The Union Education Ministry has recently advised all states to implement Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) , also known as ‘ One Nation, One Student ID ‘. The move aims to create a seamless educational ecosystem and facilitate better tracking of students’ academic journeys and achievements. It is an education ecosystem registry or ‘ EduLocker ‘. National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) under the Ministry of Education initiated the concept of creating a comprehensive educational ecosystem registry that includes students, teachers, schools and colleges.
5 Operation cycle of CBI
CBI conducted raids at 76 places in different states in five different cases under Operation Chakra-2 . The objective of this campaign is to eliminate cyber-related organized financial crime in the country. This operation has been conducted by CBI in collaboration with leading private sector companies as well as national and international agencies.
6 Rafa Crossing
The Rafah crossing in southern Gaza has attracted global attention as Palestinians attempt to leave Gaza due to fears of a possible Israeli attack due to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict . The Rafah Crossing is the southernmost exit point from the Gaza Strip and shares a border with Egypt ‘s Sinai Peninsula . Egypt has control over this crossing. This is the only exit that does not lead to Israeli territory. There are only two other border crossings into and out of Gaza. Erez is located in the north and is used by the people of Israel. Kerem Shalom , located in the south , is particularly famous for commercial goods. Erez and Kerem Shalom, both controlled by Israel, are currently under siege. The Rafah crossing gained importance following the Hamas attack on the Erez crossing, which caused more than 1,300 casualties in southern Israel.
7 Mahila police station of Bhopal got ISO certificate
Mahila Thana of Bhopal , Madhya Pradesh has become the first women-centric police station in the country to be certified by ISO (International Organization for Standardization). The Victim Friendly Mahila Thana built by Bhopal Police Commissionerate under community policing was selected for the ISO Award on the basis of evaluation and quality by the ISO team. The ISO 9001:2015 certificate was awarded in the presence of many top officials of the capital.
8 Global Remote Work Index, India among the worst countries in the world
In a significant change in the global remote work scenario , India has been ranked 64th out of 108 countries in the Global Remote Work Index (GRWI) . This represents a steep drop of 15 places from last year, raising concerns about the country’s readiness for remote work. In the areas of cyber security and economic security, India’s performance remains moderate with rankings of 56 and 55 respectively. While the country boasts a fairly strong cyber infrastructure (13th place) and good response capacity (19th place), there is room for improvement. Meanwhile, the top scoring countries in the Global Remote Work Index (GRWI) are Denmark, Netherlands, Germany .
9 Arindam Bagchi becomes India’s permanent representative to the United Nations
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi was appointed India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva . He is a 1995 batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS). He took over as the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs in March 2020. He handled many important issues and developments well, including the Eastern Ladakh border dispute, India’s COVID-19, India’s G-20 chairmanship. He will replace Indra Mani Pandey in Geneva.
10 India’s Economic Outlook for FY24
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has released its Economic Outlook Survey for India , projecting key economic indicators for the financial year 2023-24 . India’s economy is projected to grow 6.3% in FY24 . Growth estimates range from a minimum of 6.0% to a maximum of 6.6% . Agriculture and allied activities: The average growth forecast for agriculture and allied activities in FY24 is 2.7%, lower than the growth of about 4.0% reported in the previous financial year (2022-23). Industry and Services Sector: The industry sector is estimated to grow by 5.6% in FY24, while the services sector is expected to grow by 7.3%. The average forecast for Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation is 5.5% for FY24, with a range of 5.3% to 5.7%. Inflation remains uncertain, with risks rising due to stagnant grain prices, food price volatility and rising crude oil prices.
11 State-of-the-art Advanced Light Helicopter-ALH of Indian Navy reached Katunayake Base of Sri Lanka Air Force
The state-of-the-art Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the Indian Navy reached Sri Lanka Air Force ‘s Katunayake Base. This helicopter will be used to train Sri Lankan Air Force pilots in deck-landing on naval ships. This is an important step towards strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries. The objective of this program is to familiarize the Sri Lankan Air Force pilots with the ALH helicopter and provide them with experience as a co-pilot.
12 Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Shri Rajiv Chandrashekhar inaugurated the ‘Heartland Tripura’ project with the aim of increasing employment and ’employability’ in the state.
A project named ‘ Heartland Tripura ‘ was launched in partnership with Deloitte India and National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Agartala to enhance the employability and skills of the youth of Tripura . Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Shri Rajeev Chandrashekhar inaugurated the related function in Agartala, where Deloitte India and NIELIT-Agartala signed an agreement. This project will provide new opportunities for career and personal development for undergraduate students in both engineering and non-engineering fields. For this, necessary assistance will be provided by the Government of India and the State Government of Tripura. Under the ‘Heartland Tripura’ project, a unique set of skill development certification courses will be made available for the state through NIELIT-Agartala.
13 REC Limited awarded Golden Peacock Award in Disaster Management
REC Limited , a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power , has been awarded the prestigious Golden Peacock Award conferred by the Institute of Directors (IoD) for its exceptional performance in disaster management . The Golden Peacock Award for Disaster Management highlights REC’s continued commitment to implementing effective risk assessment strategies, thereby contributing to the organization’s sustainable growth and resilience in a competitive business landscape.
14 CBDT instructions on angel tax
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued a direction aimed at ensuring that start-ups recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) are not subjected to unnecessary scrutiny under the amended angel tax provisions in the Finance Act, 2023. Don’t be burdened . Angel tax is an income tax levied at the rate of 30.6% when an unlisted company issues shares to an investor at a price higher than its fair market value. Fair Market Value (FMV) is the value of the asset when the buyer and seller have information about it and are ready to trade without pressure. Initially angel tax was applicable only on investments made by resident investors. The Finance Act, 2023 has expanded this provision to include foreign investors as well. This means that when a start-up raises funds from a foreign investor, this will also be counted as income and subject to taxation. However start-ups recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) are excluded from the angel tax levy.
15 Sanjay Kulshrestha becomes Chairman and Managing Director of HUDCO
Sanjay Kulshrestha has joined as Chairman and Managing Director of HUDCO with effect from October 16, 2023 . He is an Electrical Engineer with over 32 years of expertise in Infrastructure Financing, Hedging, Risk Management, ALM, Thermal Power Plant Management, Power Sector Project Financing etc.
16 Government to sell 7% equity stake in HUDCO through OFS
The Government of India has announced its plan to sell 7% equity in Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) through an offer for sale (OFS) scheduled for October 18-19 . This strategic move is expected to generate revenue of approximately ₹1,100 crore.
17 Indian Chess Grandmaster Karthikeyan Murali defeats world number one Magnus Carlsen in Qatar Masters
Karthikeyan Murali has defeated world number one player Magnus Carlsen in the Qatar Masters Chess Classical Tournament . 24-year-old Karthikeyan Murali has become the third Indian player to defeat Magnus Carlsen, before which Harikrishna and Vishwanathan Anand have also defeated Carlsen. Karthikeyan used the black pieces in the seventh round.