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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
IndiaAI mission selects 8 projects to enhance Safe and Trusted AI development
The IndiaAI mission has selected 8 responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects through the Expression of Interest (EoI) floated under the Safe and Trusted AI Pillar of the IndiaAI mission.
- These selected responsible AI projects include the development of indigenous tools and frameworks, and framing guidelines for ethical, transparent, and trustworthy AI technologies.
Key Points:
i.The IndiaAI mission has issued an EoI to encourage responsible AI projects across various critical themes such as: Machine Unlearning, Synthetic Data Generation, AI Bias Mitigation, Ethical AI frameworks, Privacy-Enhancing Tools, Explainable AI, AI Governance Testing, and Algorithm Auditing Tools.
ii.Over 2000 proposals were received from prestigious academic institutions, start-ups, research organisations and civil society.
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY):
Union Minister- Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha- Odisha)
Minister of State (MoS) – Jitin Prasada(Constituency- Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh)
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Supreme Court of India upholds Section 6A of Citizenship Act as Valid Law
i.The Supreme Court of India (SCI) upheld the constitutionality of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, with a majority of 4:1. As per it, Section 6A does not violate Articles 6 and 7 of the Constitution, which pertain to citizenship rights established at the Constitution’s commencement in 1950.
ii.Instead, Section 6A addresses migrants from erstwhile East Pakistan (Present Bangladesh), specifically those who entered Assam between January 1, 1966, and March 24, 1971.
iii.The majority judges, which includes Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Yeshwant (DY) Chandrachud and Justices Surya Kant, M.M. Sundresh, and Manoj Misra, upheld Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955. Justice Jamshed Burjor (JB) Pardiwala dissented in the verdict.
iv.The Court ruled that changes in demographics do not violate cultural rights protected under Article 29(1). It highlighted that different cultures can coexist peacefully in Indian society.
About Supreme Court of India (SCI):
SCI established on January 26, 1950, is the highest judicial authority under the Indian Constitution, as mandated by Article 124.
Secretary General– Atul Madhukar Kurhekar
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
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Union Minister Piyush Goyal Launched District Master Plan under PM Gati Shakti for 27 Aspirational Districts
On 15th October 2024, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) launched the District Master Plan (DMP) under PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP) for 27 aspirational districts in the country on the occasion of successful completion of 3 years of PM Gati Shakti NMP (on 13th October, 2024).
- He announced that the DMP will be expanded to cover over 750 districts across the country in the next 18 months.
- During the event, he also launched the ‘Guidelines for Preparing City Logistics Plans for Indian Cities’ which aimed to help cities tailor their logistics planning to meet its unique vision, objectives, and local characteristics.
Note: The DMP portals for all districts of the country will be developed in a phased manner and is expected to be completed by 31st March, 2025.
Key Points:
i.While addressing the event, Union Minister Piyush Goyal highlighted that the NMP is a faster, better, efficient, more cost effective and high quality tool for India to foray into world class infrastructure.
ii.The adoption of geospatial and other cutting-edge technologies in the PM Gati Shakti NMP has made significant contributions in revolutionalising connectivity landscape in India.
iii.The scope of PM Gati Shakti had been expanded to social infrastructure to map power distribution lines, schools, hospitals and others using the “Area Development Approach” initiative.
About PM Gati Shakti NMP:
i. It was launched on 13th October, 2021 by Prime Minister (PM) NarendraModi at PragatiMaidan, New Delhi in Delhi, with the budget outlay of Rs 100 lakh crore.
iii.It was developed as a Digital Master Planning tool by Gujarat-based Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N) and was prepared in dynamic Geographic Information System (GIS) platform wherein data on specific action plan of all ministries/ departments have been incorporated within a comprehensive database.
iv.It is mainly driven by 7 engines such as: roads, airports, mass transport, logistics infrastructure, railways, ports and waterways.
About Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I):
Union Minister- Piyush Goyal (Constituency- Mumbai North, Maharashtra)
Minister of State (MoS)- Jitin Prasada (Constituency- Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, UP)
GoI Extended “Samarth” Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector till March 2026
The Government of India (GoI) has decided to extend Samarth (Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector (SCBTS), a demand-driven and placement oriented umbrella skilling program of the Ministry of Textiles (MoT) for next two years i.e. Financial Year 2024-25 (FY25) and FY26, with a budget of Rs 495 crore to train 3 lakh persons in textile-related skills.
- The scheme aims to promote and support the industry in generating jobs in the organised textile and related sectors, covering the entire value chain of textiles excluding spinning and weaving.
- Apart from entry-level skilling, the scheme also provides upskilling/reskilling programs to enhance the productivity of existing workers in Apparel & Garmenting segments.
- It also caters to the upskilling/reskilling requirements of traditional textile sectors such as handloom, handicraft, silk and jute.
About Samarth Scheme:
i.It is a flagship skill development scheme of GoI, which was approved in continuation to the Integrated Skill Development Scheme for 12th Five Year Plan (FYP), Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA).
iii.The scheme was launched with an initial target to train 10 lakh persons (of which 9 lakh in organised and 1 lakh in traditional sector) over a period of 3 years i.e. from 2017 to 2020, with an estimated budget of 1300 crore.
iv.The scheme is implemented through various Implementing Partners (IPs) such as: Textile Industry/ Industry Associations, Central/State government agencies, and Sectoral Organisations of MoT like: Development Commissioner (DC)/Handloom, DC/Handicrafts, Central Wool Development Board (CWDB), and Central Silk Board (CSB).
v.So far, Under Samarth scheme, MoT through its IPs has trained 3.27 lakh persons, of which 2.65 lakh (nearly 80%) have been employed, and 2.89 lakh (88.3%) women have been trained.
Note: Andhra Pradesh(AP), Telangana, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Gujarat are the top textile and clothing manufacturing states in India
About Ministry of Textiles (MoT):
Union Minister- Giriraj Singh (Constituency- Begusarai, Bihar)
Minister of State (MoS)- Pabitra Margherita (Rajya Sabha- Assam)
UNFPA Honors India’s Leadership in Maternal Health and Family Planning
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has recognized India’s extraordinary progress in advancing Maternal Health and Family Planning.
- Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA, honored Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India(GoI), with a plaque and certificate, reaffirming UNFPA’s strong dedication to partnering with India to improve women’s health and well-being.
i.MoHFW aims to improve maternal health and work towards zero preventable maternal deaths under the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Yojana (SUMAN), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), and the Midwifery Services Initiative.
ii.Kanem commended India’s remarkable achievement in reducing the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by 70% between 2000 and 2020, placing the country on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of an MMR below 70 by 2030.
iii.As UNFPA celebrates 50 years of partnership with the Government of India (GoI), this event highlights their joint commitment to improving the health and well-being of every woman and young person in India, as the country moves toward the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Highlights of President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Algeria, Mauritania and Malawi 
Droupadi Murmu, President of India, was on a three nation tour to Algeria, Mauritania and Malawi from 13th to 19th October 2024.
- The three nation tour aimed to strengthen India’s bilateral relations with these African nations.
Highlights of the visit:
i.President Droupadi Murmu was awarded the Honorary Doctorate in Political Science by Sidi Abdellah Science and Technology Pole University in Algiers on 14th October 2024.
ii.On 16th October 2024, President Droupadi Murmu held a bilateral meeting with Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, President of Mauritania. She also participated in the delegation-level talks.
iii.President Droupadi Murmu held a bilateral meeting with Lazarus Chakwera, President of Malawi to further strengthen the India-Malawi relationship.
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BANKING & FINANCE
Worldline Report : UPI Transactions Volume Surged 52% to 78.97 billion in 1H of 2024
According to the Worldline’s report titled “India Digital Payments Report for 1H 2024”, UPI(Unified Payments Interface) has maintained its dominant position with the total number of transactions grew by 52% Year-on-Year(YoY) in 1st Half of 2024(1H 2024 : from Jan to June), has increased from 51.9 billion(in 1H 2023) to 78.97 billion(in 1H 2024).
i.As per the report, the value of these UPI transactions increased by 40% from Rs 83.16 trillion (1H 2023) to Rs 116.63 trillion (1H 2024).
ii.The report showed that the number of transactions increased significantly from 8.03 billion (January 2023) to 13.9 billion (June 2024) and same trend can be seen in volume of UPI transaction value, which increased from Rs 12.98 trillion (January 2023) to Rs 20.07 trillion (June 2024).
About Worldline:
Worldline SA is a leading payment technology service provider.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Marc-Henri Desportes
CEO of Worldline India- Ramesh Narasimhan
Headquarters- Paris, France
Established- 1972
>> Read Full News
SLCM partners with PNB & Bandhan Bank to Offer Management Solutions
New Delhi(Delhi) based Sohan Lal Commodity Management Limited (SLCM) has partnered with New Delhi based Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Kolkata(West Bengal, WB) based Bandhan Bank Limited to provide ‘Unified Collateral Management Solutions‘ aimed at enhancing the agricultural sector.
- This collaboration seeks to address critical issues related to post-harvest storage and financing, ultimately benefiting farmers and agri-businesses.
i.It aims to facilitate access to post-harvest credit at competitive interest rates while offering scientific storage services and ensuring fair pricing for commodities in marketplaces (mandis).
ii.SLCM utilizes its Artificial intelligence (AI) powered application(app) ‘Agri Reach’ to enhance the efficiency of post-harvest credit and storage services for both banks.
- Agri Reach app has been recognized for significantly reducing post-harvest losses from 10% to just 0.5%, regardless of the type of crop or location.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
RBI Census: USA Continues to be Largest Source of FDI in India
According to the annual Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Entities for 2023-24 from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the United States of America (USA) continued to be the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India, followed by Mauritius, Singapore and the United Kingdom (UK).
- The latest census has covered a total 41,653 entities, of which, 37,407 reported FDI and/or Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) in their balance sheets for March 2024.
i.As per the RBI census, Non-Financial Companies(NFC)constituted for approximately 90% of the total FDI equity at face value.
ii.It showed that total FDI in India increased by 23.3% at market-value in rupee terms during the Financial Year 2023-24(FY24), mainly due to large valuation gains as well as fresh FDI inflows while, the ODI growth was much lower at 3.4%.
About Reserve Bank of India(RBI):
Governor– Shaktikanta Das(25th Governor of RBI)
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established- 1 April, 1935
>> Read Full News
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Former Indian Spinner Neetu David along with AB de Villers, Alastair Cook Inducted into ICC Hall of Fame
Former Indian spinner Neetu Lawrence David, along with South Africa’s legendary cricketer Abraham Benjamin de Villiers and former England Cricket team Captain Sir Alastair Nathan Cook were inducted into the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s Hall of Fame as the Class of 2024.
- With this, Alastair Cook, Neetu David and AB de Villiers became 113rd, 114th and 115th inductee in the long list of cricket legends in the Hall of Fame.
- The Class of 2024 will held in Dubai, the United Arab of Emirates (UAE), which will coincide with the conclusion of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Chairman- Greg Barclay
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Geoffrey John Allardice
Headquarters- Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Established- 1909
>> Read Full News
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
ACC Extended Tenure of Registrar General Mritunjay Kumar Narayan; Appointed Praveen Vashista as Special Secretary, MHA
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension of Mritunjay Kumar Narayan’s tenure as Registrar General beyond 6th December 2024, for a period up to 4th August 2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
About Mritunjay Kumar Narayan:
i.Mritunjay Kumar Narayan is a 1995-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Uttar Pradesh (UP) cadre. He took charge as the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India in November 2022.
ii.With over 25 years of experience, he has distinguished himself in various roles within the Uttar Pradesh (UP) State Government and the Government of India (GoI).
iii.His expertise spans a wide range of areas, including public administration, policy development, taxation, health, law and order, internal security, and policing.
iv.He will play a major role in the upcoming Census of India exercises, which have been delayed multiple times since 2021.
ACC appointed Praveen Vashista as Special Secretary, MHA:
ACC has also appointed Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Praveen Vashista, as Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- He will succeed Sivagami Sundari Nanda, who is set to retire on 31st December 2024.
- Praveen Vashista will hold the post as Special Secretary till 31st July 2026, the date of his superannuation, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
About Praveen Vashista:
i.He is 1991-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Bihar cadre.
ii.He is currently serving as the Additional Secretary in MHA.
iii.As Special Secretary (Internal Security), he will oversee vital areas such as law enforcement, internal threats, border security, and coordination between various security agencies.
About the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA):
Union Minister- Amit Shah (Constituency- Gandhinagar Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS)– Nityanand Rai(Constituency- Ujiarpur, Bihar)
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Indian Army Launches Multi-Target Detonation Device “Agniastra” in Gangtok
On 11th October 2024, Indian Army (IA)’s Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Upendra Dwivedi launched the “Agniastra,” a multi-target portable detonation device (WEDC), during the Army Commanders Conference (ACC) held in Gangtok, Sikkim.
- It was developed by Major Rajprasad RS from the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers.
About Agniastra (WEDC):
i.Agniastra was developed to address the critical operational needs in military engagement.
ii.The device was patented on 19th March 2024, reflecting its innovative design and technology.
Key Features:
i.WEDC was created to improve the safety and reliability of executing multiple-target detonations, addressing shortcomings of older systems like the Exploder Dynamo Capacitor.
ii.The device significantly increases the operational range to 2.5 kilometers, compared to the limited 400-meter range of its predecessor. This allows for greater tactical flexibility.
iii.The system is equipped with microprocessor-based electronic controls, which enhance its precision and operational capabilities.
iv.WEDC can operate in both wired and wireless modes.
v.WEDC is specifically designed to assist in counter-terrorism operations, especially in neutralizing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and facilitating safer demolitions from a distance.
Applications:
i.The Agniastra device is poised to enhance military operations in several critical areas.
ii.It has advanced capabilities to infiltrate rooms, destroy bunkers or remote hideouts, and demolish caches.
2024 Army Commanders Conference (ACC):
i.2024 Army Commanders Conference (ACC) is the first ACC hosted outside of Delhi. This reflects the strategic importance of Sikkim.
ii.The 2024 ACC is a two-phase event. The first phase was held from 10th to 11th October 2024, in Gangtok and the 2nd phase is scheduled to be held from 28th to 29th October 2024 in Delhi.
iii.Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) virtually delivered the keynote address at the conference.
OBITUARY
Former Rajya Sabha MP Dhaneswar Majhi dies at 83
Former Rajya Sabha MP (Member of Parliament) and veteran tribal leader Dhaneswar Majhi passed away at the age of 83 in Kalahandi, Odisha. He was born on 5th July 1941.
- He was a five-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). representing the Kesinga and Narla constituencies in Kalahandi district, Odisha.
- He was first elected to the Odisha Assembly in 1971 and served multiple terms until 2014.
- Additionally, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1978 to 1984 as a member of the Janata Party (JP).
- He was associated with various political parties, including the Janata Dal and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BOOKS & AUTHORS
Former Indian Wrestler Sakshi Malik Unveils Memoir Titled ‘Witness’
Sakshi Malik, former Indian freestyle wrestler, and Olympic bronze medalist, has unveiled her memoir titled “Witness” co-authored by journalist Jonathan Selvaraj, offering readers an intimate glimpse into her life, struggles, triumphs, and an unwavering refection on her journey, both in and out of the wrestling ring.
- The book, published by Juggernaut Books, chronicles Malik’s ascent to prominence, beginning with her childhood in Rohtak, Haryana, and leading to her role as a trailblazer for women in sports.
About Sakshi Malik:
i.Sakshi Malik won the bronze medal in 58 kg category at the 2016 Rio Olympics (Brazil) and became the 1st Indian female wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics.
ii.In 2023, She retired from wrestling in protest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh winning Wrestling Federation Of India (WFI) election.
ii.Government of India (GoI) honoured her with Arjuna Award(wrestling) in 2016; Padma Shri(Sports) in 2017.
iii.She has also won the Gold in 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England and 2017 Commonwealth Championships held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Students’ Day 2024 – October 15
World Students’ Day (WSD) is annually observed on 15 October to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India (from 2002 to 2007), who is fondly known as the Missile Man of India .
- 15th October 2024 marks the 93rd birth anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
- The day honours the contributions of students and promote awareness about the importance of education.
Theme:
The theme of WSD 2024 is “Empowering Students to be Agents of Change”.
- The theme highlights students to take responsibility for their education and future by viewing themselves as leaders and innovators.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2024 – October 17
The United Nations (UN)’s International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) is annually observed across the globe on October 17 to promote understanding and dialogue between people living in poverty and wider society.
- 17th October 2024 marks the 32nd commemoration of IDEP.
- The theme of IDEP 2024 is “Ending Social and Institutional Maltreatment Acting together for just, peaceful and inclusive societies”.
Background:
i.On 22 December 1992, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/47/196 and proclaimed the 17th October of every year as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
ii.The first even UN-recognised IDEP was observed on 17th October 1993.
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