- National:
- The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), a government-backed initiative to improve infrastructure and connectivity in India, especially in remote and underserved regions, has successfully completed six years.
- Sporanaerobium hydrogeniformans is a newly discovered genus of anaerobic lignocellulose-degrading bacteria. It was found in the hot spring of Aravali in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.
- The Election Commission of India has provided an alternative facility of postal ballot to the elderly aged 80 years and above, the disabled, and Corona-infected voters. This facility allows these voters to vote from their homes through postal ballot.
- The cities of Amritsar and Kapurthala in Punjab have been included in the list of 30 cities of historical and religious tourism importance across 15 states of India.
- The Shri Anna Mahotsav was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath. This three-day state-level event was organized at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow from October 27 to 29, 2023.
- The 6th Indian Coast Guard Subordinate Officers’ Conclave was indeed organised in New Delhi on October 26 & 27, 2023. The theme of the conclave was ‘Towards an Inclusive Approach’.
- International:
- Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, the fifth Sultan of Johor state, has been named as the 15th king of Malaysia. He will take over from the current King Al-Sultan Abdullah on January 31, 2024.
- The US has recently imposed a new round of sanctions on Hamas and members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. These sanctions were issued following an attack by Hamas on Israel earlier this month.
- The United Nations General Assembly adopted a major resolution on the Gaza crisis on Friday, October 27, 2023. The resolution called for an "immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities".
- Banking:
- Zaakpay, the payment gateway arm of MobiKwik, has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payment aggregator. This approval will allow Zaakpay to onboard new merchants onto its platform for online payment processing.
- MouS:
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) signed a contract with an Indian manufacturer for the procurement of Automatic Weather Stations at 82 IAF locations on October 26, 2023. This technological enhancement will provide a major boost to Aerospace Safety by making available real-time weather updates during flying operations and training.
- Important Days:
- International Dwarfism Awareness Day in 2023 is indeed on October 25th. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that results in dwarfism.
- Appointments:
- The Indian government has recently appointed the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to develop a comprehensive blueprint called "Vision 2047". This vision document is expected to be unveiled by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Books:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi released three books at Tulsi Peeth in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh. The books are:Ashtadhyayi Bhashya,Ramanandacharya Charitam,Bhagwan Shri Krishna ki Rashtraleela.The author of these books is Jagadguru Rambhadracharya.
- Obituaries:
- Li Keqiang, the former premier of China, has passed away at the age of 68. He died of a heart attack. His death has triggered a wave of emotions on Chinese social media and could potentially spur an anti-Xi campaign in China.
Questions:
Q.1 When is International Dwarfism Awareness Day observed?a. October 15
b. October 25
c. November 25
d. December 25
Q.2 Who has been appointed by the Indian government to develop the “Vision 2047” blueprint?
a. McKinsey & Company
b. Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
c. Bain & Company
d. Deloitte
