- National:
- The National Health Authority (NHA) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) organized a two-day event called ‘Arogya Manthan’ to celebrate the anniversaries of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
- The 276th Annual Day Celebrations of the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) were marked by the launch of several digital initiatives by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. These initiatives aim to enhance transparency and efficiency in defence finance.
- The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) raised Rs 1,041 crore through its social impact bond, which matures in five years, at a coupon of 7.63 percent.
- The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has approved two joint ventures for setting up compressed biogas (CBG) plants. The joint ventures will be formed with IOCL or one of its subsidiaries. In both cases, the two partners will have an equal stake of 50 per cent each.
- The International Day of Non-Violence is observed globally on October 21. This day commemorates the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the pioneer of non-violence philosophy.
- The Union Cabinet has indeed increased the subsidy given on LPG cylinders under the Ujjwala scheme to 300 from the current 200. This decision was made ahead of Assembly elections in crucial States.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh released the fifth positive indigenisation list at a Navy seminar in New Delhi. The list includes complex systems, sensors, weapons, and ammunition, all to be procured from indigenous sources over time, following the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020.
- The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has indeed handed over the twin-seater variant of the LCA Tejas fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). This is a significant milestone for India as it adds the country to the list of a few elite nations with such capabilities.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple key projects worth approximately Rs 5,000 crore in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. These projects include a 350-bedded trauma centre and critical care hospital block at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur.
- BThe Bihar government has announced a 10% reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in both the judicial services and state-run law colleges. This decision was made during a cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
- Economy:
- The latest bi-monthly meeting of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) was held from October 4 to October 6, 2023. The six-member MPC unanimously decided to keep the repo rate, which is the key interest rate at which the RBI lends money to commercial banks, unchanged at 6.5%.
- The Indian government has issued a notification stating that certain provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) will no longer apply to aircraft, their engines, airframes, and helicopters.
- World:
- The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was indeed awarded to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, and Alexei I. Ekimov for their discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. Quantum dots are nanoparticles so tiny that their size determines their properties
- The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) have indeed entered into a partnership. They have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote environmental preservation, low carbon emission strategies, and growth of the Indian economy.
- Sports:
- Neeraj Chopra successfully defended his Asian Games title with a season’s best throw of 88.88m. His entry into the Hangzhou Olympic Stadium was met with enthusiastic applause from fans, and he impressively exceeded the 85m mark in his first attempt.
- Indian archers Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Ojas Pravin Deotale clinched gold in the mixed team compound event at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou. They defeated the South Korean pair in a close encounter by one point, 159-158.
- Appointments:
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension in central deputation tenure of Amit Agrawal as the CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for a period of one year beyond November 2, 2023 i.e. up to November 2, 2024 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has re-appointed Nitin Gupta as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). The order for this re-appointment was passed by the ACC. His service period has been extended "on contract basis".
- Akash Tripathi, the current CEO of MyGov, has been assigned additional responsibilities as the CEO of the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). He is expected to assume his new role from October 9.
Questions:
Q.1 Who has been reappointed as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)?a. Ravi Shankar Prasad
b. Amit Shah
c. Nirmala Sitharaman
d. Nitin Gupta
Q.2 Who is the current CEO of MyGov?
a. Ravi Shankar Prasad
b. Narendra Modi
c. Akash Tripathi
d. Amitabh Kant
