- National:
- The Geographical Indications Registry, operating under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Chennai, has recently awarded geographical indication (GI) tags to a collective of distinct products. Arunachal Pradesh: Yak Churpi (Food Stuffs),Khaw Tai” (Khamti Rice) (Agriculture),Tangsa Textile Product (Textiles), Odisha: Kendrapara Rasabali (Food Stuffs).
- The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) in India has introduced the new Drone (Amendment) Rules 2023. These amendments aim to liberalize, promote, and streamline drone operations across the country.The new rules remove the requirement for drone pilots to possess a passport for obtaining a Remote Pilot Certificate.
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $200 million loan to strengthen flood and riverbank erosion risk management along the 650 kilometers (km) long main stem of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India.
- The 52nd GST Council meeting was indeed chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by the Union Minister of State for Finance, Finance Ministers of States and UTs (with Legislature) and Senior officials from the Union Government and States.
- Ayodhya is on track to become the first ‘solar city’ in Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Department (UPNEDA) is working tirelessly to transform the historic town into the state’s first solar city.
- REC Limited, the Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, has launched a mobile application named ‘SUGAM REC’. This app is exclusively for current and future investors in REC’s 54EC Capital Gain Tax Exemption Bonds.
- The Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 was awarded to Jon Olav Fosse, a Norwegian author and playwright. The Swedish Academy awarded him the Nobel Prize for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable.
- The Rajasthan government has announced the formation of three new districts: Malpura, Sujangarh, and Kuchaman City. This decision was made based on public demand and recommendations from a high-level committee.
- Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has indeed declared the Gangetic Dolphin as the state aquatic animal. These dolphins are found in rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Ghaghra, Rapti, and Gerua.
- On its 91st anniversary, the Indian Air Force (IAF) unveiled a new ensign. The new ensign was unveiled by the IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari at the Bamrauli Air Force Station in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The new feature of this ensign is the addition of the Air Force crest in the top right corner, towards the fly side.
- The GST Council has indeed decided to reduce the GST on molasses from 28% to 5%. This decision is expected to benefit sugarcane farmers. The reduction in GST will likely increase liquidity with mills and enable faster clearance of cane dues to sugarcane farmers.
- Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the formation of three new districts in the state – Malpura, Sujangarh and Kuchman City. This decision was made in accordance with public demand and the recommendations of a high-level committee.
- The Ministry of Culture organized the curtain raiser event for the India Art Architecture Design Biennale (IAADB ‘23) at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi along with the Logo launch for the Biennale.
- Banking:
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointments of 12 general managers and chief general managers as Executive Directors (EDs) of various public sector banks.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has indeed increased the existing limit of gold loans under the bullet repayment scheme from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh for certain urban co-operative banks.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has indeed constituted an external Working Group on Expected Credit Loss (ECL) based Framework for Provisioning by Banks
- The gross GST revenue collected in September 2023 was Rs 1,62,712 crore, which is a 10% increase compared to the same month last year. This is the highest GST collection ever in a month.
- The interest rate on General Provident Fund (GPF) savings has been kept at 7.1% for the October-December quarter. This rate is set by the government and is subject to change every quarter.
- Economy:
- The automotive retail sales in September 2023 showcased a robust double-digit year-on-year growth of 20%. This growth was driven by rising demand across vehicle segments during the onset of the festival season
- In September 2023, over 3 million dematerialised (demat) accounts were opened for the second consecutive month. This underscores the continued allure of the domestic equity market for direct investors.
- Sports:
- India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty created history by winning the first ever gold medal for India in men’s doubles event in badminton at the Asian Games 2023.
- India indeed made history at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou by securing a record-breaking tally of 107 medals, including 28 gold, 38 silver, and 41 bronze.
- Important Days:
- World Cotton Day is typically celebrated on October 7. However, in 2023, the World Cotton Day event was held on October 4 at the Vienna International Centre in Austria. The theme for World Cotton Day 2023 was "Making cotton fair and sustainable for all, from farm to fashion".
- Appointments:
- Supreme Court of India has taken a significant step towards making courtrooms more accessible. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud announced the appointment of a sign-language interpreter to assist hearing-impaired lawyers and litigants.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has extended the tenure of Ashwini Kumar Tewari, Managing Director of State Bank of India (SBI), by two more years. The tenure extension will apply beyond January 27, 2024.
Question:
Q.1 What is the interest rate for the General Provident Fund (GPF) for the October-December quarter?a. 6.1%
b. 7.1%
c. 8.1%
d. 9.1%
Q.2 Who is the Managing Director of State Bank of India (SBI)?
a. Ashwini Kumar Tewari
b. Rakesh Sharma
c. Uday Kotak
d. Aditya Puri
