Current Affairs One - Liner : 19th October 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Karmayogi Saptah - National Learning Week on October 19, 2024, at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. This initiative, part of Mission Karmayogi launched in 2020, aims to create a future-ready civil service.

The 149th assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 13 to October 17, 2024. The theme was "Harnessing science, technology, and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future." Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led the Indian delegation and emphasized India's commitment to multilateralism.
The Madhya Pradesh government installed pink alarms at the Datia district hospital and medical college on October 16, 2024. This initiative, led by district collector Sandeep Makin, aims to enhance women's safety by triggering a siren for rapid security response.
The Indian Railways announced the reduction in the advanced reservation period from 120 to 60 days on November 1, 2024. This change is aimed at promoting genuine bookings and reducing cancellations and no-shows.

The regional assembly of Portugal's Azores Islands approved the creation of the largest protected marine area in the North Atlantic on October 18, 2024. This marine protected area spans almost 300,000 square kilometers and aims to preserve underwater mountain ranges and vulnerable marine ecosystems.

According to the most recent time series statistics from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), there are 10.4 crore income taxpayers in India as of the assessment year 2023-24. This represents an 82% increase from 2014-15.
On October 17, the Reserve Bank of India barred four NBFCs — Asirvad Micro Finance, Arohan Financial Services, DMI Finance, and Navi Finserv — from sanctioning and disbursing loans, citing usurious interest rates charged by them for their microfinance borrowers.
Nomura's India Coincident Activity Index (NICAI) declined to 3% in September 2024, down from 4.1% in August and 6.5% in June. This decline signals a slowdown in India's economic growth, affecting consumption, investment, and the external sector.
The Rajasthan Authority for Advance Ruling (RAAR) has ruled that GST on corporate guarantees from foreign group companies is payable only one-time, not periodically. This aligns with the GST Council's recommendation, clarifying that the tax is to be paid upfront for the entire duration of the guarantee.

The World Bank retained India's GDP growth forecast for the fiscal year 2024-25 at 7%. Key drivers include rising private consumption and strong agricultural production. This forecast matches India's pre-pandemic growth rate and places it as the second highest growing South Asian nation after Bhutan.
On October 17, 2024, the World Trade Organization (WTO) revised its forecast for world merchandise trade growth in 2025 to 3%, down from the earlier estimate of 3.3%. The WTO cited regional conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and policy uncertainty as major risks. They also adjusted the 2024 growth forecast to 2.7% from 2.6%.

The Jharkhand government approved a proposal to enhance the financial assistance under the Maiyan Samman Yojna on October 14, 2024. The assistance will increase from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,500 per month, starting December 2024, benefiting 50 lakh women and incurring an additional cost of Rs 9,000 crore.

SpaceX successfully launched its Mega Starship rocket on its fifth test flight on October 13, 2024. The 400-foot rocket featured a groundbreaking booster landing using mechanical arms called "Chopsticks". The first-stage booster was caught mid-air, while the upper stage made a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

The Group of Ministers (GoM) on GST rate rationalisation met on October 19, 2024, in New Delhi. Chaired by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, the meeting aimed to propose modifications to the GST rates. They discussed reducing GST on items like packaged drinking water and bicycles, while increasing it on luxury items like high-end watches and shoes.

Arjun Erigaisi won the WR Chess Masters Cup 2024 on October 18, 2024, in London. He defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France in an Armageddon game. The event was a 16-player knockout tournament in chess.
Virat Kohli became the fourth Indian batsman to reach 9,000 Test runs on October 18, 2024, during the first Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Indian Navy launched the Missile-Cum-Ammunition Barge LSAM 12 on October 10, 2024, at Mira Bhayandar, Maharashtra. Built by SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd under the Make in India initiative, this is the sixth barge of an eight-barge project.

World Egg Day 2024 was celebrated on October 11, 2024. This annual event emphasizes the nutritional benefits of eggs and promotes the importance of eggs in the global diet. This year’s theme, "Eggs for a Better Life," focused on eggs' role in supporting health and well-being worldwide.

Kais Saied secured his second term as President of Tunisia with 90.69% of the vote on October 7, 2024. Despite a low voter turnout of 28.8%, Saied's victory was decisive. His closest competitor, Ayachi Zammel, garnered only 7.4% of the vote.
Acko appointed Sandip Goenka as the CEO of its life insurance business, ACKO Life, effective October 15, 2024. Goenka, a founding member, brings over two decades of experience in various insurance sectors.
Smt. Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), effective October 19, 2024. Her term will last for three years or until she reaches the age of 65. Rahatkar previously served as Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women.
Utkarsh Small Finance Bank appointed Mary Kom and Sunil Chhetri as its brand ambassadors on October 3, 2024. The bank aims to focus on initiatives like financial literacy campaigns, product launches, branch inaugurations, and social media campaigns for inclusion and resilience.

Chiratae Ventures honored Narayana Murthy with the Patrick J. McGovern Award on October 15, 2024, in Bengaluru. The award recognizes his contributions to India's technology and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Questions:

1 On October 17, 2024, the WTO revised its forecast for world merchandise trade growth for 2025. What is the new forecasted growth rate?

2 What award was presented to Narayana Murthy by Chiratae Ventures on October 15, 2024?