NATIONAL NEWS

CJI DY Chandrachud Inaugurated the AROHA 2024

The Chief Justice of India, Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, inaugurated the first International Conference on Advancements of Research and Global Opportunities for Holistic Ayurveda - AROHA-2024 at New Delhi.

AROHA 2024 has been organised by the All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi, an autonomous institute under the Union Ministry of Ayush.

The theme of the AROHA 2024 is Advancements in Research and Global Opportunities for Holistic Ayurveda.

The aim of the AROHA 2024 is to popularise and project Ayurveda as one of the key pillars of global health and wellness.

The conference will explore how to integrate traditional Ayurvedic practices with modern scientific advancements.

The conference will cover a wide variety of agendas, including Ayurveda, ethnomedicine, quality control, standardisation, diagnosis, drug delivery, evidence-based understanding, and globalisation.

Development of Border Area Roads in Rajasthan and Punjab

The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sanctioned a significant infrastructure project aimed at enhancing road connectivity in the border areas of Rajasthan and Punjab.

The project underscores the government's focus on improving facilities in these strategically important regions.

The project involves the construction of 2,280 km of roads in the border areas of Rajasthan and Punjab.

The initiative is backed by a substantial investment of ₹4,406 crore.

The development will enhance road and telecom connectivity and improve essential services such as water supply, healthcare, and education.

It aims to boost rural livelihood, ease travel, and ensure seamless connectivity between border areas and the national highway network.

Government Announces AI Centres of Excellence in Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities

The Government of India has announced the establishment of three Centres of Excellence (CoE) in Artificial Intelligence (AI), focusing on healthcare, agriculture, and sustainable cities.

These CoEs aim to drive innovation and collaboration with industries and start-ups to address key challenges in these sectors.

AI Centres of Excellence (CoEs):

Healthcare: Led by AIIMS and IIT Delhi.

Agriculture: Led by IIT Ropar, Punjab.

Sustainable Cities: Led by IIT Kanpur.

These CoEs will function as solution providers and promote employment generation and wealth creation.

The CoEs are expected to play a pivotal role in AI-driven innovations across critical sectors.

Karnataka Government Unveils Cauvery Stage VI Project

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced the implementation of the Cauvery Stage VI project to secure Bengaluru's future water needs.

The event was held at T.K. Halli in Malavalli taluk.

The announcement followed the launch of the Cauvery Stage V project, which supplies 2,225 million litres per day (MLD) of water to Bengaluru, at a cost of ₹4,600 crore.

Prior to Stage V, Bengaluru received 1,450 MLD of water daily.

With Stage V, an additional 775 MLD has been added, benefiting 110 newly added villages in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has been directed to plan the Stage VI project, which will provide an additional 6,000 million cubic feet (tmc) of water, increasing the daily supply by 500 MLD.

The government plans to construct nine new sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a total capacity of 500 MLD to manage waste.

The total estimated cost for the Cauvery Stage VI project is ₹7,200 crore, with ₹5,200 crore allocated for drinking water supply and ₹2,000 crore for the construction of STPs.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India and Mauritania Sign four MoUs         

India and Mauritania signed four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen and deepen their bilateral ties. The MoUs were signed during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to Mauritania.

President Droupadi Murmu is on a three-nation tour of Algeria, Mauritania and Malawi from 13-17 October 2024. President Droupadi Murmu is the first Indian president to visit these African countries.

Four MoUs were signed on the occasion between the two countries include training of diplomats, cultural exchange, visa exemption and Foreign Office consultations.

India mainly exports cereals, pharmaceuticals, plastic products, cotton, ceramics, iron and steel articles, boilers, related mechanical appliances, electrical products, and chemicals.

 

BANKING

Mauritius, First Recipient of Rupee Loan Under IDEAS of Government of India

India has extended a line of credit (loan) of Rs 487.60 crores to the Government of Mauritius under the Government of India's Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) programme.

It is the first time that India has extended a line of credit in Indian rupees to a foreign government under the IDEAS programme.

The loan offer was made to the Mauritius foreign minister Maneesh Gobin, by Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S . Jaishankar.

The loan was approved after the Mauritius government accepted Dr Jaishankar’s offer.

The Rs 487.60 crore line of credit is given to the government of Mauritius for financing a water project in Mauritius will be provided through the State Bank of India (SBI).

The loan amount will be used to replace around 100 km of obsolete water pipeline in Mauritius.

The Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) were launched as India Development Initiative by the government of India.

It was announced in the 2003-2004 budget speech by the then Finance Minister Jaswant Singh with an allocation of Rs 200 crore.

Under IDEAS, the government of India provides concessional loans or grants to developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America for developmental or other projects.

The aim is to promote India's strategic economic interest in the world.

50 New Payment Apps Express Interest in Joining UPI

50 new third-party application providers (TPAPs) are eager to join the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) despite the absence of a merchant discount rate (MDR).

Dilip Asbe, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), stated that increasing interest from new participants has been observed over the past year.

New TPAPs, including Navi, BharatPe, and super.money, have recently entered the UPI ecosystem.

An MDR is a fee levied on a merchant by a fintech or any other payment processing company for processing a digital transaction including UPI.

MDR is usually a percentage of the transaction amount, typically between 1% and 3%.

Introducing an MDR could allow companies to earn revenue from transaction processing, alleviating their payment processing expenses.

Tata Digital Partners with Tata AIA

Tata Digital has collaborated with Tata AIA Life Insurance to offer life insurance products on the Tata Neu platform.

The launch follows the success of the co-branded credit card with HDFC Bank.

Tata Digital achieved Rs 25 crore in annual new premium within the first 90 days of the launch.

The insurance buying process has been streamlined to just three clicks, enhancing customer experience.

Customers purchasing insurance products earn NeuCoins, which can be redeemed across the Tata ecosystem.

Available options include term life insurance (Maha Raksha Supreme Select with a pre-approved sum assured up to Rs 2 crore) and wealth creation plans with access to Tata AIA equity funds.

 

SPORTS

ISSF World Cup Final 2024

Indian shooters finished their ISSF World Cup Final 2024 campaign with 4 medals -2 silver and 2 bronze.

The season-ending ISSF World Cup Final 2024 was held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi from 13 to 18 October 2024. It included competition in the rifle, pistol, and shotgun categories.

New Delhi was hosting the ISSF World Cup final for the second time, having hosted it in 2017.

Sonam Maskar won India's first medal, a silver medal in the women’s 10m air rifle shooting event. This was Sonam’s third medal at the 2024 ISSF World Cup.

At the 2024 ISSF World Cup in Cairo, Sonam and Arjun Babuta won a silver medal in the 10m air rifle mixed team event. Sonam also claimed an individual silver medal in the 10m air rifle.

Vivaan Kapoor won a silver medal in the men’s skeet event. It was the first-ever medal for Vivaan Kapoor in the senior shooting events.

Akhil Sheoran won the bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions shooting event.

Analjaeet Singh Naruka won the final medal for India, a bronze medal in the men’s trap event.

Neetu David Inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

Former Indian spinner Neetu David, who holds the record for the best bowling figures (8/53) by a woman in individual Test innings, has been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

She becomes only the second female cricketer from India to receive this prestigious honor, following in the footsteps of former captain Diana Edulji.

Neetu David joins South African legend AB de Villiers and former England captain Alastair Cook in the ICC Hall of Fame.

David's career includes over 100 international appearances (10 Tests and 97 ODIs) as a prolific left-arm spinner.

She is the second-highest wicket-taker for India in ODIs, with 141 wickets, and the first Indian woman to claim 100 wickets in ODIs.

Thomas Tuchel Appointed Head Coach of England National Team

German manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the head coach of the England national soccer team, marking him as the third non-Englishman to take on this prestigious role.

The Football Association (FA) announced the appointment, confirming that Tuchel will officially start on January 1, alongside his English assistant, Anthony Barry.

Tuchel, aged 51, is recognized as one of the top coaches globally, having previously managed Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham expressed excitement over Tuchel's hiring, highlighting his status as a top-tier coach.