1. India Re-elected as President of AIBD
India had already served two terms as President, of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD). India has been re-elected as President of AIBD GC for the 3rd successive term to lead the prestigious international organization.
Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting stated that this Milestone has happened for the first time in the history of AIBD, which is an organization 50 years old and this shows the confidence of the broadcasting organizations across the Asia Pacific and the world in India and that India can- show the way, lead the way in providing a new value of the broadcasting.
Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) was chaired by its president Shri Gaurav Dwivedi and CEO Prasar Bharati. AIBD is a unique regional inter-governmental organization, currently having 92 member organizations from across 44 countries.
The 21st General Conference & Associated Meetings 2023 of AIBD was concluded successfully from 02 Oct – 04 Oct 2023 in Port Louis, Mauritius. The two-day conference is mandated to achieve a vibrant and cohesive electronic media environment in the Asia-Pacific region through policy and resource development.
2. Goa to Host the 37th National Games
Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and the state Sports Minister revealed that Goa is set to make history by hosting the 37th edition of the National Games, featuring a record-breaking 43 sporting disciplines in a press conference.
The event promises to be a celebration of athletic prowess, and camaraderie and is to feature the introduction of several exciting sports disciplines. The Chief Minister also said that they aspire to establish a thriving sports ecosystem in Goa, they now aim to attract sports enthusiasts from around the globe.
The 37th National Games will mark the debut of several new sports disciplines on the medal stage, including beach football, roll ball, golf, sepaktakraw, spay martial arts, kalliyarapattu, and penack silat.
3. Europe’s First Private Rocket Launch
Spain’s company PLD Space launched the Miura-1 rocket on 7th October,2023 marking Europe’s first fully private rocket launch. Miura-1 rocket was launched from a site in southwest Spain.
The Miura-1 is a single-stage rocket standing at an impressive 41 feet tall. The rocket is designed with the capability for recovery, making it a pioneering project in Europe. The main objective of the Miura-1 rocket’s debut mission was to conduct a suborbital test flight. During this flight, an experiment from the German Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity was carried out to study Microgravity conditions.
Following the Miura-1 maiden flight, PLD Space is focusing its attention on the development of Miura 5, which could launch as soon as 2025 and enter service in 2026.
4. New IAF Ensign
The Chief of Air Staff VR Chaudhari unveiled the Air Force’s new ensign at the 91st IAF Day celebrations at Prayagraj. The IAF crest will now feature on the top right corner of the ensign that currently displays the National flag in the upper left canton and the IAF tri-color roundel in the lower light.
The theme for this year’s Air Force Day was ‘IAF- Air Power Beyond Boundaries’ which the Air chief said aptly reflects the “Inherent global reach of air power and how air power will prove decisive in future conflicts.
The IAF crest consists of the Ashoka lion on the top with the Himalayan eagle with its wings spread below it denoting the fighting qualities of the air force. A light blue ring encircles the eagle with Bharatiya Vayu Sena written on it in Hindi. The IAF’s motto, Nabh Sparsham Deeptam (Touch the sky with Glory) is inscribed below the eagle in golden Devanagari.
5. 360 Degree appraisal system in the Indian Navy
The Indian Navy known for its commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, has embarked on a transformative initiative known as the ‘360 Degree Appraisal Mechanism’. This Initiative recognizes the Invaluable contributions of both women and men in whites and aims to enhance their professional and personal development.
The present appraisal mechanism of periodic confidential reports by senior officers, has an inherent limitation of a ‘Top-down’ approach, as it does not cater to or quantify a leader’s impact on subordinates
The Indian Navy‘s ‘360 Degree Appraisal Mechanism’ is aimed to address this shortfall by encompassing large-scale surveys from suitably identified peers and subordinates for every officer being considered for promotion. The survey comprises a spectrum of questions, encompassing aspects such as professional knowledge, leadership attributes, suitability in war/ crisis, and potential for holding higher ranks.
6. India and Saudi Arabia Sign MOU in Electrical Inter Connections
India and Saudi have signed a memorandum of understanding in Rayadh, in the fields of Electrical Interconnections, Green/ Clean Hydrogen, and Supply chains.
The MOU was signed between the visiting union minister for power and new and renewable energy, Government of India, Sri R.K Singh, and the Minister of Energy, Government of Saudi Arabia, MR. Abdulaziz bin Salman Al-Saud on the sidelines of the MENA Climate Week in Riyadh.
The MOU aims to establish a General Framework for cooperation between the two countries in the field of electrical interconnection, Exchange of electricity during peak times and Emergencies, co-production of green hydrogen and renewable energy, etc.
It was also decided between the two energy ministers that B2B Business summits and Regular B2B interactions between the two countries would be conducted to establish complete supply and value chains.
7. New Districts in Rajasthan
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the creation of 3 new districts namely Malpura, Sujangarh, and Kuchaman city. The Decision has been made in response to public demand and Recommendations of a high-level committee. Rajasthan now has a total of 53 Districts.
The formation of New Districts will improve Governance and make the lives of local people Easier, Many of whom had to travel a long distance to go to the district headquarters for various work. It is another step of the State Government towards delivering Good Governance.
Officials said Kuchaman will be carved out of Nagpur District, Sujangarh out of Churu, and Malpura from Tonk District.
8. CHAKRAVAT 2023
The Annual Joint HADR Exercise (AJHE) 2023 was conducted by the Indian Navy at Goa from October 9 to 11. Since its first edition in 2015, CHAKRAVAT has transformed itself into a multi-agency endeavor involving the participation of all three services, Parliamentary forces as well as several disaster response organizations etc.
The logo for this year’s exercise depicts crests and logos of all participating agencies and flags of all nations subsumed into one single entity to signify that HADR will hinge on joint and integrated action by all the agencies.
9. PLFS Annual Report Released
The National Sample Survey Office(NSSO) has released the Periodic Labour Force Survey(PLFS) Annual Report 2022-2023. It draws attention to the rising trends in the labour force participation rate and worker-population ratio. The rate of unemployment is continuously declining.
It gives an estimate of the key employment and unemployment indicators like worker population ratio, labour force participation rate, and Unemployment rate in the interval of three months.
It also estimates employment and unemployment indicators in both ‘Usual Status’ and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.
10. NASA launched the Psyche Mission
NASA launched a Ground Breaking Mission that involved Psyche Spacecraft. The Spacecraft will travel to an Asteroid using Solar Electric Propulsion, harnessing the power of the sun to generate a stream of charged particles that propels it forward. The mission was be launched on October 12th.
The Psyche Mission will lift the Gravitational pull of Mars, a technique that helps to conserve fuel in space travel.
11. SHRESHTA Scheme
In a significant move to enhance the quality of education for school students in India, The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has introduced the “Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA)”.
The Objective of SHRESHTA is to enhance the reach of development Intervention of the government and to fill the gap in service-deficient SCs dominant areas, in the sector of Education through the efforts of grant-in-aid institutions and residential schools offering high-quality education and to provide the environment for socio-economic upliftment and overall development of the Scheduled Castes (SCs).
Under this scheme, students of Scheduled Castes (SC) will be provided with high-quality school education.
12. A-HELP Program
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying launched the “A-HELP” (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) Programme in the State of Jharkhand.
The Programme aims to empower women by engaging them as Accredited Agents who contribute significantly to disease control, Animal tagging, and Livestock Insurance. This serves as an exemplary integration of Women’s power, enhancing socio-economic progress.
13. PM Inaugurates 9th P20 Summit
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 9th Parliamentary Speaker’s Summit (P20) at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi. The summit was hosted by the parliament of India under the border framework of India’s G20 Presidency with the theme of “Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future”.
It serves as a platform for parliamentarians to exchange insights and share successful approaches to the promotion of sustainable living. The two-day summit deliberates on agenda 2023 for SDGs showing achievements, accelerating progress, and a sustainable energy transition gateway to a green future.
They encompass a holistic strategy aiming to create a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future that benefits everyone.
14. PM Inaugurates 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Mumbai
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Mumbai on 14th October. The session provides an opportunity for interaction and knowledge sharing among the various stakeholders related to sports.
It reflects the nation’s dedication to fostering global cooperation, celebrating sporting excellence, and furthering the Olympic ideals of friendship, respect, and excellence.
President of the International Olympic Committee, Mr Thomas Bach, and member of the International Olympic Committee, Mrs Nita Ambani were present on the occasion among others.
15. India ranks 111th in Global Hunger Index
India with a score of 28.7 ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023 report. South Asia and Africa South of Sahara recorded the highest regional hunger levels both with a GHI Score of 27.
The government, however, rejected the index calling it a flawed measure of “Hunger” that does not reflect India’s true position. The Index is an erroneous measure of hunger and suffers from serious methodological issues. Three out of the four indicators used for the calculation of the index are related to the health of children and cannot be representative of the entire population.
The fourth and most important indicator i.e. Proportion of the Undernourished population (POU) is based on an opinion poll conducted on a very small sample size of 3,000.
The GHI ranked Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka at 102nd,81st, 69th, and 60th, respectively.
