1.

GA IN NEWS
FIRST IN NEWS

S.No News Key Facts

• To be developed by Tata Electronics, in collaboration with Tata Consultancy

Services (TCS), by 2026, at Tata's Assam facility

India's first domestically Additional Information

1. • Tata Electronics is leading two significant projects under India's Semiconductor
produced semiconductor chips
Mission: a chip manufacturing plant in Dholera, Gujarat, in collaboration with
Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor (PSMC), and a facility in Assam focused on
chip assembly and testing.

• Country Name: Jordan.

Additional Information
First Country to Eliminate • The Government of India launched the National Strategic Plan (NSP) and
2.
Leprosy Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-27), with the goal of achieving zero leprosy
transmission by 2027, three years ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDG) target.

• Location: Ratua Ratanpur, Berasia development block, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

First paperless voting booth in
3. • Organizer: Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC).
India
• Organized during a panchayat bypoll.

• Senior citizens (85+) and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with a 40% benchmark
Inclusive and Accessible
disability will be provided with the option to vote from home.
4. Elections in Jharkhand for the
first time Additional Information
• Jharkhand Legislative Assembly comprise 81 seats.

• The Marhowra plant in Bihar, a joint venture between Indian Railways and
First-Ever Locomotive Exports
5. Wabtec.
from Bihar’s Marhowra Plant
• It will begin exporting Evolution Series ES43ACmi locomotives to Africa by 2025.

International Finance
Corporation’s (IFC) First • IFC invested Rs 280 crore in iBUS Network and Infrastructure.
6.
Investment in Infratech in Asia- • Aim: to support iBUS's domestic and international expansion.
Pacific

• Launched as a pilot project in the North Western Railway (NWR) zone by the
7. India’s first ‘Rail Rakshak Dal' Indian Railways.
• Aim: to Providing rapid rescue operations during train accidents.

First scheduled airline from Uttar • Name: Shankh Air.

8.
Pradesh. • Headquarters: Lucknow and Noida.

First-ever NBFC sector-based • Name: Axis CRISIL-IBX AAA NBFC Index – June 2027 Fund
9. Target Maturity Mutual Fund • Launched by Axis Mutual Fund.
scheme launched in India • Open-ended Target Maturity Index Fund.
• Tracks the CRISIL-IBX AAA NBFC Index – June 2027.

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 • No Exit Load, Minimum investment - Rs 5,000.

First woman Director General,

10. Armed Forces Medical Services • Name of the Person: Vice Admiral Arti Sarin.
(DGAFMS)

First co-branded travel debit

11. card to be introduced by a public • Name: Bank of Baroda EaseMyTrip Co-branded Travel Debit Card.
sector bank in India

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

S.No Initiative Key Facts

• The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change achieved the target
under the campaign.
o Target: Plant 80 crore saplings by September 2024.
'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' o Achievement: Target reached 5 days ahead of schedule.
1.
Campaign • States like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat have exceeded their targets, with
Uttar Pradesh leading by planting 26.47 crore trees.
• Rajasthan surpassed targets by over 2.5 Times through community engagement.
Note: 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' Campaign discussed in August 2024 CurrentTap.

• Launched by the Maharashtra government.

Har Ghar Durga (A Durga in
2. • Free self-defense training will be provided to young women studying in state-run
Every Home)
industrial institutions.

• Launched by the Telangana government.

• Objective: To provide students with immersive learning experiences outside the
3. Telangana Darshini classroom by organizing educational tours to heritage sites, historical monuments,
urban landscapes, and scientific institutions across Telangana.
• Target Group: School and college students from class 2 to graduation level.

• The Ministry of Coal cleaned over 65,88,878 square feet of space and disposed of
8,424 metric tons of scrap, generating ₹34 crores in revenue.
• The ministry emerged as the Top Performer under the category of space freed
4. Special Campaign 3.0 among all ministries and achieved the Fourth position in revenue earned from
scrap disposal.
Note: Special Campaign 4.0, the latest edition, discussed in CurrentTap September
2024.

• Launched by the Union Ministry of Health.

• Collaborators: Seven Ministries (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of
Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Youth and Sports
Tobacco-Free Youth Campaign Affairs and Ministry of Tribal Affairs) & law enforcement units.
5.
2.0 • Aim: To motivate young people to resist or quit tobacco use.
• Campaign Duration: 60 days.
• Five Priority Areas:
o Increasing public awareness about the dangers of tobacco, particularly
among youth and rural communities.

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 o Improving compliance with the revised guidelines for Tobacco-Free
Educational Institutions (ToFEI) to keep schools and colleges free from
tobacco.
o Strengthening the enforcement of tobacco control laws, especially COTPA
2003 and the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act (PECA) 2019, to limit
youth access to tobacco.
o Promoting Tobacco-Free Villages.
o Boosting social media outreach.

First Tobacco Free Youth Campaign

• Launched in 2023 , in celebration of World No Tobacco Day.
• Four main strategies: Raising public awareness about the dangers of tobacco,
promoting the establishment of Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI),
strengthening enforcement of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA)
2023, and creating Tobacco-Free Villages.

• Launched by the Ministry of Youth & Sports Affairs under the MY Bharat
initiative.
• Aim: to provide hands-on learning experiences for young people while offering
crucial assistance to patients in hospitals.
• MY Bharat volunteers are being deployed across 700 locations, including both
6. Seva Se Seekhen Program
government hospitals and those empanelled under the Pradhan Mantri Jan
Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
• Volunteers assist with a variety of tasks, from helping patients access basic
healthcare services to managing outpatient department (OPD) counters,
operating information desks, and supporting PM-JAY documentation.
• Organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports at MIT World Peace
Viksit Bharat Ambassador - Yuva University, Pune.
7.
Connect • Objective: to guide the youth about their participation and responsibility towards
achieving the goal of a developed India in various colleges of Maharashtra.
• Launched by the Government of Mizoram.
• Objective: To provide financial aid and support to farmers and small
8. 'Bana Kaih' Scheme
entrepreneurs in Mizoram, focusing on improving livelihoods and ensuring
economic stability in the state.
• Launched by the district administration of Dhamtari, Chhattisgarh, and
supported by the Chhattisgarh state government.
• Aim: to improve water levels, particularly in areas experiencing severe water
9. Jal-Jagar Initiative
shortages.
• Extends to Maoist-affected regions through the Niyad Nellanar scheme, ensuring
essential resources reach tribal communities.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

S.No Focus Area Key Outcomes

• Venue: Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg Sustainability • Organizer(s): German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
1.
Conference (HSC) (First Edition) Development, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) & Michael Otto
Foundation.

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 • Three Focus Areas: : Reshaping the International Financial Architecture;
Unleashing Investments for the SDGs; and Leveraging Transformation

• Venue: New Delhi.

• Host: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
• The CAG of India, Girish Chandra Murmu, assumed the chairmanship of ASOSAI
16th Assembly of the Asian for the term 2024-2027.
2. Organization of Supreme Audit
Institutions (ASOSAI) About ASOSAI
• ASOSAI was founded in 1979; Founding Members: 11.
• Present Members: 48.
• Venue of First ASOSAI Assembly: New Delhi (1979).

• Venue: Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

2nd Uttar Pradesh International
3. • Organizer(s): Government of Uttar Pradesh.
Trade Show 2024
• Partner Country: Vietnam.

• Venue: Sydney, Australia.

22nd National Conference of
• Chief Guest: Union Minister for Commerce & Industry.
the Confederation of Real
4.
Estate Developers' Associations
Additional Information
of India (CREDAI)
• India to have a trade promotion office in Sydney.

• Venue: Bengaluru
• Organizer(s): Ministry of Development of the Northeastern Region (MDoNER) in
Northeast Trade and
5. collaboration with Northeastern state governments, FICCI (Industry Partner), and
Investment Roadshow
Invest India (Investment Facilitation Partner).
• Aim: to attract investments and promote economic growth in the region.

Climate and Health Solutions • Venue: Delhi.

6.
(CHS) India Conclave • Organizers: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and Asian
Development Bank (ADB).

• Venue: Mumbai.
• Organizers: Ministry of Ayush in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the
Government of Maharashtra, and key partners.
Ayush Medical Value Travel
7. • Theme: ‘Global Synergy in Ayush: Transforming Health and Wellness through
Summit 2024
Medical Value Travel'.
• Target: Outreach to 1 crore households with ‘Desh ka Prakrutik Parikshan - Ghar
Ghar tak Ayurved’ on Ayurveda Day.

• Organized by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), as part of

the Science Summit at the 79th United Nations General Assembly 2024
"CSIR for Connect, Collaborate,
(SSUNGA79).
Converge and Convert (5C) for
8. • Six Areas of Discussion: Affordable Healthcare for Global Society, Food and
Global Sustainable
Agriculture, Environment and Waste Management, Sustainable Infrastructure,
Development"
Climate Change & Encouraging South-South Cooperation for Sustainable
Development.

• Venue: New Delhi.

• Organizers: Institute of Economic Growth, in partnership with the Ministry of
Kautilya Economic Conclave Finance.
9.
2024 (Third Edition) • Themes include financing the green transition, geo-economic fragmentation, and
policy actions for economic resilience.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the event for the first time.

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 MOUs AND AGREEMENTS

S.No Signing Entities Key Facts

• This is the first such collaboration, ensuring that original NCERT textbooks will be
available at the printed price on major e-commerce platforms.
• NCERT will publish 15 crore books for the academic session 2025-26, tripling its
current production.
1. NCERT and Amazon
• Books will be available across 20,000 pin codes in India at MRP to combat
counterfeiting.
• Amazon will utilize its extensive network for delivery, ensuring nationwide reach,
even in remote areas.

• Objective: To establish the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies at GUST, with a focus on
Indian Council for Cultural teaching Hindi.
Relations (ICCR) & Gulf • This is the first-ever ICCR Chair of Indian Studies in Kuwait, aimed at promoting
2.
University for Science and the Hindi language and India-related studies.
Technology (GUST), Kuwait • An expert Indian academician will be appointed by ICCR to teach Hindi at GUST for
up to three years.

• Key Focus Area: Defence Industry Cooperation.

Society of Indian Defence
• MoU signed during the 1st India-UAE Defence Industry Partnership Forum held
Manufacturers (SIDM) with the
in Abu Dhabi.
3. Emirates Defence Companies
o Organizer: Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi under the aegis of the Ministry of
Council (EDCC) and EDGE Group
Defence, Government of India, in coordination with the UAE Ministry of
UAE
Defence.

CSIR-Central Drug Research • Objective: To collaborate on developing a best-in-class drug for treating
4. Institute (CDRI), Lucknow and osteoporosis induced by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
Zydus Lifesciences

BLS E-Services & SBI General • Objective: To offer a range of insurance products directly to customers across
5.
Insurance India.

• Objective: To acquire additional capacity on the Blue-Raman Submarine Cable

System, which connects India and Italy.
Airtel Business & Sparkle
6. • The Blue-Raman Submarine Cable is part of a broader initiative that connects
(Italy's leading global operator)
several countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, including Italy, Greece,
Israel, Jordan, Oman, and India.

• Objective: To initiate first-in-human clinical trials for four promising molecules in

India under the ICMR’s Network for Phase 1 Clinical Trials.
• Signatories:
o Aurigene Oncology Limited (small molecule for multiple myeloma)
Indian Council of Medical
o Indian Immunologicals Limited (Zika vaccine development)
7. Research (ICMR) with various
o Mynvax Private Limited (seasonal influenza virus vaccine)
industry partners
o ImmunoACT (CAR-T cell therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia).
• Four strategic locations for the trials: KEMH & GSMC, Mumbai; ACTREC, Navi
Mumbai; SRM MCH&RC, Kattankulathur; and PGIMER, Chandigarh.
• Supported by a Central Coordinating Unit at ICMR Headquarters, New Delhi.

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 • Objective: Establishment of a state-of-the-art skill development center in
Kandivali, Mumbai to provide vocational training and create job opportunities for
youth.
National Skill Development
• Target: To create 1 lakh job opportunities across various sectors in the coming
Corporation (NSDC) and
8. year.
Brihanmumbai Municipal
• Initially, the center will offer five specialized short-term courses in high-demand
Corporation (BMC)
sectors.
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has partnered to ensure 75% employment
for trained candidates.

• Objective: To enhance logistics collaboration by leveraging DoP’s extensive postal

Department of Posts (DoP) &
9. network for Amazon’s parcel delivery across India, strengthening e-commerce and
Amazon
supporting economic growth.

BANKING AND FINANCE

S.No Program / Initiative Key Facts

• SEBI imposed a penalty of ₹1 crore on Jai Anmol Ambani, Executive Director of

Reliance Capital, for failing to exercise due diligence while approving corporate
loans at Reliance Home Finance.
• Krishnan Gopalakrishnan, Chief Risk Officer of Reliance Home Finance, was fined
1. SEBI Penalty ₹15 lakh for similar violations.
• Gopalakrishnan failed to follow due process in approving loans despite
discrepancies in credit approval memos.
• Both Jai Anmol Ambani and Gopalakrishnan violated the provisions of Sebi's
LODR (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirement) rules.

Merger of Aditya Birla Capital • Approved by the Reserve Bank of India.

2. with Aditya Birla Finance • Post-merger, Aditya Birla Finance will be dissolved, and there will be no change in
the equity shareholding pattern of Aditya Birla Capital.

• Approved by the RBI under Sub-Section (4) of Section 44A read with Section 56 of
Amalgamation of Rajapur the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
3. Sahakari Bank with Malad • After the amalgamation, Rajapur Sahakari Bank branches will function as branches
Sahakari Bank of Malad Sahakari Bank Ltd.
• Both banks are based out of Mumbai.

4. Ashva Credit Card • Launched by IDFC FIRST Bank, powered by Visa.

• Launched during the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 in Mumbai.

Launch of eight innovative • Products Names: Delegate payments, UPI lite auto topup, National Common
5. payment products by City Mobility Card, Credit line on UPI, Rupay credit card on UPI, Loan against securities
Union Bank (CUB) (Mutual Fund), Open Network Digital Commerce – MSME, and Open Network
Digital Commerce – Retail.

Expansion of UPI QR payments • Initiative of PhonePe in collaboration with Liquid Group.

6.
in Singapore • Facilitated by NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL).

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 • Aditi: A GenAI-powered Virtual Relationship Manager designed to enhance digital
customer service.
Introduction of Generative AI- • Gyan Sahay.AI: A GenAI-enabled knowledge management platform for
7. powered solutions by Bank of employees, providing real-time access to information on products, policies, and
Baroda processes.
• ADI: A GenAI-powered chatbot aimed at improving the digital customer
experience by resolving customer queries efficiently.

LIC’s stake in Bank of • Increased from 4.05% to 7.10% through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP).
8.
Maharashtra

ENVIRONMENT

S.No News Key Facts

• Developed by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) for
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
1. Integrated Ocean Energy Atlas • Identifies areas with high potential for energy generation and serves as a reference
for policymakers, researchers, and industries interested in harnessing ocean energy
resources.

• India and Brazil have reaffirmed their commitment to collaborating on Sustainable

Aviation Fuels (SAF) and expanding bilateral trade in sustainable biofuels.
• Both countries aim to leverage their existing ethanol and biodiesel infrastructure
2. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF)
to produce and utilize SAF.
• The collaboration also extends to clean cooking solutions and deep-water
explorations in the Indian offshore region.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

S.No Technology in News Key Facts

• NASA's first attempt at changing the trajectory of an asteroid, successfully altering

the orbit of Dimorphos, a small moonlet asteroid.
Double Asteroid Redirection
1. • May lead to the creation of the first human-made meteor shower called the
Test (DART) Mission
Dimorphids.
• Launched in 2021 and successfully impacted Dimorphos in 2022.

• Satellite designed to operate in an Ultra-Low Earth Orbit (180-250 km altitude);

2. Project 200 Initiative of Bellatrix Aerospace.
• It is first of its kind in enabling long-term satellite operations at such low altitudes.

• Initiative of Roscosmos.
• Landed near Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.
• The crew included Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub,
3. Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft
along with NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson.
• Kononenko and Chub completed a 374-day mission aboard the International Space
Station (ISS), while Dyson's mission lasted 184 days.

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 • Launched by China.
• Launched eight remote-sensing satellites from a floating platform off the coast of
Jielong-3 (Smart Dragon-3)
4. Haiyang, China.
Rocket
• The satellites were placed in sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) to observe Earth's
surface under consistent lighting conditions.

Orion (Previously Project

5. • First advanced augmented reality (AR) glasses of Meta.
Nazare)

• The Rover of Chandrayaan-3 Mission.

• Landed in one of the oldest craters on the Moon, dating back 3.85 billion years
from the Nectarian period.
• No other missions have landed in this area.
• The crater is approximately 160 km wide and was partially buried under ejecta from
the South Pole-Aitken basin, the largest impact basin on the Moon.
6. Pragyan • The Pragyan rover provided the first on-site images of the Moon from this latitude.
• The landing site shows ejecta material from another impact crater further away,
confirming the dynamic nature of the Moon’s surface.

Background
• Chandrayaan-3 made a soft landing on the Moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023.
• The landing site was named Shiv Shakti Point by the Govt. of India.

• Released by the TRAI.

• Aim: to revamp the telecommunication service licensing regime, enhancing ease of
Recommendations on the doing business and fostering growth in the telecom sector.
'Framework for Service • Three broad categories of telecommunication service authorisations have been
7. Authorisations to be Granted introduced:
Under the Telecommunications o Main service authorisations (e.g., Access services, Internet services, Satellite
Act, 2023’ services)
o Auxiliary service authorisations (e.g., M2M services, PM-WANI)
o Captive service authorisations (e.g., Captive VSAT networks).

• Located at C-DOT, Bangalore.

5G Open RAN Testing Lab and • Tejas Center of Excellence for Wireless Communications focuses on research for
8. Tejas Center of Excellence for next-generation technologies, including 6G and AI/ML, with contributions in areas
Wireless Communications like Massive MIMO and Terahertz Communications.
• 32T32R Massive MIMO radio was also launched.

DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY

S.No Exercise/ Technology Key Facts

ABHED (Advanced Ballistics for • Developed by: Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian
1. High Energy Defeat) Light Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi at DRDO Industry Academia Centre of
Weight Bullet Proof Jackets Excellence (DIA-CoE).

• India-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise.

KAZIND-2024 • Venue: Surya Foreign Training Node, Auli, Uttarakhand.
2.
(8th edition) • Held annually since 2016.
• Previous edition held at Otar, Kazakhstan.

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 • Organizers: Indian Army, in collaboration with the Centre for Land Warfare Studies
(CLAWS).
2nd edition of the "Chanakya
3. • Venue: Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi.
Defence Dialogue – 2024"
• Theme: "Drivers in Nation Building: Fuelling Growth through Comprehensive
Security".

• Indian Navy's apex-level international conference.

Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue
4. • Venue: New Delhi.
(IPRD) 2024
• Theme: "Resource-Geopolitics and Security in the Indo-Pacific"

SPORTS

S.No Sports Event and Venue Key Facts

First-ever Kho Kho World Cup

1. • Host: India.
2025

Asia Pacific Padel Cup (First

Edition) • Gold: Indonesia; Silver: The Philippines.
2.
• Bronze: India (defeated Malaysia).
Venue: Bali, Indonesia

• Gulveer Singh broke the Indian national record in the men’s 5000m event and
won Gold.
• He clocked a time of 13:11.82 and surpassed his previous record of 13:18.92 set
earlier in June at the 2024 Portland Track Festival.
World Athletics Continental Tour
3. Additional Information
Venue: Niigata, Japan
• Gulveer Singh previously broke Avinash Sable’s record of 13:19.30, set at the
2023 Sound Running On Track Fest in Los Angeles.
• He also broke the Indian men’s 10,000m record with a time of 27:41.81, surpassing
Surender Singh’s 16-year-old mark, at The Ten track meet in California.

• FIFA World Cup 2026

o First edition with 48 teams.
FIFA World Cup 2026 & FIFA
o Hosts: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
4. Women’s World Cup 2027
• FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027: To be hosted in South America for the first time
(Football)
at Brazil.
• Official Sponsor for both the events: Lay’s.

Laver Cup 2024 (Tennis) • Winner: Team Europe; Runner-up: Team World.
5.
Venue: Berlin, Germany • Carlos Alcaraz defeated Taylor Fritz to seal this victory of Team Europe.

• Mumbai’s Ishpreet Singh Chadha became the first Indian in 10 years to reach a
UK Snooker Tournament
6. pro snooker semifinal at one of the four Home Nations majors.
Semifinal Run
• He defeated 4-time World Champion Mark Selby (UK) in the quarter finals.

AWARDS

S.No Award/Milestone Key Facts

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 Oscars 2025 (Academy • Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies Selected as India’s official entry for the 97th Academy
1. Awards for Best International Feature Film category.
Awards)
• India's Last Nomination: Lagaan (2001).

• Awardee: Anushka Sen, Actress.

• Awarded by: Korean Government.
• Purpose: Rcognized for her contribution to enhancing the relationship between Korea
Recognition for Fostering and India through her work as a Brand Ambassador of Korea Tourism Organisation and
2.
Korea-India Relations her involvement in Korean drama (KDrama).

Additional Information
• Anushka Sen is the only Indian featured on billboards in Korea.

• Awardee: Mithun Chakraborty

• Purpose: Recognized for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

About the Award

Dadasaheb Phalke Award • The highest recognition in the field of cinema in India.
3.
(2022) • Part of National Film Awards.
• First Recipient: Devika Rani.

Additional Information
• Mithun Chakraborty won three National Film Awards for his roles in Mrigayaa
(1976,Debut film), Tahader Katha (1992), and Swami Vivekananda (1998).
• Venue: Abu Dhabi
Major Winners:
• Best Actor: Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan, Hindi), Vikram (Ponniyin Selvan: II, Tamil), Nani
(Dasara, Telugu), Rakshit Shetty (Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, Kannada)
• Best Actress: Rani Mukerji (Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, Hindi), Aishwarya Rai (Ponniyin
Selvan: II, Tamil), Rukmini Vasanth (Sapta Sagaradaache Ello, Kannada)
• Best Film: Animal (Hindi), Jailer (Tamil), Kaatera (Kannada), Kaathal (Malayalam)
24th International Indian
• Best Director: Vidhu Vinod Chopra (12th Fail, Hindi), Mani Ratnam (Ponniyin Selvan: II,
4. Film Academy Awards (IIFA
Tamil)
Utsavam 2024)
Special Awards:
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Hema Malini
• Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema: Chiranjeevi, Karan Johar
• Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema: Priyadarshan
• Woman of the Year in Indian Cinema: Samantha Ruth Prabhu
• Golden Legacy Award: Nandamuri Balakrishna
• Outstanding Excellence in Kannada Cinema: Rishab Shetty.
• Awardee: Alexander Dunn (Georgia Tech).
• Recognized for his outstanding contributions to analytic number theory, particularly
2024 SASTRA Ramanujan his joint work with Maksym Radziwill on solving the Kummer-Patterson Conjecture
Prize related to cubic Gauss sums.
5.
About the Award
• Established in 2005; Awarded by SASTRA University.
• Awarded annually to young mathematicians for their work in areas influenced by
Srinivasa Ramanujan's contributions to mathematics.
• Awardee: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
2024 @UN Inter-Agency • Purpose: Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mental
6.
Task Force Award health.
• Awarded by: United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force.

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 • Vera Voronova (Kazakhstan): Recognized for her work in restoring ecosystems and
recovering endangered species in Central Asia, benefiting local rural communities.
• Ysabel Agustina Calderón Carlos (Peru): Founder of Sumak Kawsay, focusing on
pollinator conservation, sustainable tourism, and supporting Indigenous women and
youth.
MIDORI Prize for
7. About the Award
Biodiversity 2024
• Awarded by: AEON Environmental Foundation and the Secretariat of the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• Honors individuals making outstanding contributions to biodiversity protection.
• Reward: $100,000.
• Award ceremony will take place during the COP 16 in Cali, Colombia.

APPOINTMENT
• Why in News: New president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI).
Kalikesh Narayan • Predecessor: Raninder Singh.
Singh Deo • NRAI is the governing body for shooting sports in India.

• Why in News: New Director of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Alok Ranjan
• Predecessor: Vivek Gogia.
• Why in News: New Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of Federal Bank.
KVS Manian • Predecessor: Shyam Srinivasan (served as MD for 14 years).

• Why in News: Sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. Justice Manmohan
• Replaced Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, who was elevated to the Supreme Court.
• Why in News: Elevated to Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
• Other Portfolios: Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development & Planning and Development of
Tamil Nadu.

Udhayanidhi Stalin
• Why in News: Elected as the President of The Indian Newspaper Society (INS). Shreyams Kumar
• Succeeds Rakesh Sharma of Aaj Samaj. (Mathrubhumi)
• The INS is an apex body of publishers of newspapers, magazines, and periodicals in India.
• Why in News: Appointed as the Director General (DG) of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).
• Other Roles: Programme Director (Combat Aircraft) and Director of ADA.

Jitendra Jadhav
• Why in News: The board of IndusInd Bank has approved his re-appointment as the Managing Director and Sumant Kathpalia
Chief Executive Officer (MD&CEO) for another three years.
• Why in News: Elected as the President of the 68th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA).
• Other Roles: South Korea's Permanent Representative to Austria & Ambassador of South Korea to the
Ham Sang-wook International Organizations in Vienna.
• His election marks the first time in 35 years that South Korea has held the presidency of the IAEA General
Conference, the last time being in 1989.

• Why in News: Appointed as a Member of the Board of SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India); Other
Roles: Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs
• Predecessor: Manoj Govil (Expenditure Secretary in the Finance Ministry).

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 Deepti Gaur
Mukherjee
• Why in News: New Prime Minster of Japan.
• Predecessor: Fumio Kishida.

Shigeru Ishiba

PERSONS IN NEWS
• Why in News: Set to receive a bronze medal 12 years after competing in the 1,500-meter race at the
London 2012 Olympics.
Shannon Rowbury • The first American woman to win an Olympic medal in the 1,500 meters
• After the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned Russian runner Tatyana Tomashova for doping,
Rowbury was promoted to the bronze medal position.

• Why in News: Celebrating his 100th year in 2025.

• He is a famous Indian Painter.
• Last surviving member of the Progressive Artists’ Group.
• A celebratory book, ‘My 100th Year’, honors his contributions to Indian modernism.
• Notable Works: "The Great Procession" and "Bandwallas" series. Krishen Khanna

• Why in News: Resigned as Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI after six years at the company.

Mira Murati

• Why in News: Partnered with Mattel India for the film ‘You Can Be Anything’ as part of Barbie's 65th
anniversary.

Harmanpreet Kaur
• Why in News: Broke Sachin Tendulkar's record to become the fastest cricketer to score 27,000
international runs.
• Milestone achieved against a test series with Bangladesh,
• Kohli achieved this milestone in just 594 innings, surpassing Tendulkar's 623 innings.
• He is the fourth cricketer in history to reach 27,000 runs across all formats, following Tendulkar, Kumar
Virat Kohli Sangakkara, and Ricky Ponting.

OBITUARIES
• Famous English Actress.
• Known for iconic roles in Downton Abbey and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter series.
• Two-time Academy Award winner (Best Actress for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in 1969 and Best
Supporting Actress for California Suite in 1978.).
• Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to drama (2014).
Dame Maggie
Smith
• Table tennis coach from Kolkata; Known as 'Botonda' .
Jayanta Pushillal • He received the Dronacharya Award in the lifetime category.

16 | P a g e
 1. GA IN NEWS

FIRST IN NEWS

S.No News Key Facts

Mexico's First Woman • Name of the Person: Claudia Sheinbaum.

1.
President • Predecessor: Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

• Name: Lal Tipara Gaushala.

India’s First Modern Self-
• Location: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
2. Reliant Gaushala with Bio-
• Developed in collaboration with Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
CNG Plant
• Inaugurated on Swachhta Diwas (October 2).

GAIL's First Compressed • Location: Ranchi, Jharkhand.

3.
Biogas (CBG) Plant in India • Also the first such plant in Jharkhand.

• Developed by Praj Industries; Located at Jejuri, Pune.

• To be used for the production of Polylactic Acid (PLA) bioplastic.

India’s First Demonstration Additional Information

4. • India ranks 12th in the world in biotech and 3rd in Asia-pacific.
Facility for Biopolymers
• India is the largest vaccine manufacturer and the 3rd largest Startup
ecosystem.
• Indian Bio economy is expected to achieve $300 billion by 2030.

First Mid-Career Training

• Organized by National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG).
Programme for the civil
• Organized alongside the 34th Capacity Building Programme for civil
servants of the Bay of
servants from the Maldives.
5. Bengal Initiative for Multi-
• Objective: To enhance administrative skills, focusing on digital
Sectoral Technical and
governance and citizen-centric models for improved public service
Economic Cooperation
delivery.
(BIMSTEC) countries

• Name of the Company: South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL).

• Fourth AMRIT Pharmacy inaugurated at SECL's Health Centre in
First coal company to Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.
operate four Affordable
6. Medicines and Reliable About AMRIT
Implants for Treatment • Launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in 2015.
(AMRIT) pharmacies • Nodal Agency: HLL Lifecare Limited.
• Aim: to provide affordable medicines for treatment of cancer, cardio
vascular and other diseases.

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

S.No Initiative Key Facts

4|P a g e
 • Launched by the Ministry of Textiles.
• Aim: to enhance public health and safety by setting stringent quality
standards for medical textile products like sanitary napkins, baby
diapers, reusable sanitary pads, and dental bibs.
Medical Textiles (Quality
1. • Came into effect from October 1, 2024.
Control) Order, 2023
• Mandatory certifications required for manufacturing, importing,
distributing, and selling these products, ensuring public safety.
• Specific standards include IS 5404:2019 for sanitary napkins and IS
17509:2021 for baby diapers.

• Organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with

Disabilities (Divyangjan) (DEPwD), under the Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment.
• Supported by the National Divyangjan Finance and Development
2. 20th Divya Kala Mela Corporation (NDFDC).
• Venue: Pune, Maharashtra.
• Objective: To promote and empower Divyang (Persons with
Disabilities) artisans, artists, and entrepreneurs by providing a platform
to showcase their products and creativity.

• Launched by the Government of Tripura.

• Aim: to support meritorious students by providing financial assistance
CM-SATH (Support for to ensure that financial constraints do not hinder access to quality
3.
Higher Education) education.
• Financial Assistance: ₹60,000 (₹5,000 monthly) to 200 students (100
at the Madhyamik level and 100 at the Higher Secondary level).

• Achieved milestone of tracking 75 Million containers.

About Logistics Data Bank

• A key initiative under NICDC Logistics Data Services Ltd. (NLDSL).
• A single-window container logistics visualization system, providing
comprehensive tracking using container numbers.
• Currently operational at all the port terminals across 18 ports (30
Terminals which handles 100% container traffic) in India.
4. Logistics Data Bank (LDB) • Contributed to India’s improved Logistics Performance Index (LPI)
ranking, moving from 44th in 2018 to 38th in 2023.

About NICDC Logistics Data Services Ltd. (NLDSL)

• Established in 2015.
• A JV between National Industrial Corridor Development and
Implementation Trust (NICDIT) and NEC Corporation (Japan).
• Objective: Leveraging Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) to optimize efficiency in India’s logistics sector.

• Initiative of the Government of Assam.

• Objective: Promote women’s education and prevent child marriages by
providing financial support to girl students from Class 11 to post-
5. Nijut Moina Scheme
graduation.
• Monthly Stipend: ₹1,000 for higher secondary students, ₹1,250 for
degree students & ₹2,500 for post-graduation students.
• Accreditation: First Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic
Achievements of the Sciences (CCRAS) institute to receive NABH accreditation.
6. Central Ayurveda Research • Geriatric Care Program: Provided Ayurveda-based healthcare to
Institute (CARI) during the 2,272 elderly individuals, surpassing the initial target of 2,000.

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 first 100 days of the • MoU with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to launch a research
government project on entrepreneurship and commercialization in the Ayush
sector.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

S.No Focus Area Key Outcomes

AROHA-2024 –
• Venue: New Delhi.
Advancements of
• Organizer: All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA).
1. Research & Global
• Theme: "Advancements in Research and Global Opportunities for
Opportunities for Holistic
Holistic Ayurveda".
Ayurveda (First Edition)

• Venue: New Delhi (Held in India for the first time).

19th International • Hosted by Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)
Conference of Drug and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with World
2.
Regulatory Authorities Health Organization (WHO).
(ICDRA) • Theme: “Smart Regulation: Delivering Quality Assured Medical
Products for All”.

• Venue: IIT Guwahati, Assam.

• To be held in North Eastern Region for the first time.
• Organizers: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR),
10th Edition of India
Ministry of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Vijnana
3. International Science
Bharati, Ministry of Earth Sciences and major scientific departments of
Festival (IISF) 2024
the Indian Government.
• Theme: "Transforming India into an S&T driven Global Manufacturing
Hub" .

• Organizer: Indian Roads Congress (IRC)

• Venue: Bengaluru, Karnataka.
International Seminar of • Theme: "Advances in Bridge Management"
4. the Indian Roads Congress About IRC
(IRC) • The Apex Body of Road Sector Engineers and Professionals in India.
• Originated from the 1927 Road Development Committee chaired by
Sh. M.R. Jayakkar; Set up in 1934.

• Organized by: Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association

(ISMA), in collaboration with the Government of India (GOI) and the
India Sugar & Bio Energy International Sugar Organisation (ISO); Venue: New Delhi.
5. Conference 2024 (2nd • Theme: “Harmonising Sweet Sustainability: Navigating India’s Path to
edition) a Green Economy.”
• Key Information Shared: India is the world’s third largest producer and
consumer of Ethanol.

• Venue: Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL),

Hyderabad, Telangana.
11th Engineers Conclave • Organizers: Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO)
6.
2024 and Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE).
• Focus Areas: ‘Additive Manufacturing for Defence Applications’ and
‘Defence Manufacturing Technologies’.

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 • Venue: Moscow, Russia.
• Organizers: Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and his
Second Meeting of the
Russian Counterpart.
Russian-Indian Working
• Russia proposed implementing a “Barrier-free toll collection system
7. Group on Roads and
based on satellite navigation technology” in India.
Intelligent Transport
• Both sides agreed to explore collaboration between the Russian
Systems
University of Transport and the Indian Academy of Highway
Engineers (IAHE) for capacity building and knowledge exchange.

• Venue: New Delhi.

• Co-hosts: Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) and Asian
Conference on Maritime
8. Development Bank (ADB).
Decarbonization in India
• Key Information Shared: Transform all vessels in Indian waters into
green vessels by 2047.

Global Summit on
• Venue: Mount Abu, Rajasthan
9. ‘Spirituality for Clean and
Organizer: Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya.
Healthy Society’

• Venue: New Delhi.

• Organizer: National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under the Ministry
of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• Part of the “Cyber Surakshit Bharat” initiative.
• "Cyber Swachhata" initiative was launched urging organizations to
Chief Information Security cleanse their systems of malware and likening the effort to
10. Officer (CISO) Workshop the Swachhata Abhiyan.
on Cyber Security • CISO Training Program started in 2018.

About Cyber Surakshit Bharat

• Initiative of the MeitY.
• Aim: To raise awareness about cyber-crime and build capacities of
CISOs and IT officials.

• Venue: 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA),

• Convened by the President of the General Assembly.

About 79th session of the UNGA

High-Level Meeting on • Venue: UN Headquarters in New York.
11. Antimicrobial Resistance • Theme of the General Debate: “Leaving no one behind: acting together
(AMR) for the advancement of peace, sustainable development and human
dignity for present and future generations.”

Additional Information
• India launched National Action Plan on AMR (NAP-AMR) in 2017.

• Venue: New Delhi.

• Organizers: Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) and IIT
India Digital Agri Ropar-Technology & Innovation Foundation Agriculture & Water
12.
Conference 2024 Technology Development Hub ( TIF AWaDH).
• Theme/Tagline: "Digital Agriculture - Pathway to Productivity and
Profitability".
• Venue: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
IIAS-DARPG India • Organizers: Department of Administrative Reforms and Public
13.
Conference 2025 Grievances (DARPG), in collaboration with the International Institute
of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), Brussels.

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 • Theme: "Next Generation Administrative Reforms – Empowering
Citizens and Reaching the Last Mile"
Key Outcomes
• Adoption of India-Maldives: A Vision for Comprehensive Economic
and Maritime Security Partnership.
• Inauguration of redeveloped Hanimadhoo International Airport,
Maldives.
• RuPay cards introduced in the Maldives.
• India extended USD 50 million Treasury Bill support to stabilize the
Maldivian economy.
• MoU between Rashtriya Raksha University (India) and National
College of Policing and Law Enforcement (Maldives).
• MoU between CBI (India) and Anti-Corruption Commission of
Maldives to combat corruption.
• Renewal of MoU between National Judicial Academy of India (NJAI)
and Judicial Service Commission (JSC) of Maldives for training
Bilateral Meeting between programs.
14.
India and Maldives • Renewal of MoU on Cooperation in Sports and Youth Affairs between
India and Maldives.
• India agreed to repair the Maldivian Coast Guard Ship Huravee on a
gratis basis.
Collaborations and New Initiatives:
• Development of a Commercial Port at Thilafushi Island to ease
congestion at Malé port.
• Joint work on Hanimaadhoo and Gan Airports, focusing on air
connectivity, tourism, and investments.
• Creation of an agriculture economic zone and fish processing
facilities at Haa Dhaalu and Haa Alif Atolls with Indian support.
• Exploration of transshipment facilities for Maldives Economic Gateway
projects at Ihavandhippolhu and Gaadhoo islands.
• Discussion on opening consulates in Addu City (Maldives) and
Bengaluru (India).

12th Confederation of
Indian Venue: New Delhi.
15.
Industry (CII) Bioenergy Theme: “Fuelling the Future - Securing India’s Green Growth Goals.”
Summit 2024

MOUs AND AGREEMENTS

S.No Signing Entities Key Facts

CSIR-National Institute of
• Objective: to foster collaboration in areas like science communication,
Science Communication
STI policy research, and traditional knowledge, to better serve society.
1. and Policy Research
• An International Conference on Communication and Dissemination
(CSIR-NIScPR) & Gurugram
of Traditional Knowledge (CDTK-2024) will be organized.
University

• Objective: foster defence innovation and drive technological

Ministry of Electronics and
advancements through joint Research & Development (R&D) under the
2. Information Technology
Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, focusing on providing indigenous
(MeitY) & Military College
solutions for the Indian Army.

8|P a g e
 of Telecommunications • A CDAC Centre of Excellence will be established at MCTE, with a
Engineering (MCTE) platform for MSMEs through an incubation ecosystem to promote
innovation.
• A National Military Technology Research and Incubation Centre is
proposed at MCTE.

Rubber Research Institute • Objective: To enhance research on the use of Rubber Process Oils
3. of India (RRII) & Indian Oil marketed by IOCL in various tyre and non-tyre rubber products,
Corporation Ltd (IOCL) focusing on improving performance and processing.

• Objective: To enhance research and innovation in artificial intelligence

Tech Mahindra &
4. (AI), machine learning (ML), and quantum computing across industries
University of Auckland
such as healthcare, banking, and insurance.

Sports Authority of India

• Objective: To develop a National Centre of Sports Excellence in
5. (SAI) & Government of
Kandivali, Mumbai.
Maharashtra

• Objective: To integrate vernacular language support into the AI

chatbot Feddy, enhancing accessibility and inclusiveness in banking
Federal Bank & Bhashini
services across India.
6. (AI-powered language
• Driven by Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) to promote local
translation platform)
language banking.
• Feddy will now support 14 Indian languages.

Indian Council of Medical • Objective: Promote sustainable energy in India’s healthcare and
Research (ICMR) & NTPC research sector by leveraging solar power for ICMR institutes.
7.
Vidyut Vyapar Nigam • NVVN will supply, install, test, commission, and maintain rooftop solar
(NVVN) panels with a combined capacity of 4,559 KW at 15 ICMR institutes.

• Adani Group to supply clean energy from a solar-wind hybrid project

to power Google's cloud services and operations in India.
• The energy will be sourced from 30 GW Khavda renewable energy
8. Adani Group and Google park, Gujarat (world's largest renewable energy facility).
• Supports Google's goal of running its operations entirely on clean
energy by 2030.
• Adani Group aims to set up data centres powered by clean energy.

• Objective: Develop renewable energy projects in Bhutan, focusing on

solar and hydropower initiatives.
Reliance Group (led by Anil
• Reliance Enterprises, a new flagship company promoted by Reliance
9. Ambani) & Druk Holding &
Infrastructure Ltd. and Reliance Power Ltd., will exclusively focus on
Investments Ltd. (DHI)
investment in Bhutan's green energy sector.
• DHI is the commercial and investment arm of Government of Bhutan.

• Purpose: Establish a joint venture company (JVC) named BEL IAI

AeroSystems Private Ltd.
• Objective: To provide long-term product support for Medium Range
Bharat Electronics Limited Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) systems in India.
10. (BEL) & Israel Aerospace • JVC will act as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for technical and
Industries (IAI) maintenance support for MRSAM systems.

About MRSAM system

• Jointly developed by IAI and DRDO.

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 Steel Authority of India • Objective: Promoting lower carbon steelmaking technology pathways
11.
Limited (SAIL) & BHP for the blast furnace route in India.

• Objective: To construct an 18 km cross-border electricity transmission

line to deepen energy cooperation between Nepal and India and help
Nepal achieve its domestic power goals.
MCA-Nepal & Transrail • Contract value: USD 12.36 million.
12.
Lighting Ltd, India • Part of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Nepal Compact,
jointly funded by the US government and Nepal government.
• Three substation contracts worth USD 126 million signed as part of
the project.
• Objective: To provide life insurance solutions to Naval Civilians.
Indian Navy and Bajaj
• The MoU aligns with the Indian Navy’s focus on welfare measures and
13. Allianz Life Insurance
enhancing the quality of life for Naval Civilians during the Year of Naval
Company
Civilians (2024).

National Institute of
Electronics and • Objective: Establish Centers of Excellence (CoE) in AI, Robotics, IoT,
14. Information Technology Industry 4.0, 3D Printing, and Allied Technologies across Government
(NIELIT) & Government of Polytechnic and Engineering Colleges in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra

• Objective: Facilitate co-production of audiovisual content by pooling

India-Colombia
creative, technical, and financial resources from both countries.
15. Audiovisual Co-production
• Colombia becomes the 17th country to sign a co-production
Agreement
agreement with India.

Nepal Electricity Authority

• Objective: To facilitate cross-border electricity trade among Nepal,
(NEA), NTPC Vidyut
India, and Bangladesh.
16. Vyapar Nigam (India) &
• Nepal will export surplus electricity to Bangladesh using India’s
Bangladesh Power
infrastructure for transmission.
Development Board

BANKING AND FINANCE

S.No Program / Initiative Key Facts

• Launched by Axis Bank, in partnership with Mastercard.

1. MyBiz business credit card
• Designed specifically for sole proprietors and small business owners

• Loan Amount: USD 1.265 billion.

• Secured by Power Finance Corporation (PFC).
• Facility agreement with multiple banks based in IFSC GIFT City,
Gandhinagar
• Purpose: Financing non-thermal assets to promote decarbonization
Largest-ever foreign
and transition to green energy
2. currency term loan
• Floating rate: 4.21% p.a., Tenor: 5 years.
secured by an Indian PSU
• Denominated in G3 currencies—USD, EUR, and JPY.
• Linked to external benchmark rates such as SOFR for USD, EURIBOR
for EUR, and TONA for JPY.
• Bankers to the issue: SBI, IDBI, Axis, MUFG, Deutsche & SMBC.
• SBI was the largest lender and acted as the facility agent.

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 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

S.No Technology in News Key Facts

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that India

eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem in 2024.
• India becomes the third country in the South-East Asia Region to
achieve this milestone after Nepal and Myanmar respectively.
• India also joined 19 other nations globally in achieving this milestone.
• India’s Trachoma Control Efforts:
o 1963: Trachoma control project initiated with support from WHO and
UNICEF.
o 1976: Integrated into the National Program for Control of Blindness
and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI)

India Eliminates Trachoma

1.
as a Public Health Problem

About the Disease

• Trachoma, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, is one of the leading
causes of preventable blindness globally

• A collaborative mission between ISRO (India) and JAXA (Japan).

• Objective: Exploring the Moon's surface for water and other resources,
Lunar Polar Exploration
2. advancing towards the eventual human landing on the Moon.
Mission (LUPEX)
• Cleared by the National Space Commission, the apex body that
decides on space missions.Launch Year: 2025.

• Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Will Serve As The Pilot Of The Ax-
4 Mission, Marking India's First Human Presence On The International
Space Station (ISS).
• Launch Details: The Mission Will Be Launched In Spring 2025 From The
Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA, Utilizing SpaceX’s Falcon 9
3. Axiom-4 (Ax-4) Mission Rocket And Dragon Spacecraft.
• India's Second Government-Sponsored Human Spaceflight After Wing
Commander Rakesh Sharma, Who Flew As Part Of A Soviet Mission In
1984.
Note: This Is an update to the Axiom mission discussed In August 2024
CurrentTap

• Initiative of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Whitelisting of URLs, • Effective from October 1, 2024, telecom service providers are required
4. APKs, and OTT Links for to block any SMS traffic containing non-whitelisted Uniform Resource
SMS Traffic Locators(URLs), Android Package Kits (APKs), or Over-the-Top
(OTT) links.

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 • Aim: To protect users from malicious web links, reducing the risk of
financial loss or privacy breaches.

• Spotted by NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System

(Atlas).
Temporary Mini-Moon • A small asteroid about 33 feet (10 meters) wide.
5.
(Asteroid 2024 PT5) • Hails from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which contains diverse space rocks
orbiting the Sun near Earth.
• Expected to return in 2055.

• Launch Location: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida (Space

Launch Complex-40).
• First human spaceflight mission launched from Space Launch
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Complex-40.
6.
Mission • Crew: Nick Hague (NASA) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (Roscosmos).
• Part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
• Supports NASA’s goal of testing technologies and skills for future space
missions under the Artemis campaign and beyond.

DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY

S.No Exercise/ Technology Key Facts

• Conducted under the aegis of Indian Naval Sailing Association based

at Naval Headquarters, New Delhi and Ocean Sailing Node, Goa under
Southern Naval Command.
• Two women naval officers, Lt Cdr Dilna K and Lt Cdr Roopa A,
embarking on the first Indian women-led circumnavigation of the
globe in double-handed mode.
• Mentored by Cdr Abhilash Tomy (Retd).
• Flagged off from INS Mandovi, Goa; Vessel: INSV Tarini.
• To cover 21,600 nautical miles (approx. 40,000 km) in five legs -
Goa, Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley,
(Falkland) & Cape Town (South Africa).
1. Navika Sagar Parikrama II
• Sailing through challenging waters around the three great Capes viz,
Cape Leeuwin (Australia), Cape Horn (South America) & Cape of
Good Hope (South Africa).
• Builds on the success of Navika Sagar Parikrama I (2017) led by six
women officers.

Additional Information
• Capt Dilip Donde (Retd)- the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe.
• Cdr Abhilash Tomy (Retd.)- first Asian skipper to participate in two
circumnavigations and accomplished the rare feat of completing the
Golden Globe Race in 2022.

• Unveiled by Iran for the first time.

• An upgraded kamikaze drone (one-way attack drone), with a range of
2. Shahed-136B Drone over 4,000 kilometers.
• An enhanced version of the Shahed-136, which has been vital in the
Russia-Ukraine war.

12 | P a g e
 • Alongside the drone, Iran also showcased the Jihad ballistic missile,
which features a 1,000 km range and a high-explosive warhead.

Russia and China Joint • Venue: Sea of Japan.

3.
Naval Exercise

• Subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, a French aerospace company.

• Location: Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Dassault Aviation MRO • Dedicated to Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) for its military
4.
India (DAMROI) activities.
• The development comes amid advanced negotiations with the Indian
Navy for the acquisition of 26 Rafale-M fighter jets.

• Indian Navy's apex-level international conference.

Indo-Pacific Regional • Venue: New Delhi.
5.
Dialogue (IPRD) 2024 • Theme: "Resource-Geopolitics and Security in the Indo-Pacific"
• Two Pillars: "Marine Resources" and "Resource Sharing"

Very Short Range Air • 4th Generation VSHORADS tested by the DRDO.
6. Defence System • Developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in
(VSHORADS) collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and production partners.

• Venue: Delhi Cantt.

7. DefConnect 4.0 • Organizer: Innovations for Defence Excellence - Defence Innovation
Organisation (iDEX-DIO), under Department of Defence Production.

• Multi-national maritime exercise.

• Venue: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
Exercise Malabar (28th • Participants: India, USA, Japan, and Australia.
8.
edition) • Initiated in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between India and the USA.
• Aligned with the Indian Government’s vision of Security & Growth for
All in the Region (SAGAR).

Swavlamban 2024 (3rd • Indian Navy’s Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Seminar.
9.
Edition) • Venue: Delhi.

• A trilateral maritime exercise between Indian, Brazilian, and South

10. IBSAMAR VIII (8th edition) African Navies
• Venue: Simon’s Town, South Africa.

• The first of two Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs) built by L&T Shipyard

11. ‘Samarthak’ (Supporter) for the Indian Navy.
• Unveiled at L&T Kattupalli Shipyard, Chennai.

• Indian Navy’s second indigenous survey vessel.

• Part of a four-ship series designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship
12. INS Nirdeshak Design Bureau and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers,
Kolkata.
• It follows INS Sandhayak.

13 | P a g e
 ENVIRONMENT

S.No News Key Facts

Maharashtra Sustainable • Objective: To protect Maharashtra’s coastline and riverbanks from

Climate-Resilient Coastal erosion and rising sea levels, helping communities and nature adapt to
1.
Protection and climate change.
Management Project • Loan from Asian Development Bank: $42 million.

• A Category 5 storm.
2. Hurricane Milton • One of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.
• Areas Affected: Mexico, USA (Florida and Georgia).

SPORTS

S.No Sports Event and Venue Key Facts

Men’s Doubles
Hangzhou Open 2024 • Winner: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth (India).
1. • Runner-Up: Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens (Germany).
(Tennis)
• The first ATP 250 title for the Nedunchezhiyan-Prashanth duo.

• Winner: Kamal Chawla (India) clinched his maiden IBSF World 6-Red
IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Snooker title.
2. Championship 2024 • Runner-up: Asjad Iqbal (Pakistan).
Venue: Bengaluru • Bronze Medalists for India: Malkeet Singh in the men's category, and
Vidya Pillai and Keerthana Pandian in the women's category.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024 • Winner: Oscar Piastri (McLaren).

3.
(Formula One Racing) • Runner-up: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).

• Host: Uttarakhand.
38th National Games
4. • Previous Edition: Held in Goa in 2023, Maharashtra topped the medal
(2025)
tally with 228 medals, including 80 gold.

• Winner: India (retained the title); Score: 2-0.

SAFF U-17 Championship
5. • Runner-Up: Bangladesh
2024
• Venue: Changlimithang Stadium, Thimphu, Bhutan

• Men's Singles
o Winner: Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
o Runner-Up: Jannik Sinner (Italy)
o Both players have shared all four Grand Slam titles this year: Sinner
won the Australian Open and US Open, while Alcaraz clinched
China Open 2024 (Tennis) Wimbledon and the French Open.
6. o Alcaraz became the first player to win ATP 500 titles on all three
Venue: Beijing
surfaces (hard, clay, and grass) since the series began in 2009.
• Women’s Singles
o Winner: Coco Gauff (USA)
✓ The youngest China Open champion in 14 years.
✓ Second American to win the title in Beijing, after Serena
Williams (2004, 2013).

14 | P a g e
 o Runner-up: Karolina Muchova (Czech Republic).

• Venue: Rajgir Hockey Stadium, Bihar.

Women's Asian Champions
7. • Mascot: ‘Gudiya’, inspired by the sparrow (Bihar’s state bird).
Trophy 2024
• Logo: Incorporates a Bodhi tree and hockey stick.

14th Hockey India Sub • Venue: Chandigarh.

8. Junior Men National • Winner: Uttar Pradesh Hockey; Runner-up: Hockey Haryana
Championship 2024 • Third Place: Hockey Punjab.

Singapore Formula One • Winner: Lando Norris (McLaren)

9.
Grand Prix 2024 • Runner-up: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

AWARDS

S.No Award/Milestone Key Facts

• A.R. Rahman won Best Music (Background Score) for Ponniyin Selvan I.
o First Music Director to win seven national awards
o His second national award in the Background Score category.
o Won his first National Award for Best Music Director for his debut film
70th National Film Roja (1992).
1. Note: This is an update to the National Film Awards news covered in
Awards
CurrentTap August 2024.
Additional Information
• Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1 won four National Awards - Best Tamil Film, Best
Music Director (BGM), Best Sound Design, Best Cinematography

Category Winners Reason

• Poetic prose that
Literature • Han Kang (South Korea)
confronts historical
• First Korean to win this
traumas and exposes the
Prize.
fragility of human life.
• Notable Works: The
Vegetarian (2007) &
Human Acts (2016) &
We Do Not Part (2025).
• Foundational discoveries
Physics • John Hopfield (USA)
enabling machine learning
• Geoffrey Hinton
with artificial neural
Nobel Prizes 2024 (British-Canadian)
2. networks.
• David Baker for
Chemistry • David Baker (USA),
Computational protein
• Demis Hassabis (UK,
design and other two for
CEO of DeepMind
protein structure
Technologies)
prediction.
• John Jumper
(UK, director at Google
DeepMind).
• Discovery of microRNA
Medicine • Victor Ambros (USA)
and its role in post-
• Gary Ruvkun (USA)
transcriptional gene
regulation.

15 | P a g e
 • Efforts to achieve a world
Peace • Nihon Hidankyo, The
free of nuclear weapons
grassroots movement
through witness
of atomic bomb
testimony.
survivors from
Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, also known
as Hibakusha
• Studies on how
Economics • Daron Acemoglu
institutions shape
(Turkey)
prosperity and affect
• Simon Johnson (UK)
economic outcomes.
• James Robinson (UK).
About Nobel Prizes
• Founded by: Alfred Nobel, a Swedish businessman and chemist.
• Purpose: To reward individuals or organizations providing “the greatest
benefit to humankind” in the preceding year; First Prizes: Awarded in 1901.
• Five Main Categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine,
Literature
• Economics (Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of
Alfred Nobel): Introduced in 1969 by Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden’s central
bank) to commemorate its 300th anniversary.
• Institutions Responsible for Each Prize
o Physics, Chemistry & Economics: Royal Swedish Academy of
Sciences; Medicine/Physiology: Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)
o Literature: Swedish Academy
Peace: The Norwegian Nobel Committee.
• Reward: 11 million SEK (Swedish Kronor) per prize.
• Award Locations: Peace Prize in Norway, Rest in Sweden.
• Total Nobel Awards Won by Indians: 12 (5 are Indian citizens and 7 are of
Indian ancestry or residency).
• First Indian to Win Nobel Prize: Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913).
• Recent Indian to Win Nobel Prize: Abhijit Banerjee (Economics, 2019).

• Awardee: Regional Labour Institute, Chennai, a subordinate office of

Directorate General of Factory Advice Service & Labour
Capacity Building Institutes (DGFASLI) functioning under the Ministry of Labour and
Commission(CBC) Employment
3.
Certification • Accreditation: 6890-n, with a grade of 'Uttam'.
• Purpose: Recognized for maintaining high standards in Occupational
Safety and Health Training under the National Standards for Civil Service
Training Institutions (NSCSTI).

59th Indian Chemical

• Lifetime Achievement: Deepak C Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director
4. Council (ICC) Annual
of Deepak Nitrite Limited.
Awards

APPOINTMENT
• Why in News: Sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
• The first Chief Minister of the UT of J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
• Previously served as Chief Minister of J&K in 2009 for a full six-year term.
• His party National Conference (NC) won 42 seats of the total 90 seats in J&K
Omar Abdullah • Surinder Kumar Choudhary (Jammu region) was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister.

16 | P a g e
• Why in News: Head of the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), BCCI, Tenure: 3 years
Sharad Kumar
• Predecessor: KK Mishra
Air Marshal SP • Why in News: New Vice Chief of Air Staff, Indian Air Force (IAF).
Dharkar • Predecessor: Air Marshal AP Singh.
• Why in News: Re-appointed as the Deputy governor of the RBI for a one-year term.
• Currently in charge of the departments of regulation, risk monitoring, communication,
enforcement and legal.
• Initially appointed in September 2020 for a three-year term.
• With this re-appointment, he will complete five years as RBI Deputy Governor. M. Rajeshwar
Rao
• Why in News: New Managing Director (MD) of Nestle India
• Predecessor: Suresh Narayanan (retiring in 2025, after 26 years of service).

Manish Tiwary
• Why in News: Re-appointed as the President of Tunisia.

Kais Saied
Anurag Garg • Why in News: New Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
• Why in News: Assumed the position of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Mohammed
Telangana. Siraj

PERSONS IN NEWS
• Why in News : New Commander of the International Space Station (ISS).
• Handed over by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko as he returned to Earth.
• This marks her second time leading the ISS, following her previous command during
Expedition 33 in 2012.
• Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore have been on the ISS since June 2024, after
launching aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft for its first crewed flight.
• Their mission was initially planned for eight days, but technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner
Sunita Williams delayed their return until February 2025.
• NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov were sent on a
SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule under SpaceX Crew-9 Mission to bring them back to Earth
in February 2025.
• Why in News : Aged 18, he became the youngest person to summit all 14 peaks above
8,000 metres. He is from Nepal.
Nima Rinji
• Previous Record Holder: Mingma Gyabu Sherpa (achieved at age 30 in 2019).
Sherpa
• All 14 peaks are located in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges across Nepal, China,
Pakistan, and India.

OBITUARIES
• Legendary Indian industrialist and Former Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons & Former
Chairman of Tata Trusts.
• Notable Awards: Padma Bhushan (2000), Padma Vibhushan (2008), Honorary Knight Grand
Cross of the Order of the British Empire (2014), Order of Australia (2023).
• Bihar's postal circle released a special cover commemorating Ratan Tata.
o It includes a stamp from 2020 commemorating the centenary of Jamshedpur, alongside
Ratan Tata
tributes to J.R.D. Tata, who flew India’s first commercial airmail in 1932.

17 | P a g e
 1. GA IN NEWS
FIRST IN NEWS

S.No News Key Facts

• Name: Droupadi Murmu, The President of India.

Key Highlights- Algeria Visit
• Martyr Ihaddaden Abdelhafid University, Algeria awarded Honorary
Doctorate in Political Science to the President of India for her
advocacy of science and education.
Key Highlights- Mauritania Visit
First Indian Head of State to • Signing of 4 MoUs on training of diplomats, cultural exchange, visa
1. visit Algeria, Mauritania, and exemption and Foreign Office consultations.
Malawi Key Highlights- Malawi Visit
• Signing of 3 MoUs on youth affairs, sports, and cultural exchange.
Significance
• The visit aims to strengthen India’s ties with Africa, following the
African Union’s inclusion as a permanent G20 member during India’s
presidency.
• Mauritania is the current head of the African Union.

• Name of the event: AROHA-2024; Venue: New Delhi.

First-ever International • Theme: ‘Advancements of Research & Global Opportunities for Holistic
2. conference of All India Ayurveda.’
Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) • The Ayush Research Portal was launched to advance research and
education in Ayurveda during the event.

First Indian State to • Name of State: Haryana.

3. Introduce Subclassification • Objective: To ensure more equitable distribution of reservations.
in Scheduled Castes Quota • Scheduled Castes sub classified into two groups for job reservations

India's first mobile app • Kerala’s Citizen Sentinel App, integrated within the NextGen
4. feature to report traffic mParivahan application, allows citizens to report traffic violations in
violations in real time real time by uploading photos and videos.

• Name: Ngangom Bala Devi.

First Indian woman footballer • Milestone achieved during SAFF Championship 2024 Opener between
5. to score 50 international Indian and Pakistan at Nepal.
goals • The same match also marked the 100th appearance of Ashalata Devi,
the captain of the Indian women's national football team.

• Event Name: Hockey India League (HIL) 2024.

• Women’s League to be held for the first time.
First-Ever Simultaneous • Venues: Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela (men’s league) and
6. Men's and Women's Hockey Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi.
India League (women’s league).
• Most Expensive Buys from the Auction
o Harmanpreet Singh, in the men’s section, signed by Soorma
Hockey Club.

4|Page
 o Udita Duhan, in the women’s section, joining Shrachi Rarh Bengal
Tigers.

• First-Ever Women’s Doubles Medal: Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha

Mukherjee won the Bronze.
• First Women’s Team Medal: Manika Batra, Ayhika Mukherjee, and
India’s first ever wins at Sutirtha Mukherjee earned India’s first-ever women’s team medal
7. Asian Table Tennis since 1972, securing bronze.
Championships 2024 • Other Medallists: Indian Men’s Team comprising Sharath Kamal,
Manav Thakkar, and Harmeet Desai won India’s third consecutive
men’s team bronze.
• Venue of the event: Astana, Kazakhstan.

• Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) secured a ₹866.87 crore contract

Bullet Trains to be built to design, manufacture, and commission two high-speed bullet train
8. indigenously in India for the sets from Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.
first time • Will be built at BEML's Bengaluru rail coach complex.
• Expected to be delivered by the end of 2026.

• Name: All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF).

India’s first environmental
9. • Actress and environmental activist Dia Mirza appointed as a jury
film festival
member for the 2024 edition.

First government-run skill • Name: Maharashtra State Skill University (MSSU).

10.
university in Maharashtra • To be renamed after Ratan Tata

• Name of the initiative: Pavana Chitra.

India's First Airport-based
• Location: Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, Kerala.
11. Self-powered Indoor Air
• Developer: CSIR - National Institute For Interdisciplinary Science and
Quality Monitoring Facility
Technology (NIIST).

HDFC Bank’s First Branch in • HDFC Bank received a wholesale banking license by the Monetary
12.
Singapore Authority of Singapore (MAS).

First Coal Gallery in India/ • Name: ‘Black Diamond: Unveiling the Depths’.
13. India’s first permanent coal- • Location: National Science Centre, New Delhi.
themed exhibition • Initiative of Ministry of Coal.

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

S.No Initiative Key Facts

• Initiative of Meta.
• Collaborating Ministries/ Departments: Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY), the Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and the Indian
1. "Scam se Bacho" Campaign
Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
• Aim: To combat the increasing menace of online scams and cyber
frauds, To foster a culture of digital safety and vigilance among Indian
citizens.

5|Page
 Comprehensive Household • Telangana becomes the third state to conduct a caste survey after
2.
Caste Survey in Telangana Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.

• Initiative of Government of Assam.

• Objectives: Grant land rights to indigenous communities and simplify
land-related services, Strengthen the government’s resolve to protect
3. Mission Basundhara 3.0
"Jati-Mati-Bheti" (community, land, homeland).
• Key Feature of third edition: Offering land rights without proof of three-
generation ancestry to SC, ST, Adivasis, Tea Tribes, and Gorkhas.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

S.No Focus Area Key Outcomes

• Venue: Mumbai.
• Theme: "Advantage Bharat: Indian Chemicals and Petrochemicals
Paving the Future"
• Organizer: Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals & and FICCI.
• Partner Country: Netherlands.
• Key Information Shared
India CHEM 2024
1. o Government targets ₹10 lakh crore (USD 142 billion) investment by
(13th edition)
2025 under the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals
Investment Regions (PCPIRs) Policy 2020-35.
o India’s chemical and petrochemical industry is projected to surpass
$300 billion by 2028 and is on track to reach $1 trillion by 2040.
o India ranks third-largest in Asia and sixth globally in chemicals
production.

• Venue: New Delhi.

• Theme: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Energy Future
• Organizer: NITI Aayog, in collaboration with Methanol Institute, USA
(Knowledge Partner).
Second International • Organized under Methanol Economy Programme.
2. Methanol Seminar and Expo
2024 About Methanol Economy Programme
• Initiative of NITI Aayog; Launched in 2016.
• Aim: To lower India's oil import bill, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, and convert coal reserves and municipal solid waste into
methanol.

• Venue: New Delhi.

• Organizer: The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).
• Objectives:
o Enhance bilateral trade and cooperation in semiconductor
Annual India Leadership
3. investment, AI, and next-gen technologies.
Summit 2024
o Strengthen defence ties, promote clean energy, and ensure a free
and open Indo-Pacific.
o Focus on fortifying India’s manufacturing economy and realigning
global supply chains.

6|Page
 MOUs AND AGREEMENTS

S.No Signing Entities Key Facts

• Both nations to strengthen environmental cooperation and enhance

1. India & Colombia sustainability efforts.
• Decision arrived during a high-level meeting.

BANKING AND FINANCE

S.No Program / Initiative Key Facts

• Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition

of:
Acquisition of stakes in
o 24.91% shareholding in Future Generali India Insurance Company
Future Generali India
Limited (FGIICL).
1. Insurance and Life
o 25.18% shareholding in Future Generali India Life Insurance
Insurance by Central Bank
Company Limited (FGILICL).
of India
• Carried out under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)
Regulations, 2016.

• Launched by the Bank of Baroda.

2. BOB Utsav Deposit Scheme
• A 400-day period term deposit scheme

DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY

S.No Exercise/ Technology Key Facts

• Bilateral naval exercise between India and Oman.
1. Naseem-Al-Bahr
• Venue: Goa; First edition held in 1993.

• Developed by Scientific Analysis Group (SAG) - DRDO

Evaluating Trustworthy • Objective: To make AI systems resilient against adversarial attacks,
2. Artificial Intelligence (ETAI) prevent mission failures, and ensure operational success.
Framework and Guidelines • The framework outlines five core principles: Reliability & Robustness,
for the Armed Forces Safety & Security, Transparency, Fairness, and Privacy.

• The United States is deploying the THAAD to Israel to strengthen its air
defence capabilities.
THAAD (Terminal High
• THAAD is developed by Lockheed Martin.
3. Altitude Area Defense)
• An advanced anti-missile defense platform
missile system
• Designed to intercept short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic
missiles during their final phase of flight.

ENVIRONMENT

S.No News Key Facts

7|Page
 • Venue: New Delhi.
• Organizer: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), in
"Silent Conversation: From collaboration with Sankala Foundation, National Human Rights
1. Margins to the Centre" Art Commission (NHRC), and International Big Cat Alliance.
Exhibition (2nd edition) • Objective: To acknowledge the conservation values of tribal
communities and emphasize their harmonious relationship with the
environment.

• Assam will launch an Rs 800 crore project to rejuvenate 129 beels

Assam's Rs 800 Crore
2. (lake-like wetlands) in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank
Project to Restore Wetlands
(ADB).

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

S.No Technology in News Key Facts

• Initiative of Space Kidz India.

• Objective: To Train 12,000 high school girls (aged 14-18) from 108
countries in space technology and inspire global collaboration in space
1. ShakthiSAT Mission
exploration.
• Target: To launch the satellite under ISRO’s Chandrayaan-4 mission in
2026.

• Initiative of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).

• Launched in 2014; India joined in 2015.
• Nodal Agency in India: Department of School Education & Literacy.
Sakura Science Programme • Objectives:
(Japan-Asia Youth o Develop intellectual curiosity and foster scientific exploration
2.
Exchange Program in among young learners.
Science) o Provide students with exposure to Japan’s advanced science,
technology, and culture.
• Students from Navodaya Vidyalayas and ‘Prerana: An Experiential
Learning program’ alumni are participating in the programme.

SPORTS

S.No Sports Event and Venue Key Facts

Archery World Cup Final • Event: Recurve Women.

2024 • Gold Medallist: Li Jiaman (China, her maiden title).
1.
• Silver Medallist: Deepika Kumari (India).
Venue: Tlaxcala, Mexico o Deepika Kumari’s 6th medal at the Archery World Cup Finals.
Indian Medal Winners:
• Vivaan Kapoor – Silver (Men's Trap).
• Anantjeet Singh Naruka – Bronze (Men's Skeet).
ISSF World Cup Final 2024 • Sonam Maskar – Silver (Women’s 10m Air Rifle)
2.
Venue: New Delhi • Akhil Sheoran – Bronze (Men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions)
Awards/ Recognition at the event
• Liu Yukun (China)- Athlete of the Year.
o He won Gold in the 50-metre rifle 3-position at Paris Olympics.

8|Page
 • Yang Ji-in (Korea) – Female Athlete of the Year.

WR Chess Masters 2024 • Winner: Arjun Erigaisi (India).

3.
Venue: London, England. • Defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France).

AWARDS

S.No Award/Milestone Key Facts

• Recipient: Rajkumar Hirani (Film Director).

National Kishore Kumar
1. Award
• Awarded by the Madhya Pradesh Government, in memory of legendary
singer Kishore Kumar.

• Lifetime Achievement Award-

India: Narayana Murthy (Founder,
Infosys Limited).
• Global Lifetime Achievement
Award: Shantanu Narayen (Chair
Chiratae Ventures and CEO, Adobe).
2. Patrick J. McGovern • Exceptional Entrepreneurial Achievement Award: Abhinav Asthana (CEO
Awards 2024 and Founder, Postman)

About the Award

• Awarded by Chiratae Ventures.
• Honours Patrick J. McGovern, anchor investor of Chiratae’s first fund and
the founder of International Data Group (IDG).

• Recipient: Dr. S. Somanath (Chairman, ISRO).

International
• Awarded for the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, which achieved a
Astronautical
3. Federation (IAF) World
historic landing near the Moon’s South Pole on August 23, 2023.
• The award recognizes outstanding contributions to space exploration and
Space Award
engineering.
• 17 Indo-US teams received awards to collaborate on developing AI-
enabled technologies and Quantum Technologies.
• Awarded by US-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund (USISTEF),
Indo-US Endowment focusing on Critical and Emerging Technologies.
4. Awards About USISTEF
• Established in 2009.
• Supports joint Indo-US entrepreneurial initiatives by co-developing
products and technologies.
• Awardee: Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
SHRM - HR Excellence • Categories Won: Excellence in Inclusion, Equity & Diversity & Excellence in
5. Awards 2024 Managing the Distributed Workforce.
• Awarded by: Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

APPOINTMENT
• Why in News: Sworn in as Chief Minister of Haryana for the second term.
Additional Information
• Total Seats in Haryana Assembly: 90.

Nayab Singh
Saini

9|Page
• Why in News: New Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW).
• Tenure: Three years; Predecessor: Rekha Sharma.
• Dr. Archana Majumdar has been appointed as a Member of the NCW for a tenure of three
years.
Note: NCW discussed in CurrentTap August 2024.
Vijaya Kishore
Rahatkar
• Why in News: Appointed as the Chairman of Tata Trusts, following the demise of Ratan Tata.

Noel Tata
• Why in News: Took over as the Director General of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• Predecessor: (Late) Rakesh Pal.

Paramesh
Sivamani

PERSONS IN NEWS
• Why in News: CJI D.Y. Chandrachud has recommended him as his successor to the
government.
• Upon approval, Justice Khanna will become the 51st Chief Justice of India (CJI).
• His tenure as CJI will be 6 months.
Justice Sanjiv
Khanna
• Why in News: A ₹100 commemorative coin was released to mark her birth centenary. Shri Mataji
• She was the founder of Sahaja Yoga , a new religious movement Nirmala Devi
(Nirmala
Shrivastava)

OBITUARIES
• Famous Japanese actress and Voice actress.
• Known for voicing the iconic character Doraemon

Nobuyo Oyama

PLACES IN NEWS

S.No Place Key Facts

• Set up at Ministry of Civil Aviation, New Delhi.
1. Aviation Park
• Displays the history and evolution of Indian civil aviation.

DAYS IN NEWS

S.No Days Key Facts

10 | P a g e
1. GA IN NEWS
FIRST IN NEWS

S.No News Key Facts

• Initiative Name: "Weather Forecasting at the Gram Panchayat Level".

Localized weather forecasts • Launched by Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in collaboration with India
1. made available at the Gram Meteorological Department (IMD).
Panchayat level for the first time • Objective: To empower rural communities by providing five-day and hourly
weather forecasts for 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats.

First Time Initiatives

• First indigenous 5G services to be deployed by BSNL.
• First-ever automated SIM kiosks enabling 24/7 SIM services using UPI/QR-
based payments and multi-lingual access.
• First Direct-to-Device (D2D) service converging satellite and terrestrial
networks for seamless connectivity, useful in emergencies.
• First private 5G network for mining operations in partnership with C-DAC,
Launch of BSNL’s new logo and using advanced AI, IoT, and AR technologies.
2.
seven citizen-centric services • First fiber-based intranet TV (IFTV) service offering 500+ channels at no
extra charge to BSNL Fiber to the Home (FTTH) users.
• First National Wi-Fi roaming service at no extra charge for FTTH customers.
Other Initiative
• Spam! Free Network for phishing and malicious SMS filtering.
New Logo of BSNL
• Symbolizes trust, accessibility, and nationwide reach, with the tagline
‘Connecting Bharat.’

• Venue: New Delhi (first time held in the Asia-Pacific region).

• Organizer: International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• Objective: Define the work program, methods, and structure for ITU’s
Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T).
• Held every four years.
Events Organized on the Sidelines
• Global Standards Symposium (GSS) 2024 (5th edition)
o Venue: New Delhi (first time held in the Asia-Pacific region).
o Organizing Body: International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
World Telecommunication o Host: Department of Telecommunications, Government of India.
3. Standardization Assembly o Theme: "Charting the Next Digital Wave: Emerging Technologies,
(WTSA) 2024 Innovation, and International Standards".
o Chair: Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, Chief Executive Officer, Centre for
Development of Telematics (C-DoT).
o India chaired the event for the first time.
• India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024 (8th edition)
o Venue: New Delhi; Theme: "The Future is Now".
o Organizers: Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular
Operators Association of India (COAI)
• International Conference of Telecom Regulators
o Organizer: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
o Theme: "Emerging Trends in Regulation".

4|P a g e
 o TRAI signed an MoU with Saudi Arabia’s Communications, Space &
Technology (CST) for cooperation in the regulatory and digital sectors.

About ITU
• Founded in 1865; HQ: Geneva Switzerland.
• a specialized agency of the United Nations for Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs).
• Members: 193 countries
• India's Role: India has been an ITU member since 1869 and part of the ITU
Governing Council since 1952.

• 7th G-STIC Conference held in Delhi.

India hosts the G-STIC (Global • Organized by TERI and VITO.
Sustainable Technology and • Umbrella Theme: “Harmonizing Technology, Policy and Business Pathways
4.
Innovation Community) for Sustainable Future and Coexistence”.
Conference for the first time • Theme of this conference: “Accelerating Technologies Solutions for the
SDGs.”

• Name: IITM Global Dubai Centre.

First International Research and
5. • The centre will focus on artificial intelligence (AI), data science, robotics, and
Innovation Centre of IIT Madras
sustainable energy technologies.

New Zealand women’s cricket • New Zealand defeated South Africa by 32 runs in the final at the Dubai
6. team won their first-ever ICC International Stadium, UAE.
Women’s T20 World Cup title • Player of the Series: Amelia Kerr (New Zealand).

• Name of the Player: Sikandar Raza.

• Milestone achieved during a T20 World Cup qualifier against Gambia.
First Zimbabwean player to hit a • In the same match, Zimbabwe set a world record for the highest T20
7.
century in men’s T20Is international score.
• Zimbabwe hit 344, surpassing the previous record of 314 by Nepal.
• Venue of the match: Ruaraka Sports Club Ground, Nairobi, Kenya.

• Launched on October 20, 2023 on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS

India’s first Regional Rapid
corridor with the first priority section between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot.
8. Transit System (RRTS)/ Namo
• The first anniversary of Namo Bharat Train operations was celebrated as
Bharat Trains
Namo Bharat Diwas on October 21.

First Government Hospital in • Name of the Hospital: Datia District Hospital and Medical College.
9. Madhya Pradesh to install Pink
• Objective: to ensure women safety.
Alarm

• MVD is a severe and often fatal disease caused by the Marburg marburgvirus
First outbreak of Marburg virus
10. (MARV).
disease (MVD) in Rwanda
• First discovered in 1967 in Marburg, Germany

First Maritime Partnership

11. Exercise (MPX) between the • Location: Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean.
Indian Navy and German Navy

GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

S.No Initiative Key Facts

5|P a g e
 • Initiative of Government of Gujarat.
• Namo Lakshmi Yojana
‘Namo Lakshmi’ and ‘Namo o Encourage girls’ education from class 9 to 12 by providing financial assistance.
1. Saraswati Science Sadhana o Reduce dropout rates, increase enrollment, and empower girls through
Yojana’ education and nutrition support.
• Namo Saraswati Science Sadhana Yojana
o Promote science education among students in class 11-12.

• Organizers: Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities

(Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
2. 21st Divya Kala Mela • Venue: Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
• Objective: Empower artisans and entrepreneurs with disabilities by offering a
platform to display their talents and foster creativity.

• Initiative of Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and the Ministry of Heavy

Industries (MHI).
• Focus Areas:
Joint Call for Proposals to
o Development of EV sub-systems such as chargers and charging infrastructure,
3. Develop Indigenous EV Sub-
motors, battery management systems (BMS), telematics, and functional
Systems
safety.
o Establishment of a center for prototyping and testing to validate EV
technologies.

• Initiative of the Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development.

National Geospatial Knowledge- • To be launched on pilot basis in over 100 cities/towns across India to modernize
4. based Survey of Urban urban land records.
Habitations (NAKSHA) • Initiative announced during International Workshop on the use of "Modern
Technologies in Survey-Resurvey for Urban Land Records" .

Special Courts for People with

5. • Initiative of Delhi Government.
Disabilities

• Launched by the Election Commission of India.

• Objectives
o Provide candidates and parties with a streamlined platform to apply, track,
6. Suvidha 2.0 Mobile App
and download permissions for election campaigns.
o Enable mobile access to campaign permissions, improving convenience and
transparency during elections.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

S.No Focus Area Key Outcomes

• Venue: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi & India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater
Noida.
• Organizer: Ministry of Textiles in collaboration with Textile Export Promotion
1. Bharat Tex 2025
Councils (EPCs).
• Themes: Resilient global value chains and sustainability.
• Focus Areas: Scale, sustainability and skills

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 • Initiative of Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Panchayat Sammelan on "Ease
• Organized at National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj
2. of Living: Enhancing Service
(NIRD&PR), Hyderabad.
Delivery at the Grassroots"
• Four regional workshops to be organized under the initiative.

3. NDTV World Summit 2024 • Venue: New Delhi; Tagline: The India Century.

• Venue: New Delhi.

• Organizers: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) in collaboration
Seminar on ‘Economic Inclusion with the World Bank.
4.
for Vulnerable Populations’ • Aim: Strengthening the delivery of social protection schemes and policies.
• The event is part of a non-lending technical assistance agreement with the World
Bank to create a community of practice for social protection.

• Venue: Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• Organizer: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with
17th Urban Mobility India (UMI)
5. the Institute of Urban Transport (India), supported by the Government of Gujarat
Conference & Expo-2024
and Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.
• Theme: "Standardisation and Optimisation of Urban Transport Solutions".

• Objective: To foster collaboration and synergy in critical areas of mutual interest

in education.
Union Minister of Education’s Australia Visit- Highlights
6. • Addressed Australian International Education Conference at Melbourne.
Visit to Australia & Singapore
Singapore Visit- Highlights
• Strengthen partnership in education through the pillars of Talent, Resource, and
Market.

MOUs AND AGREEMENTS

S.No Signing Entities Key Facts

• India and Pakistan have agreed to extend the validity for an additional five years
till 2029.
Kartarpur Sahib Corridor
1. • Signed in 2019, the agreement allowed Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar
Agreement
Sahib Kartarpur, Narowal, Punjab in Pakistan.
• The initial agreement was valid for five years.

• Both countries decided to strengthen Hydropower Cooperation during a recent

2. India and Bhutan
ministerial level meeting.

Nvidia Corporation & Reliance • Objective: To develop AI computing infrastructure in India, focusing on creating
3. Industries Ltd. (RIL) advanced data centers and fostering AI innovation.

Indian Institute of Management • Objectives:

(IIM) Shillong through its o To provide comprehensive entrepreneurship training and incubation support
Foundation for Incubation and for aspiring entrepreneurs.
4.
Enterprise (IIMSFIE) & Small o Launch of the Skill to Enterprise Model (STEM) Programme to help transform
Industries Development Bank of innovative ideas into successful businesses.
India (SIDBI)

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 • Objectives:
o To integrate biotechnology with space technology for innovative scientific
Indian Space Research
applications and advancements.
Organisation (ISRO) &
5. o Foster high-performance biomanufacturing and support the Bharatiya
Department of Biotechnology
Antriksh Station project.
(DBT)
o To develop waste management technologies and recycling solutions for use in
space and beyond.

• Objective: To establish a Solar Hydrogen-based Microgrid in Chushul, Ladakh for

6. NTPC & Indian Army
round-the-clock power supply to off-grid Army locations using green hydrogen.

• Objective: To support India’s manufacturing sector by empowering startups and

Department for Promotion of
advancing the Startup India and Make in India initiatives.
7. Industry and Internal Trade
• Focus Areas: Incubating manufacturing startups by involving corporate houses and
(DPIIT) & HCLSoftware
offering tools, expertise, and global market access.

• Objective: Establish two Joint Ventures (JVs) aimed at enhancing energy capacity
in Rajasthan.
NLC India Ltd (NLCIL) &
• First JV: Between NLC India Renewables Ltd (NIRL) and RRVUNL for renewable
8. Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan
energy projects.
Nigam Limited (RRVUNL)
• Second JV: Between NLCIL and RRVUNL for a lignite-based thermal power station.
• NLCIL will hold a 74% equity stake, while RRVUNL will hold 26% in both JVs.

BANKING AND FINANCE

S.No Program / Initiative Key Facts

Jio Payments Bank receives a

• Licence Type: Category 1 Execution-only Platform (EOP) licence .
mutual fund distribution licence
1. from the Association of Mutual
• Permits distribution of the direct plan of mutual fund (MF) schemes.
• Transaction charges for such platforms are capped at Rs 2 per transaction.
Funds in India (Amfi)

• FTSE Russell announced that India's sovereign bonds will join the Emerging
Markets Government Bond Index (EMGBI) in September 2025, after resolving
India and South Korea Bonds to
2. earlier concerns related to taxation, registration, and settlement issues.
Join FTSE Russell EMGB Index
• Indian bonds will represent 9.35% of the EMGBI.
• South Korean government bonds will account for 2.22% of the index.

Paytm Receives NPCI Approval • Earlier, the RBI had restricted Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL) from onboarding new
3. to Onboard New UPI Users UPI users and accepting deposits due to non-compliance and supervisory concerns.

DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY

S.No Exercise/ Technology Key Facts

• Name: S4*.
• Launched at Ship Building Center (SBC), Visakhapatnam.
India’s fourth nuclear-powered
• Features of S4*:
1. ballistic missile submarine
o 75% indigenous content.
(SSBN)
o Equipped with K-4 nuclear ballistic missiles (range: 3,500 km).
• Comparison with Other SSBNs:

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 o INS Arihant (S2) carries K-15 missiles with a 750 km range.
o INS Arighaat (S3) commissioned in August 2024; INS Aridhaman (S4) will be
commissioned next year.

Additional Information
• Russian Akula-class nuclear attack submarine will join the fleet on lease in 2028.
• INS Vagsheer, the sixth Kalvari-class diesel submarine, to be commissioned in
December 2024.
• Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the construction of two nuclear-
powered attack submarines to boost deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.
• Venue: New Delhi.
• Significance:
6th India-Singapore Defence o 2025 will mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between India and Singapore.
2. Ministerial Dialogue o India marks 10 years of its Act East policy.
o Singapore is the country coordinator for India in the ASEAN Defence
Ministers' Meeting-Plus from 2021 to 2024.

• The sixth Missile Cum Ammunition Barge under an 8-barge project.

3. LSAM 12 (Yard 80) • Launched at Mira Bhayandar, Maharashtra.
• Built by MSME shipyard SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd.

• India signed a $3.5 billion deal with the U.S. for the supply of 31 HALE RPAS under
MQ-9B High Altitude Long the Foreign Military Sales program.
4. Endurance (HALE) Remotely • HALE RPAS is being manufactured by General Atomics.
Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) • The agreement includes 15 Sea Guardian drones for the Indian Navy and 16 Sky
Guardian drones divided equally between the Indian Air Force and Army.

• A coastal security exercise conducted by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

5. Sagar Kavach • Venue: Gujarat and the Union Territory of Daman & Diu.
• It was the second edition for this year.

12th edition of Joint Military

Training (JMT) Exercise
6. • Held at Air Force Station Kalaikunda, West Bengal.
between India and Singapore
Air Forces

• Indian Army's flagship international seminar.

Chanakya Defence Dialogue • Venue: New Delhi.
7.
2024 (Second edition) • Theme: "Drivers in Nation Building: Fueling Growth Through Comprehensive
Security".

• The seventh Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) under the
8. Abhay GRSE Project.
• Launched at L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu.

• The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
approved the establishment of a missile testing range in Nagayalanka, Andhra
Pradesh.
9. New Missile Testing Range
Other Recent approvals by CCS
• 31 Predator drones to be procured from the United States.
• Construction of two nuclear submarines under Project ATV.
• Maritime exercise between the navies of India and Singapore.
10. SIMBEX 2024 (31st edition)
• Venue: Visakhapatnam and the Bay of Bengal.

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 • Started in 1994 as 'Exercise Lion King’.

• Location: Damagundam forest area, Vikarabad district, Telangana.

Foundation stone laid for the
11. Indian Navy’s second Very Low Additional Information
Frequency (VLF) Naval Station • India’s first Very Low Frequency (VLF) Naval Station is INS Kattabomman, in
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.

ENVIRONMENT

S.No News Key Facts

• A tropical cyclone that formed in Bay of Bengal.

• The name "Dana," meaning "generosity," was contributed by Qatar under the
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) cyclone naming system.
• Affected States: Odisha and West Bengal.
1. Cyclone Dana Additional Information
• Cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region are named by 13 member countries,
including India.
• Predecessor to Cyclone Dana: Asna, named by Pakistan.
• Successor to Cyclone Dana: Fengal, named by Saudi Arabia.

2. Hurricane Oscar • A tropical cyclone that affected Cuba.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

S.No Technology in News Key Facts

• Egypt is the Second country globally to be declared malaria-free in 2024 (after

Malaria-Free Certification for
Cabo Verde).
1. Egypt by the World Health
• Fifth African nation and third in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to receive
Organization
malaria-free certification.

• Developed by Department of Telecommunications (DoT), in collaboration with

International Incoming Spoofed Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).
2. Calls Prevention System • Objective: Identify and block international calls disguised as Indian mobile
numbers to prevent cyber fraud.

• A WHO-led team of international experts confirmed that the National Regulatory

Authority (NRA) of India meets the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool (GBT)
India Meets WHO Global Version VI standards for a functional vaccine regulatory system.
3. • India retained Maturity Level 3.
Vaccine Regulation Standards
Additional Information
• India is the third-largest vaccine producer by volume.

• Launched by NASA from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Europa Clipper Mission • Nasa's largest ever built probe for a planetary mission
4.
• The spacecraft will travel 2.9 billion Kms over 5½ years to reach Jupiter's moon
Europa by 2030.

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 • Objective: To investigate whether Europa’s subsurface ocean contains essential
conditions for life.

• Hyderabad-based Ananth Technologies (ATL) handed over two 400 kg class

satellites 'Chaser' and 'Target' to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Two Satellites Handed Over to
for a Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX).
5. ISRO for Space Docking
• The satellites will launch aboard the PSLV-C60 mission.
Experiment
• To serve as a precursor to future ambitious projects like the Indian space station
and Chandrayaan-4.

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is offering domestic firms the
technology to develop quick Mpox detection kits following the detection of the
ICMR Invites Firms to Develop deadly Clade 1b strain in India.
6.
Rapid Mpox Test Kits • India is the third country to report this deadlier strain, after Sweden and Thailand.
• National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune has developed the Rapid Mpox Test
Kits using LAMP (Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification) technology.

• Launched by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

• Objective: To improve digital connectivity inside buildings through a rating system
that incentivizes property managers to ensure quality connectivity.
Key Facts
• Promotes the inclusion of Digital Connectivity Infrastructure (DCI) as part of
Rating of Properties for Digital Model Building Byelaws (MBBL).
7.
Connectivity Regulations, 2024 • Applicable to residential, government, commercial properties, stadiums, public
areas, and transport corridors.
• Properties will receive ratings from 1 to 5 stars based on the quality of digital
connectivity.
• Digital Connectivity Rating Agencies (DCRA) will assess properties and charge
fees based on property type, size, and complexity.

SPORTS

S.No Sports Event and Venue Key Facts

o India topped the medal tally with 24 (13 Gold, 3 Silver, 8 Bronze) medals.
ISSF Junior World Championship o Italy & Norway came 2nd and 3rd respectively.
2024 Key Highlight
1.
• Indian Women’s Team won Gold in Women’s 10m Air Rifle
Venue: Lima, Peru o Also set a new junior world record in Women’s 10m Air Rifle with a combined
score of 1894.8, surpassing the USA and Norway.
o Inductees: Alastair Cook (England), Neetu David (India) & AB de Villiers (South
Africa)
Key Achievements
• Neetu David:
ICC Hall of Fame Class of 2024
2. o The second female cricketer from India to be inducted into the prestigious
Induction
ICC Hall of Fame, after Diana Edulji.
o First Indian woman to take 100 ODI wickets.
o Holds the best bowling figures in women's Test cricket – 8/53 against
England.
o Honorees:
International Tennis Hall of
3. o Maria Sharapova (Russia)
Fame – Class of 2025
✓ A five-time Grand Slam champion.

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 ✓ The first Russian woman to achieve the world No. 1 ranking.
o Bob and Mike Bryan (USA)
✓ Have jointly held the World No. 1 doubles ranking for 438 weeks, the
longest in history.

AWARDS

S.No Award/Milestone Key Facts

• Awardee: Darasing Khurana, Indian actor and philanthropist.

• Purpose: Recognizing his contributions to mental health awareness as the
Mahatma Gandhi
1. Leadership Award
Commonwealth Year of Youth Champion. Awarded at the Oxford University's
Ashmolean Museum during the Global Mental Health Summit 2024.
• He was also appointed as the Global Mind Health Ambassador.

• Awardee: Urmila Chaudhary of Nepal.

• She is celebrated for advancing the rights of marginalized castes and combating
systemic racism in Nepal.
Global Anti-Racism
2. Championship Award 2024 About the Award:
• Awarded by US Secretary of State to six civil society leaders for their exceptional
courage, leadership, and commitment to advancing racial equity, justice, and human
rights.

• Awardee: HDFC Life.

• Awarded by: Avtar and Seramount.
Best Companies for
• Purpose:
Women in India (BCWI) &
o Recognized under BCWI for creating a supportive ecosystem for women.
3. Exemplars of Inclusion in
o Honoured under MICI for excelling in fostering inclusion for various groups,
the Most Inclusive
including women, PwDs, the LGBTQ+ community, and diverse generations and
Companies Index (MICI)
cultures.

APPOINTMENT
• Why in News: Appointed as the President of Vietnam.
• Predecessor: To Lam.

Luong Cuong
• Why in News: His Tenure as the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India extended till August Mritunjay Kumar
2026. Narayan
• Why in News: Appointed as the President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
• He is also the MD of Jindal Stainless.
About ICC
Abhyuday Jindal • An industry body established in 1925, headquartered in Kolkata.
• Why in News: Appointed as the CEO of JP Morgan Chase Bank India, with approval from the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI).

Pranav Chawda

12 | P a g e
 • Why in News: Appointed as Google's new Chief Technologist.
• Predecessor: Nick Fox.

Prabhakar
Raghavan

PERSONS IN NEWS
• Why in News: Named in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 Team of the Tournament.
• She was India’s highest run-scorer and ranked as the fourth-highest scorer overall in the tournament.
• The only Indian player selected for the Team of the Tournament, which also featured standout performers
like Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), and Nonkululeko Mlaba (South Africa).

Harmanpreet Kaur
• Why in News: He became the fastest Asian to Swim Molokai Channel in Hawaii.
• Achieved the feat in 14 hours and 21 minutes as a part of Oceans Seven challenge. Anshuman
• He is also the youngest swimmer to cross the North Channel and the fastest Asian to swim both the Jhingran
Catalina Channel and Cook Strait.

• Why in News: Announced her retirement from international hockey.

• Former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team.
• Received the Padma Shri and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awards in 2020.
• First Indian woman hockey player to have a stadium named after her – Rani’s Girls Hockey Turf in
Raebareli.
Rani Rampal • She was the youngest woman to represent India at the senior level in hockey.

• Why in News: Became the quickest bowler to reach 300 Test wickets in terms of deliveries bowled,
surpassing Waqar Younis.
• Rabada reached the 300-wicket milestone in just 11,817 deliveries, the fastest in history.
• He is the sixth South African to reach 300 Test wickets.
• Rabada also holds the best strike rate for any bowler with over 300 Test wickets.
Kagiso Rabada
• Achieved the milestone during a Test Match against Bangladesh in Mirpur,
Sardar • Why in News: The Government of India announced a two-year-long nationwide celebration (2024-2026)
Vallabhbhai to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, honoring his contributions to India’s unity
Patel and democracy.

• Why in News: Israel has declared United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata,
banning him from entering the country.
• Israel criticized Guterres for not condemning the atrocities by Hamas and for his perceived failure to
denounce Iran’s missile attacks on Israel.
Antonio Guterres

OBITUARIES
• A key leader of Hamas and the chief mastermind behind the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Yahya Sinwar

Ron Ely • Veteran American Actor. Famous for playing ‘Tarzan’ in the 1960s TV series

• A legendary Gussadi folk dance master from Telangana. Belonged to the Raj Gond tribe Kanaka Raju
• Honored with the Padma Shri in 2021 for his contributions in popularizing the Gussadi dance globally.

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