Current Affairs - October 5, 2023 Current Affairs

The government has decided to keep the interest rate on General Provident Fund (GPF) savings unchanged at 7.1% for the October-December 2023 quarter. This marks the 15th successive quarter where the government has maintained the status quo, ensuring stability for government employees’ retirement savings. The GPF is a government-sponsored provident fund scheme for central government employees. It is a voluntary scheme, and employees can contribute up to 12% of their basic salary to the GPF. The government contributes an equal amount to the GPF account of the employees.

Muneesh Kapur was appointed as Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on October 3, 2023. He has over three decades of experience in the RBI, working in the areas of macroeconomic policy, research, and monetary policy.

Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw at the Asian Games 2023 with a throw of 88.88m. Kishore Kumar Jena won the silver medal with a throw of 87.54m.

Arjun Munda, the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, inaugurated the 4th Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) National Cultural & Literary Fest and Kala Utsav-2023 on October 3, 2023, in Dehradun. The EMRS National Cultural & Literary Fest and Kala Utsav is a four-day event that provides a platform for tribal students from across India to showcase their talents in a variety of cultural and literary activities. The event also aims to promote unity and diversity among the tribal communities.

Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19". Their work was critical for the development of the mRNA vaccines that have been used to vaccinate billions of people around the world against COVID-19. Their discoveries have also paved the way for the development of mRNA vaccines for other diseases.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is a state-run aerospace and defence manufacturer in India. It is the largest aerospace company in India and produces a wide range of aircraft, helicopters, engines, and other aerospace components. HAL delivered the first trainer version of the LCA Tejas to the Indian Air Force in 2023. The Tejas trainer is a twin-seater aircraft that will be used to train IAF pilots on the Tejas fighter aircraft. It can also serve as a fighter aircraft when needed.

India won the gold medal in the men's 4x400m relay at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China. The team comprising Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Rajesh Ramesh and Muhammad Ajmal Variyathodi finished with a time of 3:01.58. India's victory in the men's 4x400m relay is a significant achievement, as it is the first time that India has won gold in this event at the Asian Games.

Jon Fosse won the Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 "for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable". Fosse is a Norwegian playwright and novelist. His work is known for its spare, poetic prose and its focus on themes such as birth, death, and faith. He has published over 30 books, including novels such as "Eros and Melancholy" and "Melancholy and Comedy", and plays such as "Someone Is Going to Come" and "Ocean. Vessel. Mountain."

Aditya Puri, former managing director and CEO of HDFC Bank, joined Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP as a senior adviser in 2023. Puri would leverage his expertise and experience to help drive a tech-enabled transformation in the financial services sector and champion initiatives aimed at boosting financial inclusion across India.

UNCTAD has revised its economic growth forecast for India in 2023 upward to 6.6% from the earlier projection of 6%. However, the report also anticipates a slowdown in India's growth to 6.2% in 2024. UNCTAD's revised forecast is based on India's strong domestic demand and robust corporate earnings. However, the report also highlights some downside risks to India's growth, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, rising inflation, and monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve.

The 46th edition of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2023 was held at the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) within Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India from October 4th to 6th, 2023.

Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus and Alexei I. Ekimov won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 "for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots". Quantum dots are nanoparticles that have unique properties due to their small size. They are now used in a wide range of applications, including televisions, LED lamps, and medical imaging.

World Nature Day is celebrated on October 3 every year. It is a day to raise awareness about the challenges facing our environment, particularly due to climate change. The theme for World Nature Conservation Day 2023 is ‘Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet’. This theme highlights the importance of forests for both people and the planet. Forests provide us with essential resources such as food, water, and clean air. They also play a vital role in regulating the climate and protecting biodiversity.

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 was awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L'Huillier for their experiments that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter. Attoseconds are the smallest units of time ever measured, corresponding to one-quintillionth of a second. Agostini, Krausz, and L'Huillier developed methods to generate attosecond pulses of light, which are so short that they can capture images of electrons moving in atoms and molecules.

The Indian women's compound archery team, comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur, defeated Chinese Taipei 230-229 in the finals to win the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games. This was India's first women's team gold medal in compound archery at the Asian Games.

World Teachers' Day is celebrated annually on October 5th. It is a day to honour the invaluable contributions of teachers to society.

Fintech unicorn Slice is set to merge with North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) following approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This merger is expected to revolutionize banking services and expand financial inclusion in India. Slice is a Bengaluru-based fintech company that offers a range of financial products and services, including credit cards, buy now, pay later (BNPL), and insurance. NESFB is a Guwahati-based small finance bank that focuses on providing financial services to underserved and unbanked segments of the population.

The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) has estimated that the annual loss in global infrastructure due to climate change and disasters is between $301 billion and $330 billion. This means that climate change and disasters are causing significant damage to infrastructure systems around the world, which can have a devastating impact on economies and communities.

Flash floods occurred in the state of Sikkim on October 4, 2023, claiming the lives of at least seven people and causing widespread damage to infrastructure and property. The floods were triggered by the sudden overflow of a glacial lake, South Lhonak, which led to the inundation of the Teesta River basin.

Pathbreaking author C S Lakshmi (publishing fiction under her pseudonym Ambai) has been awarded the prestigious Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023 in recognition of her sustained and outstanding contributions to the world of Indian writing and literature.