Current Affairs - National

The Indian government has exempted the payment of Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) on ocean freight services from October 1, 2023. This means that importers will no longer need to pay IGST on the cost of shipping goods from overseas. The exemption is expected to reduce the cost of imports for businesses, making Indian products more competitive in the global market. It is also expected to boost trade and investment in the country.

The Thar Desert is the largest in India and covers an area of over 77,000 square miles.

The Indian government has increased the windfall tax on domestically produced crude oil to Rs 12,100 per tonne, up from Rs 10,000 per tonne, effective from September 30, 2023.

India's power demand reached a five-year high in September 2023, according to a recent report by CRISIL MI&A.

India retains 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2023 rankings published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. This is a significant improvement from India's rank of 81 in 2015.