Daily BeePedia

19th October 2023

INDEX

RBI, Banking and Economy ___________________________________________ 3

SEBI and Financial Awareness _________________________________________

NABARD and Agriculture ___________________________________________ 4

National __________________________________________________________ 6

International _____________________________________________________

States____________________________________________________________ 7

Reports and Indexes _______________________________________________

Science and Technology ___________________________________________ 8

Defence __________________________________________________________

Events ___________________________________________________________

Awards & Rewards ___________________________________________________9

Appointments _____________________________________________________ 9

Important Days ___________________________________________________

Obituaries_________________________________________________________

Books ___________________________________________________________

Sports ___________________________________________________________ 9
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19th October 2023

Memory check 18th October 2023

Q.1: What is the primary objective of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the
Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) and the National Institute of Communication Finance
(NICF)?
A) Promoting cultural exchange
B) Enhancing agricultural practices
C) Strengthening national defense
D) Collaborating in finance, restructuring, and corporate governance
E) Advancing environmental conservation

Q.2: What is the purpose of the 'Sri Anna Mahotsav' and state-level millet workshop organized by the
Uttar Pradesh government from 27th to 29th October?
A) Celebrating a traditional harvest festival
B) Promoting the use of millets in the state
C) Showcasing local handicrafts and art
D) Conducting a cultural exchange program
E) Honoring outstanding farmers from various divisions

Q.3: What is the key focus of the training ship contract signed by the Ministry of Defence with
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on October 17, 2023?
A) Providing advanced surveillance and monitoring systems
B) Training 70 Coast Guard and international under-trainee officers
C) Boosting the indigenous shipbuilding capability
D) Sourcing equipment and systems from indigenous manufacturers
E) Generating significant employment over a period of three years

Q.4)The government has granted a non-productivity linked bonus equivalent to 30 days' emoluments
for the financial year 2022-23.The calculation ceiling for the payment of this ad-hoc bonus would be
monthly emoluments of________ .
A.Rs.5500
B.Rs.6100
C.Rs.7000
D.Rs.7500
E.None of these

Q.5)According to the data provided by CRISIL, India’s investments in infrastructure will rise to Rs 143
trillion between financial years 2024 and 2030.CRISIL also stated that the per capita income is seen
rising from $2,500 to_______ by fiscal 2031, creating a middle-income country.
A.$3900
B.$4500
C.$5100
D.$6000
E.None of these

Answer key at the

end of the file

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19th October 2023

RBI, Banking and Economy

ADB approves $181 mn loan to build infra in Ahmedabad's peri-urban areas

 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 181 million loan to build quality
infrastructure and services toward improving urban livability and mobility in the peri-urban areas of
Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
 ADB will help strengthen the capacity of the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority and urban
local bodies in technology-based urban planning, including climate change and disaster-resilient
infrastructure that promote environmental and social safeguards, gender equality and social inclusion.
Learn Along:
The Asian Development Bank is a regional development bank. It was established in 1966, it is owned by 68
members—49 from the region.
ADB Headquarters: Philippines President: Masatsugu Asakawa

Union Cabinet hikes dearness allowance, approves PLB for rail staff

 The Union Cabinet has approved a hike in the dearness allowance (DA) to central government
employees and dearness relief (DR) to pensioners by four percentage points to 46 per cent of basic
salary.
 The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief
would be Rs.12,857 crore per annum.
 The Union Cabinet has approved Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days’ wages for
the financial year 2022-23 to all eligible non-gazetted Railway employees namely Track maintainer, Loco
Pilots, Train Managers (Guards), Station Masters, Supervisors, Technicians, Technician Helpers,
Pointsman, Ministerial Staff and other Group ‘C’ staff (excluding RPF/RPSF personnel).
 It has also has approved payment of PLB of Rs 1968.87 crore to 11,07,346 railway employees.

Recent Developments, MoUs, Acquisitions & Launches

Organization Name News Learn Along

IBM Boost AI, quantum and semiconductors in India- IBM has IBM
& signed three MoUs with entities engaged with the Ministry of
Headquarters: New York,
MeitY Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to boost
United States
research & development (R&D) and skilling in artificial
intelligence (AI), semiconductors and quantum technology in CEO: Arvind Krishna

India. As part of the three MoUs, the company intends to build

a national AI Innovation Platform (AIIP) under the IndiaAI
programme. It will also establish a research centre for the
semiconductor R&D ecosystem, and develop local quantum
services and infrastructure in India.

Power Grid Build Rs 20k-crore Green Energy Corridor-II in Ladakh-The Power Grid Corporation
Corporation of India Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has of India
(PGCIL) approved for viability gap funding (VGF) to the state-owned Headquarters: Gurugram
Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) for the construction
of the Green Energy Corridor-II (GEC-II) in the Ladakh region. CMD: K. Sreekant

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19th October 2023

Organization Name News Learn Along

The government plans to complete the project by the financial
year 2029-30 at an estimated cost of Rs 20,773.70 crore.
Central Financial Assistance (CFA) will cover 40 per cent of the
project cost, amounting to Rs 8,309.48 crore.

Airtel Launches CCaaS platform to unify contact centre solutions- Bharti Airtel
Bharti Airtel has launched Airtel Contact Center as a Service
Headquarters: New Delhi
(CCaaS), an omni-channel cloud platform. This platform offers
enterprises a unified experience for all contact center Chairman: Sunil Bharti Mittal
solutions. The Airtel CCaaS platform enables businesses to
access contact center solutions at affordable monthly costs
instantly. This also eliminates the need to source voice, cloud,
and software separately from multiple vendors. It comes with
features like seamless call handling, call routing, call
queuing, conference calling, and cloud monitoring accessible
across all office locations. Airtel CCaaS can also simplify
contact center management and enhance the customer
contact experience.

Indian Oil Corporation Invest ₹1,660 crore in NPTC JV for setting up renewable IOCL
(IOC) power plants-Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) will invest
Headquarters: New Delhi
₹1,660.15 crore as equity in IndianOil NTPC Green Energy
Pvt Ltd —a newly set up joint venture with energy NTPC Ltd— Chairman & MD: Shrikant
for setting up renewable power plants. Madhav Vaidya

Centre hikes wheat MSP by 7%, highest increase since 2014

 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the increase in the Minimum Support
Prices (MSP) for all mandated Rabi Crops for Marketing Season 2024-25.
 The absolute highest increase in MSP has been approved for lentil (masur) at Rs.425 per quintal to
Rs.6425 followed by rapeseed & mustard at Rs.200 per quintal to Rs.5650.
 For wheat and safflower, an increase of Rs.150 per quintal each to Rs.2275 & Rs.5800 has been
approved. For barley and gram an increase of Rs.115 per quintal to Rs. 1850 and Rs.105 per quintal to
Rs. 5440 respectively, has been approved.
Learn Along:
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), headed by the Prime Minister of India reviews economic trends
on a continuous basis, as also the problems and prospects, with a view to evolving a consistent and integrated
economic policy framework for the country.

The minimum support price (MSP) is an agricultural product price, set by the Government of India to purchase directly
from the farmer. This is not enforceable by law. By definition, this rate is to safeguard the farmer to a minimum profit for
the harvest, if the open market has lesser price than the cost incurred.

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19th October 2023

Final estimates of production of major crops released for the year 2022-23

 The Final Estimates of production of major crops for the year 2022-23 have been released by the
Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. As per Final Estimates for 2022-23, total Foodgrain
production in the country is estimated at record 3296.87 Lakh tonnes.
 As per Final Estimates, the estimated production of major crops during 2022-23 is as under:

Major Crops Estimated production

Rice 1357.55 Lakh tonnes

Wheat 1105.54 Lakh tonnes

Nutri / Coarse Cereals 573.19 Lakh tonnes

Maize 380.85 Lakh tonnes

Pulses 260.58 Lakh tonnes

Tur 33.12 Lakh tonnes

Gram 122.67 Lakh tonnes

Oilseeds 413.55 Lakh tonnes

Groundnut 102.97 Lakh tonnes

Soyabean 149.85 Lakh tonnes

Rapeseed and Mustard 126.43 Lakh tonnes

Sugarcane 4905.33 Lakh tonnes

Cotton 336.60 Lakh bales

Jute & Mesta 93.92 Lakh bales

Learn Along:
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare Union Minister: Narendra Singh Tomar

Second advance estimate for the year 2022-23 released for area and production of horticultural crops

 Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the 2nd Advance Estimates of the area
and production of various horticultural crops for the year 2022-23. According to this estimate, total
horticulture production in the country is expected to be a record 351.92 million tonnes in the year 2022-
23.

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19th October 2023

NATIONAL
PM to launch India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) on 20th October

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the priority section of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut
RRTS Corridor at Sahibabad RapidX Station, Uttar Pradesh on 20th October 2023.
 He will also flag off the RapidX train connecting Sahibabad to Duhai Depot, marking the launch of
Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) in India.

Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor

 The 17 Km priority section of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor that will be inaugurated, will
connect Sahibabad to ‘Duhai Depot’ with stations at Ghaziabad, Guldhar and Duhai on the way.
 The foundation stone for Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor was laid by the Prime Minister on 8th
March 2019.
 The Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) is a new rail-based, semi-high-speed, high-frequency
commuter transit system.
 With a design speed of 180 Kmph, RRTS is a transformational, regional development initiative,
which is designed to provide high-speed trains for intercity commuting every 15 minutes, which
can go up to a frequency of every 5 minutes as per requirement.
 A total of eight RRTS corridors have been identified to be to be developed in NCR, out of which
three corridors have been prioritised to be implemented in Phase-I including Delhi – Ghaziabad –
Meerut Corridor; Delhi – Gurugram – SNB – Alwar Corridor; and Delhi – Panipat Corridor.
 The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS being developed at a cost of more than Rs 30,000 crore, and
will connect Delhi to Meerut in less than an hour of travel time going through the urban centres of
Ghaziabad, Muradnagar, and Modinagar.

Cabinet approves Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II – Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS)
for 13 GW Renewable Energy Project in Ladakh

 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi,
approved the project on Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II – Inter-State Transmission System
(ISTS) for 13 GW Renewable Energy Project in Ladakh.
 The project is targeted to be set up by FY 2029-30 with total estimated cost of Rs.20,773.70 crore
and Central Financial Assistance (CFA) @ 40 percent of the project cost i.e. Rs.8,309.48 crore.
 Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) will be the Implementing Agency for this
project.

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19th October 2023

 The transmission line for evacuating this power will pass through Himachal Pradesh and Punjab
up to Kaithal in Haryana, where it will be integrated with the National Grid.
 The project will entail setting up of 713 km transmission lines (including 480 km HVDC line) and 5
GW capacity of HVDC terminal each at Pang (Ladakh) and Kaithal (Haryana).

 The project will contribute to achieving the target of 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-
fossil fuels by year 2030.

STATES
Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar to inaugurate project “Heartland Tripura”

 Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT Rajeev
Chandrasekhar will inaugurate project “Heartland Tripura,” a skill development initiative in
collaboration with Deloitte and the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT)
in Agartala.
 The project will be launched at the Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhawan in Agartala and will aim to provide
skill development and employment opportunities to undergraduate students in engineering and non-
engineering disciplines.
 “Heartland Tripura” is being implemented by Deloitte in association with NIELIT, Agartala, with the
support of the Government of India and the Government of Tripura.
 The "Heartland Tripura" project will deliver a specific set of skill development certification courses
through NIELIT-Agartala for the state.
 The certification courses offered under “Heartland Tripura” will cover a wide range of new-age technical
and professional development skills, such as cybersecurity, internal audit, and analytics, as well as
softer skills such as business communication and executive presence.
Learn Along:
About Tripura
Chief minister: Manik Saha Capital: Agartala Governor: Satyadev Narayan Arya

Temple City Tirupati to roll out first-ever electric double-decker bus

 Tirupati will soon have its own fleet of double-decker buses, making it the first in Andhra Pradesh.
 To improve the efficiency of the city’s public transport system, the Tirupati Municipal Corporation (TMC)
is getting ready to roll out a number of electric-powered double-decker buses.
 The temple city will be the second city in the entire south after Hyderabad to deploy double-decker
buses for public transportation.
Learn Along:
About Andhra Pradesh
Chief minister: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Governor: S. Abdul Nazeer Capital: Amaravati

Punjab govt starts mission ‘Hope Initiative’ to make state completely drug-free

 In Punjab, to make the state completely drug-free ,the state government started the mission ‘Hope
Initiative’ in this regard from Amritsar yesterday.
 The Ardas for the success of this mission was performed in the premises of Sri Harmandir Sahib. led by
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, thousands of youth from across the state participated
in Ardaas at Sri Harmandir Sahib to make the state completely drug-free.

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19th October 2023

 These youth wearing yellow turbans, patkas and duppatas, prayed to the almighty to give strength to them
for fulfilling this sacred mission aimed at wiping out the curse of drugs from this border state.
Learn Along:
About Punjab
Chief minister: Bhagwant Mann Governor: Banwarilal Purohit Capital: Chandigarh

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

MEITY signs MoU with IBM on Quantum, AI & Semiconductor

 IBM announced the signing of three Memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with three entities
engaged with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to advance and
accelerate innovation in AI, Semiconductor and quantum technology for India.
 This body of work will aim to accelerate India’s comprehensive national strategy for AI, strengthen
efforts to be self-reliant in Semiconductors and advance its National Quantum Mission.
 These MoUs will help MeitY access IBM’s expertise to build and advance India’s Competency and
scale its growth mission in the AI, semiconductor and quantum industries.
Learn Along:
About IBM
Founded: 16 June 1911 Headquarters: New York, United States CEO: Arvind Krishna

IN-SPACe Chairman forecasts India’s space economy rocketing to $44 billion by 2033

 IN-SPACe, the Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, has revealed an exciting outlook for
India’s space economy.
 They predict that by 2033, it could grow to a staggering $44 billion, a significant jump from the current
$8.4 billion.
 IN-SPACe has set ambitious goals to boost this share from 2% to 8% by 2033, which also includes
targeting $11 billion in exports over the next decade.
 Pawan Goenka, the Chairman of IN-SPACe, presented these insights, highlighting the enormous
potential in India’s space ecosystem.
 These projections are in line with IN-SPACe’s aims to increase its domestic market share to $33 billion
and export share to $11 billion by 2033.
Learn Along:
About IN-SPACe
Formed: 2020 Headquarters: Ahmedabad, Gujarat

EVENTS
Notification issued for Green Credit Program (GCP) and Ecomark scheme Under LiFE Initiative to
Promote Sustainable Lifestyle and Environmental Conservation

 To take ahead the 'LiFE' - 'Lifestyle for Environment' movement announced by the Hon’ble Prime
Minister in 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has introduced two
pioneering initiatives that indicate the country's pro-active approach to climate change, sustainability
and promotion eco-conscious practices.
 These initiatives, the Green Credit Program (GCP) and the Ecomark Scheme, seek to encourage
environmentally friendly practices rooted in tradition and conservation; reflecting the ideas of LiFE
concept.

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19th October 2023

Green Credit Program (GCP): Incentivizing Environmental Actions

 Green Credit Program (GCP ) is an innovative market-based mechanism designed to incentivize
voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors, by various stakeholders like individuals,
communities, private sector industries, and companies.
Ecomark Scheme: Promoting Eco-Friendly Products
 The Ecomark Scheme replaces the previous Notification and provides accreditation and labelling for
household and consumer products that meet specific environmental criteria while maintaining quality
standards as per Indian norms.

APPOINTMENTS
Organization News Learn Along
Name/Country/state
India Arindam Bagchi, currently serving as Additional Secretary in the ---
Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as India’s next
Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the United Nations and
other International Organisations in Geneva.

AWARDS AND REWARDS

Bhopal: Bhopal Mahila Thana Gets ISO Certification

 The Mahila thana (women police station) of Bhopal became the first women-centric police station
across the entire country to be conferred with the ISO 9001:2015 certificate.
 It has become the first women police station in the country to get ISO certificate.
 This certificate has been given to Bhopal Mahila Police for 3 years.
 This certificate is awarded by the International Organization for Standardization.
Learn Along:
About International Organization for Standardization
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Founded: 23 February 1947 President: Ulrika Francke

SPORTS
Cricket set to feature in 2028 Olympics; IOC Executive Board approves inclusion of sport in the
programme

 Cricket is set to feature in the 2028 Olympics as the International Olympic Committee's (IOC)
Executive Board approved the proposal of Los Angeles Games organisers to include the sport in
the programme.
 Apart from Cricket, which will be played in the T20 format, four other sports -- baseball-softball, flag
football, lacrosse Sixes and squash also got the nod of the IOC Executive Board, which met in
Mumbai with President Thomas Bach chairing it.
 The proposal will be put to vote during the IOC session which begins in Mumbai.

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19th October 2023

Answer key to Memory check

Q:1- D Q:2- B Q:3- B Q:4- C Q:5- B

Sources of the News:

The Hindu,The Indian Express,Business Standard, The Financial Express ,PIB, etc.

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