President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the 16th ASOSAI Assembly

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1 President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the 16th ASOSAI Assembly

President  Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the 16th Assembly of the Association of Asian Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI)  in   New  Delhi on September 24, 2024.  This important event marks the beginning of important discussions focused on the evolving role of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in promoting transparency and accountability. A notable aspect of this year’s Assembly is that  Girish Chandra Murmu , Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India,  has  assumed the chairmanship of ASOSAI for the term 2024-2027  . His leadership is expected to help the organization scale new heights in the field of public audit, especially in enhancing governance structures across Asia.

2 New rail security system ‘Kavach 4.0’ trialed

On September 24,  ‘ Kavach 4.0 ‘ was trialed  on the 108 km  railway track  between  Sawai Madhopur  and  Kota  in  Rajasthan . Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav  himself traveled with the loco pilot of the train from Sawai Madhopur to Sumerganj Mandi. This is the most advanced version of the Automatic Train Protection System. With the help of Kavach 4.0, the loco pilot can get information about the signal up to 7 km away while sitting in the engine. Kavach will automatically reduce the speed of the train as per the need. High frequency radio communication is used in the ‘Kavach’ system. This system works in three situations – such as head-on collision, rear-end collision, and signal danger. In case of brake failure, ‘Kavach’ controls the speed of the train by automatic application of brakes. ‘On Board Display of Signal Aspect’ (OBDSA) also gives indications to the loco pilot in case of poor visibility. Once the system is activated, trains stop within a range of 5 km.

3 Central Government’s major initiative Make in India completes 10 years

Make in India , a flagship initiative of the Central Government,   has completed  10 years . Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Make in India on 25 September 2014  with the aim of establishing India as a major global manufacturing hub. During this period, the government has implemented several major schemes. These actions have revolutionized India’s manufacturing landscape and strengthened our economy.

4 India overtook Japan to become the third most powerful country in Asia in the Asia Power Index

India has overtaken Japan to become the third most powerful country in Asia  in  the Asia Power Index  . According to the 2024 report, India  has increased its economic growth potential by 4.2 points  after Covid . According to the report, India has performed well in the field of future resources. India’s diplomatic influence has also increased in the index. In the year 2023, India has increased its diplomatic activities by participating in the sixth most dialogues with the countries included in this index. The index  ranks 27 countries and regions based on  their ability to shape their external environment  . It ranges from Pakistan in the west, Russia in the north and Australia, New Zealand and America in the Pacific Ocean. The Asia Power Index, launched in 2018 by the Lowy Institute  , is an annual measure of the state of power in the Asia-Pacific region. It evaluates 27 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, examining their ability to shape and respond to the external environment.

5 Department of Space and Technology in collaboration with British Council launches Women in Space Leadership Programme

 The Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with   the British Council  launched the Women in Space Leadership Programme (WISLP)   on 24 September 2024 under  the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) . The initiative focuses on supporting institutions in strengthening gender-inclusive mechanisms to promote women’s leadership in space science by developing a strategic leadership framework. Coventry University is a partner in this initiative.

6 Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu addressed the 10th edition of FICCI’s Movement Against Smuggling and Counterfeit Trade – MASCRADE 2024

 Minister of State for  Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu  expressed  concern over the issue of illegal trade  and called for better efforts to tackle them. Addressing the  10th edition  of  MASCRADE 2024 – Movement Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)  in  New Delhi  , he said that both the central and state agencies need to work together to tackle the issue. He also assured all possible support from the government. FICCI set up a ‘Committee against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy’ to create awareness among consumers and citizens about the dangerous impact of smuggling and counterfeit products.

7 After S&P, now ADB maintains India’s economic growth forecast at 7 percent

 After  S&P, now the Asian Development Bank (ADB)  has  maintained India’s economic growth  forecast   for  the financial year 2024-25 at seven percent  . The agency said that India’s growth prospects remain strong. Earlier, rating agency  S&P Global Ratings  maintained India’s economic growth forecast for the current  financial year 2024-25  at 6.8 percent. At the same time, ADB said in its September Asian Development Outlook (ADO) released on Wednesday that GDP growth is expected to be 7 percent in the current financial year 2024-25 ending on March 31, 2025 and 7.2 percent in the next financial year 2025-26. Both ADB’s ADOs are equal to the April 2024 forecast.

8 India reiterated its commitment to end AIDS by 2030, more than 25 lakh people in the country are suffering from HIV

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare  Anupriya Singh Patel  addressed  a high-level event on  Revitalized Multilateralism: Recommitting to Ending AIDS Together ” at the United Nations  . The event was organized by UNAIDSGlobal Fund and PEPFAR  . In her address, Anupriya Singh Patel   expressed India’s commitment to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal of  ending HIV/AIDS, a  public health threat,  by 2030. The Union Minister said that there has been a 44 percent reduction in new annual HIV infections since 2010  , which  is better than the global reduction rate of 39 percent  . According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as per the recently released India HIV Estimates 2023 report, more than 25 lakh people in India are living with HIV, but due to concerted efforts, the prevalence of HIV in adults is at 0.2 percent and the estimated annual new HIV infections are around 66,400. Union Minister Patel also highlighted India’s role as the world’s largest supplier of anti-retroviral drugs. He informed that the country currently supplies more than 70 percent of global anti-retroviral drugs, making it possible for countries in need to get affordable medicines.

9 25th IIFA Awards will be organized in Jaipur

Hindi cinema’s biggest awards ceremony  International Indian Film Academy (IIFA)   is going to be held in  the capital  Jaipur in March next year. Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, will host the prestigious  25th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards ceremony from March 7 to 9, 2025  at JECC Sitapura  . The announcement was made during a formal agreement signing ceremony at the iconic Albert Hall, which   was also attended by  Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari . Rajasthan Tourism Commissioner V.P. Singh  and IIFA Vice President  Suresh Iyer  signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), with which preparations for this grand event began.

10 FCRA licence of International Cooperative Alliance cancelled

The Union Home Ministry  has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of  the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA)  due to alleged rule violations   . The ICA, set up in 1895, is an apex body representing cooperatives across the world and has over 1 billion members. The FCRA licences of several NGOs, including the CNI Synodical Board of Social Service, Voluntary Health Association of India, Indo-Global Social Service Society and others, have also been cancelled. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cited alleged illegal activities, such as illegal conversions, anti-CAA funding and other criminal activities.

11 Goa Maritime Symposium 2024

The Indian Navy  hosted  the fifth edition  of  the Goa Maritime Symposium (GMS) 2024 under the aegis of  the Naval War College,   Goa  on  23-24 September  . Held at the newly renovated Chola Bhavan,  this year’s theme was “ Common Maritime Security Challenges in the IOR – Progressive Lines of Efforts to Mitigate Dynamic Threats such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and other illicit maritime activities. ” The event was guided by the “Security and Growth for All in the Region” (SAGAR) initiative, which emphasised on regional prosperity and security in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The symposium was attended by delegates from 14 IOR coastal countries, including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives and Sri Lanka, among others. Observers from Kenya and Tanzania also participated in it.

12 Kamal Chawla of India won the IBSF World Men’s Six Red Snooker Championship

India’s  Kamal Chawla  has  won  the IBSF World Men’s Six Red Snooker Championship   in  Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia . Chawla won his first IBSF world title by defeating Pakistan’s Asjad Iqbal 6-2 in the final. Malkit Singh, Vidya Pillai and Kirtan Pandian won three more bronze medals  for India   . Chawla was the runner-up of this tournament in the year 2017. In the women’s category, India’s Vidya Pillai could not defend her title. She had to settle for a bronze medal after losing to Hong Kong’s Ng On Yee in the semi-finals with a score of 2-4.