Daily Current Affairs and GK | 4 October 2023

Topic: Indian Economy

1. India’s unemployment rate reached to lowest level in the last 1-year.

• In September 2023, India's unemployment rate dropped to a one-year low.
• The overall joblessness rate declined to 7.09% in September from 8.10% in August.
• The unemployment rate reached to lowest level since September last year.
• The fall in the unemployment rate by 1.87 per cent is the result of an increase in labour participation in the rural and urban areas.
• Rural unemployment dropped to 6.20%, from 7.11% in August.
• The urban unemployment rate fell to 8.94% from 10.09% in the same period.
• In the last five years, India recorded the weakest monsoon rains but it did not impact much the agricultural activity in the country.
• The unemployment rate has remained high above 7 per cent since February this year.
• The lowest unemployment rate was recorded in Chattisgarh at 0.1 per cent in September. It was followed by Assam with 0.4 per cent.

Topic: Defence

2. Indian and Bangladesh armies began SAMPRITI-XI on 03rd October 2023 in Umroi, Meghalaya.

• SAMPRITI-XI is scheduled for 14 days. It will involve approximately 350 personnel from both sides.
• The Bangladesh contingent comprises 170 personnel, led by Brigadier General Mohammed Mafizul Islam Rashed.
• Indian contingent mainly comprises troops from a battalion of the RAJPUT Regiment.
• It is being led by Brigadier SK Anand, Commander of a Mountain Brigade.
• SAMPRITI-XI will include a Command Post Exercise (CPX) and a Field Training Exercise (FTX) and a Validation Exercise.
• The Validation Exercise will be carried out on 14th and 15th October 2023 in Darranga Field Firing Range, Assam.
• SAMPRITI is an annual joint military exercise between India and Bangladesh.
• It is alternatingly organised by both countries. It started in Jorhat, Assam in 2009. SAMPRITI-XI is the 11th edition of SAMPRITI.

Topic: Sports

3. India's Parul Chaudhary won a gold medal in the women's 5000m at the Asian Games.

• Parul won the gold with the timing of 15:14.75. Japan's Ririka Hironaka came in second place with the timing of 15:15.34.
• Kazakhstan's Caroline Kipkirui won bronze with the timing of 15:23.12.
• It was the second medal for Parul. She had earlier won a silver medal in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase at the Asian Games.
• Mohammed Afsal Pulikkalakath won a silver medal in the men's 800m with a timing of 1:48.43.
• Vithya Ramraj won a bronze medal in women's 400m hurdles with a timing of 55.68s.
• Vithya Ramraj had equalled PT Usha's 400m hurdle national record, which was set in 1984, with a personal best effort of 55.52s.

Topic: Important Days

4. World Animal Day: 04 October

• World Animal Day is celebrated annually on 04 October to celebrate animal rights and welfare around the world.
• It is sometimes referred to as World Animal Welfare Day or World Animal Protection Day.
• This year, the theme of World Animal Day is "Great or Small, Love Them All".
• World Animal Day has been marked since 1925. It was for the first time celebrated on 24th March 1925 in Germany.
• Heinrich Zimmermann, a cynologist, started it. A cynologist is one who specializes in training and care of dogs.
• It is now observed on October 4th to coincide with Saint Francis of Assisi's feast day, who is the patron saint of ecology and animals.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

5. The Nobel Prize for Physics 2023 has been given to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier.

• On 3 September, these three scientists received the Nobel Prize for Physics for their “experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses for the study of electron dynamics in matter.”
• The scientists have received the award for experiments that have allowed scientists to produce ultra-short pulses of light, with which they can finally ‘see’ directly into the super-fast world of electrons.
• Attosecond physics gives us the opportunity to understand mechanisms that are governed by electrons.
• In their experiments, scientists have shown how extremely short wavelengths of light can be generated and can be used to measure rapid processes in which electrons move or convert energy.
• Ferenc Kraus is a German physicist, Anne L'Huillier is from Sweden and Pierre Agostini is an American.
• The Nobel Prize in Physics is an annual award given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to those who have made the most outstanding contributions to mankind in the field of physics.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: State News/ Assam

6. Assam government gave in-principle approval to the process of socio-economic assessment of five indigenous Muslim communities.

• The Assam government has given in-principle approval to begin the process of socio-economic assessment of five indigenous Muslim communities – Goriya, Moriya, Deshi, Syed, and Jolha.
• This decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati.
• CM has instructed the concerned officials to take necessary measures to ensure socio-economic assessment.
• The data obtained from the assessment can be used by the Government of Assam to take steps for comprehensive socio-political, educational, and economic upliftment of these communities.
• The state cabinet has already approved indigenous status for these five communities.
• In 2022, the Chief Minister had participated in an interactive session with intellectuals and prominent citizens of these communities.
• Subsequently, several sub-committees of their representatives were formed to deliberate on various issues related to the community.

Topic: National News

7. Centre has declared the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and its factions as unlawful associations under UAPA.

• Centre has also declared All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and its factions as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
• The Home Ministry has put a ban on these organisations for five years.
• The Home Ministry said the government is of the opinion that NLFT and ATTF are unlawful associations.
• It said the government is of the opinion that their activities are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India.
• The Ministry also said these factions have been engaging in subversive and violent activities.
• Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act was amended in August 2019 to include the provision of designating an individual as a terrorist.
• Before this amendment, only organizations could be designated as terrorist organization.

Topic: State News/Chhattisgarh

8. PM Modi launched 27 thousand crore rupee development projects in Chhattisgarh. 

• He laid the foundation stone of development projects worth more than 26,000 crore rupees in Jagdalpur on 03 October 2023.
• PM Modi also dedicated to the nation Greenfield Steel Plant of NMDC. It was established at Nagarnar in Bastar.
• The integrated steel plant is built at a cost of about 24 thousand crores rupees.
• He also laid the foundation stone for the upgradation of Jagdalpur Railway Station.
• He also dedicated to the nation the new rail line between Antagarh and Taroki.
• He also dedicated to the nation the double rail line project between Jagdalpur and Dantewada.
• He flagged off the train service between Taroki and Raipur.
• He dedicated to the nation the new road built between Kunkuri and Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand border on National Highway-45.
• Jagdalpur is the divisional headquarters of the tribal Bastar division in Chhattisgarh.

Topic: State News/ Delhi

9. Delhi government launched the Green War Room to implement the Winter Action Plan against air pollution.

• Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai launched the Green War Room to combat air pollution in the national capital through 24x7 monitoring and implementation of the Winter Action Plan.
• A 17-member team has been deployed to monitor the situation, which will work for 24 hours.
• The war room will be connected to a mobile application called the Green Delhi app.
• All the complaints received on the Green Delhi app are jointly overseen by all 28 departments.
• A campaign against dust pollution will also be started from the 5th of October in Delhi.
• According to the New Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), Delhi’s air pollution main factor from vehicles, industry, construction activities, etc.
• Stubble burning by farmers in Punjab and Haryana at the beginning of the winter season adds to the captive pollution levels.
• The air quality index (AQI) value of Delhi was 155 on October 3, 2023.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National Appointments

10. Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti assumed charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.

• VAdm Sobti was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1988. He is a Navigation and Direction Specialist.
• During his career, he has held a variety of Command and Staff appointments both ashore and afloat.
• He has commanded INS Nishank, INS Kora, and a Guided Missile Destroyer INS Kolkata.
• He has served in the Directorate of Staff Requirements and the Directorate of Personnel.
• He was appointed as the Deputy Commandant and Chief Instructor at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala in 2019.
• He was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Rankings

11. India moved to 47^th position in the Global Mobile Speed Ranking.

• India has made massive growth in the global mobile download speed and entered in the top 50 of the Oookla Speedtest Global Index list.
• India moved to 47th position in the Oookla Speedtest Global Index.
• The mobile speed performance has increased 3.59 times after the introduction of 5G.
• India has surpassed many developed countries like the UK and Japan in mobile speed.
• India's median download speed has increased to 50.21 Mbps in August 2023, from 13.87 Mbps in September 2022.
• Median download speeds ranged from 512.57 Mbps in Gujarat to 19.23 Mbps in Uttar Pradesh West.
• UAE with 210.89 Mbps is at the top of the Index. Qatar and Kuwait are in the second and third positions with 192.71 Mbps and 153.86 Mbps respectively.
• Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index provides a ranking of mobile and fixed broadband speeds from across the world.
• Ookla is a Seattle-based company known for its fixed broadband and mobile network testing application, data and analysis.

Topic: Indian Economy

12. World Bank retained India's GDP growth at 6.3 % for 2023-24.

• For FY 2023-24, the World Bank has decided to retain India’s GDP growth at 6.3%.
• The World Bank in its April report had cut India's growth forecast for 2023-24 to 6.3 per cent from the earlier 6.6 per cent.
• In the latest report, the World Bank highlighted India's remarkable resilience within a demanding global environment.
• India was one of the fastest-growing major economies in 2022-23 at 7.2 per cent despite significant global challenges.
• As per the World Bank report, India's economic resilience is based on several pillars, including robust domestic demand, substantial public infrastructure investments, and a strengthening financial sector.
• World Bank highlighted that bank credit growth has increased to 15.8 percent in the first quarter of FY23/24.
• World Bank predicted that global challenges will persist and potentially intensify due to factors like high global interest rates, geopolitical conflicts, and subdued global demand.
• Global economic growth is expected to decelerate due to these factors.
• The World Bank emphasized the impact of rising inflation is due to adverse weather conditions.
• The report also predicts that foreign direct investment in India is likely to increase as global value chains continue to rebalance.

Topic: Personality in News

13. The tallest Statue of B R Ambedkar will be unveiled in Accokeek City Maryland.

•  The 19-foot statue, named ‘Statue of Equality’, will be unveiled in Accokeek City of Maryland on 14 October.
• It is being built over 13 acres of land.
• The statue of Ambedkar is part of the Ambedkar International Center (AIC).
• It is the largest statue of B.R. Ambedkar outside India.
• It has been made by renowned artist and sculptor Ram Sutar. He also constructed the Sardar Patel statue in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• It will help in spreading the messages and teachings of B.R. Ambedkar and it will be a symbol of equality and human rights.
• Representatives from various countries will attend the unveiling ceremony on October 14.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National Appointments

14. P R Seshadri has been appointed as MD and CEO of South Indian Bank.

• His appointment has become effective from 1 October.
• He has succeeded Murali Ramakrishnan. Murali Ramakrishnan served as MD and CEO from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023.
• Before joining South Indian Bank, Seshadri was associated with the Karur Vysya Bank Ltd in a similar role.
• South Indian Bank is a private-sector bank. It is headquartered in Thrissur, Kerala. It was founded in 1929.