National News

SC ended practice of caste-based discrimination in prisons

• The Supreme Court ended the longstanding practice of caste-based discrimination in prisons, declaring provisions in various jail manuals “unconstitutional” for violating inmates' rights to dignity, equality, and non-discrimination.

Prisons

New Classical Languages

• The Union Cabinet approved classical language status for Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Pali, and Prakrit

Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme

• The Government launched the pilot project of the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme, announced in the 2024-25 Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

NMEO-Oilseeds

• The Government approved the National Mission on Edible Oils and Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds) for 2024-31, with a budget of ₹10,103 crore, aiming to make India self-reliant in oilseed production within seven years.

National Mission for Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)

PM-RKVY and KY

• The Union Cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM-RKVY) for sustainable agriculture and Krishonnati Yojana (KY) for food security, with a combined budget of over ₹1 lakh crore.

PM-RKVY comprises of the following schemes:

Major Projects approved by Cabinet

• The Union Cabinet approved a 78-day Productivity Linked Bonus for over 11.72 lakh railway employees.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved modifications to the Productivity Linked Reward (PLR) Scheme for major ports and dock labour employees from 2020-21 to 2025-26.

About Cabinet

Kautilya Economic Conclave

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Kautilya Economic Conclave on 4th October at Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi.

 Indian Chair of the World Trade Organization

• The Indian Chair of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Chairs Programme organised a regional conference for Asian and African Chairs on the theme “Fostering Resilient and Responsible Trade for Changing Global Order” at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, on September 27-28, 2024.

About WTO

4th meeting of GC of Khelo India Scheme

• The 4th meeting of the General Council (GC) of the Khelo India Scheme was chaired by Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, in New Delhi.

Khelo India Programme

International News

Chagos Archipelago

• The United Kingdom and Mauritius have reached a historic political agreement to secure the strategically important U.K.-U.S. military base on Diego Garcia while working towards restoring Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos archipelago.

About Mauritius

6th Annual Future Food Forum

• The 6th annual Future Food Forum was held in Dubai, focusing on the theme “Future Consumer, Future Government, and Future Food” to discuss sustainability and innovation in the food sector.

About UAE

Seattle Center

• A bust of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled at the Seattle Center, USA on his birth anniversary.

 State Special

6 Centres of Sant Gadge Baba Swachh Bharat Prabodhini

• Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary, virtually inaugurated six centres of Sant Gadge Baba Swachh Bharat Prabodhini. Located in Goregaon, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Amravati, and Nagpur, these centres aim to train and encourage youth to contribute to a clean and healthy India.

About Maharashtra

Digital family health cards in Telangana

• Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched digital family health cards on a pilot basis. These cards aim to provide health and ration benefits to eligible family members.

About Telangana

Registration of pregnant women in the unorganised sector

• Uttarakhand launched a 15-day special campaign, to register pregnant women in the unorganised sector,  under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana. The goal is 100% coverage and to ensure essential health facilities, such as three ANCs and ESI coverage, to enhance maternal and child health outcomes.

PM Matru Vandana Yojana

Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination: The Karnataka Movement

• Karnataka has launched the initiative 'Accelerating Cervical Cancer Elimination: The Karnataka Movement' in collaboration with key non-governmental organisations and private healthcare institutions to enhance efforts in eliminating cervical cancer in the state.

About Karnataka

Uttar Pradesh Special

UP’s first 3D-printed art gallery

• Uttar Pradesh plans to build its first 3D-printed art gallery in the temple town of Ayodhya.

Digital Kumbh Museum in Prayagraj

• The Tourism Department will create a Digital Kumbh Museum in Prayagraj for devotees to digitally explore 'Samudra Manthan' and spiritual landmarks.

 Trade shows at the divisional level in UP

• Building on the success of UPITS-2024, the UP government plans to host similar trade shows at the divisional level in five locations, including Varanasi, Lucknow, and Bareilly.

About Uttar Pradesh

Science and Tech

CNLABS

• CNLABS, a premier global test lab, has been recognized by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the first private laboratory authorised to test CCTV cameras for compliance with the Essential Security Requirements (ESR) outlined in the Indian Standard IS 99999:2024.

About BIS

International Medical Device Regulators Forum

• The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has become an Affiliate Member of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum.

About CDSCO

India's first-ever 3D Selfie Science Museum

• India's first-ever 3D Selfie Science Museum was launched during the Annual International Convocation of the India Book of Records (IBR) at Faridabad, Haryana.

Economy

Logistics Data Bank

• The Logistics Data Bank (LDB), under NICDC Logistics Data Services Ltd. (NLDSL), has successfully tracked over 75 million EXIM containers, marking a significant milestone.  

 Safran Group

• The Safran Group intends to establish its first Defence Electronics unit outside France in India.

IMC in Hisar

• An Industrial Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) has been proposed for development in Hisar, Haryana, near Hisar Airport, as part of the Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC).

 Environment and Biodiversity

Conference on Maritime Decarbonization in India

• The Conference on Maritime Decarbonization in India, co-hosted by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Asian Development Bank, in New Delhi, to discuss green shipping and port operations.

International Energy Efficiency Hub

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, approved the signing of a 'Letter of Intent' for India to join the 'Energy Efficiency Hub.'
• Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has been designated as the implementing agency for the Hub on behalf of India.

Member Countries: 16

International Film Festival and Forum on Environment and Wildlife

• The International Film Festival and Forum on Environment and Wildlife, Vatavaran, was inaugurated at Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi, themed "Wetlands for Life," focusing on raising awareness and promoting the conservation of wetlands ecosystems.

Leopard Census in Odisha

• In Odisha,  first-ever state-sponsored leopard census revealed that there are 696 leopards in various forest areas. The Similipal Tiger Reserve and its surroundings host about 200 leopards, the highest concentration in the state.

About Odisha

India's first green fuel ecosystem

• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) and the Mumbai Port Sustainability Foundation (MPSF) to establish India's first green fuel ecosystem at Mumbai Port.

About BPCL

Defence

Ashva BP Tug

• The third 25T Bollard Pull (BP) Tug, Ashva (Yard 337), was launched by Cmde Ajay Yadav, NOIC (WB), on October 3, 2024, at Titagarh Rail Systems Limited in Kolkata.

About Indian Navy

Awards and Honours

18th Udayraj Singh Smriti Samman

• Literary magazine Nayi Dhara announced its 2024 awards, honouring Ghaziabad writer Mamta Kalia with the 18th Udayraj Singh Smriti Samman.

Important Days

World Animal Day

• World Animal Day is celebrated annually on October 4 to raise awareness about animal rights and welfare.

Person in News

Ram Singh Bouddh

• Ram Singh Bouddh, a 68-year-old resident of Gajraula in Amroha, has been recognized by Guinness World Records for his collection of 1,257 unique radios.