NATIONAL NEWS

National Centre of Excellence for AVGC-XR to be set up in Mumbai

The Government of India has approved the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) in the country.

The proposed NCoE will be in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and the hub of the Indian film industry.

The NCoE is being set up on the recommendation of the Task Force on Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics in 2022.

The government of India set up a Task Force on Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) in 2022, headed by the then Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Apurva Chandra.

The Task Force recommended creating a National AVGC-XR (Extended Reality) Mission with a budget outlay for the integrated promotion and growth of the AVGC sector.

It also recommended setting up a National Centre of Excellence for the AVGC sector to become an international reference point across Skilling, Education, Industry Development and Research and Innovation for the AVGC sector.

The Company will be a joint venture of the Government of India in partnership with the private sector represented by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Confederation of Indian Industry.

NCoE AVGC aims to create a world-class talent pool in India to serve the Indian and global entertainment industries.

Inauguration of Oxygen Bird Park (Amrit Mahotsav Park)

Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, is set to inaugurate the Oxygen Bird Park (Amrit Mahotsav Park) located on the Nagpur-Hyderabad National Highway 44 in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

It is initiative by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), situated at Jamtha Clover Leaf along the Nagpur-Hyderabad Highway.

The park combines environmental conservation and recreational amenities with sustainable green spaces.

It integrates infrastructure development with environmental responsibility, aligning with NHAI’s broader goals.

The park emphasizes sustainability through its “Oxygen Park” feature, with fast-growing oxygen-producing trees to reduce air pollution.

The park is designed to attract bird populations, creating a flourishing habitat for diverse bird species while promoting ecological balance.

The project is set to be completed at a cost of ₹14.31 crore, ensuring both environmental sustainability and recreational facilities.

Government's Initiative on PLI Scheme for Speciality Steel

The Indian government is planning a second round of the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for speciality steel, as the initial response to the first round did not meet expectations.

This announcement was made by Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik during the CII Steel Summit 2024 in New Delhi.

The initial PLI scheme launched had a total outlay of ₹6,400 crore.

However, only ₹2,600 crore has been allocated so far.

Speciality steel is utilized in critical sectors such as defence, automobiles, and electrical industries, underscoring its significance for the economy and national security.

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Department of Space and Technology launched the Women in Space Leadership Programme

The Women in Space Leadership Programme (WiSLP) was inaugurated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in collaboration with the British Council, as part of the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI).

The aim is to support institutions in enhancing gender-inclusive practices and fostering women’s leadership in space sciences.

The initiative is supported by Coventry University.

The programme aims to develop the leadership capacity of 250 early-career researchers, providing them with tools to navigate gender biases and establish a sustainable support network.

The programme involves Building sustainable mentoring networks and Enhancing scientific innovation by integrating a gender perspective into key areas such as astrophysics and telecommunications.

 

BANKING

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation Enhances Efficiency

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), developed new software for Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), reducing claim rejections and improving settlement efficiency.

The new software has made claim settlements 30% faster.

Rejection rates, which had increased from 13% in 2017-18 to 34% in 2022-23, have now decreased significantly after the upgrade.

In 2022-23, out of 52.1 million total claims for final PF settlement, transfer claims, and withdrawal claims, 25.8% (13.4 million claims) were rejected, while 72.4% (37.7 million claims) were successfully settled.

Rejection rates had raised due to data discrepancies and IT infrastructure issues.

The government is working on a centralised database for EPFO, which will store subscriber records in one place, even if they change locations. This system is expected to be operational in the next two months.

Improving IT infrastructure and data accuracy has been the main area of focus post software upgrade.

This initiative promotes ease of living by streamlining the claim settlement process.

Amalgamation of RajapurSahakari Bank and Malad Sahakari Bank in Mumbai, Maharashtra

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has sanctioned the Scheme of Amalgamation of The RajapurSahakari Bank Limited., Mumbai, Maharashtra with The Malad Sahakari Bank Limited., Mumbai, Maharashtra.

The sanction has been made under Sub-Section (4) of Section 44A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

The Scheme of Amalgamation will come into effect from September 23, 2024.

After the amalgamation, the branches of The RajapurSahakari Bank will function as branches of The Malad Sahakari Bank starting from September 23, 2024.

 

DEFENCE

8th Edition of India -Kazakhstan Military EX KAZIND

India -Kazakhstan joint military exercise KAZIND -2024 commenced at the mountainous Surya Foreign Training node in Auli, Uttarakhand, on 30 September 2024.

The 8th edition of KAZIND-2024 will be held in Auli from 30 September to 13 October 2024.

For the first time, the Air Forces of both countries and the Airborne Assault Forces of Kazakhstan participated.

The bilateral India-Kazakhstan KAZIND was first held in 2016. It is an annual military exercise held alternately in both countries.

The KAZIND exercise is a battalion-level military exercise that includes personnel from both the Army and the Air Force.

In this year's exercise, the Indian contingent comprises 120 personnel, including a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army and a contingent of the Indian Air Force personnel.

The Kazakhstan contingent is represented mainly by personnel from its Army and also a contingent of its Airborne Assault Troopers.

The 8th edition of the KAZIND exercise will focus on counterinsurgency/counterterrorism operations in the mountainous, semi-urban scenario under the United Nations mandate.

Both the military forces will hone their skills in Special Heliborne Operations, Cordon and Search operations, besides employment of drones and counter-drone systems, among others.

The exercise will also increase military-to-military relations between the two armed forces and strengthen the defence ties between the two countries.

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

New President of National Rifle Association of India

Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo was elected as the new president of the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), defeating VK Dhall with a vote count of 36 to 21.

Kalikesh will serve as president of the NRAI until 2025, when the next general body meeting is scheduled to take place.

Kalikesh, a former MP from Odisha, had been managing the day-to-day operations of the NRAI as the caretaker head since April 2023, following the resignation of former president Raninder Singh.

Raninder Singh resigned due to the government's National Sports Code, which prohibits heads of national sports federations from holding office for more than 12 years.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

54th Dadashaeb Phalke Award

The Union Ministry for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on 30 September 2024 that the jury had selected veteran Hindi and Bengali film actor Mithun Chakraborty as the recipient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Awards for 2022.

Mithun Chakraborty will be the 54th recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.

Mithun Chakraborty will be conferred the award at the 70th National Film Festival award ceremony, which will be held on 8 October 2024.

Asha Parekh, Vipul Shah, and Khusbhu Sundar were members of the Jury that selected the Dadasaheb Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2022.

He was successful commercial film star, whose film Disco Dancer (1982) not only popularised disco dance in the country but also made him a household name in india.

He has acted in Hindi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Odia, and Telugu films.

He won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Hindi film Agnipath in 1990.

The award is presented annually along with the National Film Awards. It carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs, a Swarna Kamal medallion and a shawl.

 

SPORTS

World Junior Wushu Championships 2024

The Young Indian Wushu players ended their campaign at the 9th World Junior Wushu Championships 2024 by winning seven medals, including two golds, one silver, and four bronze medals.

The 9th World Junior Wushu Championships in 2024 was hosted by the International Wushu Federation (IWUF) and organised by the Wushu Federation of Brunei.

The Championships were held at Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, from 22 to 30 September 2024.

Wushu is a traditional Chinese sport, and the 9th World Junior Wushu Championships 2024 featured two main events: wushu sanda and wushu taolu.

Aryan became the first Indian player to win a gold medal in the World Junior Wushu Championships. In the final of the 48 kg boys junior category, he defeated Gong Huanran from China.

Shaurya won the second gold medal, defeating Alireza Zaman of Iran in the boy's 48 kg weight category of the children's section of the championships.

Nang Mingbi Borphukan won the lone silver medal for India in the Taolu Jian Shu C Group event.

The bronze medal was won by Tanish Nagar in the 56kg category, Abhijeet in the 60 kg category, Divyanshi in the 60 kg category (women), and Yuvraj in the 42 kg category.

India sent a 24-member contingent to participate in the 9th World Junior Wushu Championships 2024.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Translation Day

International Translation Day is celebrated on 30th September of every year.

The theme for International Translation Day (ITD) in 2024 is "Translation, an art worth protecting".

On 24 May 2017, the General Assembly approved resolution 71/288 and declared September 30 as International Translation Day in order to identify the role of Translators in interconnecting nations.

They chose September 30 as International Translation Day because the 30th of September is the day of the feast of St. Jerome, the Bible translator who is considered the patron saint of translators.

The celebration has been promoted by the International Federation of Translators (FIT) which was started in the year of 1953.

In 1991 the FIT launched the idea of International Translation Day to represent the solidarity of the translation community and to promote the profession of translation.