SAARANSH

Monthly Current Affairs

October
2023
Israel-Hamas Conflict
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
INDEX
 DEFENCE………………………………03  SUGAM REC APP
 DEFENCE EXERCISES  DISTRICT CENTRAL CO-OPERATIVE BANKS
(DCCBS)
YARD 12706 (IMPHAL)
 CARD-ON-FILE TOKENISATION
 VIKRAM-1 ROCKET
 MUNDRA PORT
 METEOR MISSILE
 PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY (PLFS)
 OPERATION NANHE FARISTEY
 GENERAL PROVIDENT FUND (GPF)
 INDIAN AIR FORCE (IAF) ENSIGN
 GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX
 IRON DOME
 REFERENCE FUELS
 VSHORAD
 ONE LINERS
 PATRIOT AIR DEFENCE MISSILE SYSTEM
 OPERATION CHAKRA II  POLITY………………………………...16
 INS SAGARDHWANI  INTELLIGENT GRIEVANCE MONITORING
 DAVID’S SLING SYSTEM (IGMS) 2.0
 SAYERET MATKAL UNIT  PANCHNAMA
 ONE LINERS  BIHAR, CASTE, AND SURVEY
 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY…………06  CONSTITUTION BENCH OF THE SUPREME
COURT
 MACROPHAGES
 FIFTH SCHEDULE OF THE INDIAN
 R21/MATRIX-M VACCINE
CONSTITUTION
 QUANTUM DOTS (QDS)
 CURATIVE PETITION
 EXCLUSOME
 SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (SLP)
 NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE TELESCOPE
 ARTICLE 142 OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
 AEROSOLS
 CAR-T CELL THERAPY  GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENT…19
 FAST RADIO BURSTS  CONSERVATION SITES
 HEPATITIS C  SYCAMORE TREE
 NIOBIUM  PYGMY HOG
 LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS  SEA CUCUMBER
 TV-D1 MISSION  INDIAN PORCUPINE
 HAWK SYSTEM  NILGIRI TAHR
 NISAR  SWAMP DEER
 ORIONID METEOR SHOWER  EGYPTIAN VULTURE
 DIPHTHERIA  PAINTBRUSH SWIFT BUTTERFLY
 NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS  GHATIANA SANGUINOLENTA
 GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME  WATERMEAL
 GAGANYAAN TV-D1 TEST SUCCESSFUL  BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
 COGNITIVE COMPUTING  GANGETIC RIVER DOLPHIN
 DANGER  SEAMOUNT
 THALLIUM  MYCENA
 OSTEOPOROSIS  ICHAMATI RIVER
 BETELGEUSE STAR  HAKKI PIKKI TRIBE
 TIANGONG SPACE STATION  KANWAR LAKE
 SATELLITE INTERNET TECHNOLOGY  ATLANTIC PUFFIN
 HAEMOGLOBIN (HB)  MOUNT KUN
 AEROGELS  PROSOPIS JULIFLORA
 ONE LINERS  SINAI PENINSULA
 HAILSTORM
 ECONOMY……………………………..13
 PALK STRAIT
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
 HOOGHLY RIVER  INTERNATIONAL BIG CAT ALLIANCE (IBCA)
 MT. VESUVIUS  INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
 AMAZON RIVER (ITU)
 MARSHALL ISLANDS  INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU)
 GULF OF GUINEA  INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION OUTLOOK 2023
 LEMRU ELEPHANT RESERVE  UNITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS (UNFF)
 MONTREUX CONVENTION  OPERATION AL-AQSA FLOOD
 GLOBAL DECLARATION FOR RIVER DOLPHINS  MISCELLANEOUS…………………40
 BERING SEA  DAYS AND THEME
 EAST CHINA SEA  SANWARIYA SETH TEMPLE
 MUSI RIVER  BAIGA TRIBE
 CYCLONE ‘HAMOON’  KATI BIHU
 SCHEMES……………………………..28  RRTS
 PAYMENTS INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT  SOMESHWARA INSCRIPTION
FUND (PIDF) SCHEME  BHIMASHANKAR TEMPLE
 PM VISHWAKARMA SCHEME  BRU REFUGEES
 ONE CGIAR GLOBAL INITIATIVE  NEANDERTHALS
 GLOBAL HEALTH INNOVATION FELLOWSHIP  BHARAT TEX 2024
 SETU BANDHAN SCHEME  SARAS AAJEEVIKA MELA
 BEST TOURISM VILLAGES INITIATIVE  ONE LINERS
 PRADHAN MANTRI ANUSUCHIT JAATI
ABHUYDAY YOJANA
 AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS….31
 NOBEL PRIZES
 SASTRA RAMANUJAN PRIZE
 YAK CHURPI
 CHAIRMAN OF PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
 BASOHLI PASHMINA
 UDANGUDI PANANGARUPATTI
 PRESIDENT’S COLOURS AWARD
 SARASWATI SAMMAN AWARD
 GOAN CASHEW
 JADERI NAMAKATTI
 UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM
ORGANISATION (UNWTO)
 69TH NATIONAL FILM AWARDS
 ONE LINERS
 SPORTS……………………………..…34
 ONE LINERS
 ASIAN GAMES MEDAL TALLY
 INTERNATIONAL…………………….35
 AUKUS
 UNCTAD
 INTERNATIONAL CORAL REEF INITIATIVE
 UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST
TRANSNATIONAL ORGANISED CRIME
 ASIA-PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR BROADCASTING
DEVELOPMENT
 INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION

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DEFENCE
DEFENCE EXERCISES VIKRAM-1 ROCKET
 Exercise SAMPRITI: India and
 Indian firm Skyroot Aerospace
Bangladesh army.
recently unveiled its indigenously-
 Exercise CHAKRAVAT: It is
built Vikram-1 rocket.
an Annual Joint Humanitarian
 Vikram-1, named after the father of
Assistance and Disaster Relief HADR
India’s space programme, Vikram
Exercise (AJHE) hosted by the Indian
Sarabhai, is a multi-stage launch
Navy at Goa.
vehicle with a capacity to place
 Exercise Harimau Shakti: Bilateral
around 300 kg of payloads in low-
training exercise between Indian &
earth orbit.
Malaysian Armed Forces.
 It has been built by Hyderabad-based
 Exercise KAZIND-2023: A Bi-service
Skyroot Aerospace, a space startup.
Exercise between Kazakhstan and
India (Army and Airforce)
METEOR MISSILE
CHANAKYA DEFENCE DIALOGUE  The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to
make a strategic decision to bolster its
 The Indian Army is planning to launch
acquisition of the Meteor missile
the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, a
 Meteor is a next-generation, active
forum for discussing important
radar-guided, beyond-visual-range
security matters.
air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) system.
 It aims to integrate intelligence,
strategy, and expertise, fostering
discussions on topics such
OPERATION NANHE FARISTEY
as Neighbourhood Forces, the
significant Indo-Pacific frontier, and Under Operation ‘Nanhe Faristey', the
the evolving impact of emerging Railway Protection Force (RPF) plays an
technologies on defense and security. important role in reuniting the children
lost/separated due to several reasons from
their family.
YARD 12706 (IMPHAL)
 Recently, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
INDIAN AIR FORCE (IAF) ENSIGN
Limited (MDL) delivered the third
Stealth Destroyer of Project 15B Class  Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief
Guided Missile Destroyer, i.e., Yard recently unveiled a new Ensign for the
12706 (IMPHAL), to the Indian Navy. force.

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
 Only the IAF Crest will be air missiles that can be fired by
incorporated into the new IAF Ensign. individuals or small groups.
 The IAF motto, derived from the  It has been designed and developed
Bhagavad Gita, "Nabha Sparsham indigenously by DRDO's Research
Deeptam", meaning "touching the sky Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, in
with glory," is inscribed below the collaboration with other DRDO
Himalayan eagle in golden laboratories and Indian industry
Devanagari. partners.

PATRIOT AIR DEFENCE MISSILE

SYSTEM
The Pentagon recently said that it will send
additional Patriot air defence missile system
battalions to the Middle East in response to
recent attacks on U.S. troops in the region.
IRON DOME
 It is Israel’s air missile OPERATION CHAKRA II
defense system that can
 India's Central Bureau of
defend against short-range rockets,
Investigation (CBI) has launched
intercepting them in the air above the
Operation Chakra-II, a crackdown on
state.
transnational organised cyber-
 It is capable of successfully handling
enabled financial crimes.
multiple rockets at a time.
 It was launched to fight against
 Developed by Rafael Advanced
transnationally organised cyber-
Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace
enabled financial crimes in India.
Industries, the system
 For this, CBI has partnered
became operational in March 2011.
with Microsoft and Amazon, as well
as with national and international
VERY SHORT-RANGE AIR DEFENCE agencies, to combat and dismantle
(VSHORAD) MISSILE SYSTEM infrastructure of illegal call centres.
 The CBI is working with the Federal
 It is a Man Portable Air Defence Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the
System (MANPAD) specially designed USA, the Cyber Crime Directorate and
to counter low-altitude aerial threats IFCACC of INTERPOL, the National
over short distances. Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK,
 These are short-range, Singapore Police Force and BKA of
lightweight, and portablesurface-to- Germany to notify further leads.
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
 First Vertical Wind Tunnel Installed At
INS SAGARDHWANI Indian Army’s Special Forces
TRAINING SCHOOL IN HIMACHAL
Recently, INS Sagardhwani, an
PRADESH
oceanographic research vessel embarked on
a two-month long Sagar Maitri (SM) Mission-
4 from South Jetty, Southern Naval
Command (SNC), Kochi.

DAVID’S SLING
Israel recently confirmed using its David's
Sling air-defense system to intercept a
Hamas rocket.

SAYERET MATKAL UNIT

As per recent reports, Israel's most elite
special operations force, Sayeret Matkal, is
being prepped for extremely dangerous
hostage-rescue missions in the Gaza Strip.
INS BEAS
The defence ministry recently signed a ₹ 313
crore contract with Cochin Shipyard Limited
(CSL) for the mid-life "upgrade and re-
powering" of the frontline frigate INS Beas.

ONE LINERS
 Arunachal Cabinet Approves
Formation Of Special Tiger Protection
Force For 3 Tiger Reserves
 Operation Ajay Set To Evacuate
Indian Nationals From Israel
 J&K Lt Governor Flags Off Crpf
Women Bike Expedition ‘Yashasvini’
From Srinagar

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
MACROPHAGES substance, have the properties of a
QD.
 Macrophages are a type of white blood
 The size and composition of the QDs
cell that plays an important role in the
can be controlled during synthesis,
human immune system.
allowing scientists to tailor their
 They are involved in the detection,
properties for various applications.
phagocytosis, and destruction
of bacteria and other harmful
organisms.
EXCLUSOME
R21/MATRIX-M VACCINE  It is a newly discovered organelle in
mammalian cells.
 The World Health Organisation (WHO)
 It is made up of DNA rings known as
recently recommended a new vaccine,
plasmids.
R21/Matrix-M, for the prevention of
 It is located within the cell plasma.
malaria in children.
 WHO is now reviewing the vaccine for
prequalification, which is the WHO
stamp of approval, and will enable NANCY GRACE ROMAN SPACE
GAVI (a global vaccine alliance) and TELESCOPE
UNICEF to buy the vaccine from
manufacturers.  NASA is gearing up for humanity's
deepest-ever peek into the heart of our
Milky Way Galaxy by using its Nancy
QUANTUM DOTS (QDS) Grace Roman Space Telescope.
 It will provide one of the deepest-ever
 Quantum dots, often referred to as views into the heart of our Milky Way
"artificial atoms," are semiconductor galaxy.
nanoparticles that have unique  Objectives: The mission will monitor
optical and electronic properties due hundreds of millions of stars in search
to their small size. of tell-tale flickers that betray the
 They were first theorized in the 1970s presence of planets, distant stars,
and then successfully synthesized in small icy objects that haunt the
the early 1980s. outskirts of our solar system, and
 Many semiconductor substances can isolated black holes.
be used as QDs, such as cadmium
selenide, cadmium sulfide, or indium
arsenide. Nanoparticles of these, or
any other semiconductor

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
LYME DISEASE  Unlike chemotherapy or
immunotherapy, which requires
 It is a vector-borne infectious
mass-produced injectable or oral
disease caused by the bacterium
medication, CAR T-cell therapies use
Borrelia burgdorferi.
a patient’s own cells.
Transmission:  They are modified in the laboratory to
activate T-cells, a component of
 It is primarily transmitted to
immune cells, to attack tumours.
humans through the bite
 These modified cells are then infused
of infected black-legged ticks, often
back into the patient’s bloodstream
referred to as deer ticks.
after conditioning them to multiply
 Lyme disease cannot spread:
more effectively.
 between humans
 from pets to humans
 through air, food, or water FAST RADIO BURSTS
 A fast radio burst is a bright and brief
AEROSOLS burst of electromagnetic
radiation (light) seen in radio-wave
 They are tiny solid or liquid frequencies.
particles suspended in air or as a gas.  They usually last for very short period
 Aerosols can be natural, such as of time.
fog or gas from volcanic eruptions, or  Some FRBs repeat, but the vast
artificial, such as smoke from burning majority happen once and disappear
fossil fuels. forever.
 Aerosol particles are either emitted  They reach earth from
directly to the atmosphere (primary faraway galaxies, emitting as much
aerosols) or produced in the energy in a millisecond
atmosphere from precursor gases as the sun does over weeks.
(secondary aerosols).
 Aerosol particles are tiny, but
numerous, and often comprise of a HEPATITIS C
number of inorganic and organic
substances.  According to the World Health
Organisation WHO Egypt became the
first country to achieve “gold tier”
CAR-T CELL THERAPY status on the path to elimination of
hepatitis C as per the global health
 The therapy represents a quantum body criteria.
leap in the sophistication of cancer
treatment.
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NIOBIUM  Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1)
will evaluate the crew module's
 It is
readiness for the Gaganyaan mission.
a rare, soft, malleable, ductile, gray-
 It is a single-stage liquid rocket
white metal.
developed specifically for this abort
 Atomic symbol: Nb
mission.
 Melting point: 2,477 degrees Celsius
 Boiling point: 4,744 degrees Celsius
 In air, an oxide layer
HOSTILE ACTIVITY WATCH KERNEL
forms over it, whose colour depends
(HAWK) SYSTEM
on its thickness. Shades of blue,
green, and yellow are typical.  Recently, the Karnataka Forest
Department, along with the Wildlife
Trust of India, launched the Hostile
LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS Activity Watch Kernel (HAWK) system.
 It is Cloud Based Information
 It is commonly known
Management System designed to
as elephantiasis, and it is a neglected
manage interlinked databases
tropical disease.
of wildlife crime, wildlife criminals,
 Infection occurs when filarial
and wildlife mortality.
parasites are transmitted to humans
 It will help officials analyse the
through mosquitoes. This impairs
information and develop actionable
the lymphatic system and can lead to
intelligence to prevent wildlife
the abnormal enlargement of body
crimes and curb Illegal Wildlife Trade
parts, causing pain, severe disability,
(IWT).
and social stigma.
 Cause: It's caused by infection with
parasites classified as
NASA-ISRO SYNTHETIC APERTURE
nematodes (roundworms) of the
RADAR (NISAR)
family Filariodidea. There are three
types of these thread-like filarial  NISAR is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
worms: observatory jointly developed
by NASA and ISRO.
 It consists of both L-band and S-band
TV-D1 MISSION synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
instruments, which makes it a dual-
 Indian Space Research Organisation
frequency imaging radar satellite.
(ISRO) is set to launch its first-ever
 NISAR will be the first
test flight, TV-D1, for the Gaganyaan
satellite mission to use two different
mission, marking a pivotal moment in
radar frequencies (L-band and S-
India's pursuit of human spaceflight.

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
band) to measure changes in NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS
our planet's surface
 It is a parasitic infection of the central
nervous system and is caused by the
pork tapeworm, Taenia solium.
ORIONID METEOR SHOWER
 Humans become infected after
 The Orionid meteor shower is consuming undercooked food,
expected to rain down its greatest particularly pork, or water
number of meteors on the mornings of contaminated with tapeworm eggs, or
October 21 and 22. through poor hygiene practices.
 It is an annual phenomenon that
lights up the night sky every October.
 It is produced when Earth passes GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME
through the debris left behind by
 It is a rare autoimmune
Halley's Comet, officially known
disorder where the body's immune
as 1P/Halley.
system mistakenly attacks the
peripheral nerves.
 It is more common in adults and
DIPHTHERIA
males, but it can affect people of all
 It is a highly contagious and ages.
infectious disease that causes
GAGANYAAN TV-D1 TEST SUCCESSFUL
severe inflammation of the nose,
throat, and windpipe (trachea).  ISRO successfully performed the
 Cause: It is caused by strains first test vehicle development
of bacteria flight (TV-D1) for India’s first human
called Corynebacterium diphtheriae t space flight Gaganyaan.
hat make a toxin. It is the toxin that  The Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-
can cause people to get very sick. 1 (TV-D1) demonstrated the
 The infection can transmit from a performance of the Crew Escape
person with the infection to any System of the Gaganyaan project.
mucous membrane in another
person.
 Diphtheria bacteria spread from
person to person, usually through
respiratory droplets, like from
coughing or sneezing.
 People can also get sick from touching
infected open sores or ulcers.

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
COGNITIVE COMPUTING THALLIUM
 Cognitive computing is the use  It is globally known as the ‘poisoner’s
of computerised models to simulate poison’.
the human thought process in  It was discovered by Sir William
complex situations where the answers Crookes in 1861.
might be ambiguous and uncertain.  It is a metal belongs to the
 It is an attempt to have computers main Group 13 (IIIa, or boron group)
mimic the way the human brain of the periodic table.
works.  It was used historically as
 The goal is to create intelligent a rodenticide.
systems that can adapt and make
Properties
decisions similar to the
way humans would.  It is tasteless and odourless.
 To accomplish this, cognitive  It is a soft, heavy, and low-melting
computing uses artificial intelligence element of low tensile strength.
(AI) and  It does not dissolve in water.
other underlying technologies, includi  It dissolves slowly in hydrochloric
ng the following: acid and dilute sulfuric acid and
 Expert systems. rapidly in nitric acid.
 Neural networks.  It is found in trace amounts in the
 Machine learning. earth’s crust.
 Deep learning.  This metal continues to oxidizeoxidise
 Natural language processing (NLP) upon prolonged contact with air,
 Speech recognition. generating a heavy nonprotective oxide
 Object recognition. crust.
 Robotics.
DANGER (DELETERIOUS AND
OSTEOPOROSIS
ANTICIPATABLE GUIDES EVALUATED BY
RNA-SEQUENCING)  Osteoporosis is a health condition
that weakens bones, making them
 DANGER analysis is a new software
fragile and more likely to break.
tool that makes genome editing safer
 Osteoporosis happens as you get older
by overcoming limitations
and your bones lose their ability to
in current CRISPR technology.
regrow and reform themselves.
 Unlike traditional methods that rely
 In osteoporosis, the body reabsorbs
on a reference genome,
more bone tissue and produces less to
DANGER works by conducting risk-
replace it, lowering bone density.
averse on- and off-target assessments
using RNA-sequencing data.
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
 Many other factors can also increase  Tiangong is currently in low Earth
the risk of developing orbit (LEO), and it is expected to be
osteoporosis, including: operational until 2028.
 taking high-dose steroid tablets for
more than 3 months
 other medical conditions,– such as SATELLITE INTERNET TECHNOLOGY
inflammatory conditions, hormone-
 Recently, Reliance Jio announced that
related conditions, or malabsorption
it had successfully demonstrated
problems
India’s first satellite-based gigabit
 a family history of
internet service.
osteoporosis– particularly a hip
 Satellite Internet works similarly to
fracture in a parent
satellite TV.
 long-term use of certain medicines that  It begins with an internet service
can affect bone strength or hormone provider sending satellites into space
levels to orbit around the earth.
 having a low body mass index (BMI)
 Heavy drinking and smoking.
HAEMOGLOBIN (HB)

BETELGEUSE STAR  It is an iron-containing protein found

in the red blood cells that carries
 It is a red supergiant starwith a oxygen from the lungs to the body's
distinctive orange-red hue. tissues and returns carbon dioxide
 It is roughly 10 million years old from the tissues back to the lungs.
and much younger than Sun.  It is made up of four protein
 It is around 700 light-years away from molecules (globulin chains) that
the Earth. are connected together.
 It is located in the Orion constellation.
Low haemoglobin level means:
 A low haemoglobin level is referred to
TIANGONG SPACE STATION as anemia or low red blood count.
 Tiangong (Chinese for "Heavenly  A lower than normal number of
Palace") is a modular space RBCs is referred to
station being constructed by the as anemia and haemoglobin levels
China National Space Administration reflect this number.
(CNSA).
 It is the first space station built by
China.

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AEROGELS
 Researchers at the Indian Institute of
Technology Madras and Tel Aviv
University have developed an aerogel
adsorbent that can remove trace
pollutants from wastewater.
 Aerogels are composed mostly of air
and can be used to remove
contaminants.
 They, also known as ‘solid air’ or
‘frozen smoke', are excellent
adsorbents (a solid substance used to
remove contaminants) and are
incredibly lightweight solids
composed mostly of air.

ONE LINERS
 Aligarh Muslim University To Launch
Its Own Satellite, Gets Nod From In-
Space
 Nokia Opens 6g Lab Facility In
Bengaluru

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ECONOMY
SUGAM REC APP of some societies to those which face
shortages of funds
 Recently, REC Limited, the Maharatna
 To undertake non-credit activities
Central Public Sector Enterprise
 To maintain close and
launched a SUGAM REC mobile
continuous contact with
application.
PACS and provide leadership and
 It is exclusively for current and future
guidance to them
investors in REC’s 54EC Capital Gain
Tax Exemption Bonds.  To supervise and inspect the PACS and
 To provide a safe place
for the investment of the resources of
DISTRICT CENTRAL CO-OPERATIVE PACs
BANKS (DCCBS)  They also lend directly to the public for
non-agricultural purposes within the
 A DCCB is a rural cooperative bank area of operation of their branches.
operating at the district level in
various parts of India.
 At the district level, DCCB works as a CARD-ON-FILE TOKENISATION
banker of state government.  Tokenisation refers to replacement of
Educational institutions, Zilla actual credit and debit card
Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Gram details with an alternate code called
Panchayat, cooperative societies, etc the “token”, which will be unique for a
have accounts in this bank. combination of card, token requestor
 All the financial transactions of co- and device.
operative sector are conducted  This shall be unique for a combination
through DCCB. of card, token requestor (i.e. the entity
 DCCBs have three sources of funds: which accepts request from the
 Their own share capital and reserves customer for tokenisation of a card
 Deposits from the public and passes it on to the card network
 Loans from the state co-operative to issue a corresponding token)
banks and the merchant (token requestor
 The main functions of the DCCBs and merchant may or may not be the
are same entity).
 To meet the credit requirements of  Advantage: A tokenised card
member-societies transaction is considered safer as the
 To perform banking business actual card details are not shared with
 To act as a balancing centre for the the merchant during transaction
Primary Agricultural Credit Societies processing.
(PACS) by diverting the surplus funds

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MUNDRA PORT 2022 to 48.8% in April-June 2023 for
persons of age 15 years and above.
 Mundra Port, the flagship facility of
 The WPR in urban areas
Adani Ports and Special Economic
increased from 43.9% in April-June
Zone, recently completed 25 years of
2022 to 45.5% in similar months in
operations.
this year for persons of age 15 years
 It is the largest private port and
and above.
the largest container port in India.
 For male, it increased from 68.3% to
 Location: It is located on the north
69.2% and for female, it increased
shores of the Gulf of
from 18.9% to 21.1% during this
Kutch, near Mundra, Kutch
period.
district, Gujarat.
 It is a deep-draft, all-weather port.
 It is also a special economic GENERAL PROVIDENT FUND (GPF)
zone (SEZ).
 It is a type of provident fund account
 As much as 33 per cent of India's
that is available only for government
container traffic flows through the
employees in India.
port.
 The primary objective of this fund is to
 Ownership: It is run by Adani Ports
provide a dependable source of
and Special Economic Zone Limited
retirement income for government
(APSEZ), which is India’s largest
employees.
commercial ports operator and
 It allows government
accounts for nearly one-fourth of the
employees to accumulate savings over
country’s cargo movement.
their employment tenure.

PERIODIC LABOUR FORCE SURVEY

(PLFS) GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX
 The recent Periodic Labour Force  India ranks 111 out of a total of 125
Survey (PLFS) has reported that the countries in the Global Hunger Index
unemployment rate in the country has (GHI) 2023.
shown a decrease between April and  It is a tool for comprehensively
June 2023. measuring and tracking hunger
 The Labour Force Participation at global, regional, and national
Rate (LFPR) for persons of age 15 levels.
years and above and the Worker-  It is prepared jointly by Irish aid
Population Ratio (WPR) improved agency Concern
during the period. Worldwide and German organisation
 The LFPR in urban areas Welt Hunger Hilfe.
increased from 47.5% in April-June
Calculation:
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
 GHI scores are based on the values the ‘Reference Gasoline and Diesel
of four component indicators Fuels’ produced by IndianOil for the
 Undernourishment: (the share of the first time in India.
population whose caloric intake is  Reference fuels (Gasoline and Diesel)
insufficient) are premium, high-
 Child stunting: (the share of children value products used for calibration
under the age of five who have low and testing of vehicles by auto OEMs
height for their age) and organisations involved in testing
 Child wasting: (the share of children and certification in the automotive
under the age of five who have low field.
weight for their height)  IndianOil has successfully
 Child mortality: (the share of commenced the production of
children who die before their fifth Reference Gasoline and Diesel
birthday) Fuels for the first time in India.
 The GHI score is calculated on a 100-
point scale reflecting the severity of ONE LINERS
hunger, where zero is the best score
 Kempegowda International Airport
(no hunger) and 100 is the worst.
(Bengaluru) Tops Global On-Time
Key Findings of GHI-2023 Performance Rankings
 Rites Ltd Granted ‘Navratna’ Status:
 India’s ranking is based on a Global India’s 16th Central Public Sector
Hunger Index score of 28.7 on a 100- Enterprise.
point scale.  Ntpc Becomes The Only Indian Psu To
 This categorises India’s severity Feature In Forbes “World’s Best
of hunger as “serious”. Employers 2023” List
 The 2023 GHI score for the world is  Tata To Become India’s First Iphone
18.3, which is considered moderate. Manufacturer As Wistron Approves
 Latin American and the Caribbean is Factory Sale
the only region in the world whose GHI  Rbi Approves Mobikwik’s Zaakpay To
scores have worsened between 2015 Operate As Payment Aggregator
and 2023.  Centre Launches ‘Dark Patterns
 South Asia and Africa South of the
Buster Hackathon 2023’ To Combat
Sahara are the world regions with the
Deceptive Practices In E-Comme
highest hunger levels, with GHI scores
 Sbi Ropes In Cricket Icon Ms Dhoni As
of 27.0 each.
Brand Ambassador

REFERENCE FUELS
 Recently, the Union Minister of
Petroleum & Natural Gas launched
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
POLITY
INTELLIGENT GRIEVANCE MONITORING reaching implications on policy
SYSTEM (IGMS) 2.0 making and politics.
 Forward castes: According to the
 It is a public grievance portal and
survey data (released by the state
Automated Analysis in Tree
Development Commissioner), the so-
Dashboard portal of the Department
called forward castes or General
of Administrative Reforms and Public
category is only 15.5%of the total
Grievances (DARPG).
population (13.07 Cr).
 It has been implemented by IIT
 SCs and STs: There are about 20%
Kanpur.
(2.6 crore) Scheduled Castes (SCs),
 Objectives: The Dashboard provides
and just 1.7% (22 lakh) Scheduled
instant tabular analysis of Grievances
Tribes (STs).
Filed & Disposed, State-wise &
 Minorities: Muslims
District-wise Grievances Filed &
comprise 17.7% of the population and
Ministry-wise data.
the other religious minorities have a
minuscule presence
PANCHNAMA
 The Supreme Court recently ruled
that 'panchnamas' would be deemed
inadmissible in a court of law if they
were prepared in a manner violative of
Section 162 CrPC.
 The word PANCHNAMA literally
means “record of observation by five
people”.

BIHAR, CASTE, AND SURVEY

 Recently, the Bihar government
released the results of its survey of
castes in the state which put the
share of Extremely Backward Classes CONSTITUTION BENCH OF THE
(EBCs) and Other Backward Classes SUPREME COURT
(OBCs) cumulatively at more than
 Generally, most of the cases before the
63%.
SC are heard by a division bench (2 or
 The survey, which has highlighted the
3 judge members).
exact caste breakup of Bihar, has far-

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
 If a case is likely to have a larger Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel citing
national impact or it is likely to decide arithmetical errors in calculation of
the law for good, a constitution bench adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues by
is formed. the department of
 Constitution bench gives an telecommunications (DoT), in an open
overarching view on a question of court.
law and defines a path the law will  It is the last resort to the highest
take in the future. court that can be petitioned for
 Article 145(3) of the Constitution redressal of grievances in court,
makes it clear. It says “any case and its ruling is final.
involving a substantial question of law  It is a way to ask the court to review
as to the interpretation of the and revise their own decision, and it
Constitution” must be decided by a is filed after a review petition is
Bench of at least five judges. dismissed or used.
 It is the final and last option for the
people to acquire
FIFTH SCHEDULE OF THE INDIAN justice, as mentioned and promised
CONSTITUTION by the Constitution of India.
 Objective: It is meant to ensure there
 It deals with provisions related to
is no miscarriage of justice and
the administration and control of
to prevent abuse of process.
Scheduled Areas and Scheduled
Tribes in any State, other than the
States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (SLP)
and Mizoram.
 The Supreme Court of India has been
 These areas are treated differently
given extraordinary jurisdiction under
from the other areas in the
Article 136 of the Constitution.
country because they are inhabited by
 By virtue of this Article, the court can
the aboriginals, who are socially and
grant special leave to appeal from any
economically rather backward, and
judgment, decree, determination,
special efforts need to be made to
sentence, or order in any cause or
improve their condition.
matter, passed or made by any court
 Article 244(1): The President of
or tribunal in the territory of India
India is empowered to declare an area
(with the exception of military
a Scheduled Area.
tribunals and court martial).
 It can only be exercised when a
CURATIVE PETITION substantial question of law or gross
injustice has been committed.
 The Supreme Court recently agreed to
hear curative petitions filed by

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ARTICLE 142 OF THE INDIAN
CONSTITUTION
 It deals with the Supreme Court's
power to exercise its jurisdiction
and pass an order for doing complete
justice in any cause or matter pending
before it.
 It provides the apex court with
a special and extraordinary
power and is meant to provide justice
to litigants who have suffered
traversed illegality or injustice in the
course of legal proceedings.
 Article 142(1) states that “The
Supreme Court in the exercise of its
jurisdiction, may pass such decree or
make such order as is necessary for
doing complete justice in any cause or
matter pending before it, and any
decree so passed or order so made
shall be enforceable throughout the
territory of India in such manner as
may be prescribed by or under any
law made by Parliament and, until
provision in that behalf is so made, in
such manner as the President may by
order prescribe”.
 Article 142 allows the Supreme
Court to deliver justice
in exceptional cases where existing
provisions or laws are not applicable.
 If a legislative enactment seeks to
make unenforceable the decree or
order of the Supreme Court made
under Article 142 in relation to the
cause and the parties between whom
it was made, such law would be void
for contravening Article 142 [8].

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GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENT
CONERVATION SITES  Habitat: It prefers undisturbed
patches of grassland dominated by
 Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger
early succession riverine
Reserve: Tamil Nadu
communities, typically comprising
 Amangarh Tiger Reserve: UP
dense tall grass intermixed with a
 Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary:
wide variety of herbs, shrubs and
Tamil Nadu
young trees.
 Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary: Kerela
 Conservation status:
 Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve:
 IUCN: Critically Endangered
Rajasthan
 The Wildlife Protection Act,
 Melghat Tiger Reserve: Maharashtra
1972: Schedule I
 Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary: Bihar
 Ralamandal Wildlife Sanctuary: M.P

SEA CUCUMBER
SYCAMORE TREE  This species is a part of a larger
animal group called echinoderms and
 Recently, a 300-year-old sycamore
is invertebrates that lives on the
tree in England that was famous for
seafloor.
its beauty and unique location was
 Their body shape is similar to that of
cut down by a teenage boy.
a cucumber, but they have small
 It was located in a dip between two
tentacle-like tube feet that are used
hills, at a gap in the Hadrian Wall – an
for locomotion and feeding.
old stone structure that is close to the
 They exhibit both sexual and
border between England and Scotland
asexual reproduction.
– in Northumberland, northern
England. Conservation status

 CITES: Appendix II
PYGMY HOG  Wildlife Protection Act of 1972:
Schedule I
 It is the smallest and rarest species of
wild pig in the world.
 It is one of the very few mammals that INDIAN PORCUPINE
build its own home, or nest, complete
with a ‘roof’.  A male tiger was recently found dead
 It is an indicator species as its at Kazhudhakatti stream in the
presence reflects the health of its Tirupur forest division located in
primary habitat, tall and wet Tamil Nadu due to injuries sustained
grasslands. in a fight with a porcupine.
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
 It is a large rodent native to
Southern Asia and the Middle East.
 It belongs to the Old World porcupine
family, Hystricidae.

NILGIRI TAHR
 It is an endangered mountain
ungulate endemic to the southern
part of the Western Ghats.
 Scientific Name: Nilgiritragus
hylocrius EGYPTIAN VULTURE
 Locally, the animal is called
‘Varayaadu’.  The Egyptian Vulture (Neophorn
 They are known for their gravity- Percnopterus) is a native bird of
defying skills in climbing steep cliffs, Europe, Central Asia and Africa, and
earning them the nickname Mountain in winter, it travels towards Asian
Monarch. countries, including India.
 It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.  The residential sub-species of
 Their present distribution is limited to Egyptian vulture is Neophron
approximately 5% of the Western Percnopterus Ginginianus, which
Ghats in southern India (Kerala and resides in India throughout the year.
Tamil Nadu).  It inhabits open, arid areas near
 Eravikulam National Park in humans, with plenty of food options.
Kerala has the highest  These are monogamous, migrating
density and largest surviving between breeding seasons as a pair.
population of Nilgiri tahr. They build a large nest and will
constantly replenish it during the
Conservation Status: breeding season.
 IUCN Red List: Endangered  Threats: One of the primary threats
 Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, facing this species is illegal poisoning
1972: Schedule I aimed at carnivores.
Conservation status
SWAMP DEER  IUCN: Endangered
 IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
 CITES: Appendix I PAINTBRUSH SWIFT BUTTERFLY
 The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972:
 Recently, the paintbrush swift
Schedule I
butterfly has been photographed and
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
documented for the first time in  They grow on the surface of lakes,
Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district. ponds, and marshes.
 This species is legally protected in
India under Schedule IV of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
 Recently, a rare bird from the arctic
GHATIANA SANGUINOLENTA tundra, Buff-breasted sandpiper, was
sighted in Kannur, Kerala.
 It is a newly discovered species of
 It is one of the most
freshwater crab.
delicately beautiful of the shorebirds.
 The crab gets its name from the Latin
 It breeds in the open arctic tundra of
word ‘sanguinolenta’, meaning ‘red’ or
North America and usually in winters
‘blood-coloured’.
in South America.
 The crab’s blood-red colour and
the outwardly curved article of the
first part of the male ‘gonopod’
GANGETIC RIVER DOLPHIN
(genetalia) distinguish it from other
species in the Ghatiana subgenus.  It is a freshwater species and one of
 It is currently known only from the the few river dolphins found in the
type locality, which is situated in the world.
Central Western Ghats of India.  Distribution: It inhabits the Ganges-
Brahmaputra-
Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu
WATERMEAL river systems of Nepal, India, and
Bangladesh.
 Scientists are conducting
 Common Names: Blind
groundbreaking research into the
dolphin, Ganges dolphin, Ganges
potential of watermeal, the world's
susu, hihu, side-swimming dolphin,
smallest flowering plant, as a source
South Asian River Dolphin
of nutrition and oxygen for
 It has been recognized
astronauts.
as India's National Aquatic Animal.
 Watermeal is an aquatic plant in the
 Conservation status:
Araceae family.
 IUCN: Endangered
 It is the smallest flowering plant in the
 Wildlife (Protection) Act: Schedule-I
world and appears as small green
seeds.  CITES: Appendix I
 It is often referred to as "duckweed"
because it is a favorite food of ducks.
 It flourishes in temperate, sub-
tropical, and tropical locations.

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SEAMOUNT  Most of the species are extremely
small mushrooms, rarely exceeding a
 Recently, two Indian scientists from
few centimeters in diameter and often
the National Institute of
only reaching diameters of a few
Oceanography (NIO) and their team
millimeters.
have discovered an active submarine
 Majority of species are grey, brown,
volcano (Crater Seamount) in the
and white in color, while a few are
Andaman Sea.
brightly colored.
 It is an underwater
mountain formed through volcanic
activity. ICHAMATI RIVER
 These are recognised as hotspots for
 Recently, the Minister of State for
marine life. Like volcanoes on land,
Ports, Shipping and Waterways
seamounts can be active, extinct, or
inaugurated the dredging work at
dormant volcanoes.
National Waterways 44, Ichamati
 These are formed near mid-ocean
River in West Bengal.
ridges, where the earth’s tectonic
 It is actually a trans-boundary
plates are moving apart, allowing
river that flows through India and
molten rock to rise to the seafloor.
Bangladesh.
 The planet’s two most-studied mid-
 It acts as a boundary between the two
ocean ridges are the Mid-Atlantic
nations.
Ridge and the East Pacific Rise.
 It is now in three parts- The longer
 Some seamounts have also been
part flows from the Mathabhanga
found near intraplate hotspots—
River, a distributary of the Padma,
regions of heavy volcanic activity
and after flowing for 208 km joins
within a plate—and oceanic island
the Kalindi River near Hasnabad in
chains with volcanic and seismic
North 24 Parganas and Debhata in
activity called island arcs.
Satkhira District.

MYCENA
 Mycena is a large genus of small
HAKKI PIKKI TRIBE
saprotrophic mushrooms in
the family Mycenaceae.  Hakki Pikkis (Hakki in Kannada
 The genus is now known to means ‘bird’ and Pikki means
include about 500 species worldwide. ‘catchers’) are a semi-nomadic tribe,
 Habitat: They can be found traditionally of bird catchers and
on decaying wood, leaf litter, or hunters.
soil, and they often appear in clusters  It is one of the major tribal
or small groups. communities in Karnataka. They also
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reside in the Western and Southern an avalanche on Mount Kun in
states of India, mostly near forest Ladakh.
areas.  Mount Kun, with a height of 7077
 The community migrated from meters, is the second-highest peak of
Northern India, mainly Gujarat and the Nun Kun massif.
Rajasthan, and is now mainly  The massif is located near Sankoo in
concentrated in Shivamogga, the Suru valley, Kargil district,
Davanagere, and Mysuru district of Ladakh.
Karnataka.  The twin peaks of Nun (7135 meters)
 They are recognized as a Scheduled and Kun are separated by a snow
Tribe in India. plateau that extends for around 4
kilometers.
 They are among the highest peaks in
KANWAR LAKE the Zanskar Range on the Indian side
of the Line of Control.
 Bihar’s only wetland of international
 These two towering peaks and their
importance Kanwar Lake under the
satellites; Barmal, White Needle and
Ramsar Convention lies neglected and
Pinnacle Peak form a horseshoe above
is on the brink of drying up.
the Suru river on the boarder of
 It is Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow
Kashmir and Zanskar.
lake and Bihar’s only Ramsar site.
 It is also known as Kabartal jheel.
PROSOPIS JULIFLORA
 It is a shrub or small tree in the family
ATLANTIC PUFFIN
Fabaceae, a kind of mesquite.
 It is a species of small seabird in the  It is native to Mexico, South
auk family. America and the Caribbean.
 It's the only puffin species found in  It is one of the most invasive species
the Atlantic Ocean. in arid and semi-arid areas.
 Scientific Name: Fratercula arctica  It was brought to Delhi by the British
 Habitat: It is found on rocky coasts in in the 1920s, when the national
the Northern Atlantic Ocean during capital was being built.
the breeding season and on the open  In India it is known locally by many
ocean in the non-breeding season. names such as Bellary jaali, seemai
karuvelam, seemai jaali, gando baval,
vilayati kikar.
MOUNT KUN  It has a very wide ecological
 One soldier died and three are missing adaptability which can grow on soils
after a group of Indian Army from sand dune to clay soil, and from
mountaineers was recently caught in saline to alkaline soil type.
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SINAI PENINSULA Mannar, and Mannar Island (Sri
Lanka).
 It is a triangle-
 It connects the Bay of Bengal in the
shaped peninsula located in
northeast with the Gulf of Mannar in
northeastern Egypt.
the southwest.
 It serves as a land bridge connecting
 The southwestern portion of the strait
Asia and Africa.
is also called Palk Bay.
 Area: 23,500 square miles (61,000
square km).
 It is the sovereign territory of Egypt. HOOGHLY RIVER
 The peninsula is bordered to the north
 The Hooghly River, also known as the
by the Mediterranean Sea and to
Bhagirathi-Hoogly and Kati-
the east by Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Ganga Rivers, is one of the
 To the west of the Sinai Peninsula is
significant rivers in West Bengal.
the Suez Canal, across which lies the
 It is a distributary or arm of the
African part of Egypt.
Ganges River, about 260 km long.
 The Sinai is bordered to the southwest
 It is formed in Murshidabad,
by the Gulf of Suez and to
where Ganga splits into two parts –
the immediate south by the Red Sea.
while the part flowing through
 The Gulf of Aqaba borders the
Bangladesh is called the Padma.
Sinai in the southeast.
 The other part is the Hooghly, which
 Egypt shares maritime borders in the
flows
Sinai with Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
through a heavily industrialised area
of West Bengal.
PALK STRAIT  The Farakka Barrage is a dam
that diverts water from the Ganges
 India and Sri Lanka recently launched
into a canal near the town of
a ferry service across the Palk Strait
Tildanga in Malda district.
under a new roadmap for greater
This supplies the Hooghly with
connectivity.
adequate water even in the dry
 It is a strait that lies between the
season.
Tamil Nadu state of India and the
 Haldi, Ajay, Damodar, and
island nation of Sri Lanka.
Rupnarayan are the rivers that feed
 The strait is named after Robert Palk,
the lower reaches of the Hooghly.
who was a governor of Madras
Presidency (1755-1763) during the
British Raj period.
 It is bounded on the south by Pamban
Island (India), Adam’s (Rama’s)
Bridge (a chain of shoals), the Gulf of

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MT. VESUVIUS MARSHALL ISLANDS
 It is an active volcano that rises above  The Republic of the Marshall
the Bay of Naples on the plain Islands (RMI) is located in the western
of Campania in southern Italy. Pacific Ocean.
 It is the only active volcano in  It is a chain of five volcanic
mainland Europe. islands and 29 coral atolls.
 The volcano is classified as  Capital: Majuro
a complex stratovolcano because its  Official
eruptions typically involve explosive languages: English and Marshallese
eruptions as well as pyroclastic flows.  It is a presidential republic with
a parliamentary system.
 Official currency: US dollar
AMAZON RIVER  In 2018, RMI became the first
country to issue its own
 It is the world's largest river by water
cryptocurrency and certify it as
volume and width.
legal tender.
 It is the second-longest river in the
world after the Nile
 Its journey begins high in the Andes GULF OF GUINEA
Mountains.
 It is the northeasternmost portion
 The river then makes its way
of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, located
east through thousands of miles
off the western coast of the African
of rainforests and lowlands until
continent.
it empties into the Atlantic
 It has a narrow continental shelf.
Ocean on the northeastern coast of
 It has warm tropical
Brazil.
waters with relatively low
 It has the largest drainage area of
salinity because of the rivers that
any river system.
drain into it and also due to the high
 Its watershed spans the countries
rainfall in the region.
of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, V
 Its major tributaries are the Volta
enezuela, and Bolivia.
and Niger rivers.
 It is sometimes referred to as the
"lungs of the Earth" due to its role in
regulating the planet's oxygen and LEMRU ELEPHANT RESERVE
carbon cycles.
 It is located in the Korba district of
Chhattisgarh.
 It seeks to give elephants a permanent
habitat while also minimising

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property damage and human-animal  Countries that adopted the
conflict. declaration include Bangladesh,
 The reserve is part of an elephant Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia,
corridor that connects Lemru (Korba), Ecuador, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru,
Badalkhol (Jashpur), Tamorpingla and Venezuela.
(Surguja).
 Elephant reserves in India- There
are 33 notified Elephant BERING SEA
Reserves (ERs) in the country, spread
 It is a marginal
over 14 states.
sea in the northernmost part of
the Pacific Ocean, separating the
MONTREUX CONVENTION continents of Asia and North America.
 To the north, the Bering Sea connects
 It is an agreement concerning
with the Arctic Ocean through the
the Dardanelles Strait and the Bospo
Bering Strait, at the narrowest point of
rus Strait, also known as the Turkish
which the two continents are about 53
straits or the Black Sea straits.
miles (85 kilometres) apart.
 The Turkish straits are the only
 It is bordered by the US state of Alaska
maritime passage between the Black
to the east and northeast, the
Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
Kamchatka Peninsula and the Far
 According to the 1936 Montreux
Eastern region of Russia in the west,
Convention Regarding the Regime of
and the chain of the Aleutian Islands
the Straits, often referred to simply as
in the south.
the Montreux Convention, Turkey has
 The boundary between the United
control over the Turkish Straits.
States and Russia passes through the
sea and the strait.
GLOBAL DECLARATION FOR RIVER  The Bering Sea can be divided into two
DOLPHINS equal portions: a shallow area
along the continental
 This declaration is designed to guide shelf in the northern and
14 nations where river dolphins eastern parts of the sea, and a deeper
inhabit, with a focus on responsible area in its southwestern part.
freshwater dolphin conservation.  The Bering Strait is a relatively
 It aims to halt the decline of all river shallow passage, averaging 100 to 165
dolphin species and increase feet (30 to 50 metres) in depth.
the most vulnerable populations.  The two rivers that drain into the sea
 The declaration will escalate are the Anadyr and the Yukon
collaborative endeavours to safeguard Rivers.
the surviving river dolphin species.

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EAST CHINA SEA of territorial dispute between China
and Japan.
 It is an arm of the Western Pacific
Ocean, located in East Asia.
 It is situated between the eastern
MUSI RIVER
coast of China, including the
Shanghai coast, and the  Environmental activists recently
southwestern coast of Japan, appealed to the Chief Justice of the
including the Ryukyu Islands. Telangana High Court to set up an
 The Korean peninsula, China, Japan, ecological heritage bench for the
and Taiwan lie within or border restoration of the Musi River and
the East China Sea. other water bodies across the state.
 The East China Sea and the South  It is a river that flows through the
China Sea together form the China southern Indian state of Telangana.
Sea.  It is a tributary of the Krishna
 It connects with the Japan Sea via the River on the Deccan Plateau.
Tsushima Strait and the South China  It was known as the Muchukunda
Sea via the Taiwan Strait. River in earlier days.
 Its northern extension between  Hyderabad stands on the bank of this
mainland China and the Korean river, which divides the city between
Peninsula is the Yellow Sea. the old and the new.
 It is largely a shallow sea. The western  It begins in the Anantagiri Hills near
edge of the sea is a continuation of the Vicarabad, Rangareddi district, 90
shelf that extends between the South kilometress to the west of Hyderabad.
China Sea and the Yellow Sea.  It joins the Krishna River near
 Rivers: The Yellow River (Huanghe) Wazirabad in Nalgonda district after
and the Yangtze River (Changjiang) covering a distance of about 240 km.
discharge into the East China Sea,  Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar are
providing much fresh water and the two dams that are constructed
suspended particles. over the river
 Islands: The sea contains several
islands, with the most significant
being the Ryukyu Islands, which are
part of Japan, and the Diaoyu CYCLONE ‘HAMOON’ (NAMED BY IRAN)
Islands (known as the Senkaku WEAKENS INTO DEEP DEPRESSION
Islands in Japan), which are a source OVER BANGLADESH AND MIZORAM

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SCHEMES
PAYMENTS INFRASTRUCTURE training, improved methods, and skill
DEVELOPMENT FUND (PIDF) SCHEME mentoring.
 It also aims at improving
 It was first launched by the
the quality as well as the reach of the
RBI in January 2021 for a period of
products and services of artisans and
three years.
craftsmen.
 Objective: Increasing the number of
 Under this scheme, the artisans and
payment acceptance devices multifold
craftspeople will be provided
in the country.
recognition through the PM
 PIDF is a fund set up by the RBI, in
Vishwakarma certificate and ID
consultation with major authorised
card, credit support upto 1 lakh (first
card networks, to facilitate the
tranche) and Rs.2 lakh (second
development of payment acceptance
tranche), with a concessional interest
infrastructure in tier-3 to tier-6
rate of 5%.
cities and the north-eastern states of
India.
 The scheme provides financial GREEN CREDIT PROGRAMME (GCP)
assistance to banks and non-bank
 GCP aims to incentivise
financial companies (NBFCs) for the
environmentally conscious
deployment of PoS terminals and
practices and promote a sustainable
other payment acceptance
lifestyle through a market-based
infrastructure in eligible regions.
mechanism.
 As per the scheme, individuals,
industries, farmers producer’s
PM VISHWAKARMA SCHEME
organisations (FPOs), urban local
 It is a Central Sector bodies (ULB), gram panchayats, and
Scheme launched on 17th the private sector, among a host of
September, 2023, with a financial other entities, will be able to earn
outlay of Rs.13,000 crore. green credit for undertaking
 Time period: Five years (FY 2023-24 environment-friendly actions.
to FY 2027-28).  Green credits generated through such
actions can be traded on a domestic
Aim:
market platform.
 This initiative supports small  These Green Credits will be over and
businesses, focusing on traditional above the current discourse of carbon
artists and craftspeople. credits. Any activity generating green
 It provides small workers and credits under the GCP will also receive
craftsmen with financial help, carbon credits under the Carbon

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
Credit Trading Scheme if it leads to health challenges using global
the reduction or removal of carbon partnerships.
emissions.  It aims to foster collaboration and
 According to the rules, environment- knowledge exchange among young
friendly actions include professionals from diverse countries”.
 tree plantation
 water management
SETU BANDHAN SCHEME
 sustainable agriculture
 waste management  It is an initiative of the Ministry for
 air pollution reduction Road Transport and Highways.
 mangrove conservation and restoration  Objective: It has been introduced to
 ecomark label development improve inter-state connectivity,
 sustainable building and especially in rural areas at the borders
infrastructure where state roads do not get the
 Apart from incentivizing required attention.
individual/community behavior, the
GCP will encourage private sector
industries and companies, as well as BEST TOURISM VILLAGES INITIATIVE
other entities, to meet their existing
 It was launched in 2021 by UNWTO.
obligations, stemming from other legal
 It is part of the UNWTO Tourism for
frameworks, by taking actions that are
Rural Development Programme.
able to converge with activities
 The programme works to foster
relevant for generating or buying development and inclusion in rural
Green Credits. areas, combat depopulation, advance
innovation and value chain
integration through tourism and
GLOBAL HEALTH INNOVATION encourage sustainable practices.
FELLOWSHIP
 It is an initiative in collaboration PRADHAN MANTRI ANUSUCHIT JAATI
with the World Intellectual Property ABHUYDAY YOJANA
Organization (WIPO) and
the Department of  It is a merged scheme of three
Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Centrally Sponsored
Science & Technology. Schemes, namely Pradhan Mantri
 This collaboration will leverage Adarsh Gram
intellectual property (IP), innovation Yojana (PMAGY), Special Central
and medical technology to solve local Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub
Plan (SCA to SCSP), and Babu

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana  Construction of Hostels in higher
(BJRCY). educational institutions which are top-
ranked as per the National Institutional
Aim:
Ranking Framework (NIRF) of
 To reduce poverty of the SC Government of India and are funded by
communities by generation of the Centre/State/UT Governments
additional employment opportunities either fully or partially.
through Skill development, income
generating schemes and other
initiatives
 To improve socio-economic
developmental indicators by ensuring
adequate infrastructure and requisite
services in the SC dominated villages.
The Scheme has three components:

 Development of SC dominated villages

into an “Adarsh Gram”: The objective
of this component is to ensure
integrated development of SC majority
villages so that, inter alia, there is:,
Adequate infrastructure; all requisite
infrastructure necessary for socio-
economic development needs is to be
provided under the Scheme.
 ‘Grants-in-aid’ for District/State-level
Projects for socio-economic betterment
of SCs that may include creation of
infrastructure in SC dominated villages
including those selected under Adarsh
Gram component, construction of
Hostels/Residential schools.
 Comprehensive Livelihood
Projects which may include
components such as Skill development,
related infrastructure development,
financial assistance towards loans
taken by beneficiaries for
acquisition/creation of assets required
for livelihood generation etc.
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AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS
NOBEL PRIZES Ramanujan Prize for his outstanding
contributions in mathematics.
S.No Name Category

Katalin Karikó Nobel Prize in YAK CHURPI

1. Drew Physiology or
In a significant milestone for the
Weissman Medicine
northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh,
the unique and culturally significant yak
Pierre Agostini milk product, ‘Yak Churpi,’ has been
granted the coveted Geographical Indication
Ferenc Krausz Nobel Prize in
2. (GI) tag.
Physics
Anne
L’Huillier
BASOHLI PASHMINA
Moungi G.
Recently, Basohli Pashmina, a more than
Bawendi
100-year-old traditional craft from Jammu
Nobel Prize in
3. Louis E. Brus and Kashmir's Kathua district, has got the
Chemistry
Geographical Indication (GI) tag
Alexei I.
Ekimo
UDANGUDI PANANGARUPATTI
Nobel Prize in
4. Jon Fosse Recently, Udangudi ‘Panangkarupatti’ (palm
Literature
jaggery/ gur) from Tamil Nadu has received
a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Narges
5. Nobel Peace Prize
Mohammadi
PRESIDENT’S COLOURS AWARD
Claudia
Nobel Prize in The Chief of Army Staff recently presented
6. Goldin
Economic Science the prestigious ‘President’s Colours’ to the
Third Battalion of the Naga Regiment.

SARASWATI SAMMAN AWARD

SASTRA RAMANUJAN PRIZE
Recently, Tamil writer Sivasankari was
Ruixiang Zhang, Assistant Professor, presented with the ‘Saraswati Samman’
University of California, Berkeley, USA will 2022 for her book of memoirs Surya
be awarded with the 2023 SASTRA Vamsam.
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Category Winner
GOAN CASHEW Best Feature
Rocketry
 Recently, Goan cashew (kernel) got Film
the geographical indication (GI) tag. Best Director Nikhil Mahajan, Godavari
 Cashew is one of the most
important plantation crops in India Best Popular
 Cashew was native to northeast Film Providing
RRR
Brazil in Latin America and was Wholesome
introduced to Goa by the Portuguese Entertainment
in the 16th century (1570).
Nargis Dutt
JADERI NAMAKATTI Award for Best
 Recently, the Jaderi namakatti was Film on The Kashmir Files
given the GI tag by the Geographical National
Indications Registry in Chennai. Integration
 These are clay sticks that are white in Best Actor Allu Arjun, Pushpa
colour, usually available in finger-like
shape with a smooth texture. Alia Bhatt, Gangubai
 Jaderi is a small village in Best Actress Kathiawadi and Kriti Sanon,
Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Mimi
Nadu.

ONE LINERS
UNITED NATIONS WORLD TOURISM
ORGANISATION (UNWTO)  K.N. Shanth Kumar Elected Chairman
Of Press Trust Of India (Pti) Board
Recently, the Prime Minister of India hailed  Lt General Raghu Srinivasan As New
the Dhordo village in Kutch district of Bro Chief
Gujarat for being awarded as the Best  Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti Assumes
Tourism Village by the United Nations World Charge As Deputy Chief Of The Naval
Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). Staff
 Ministry Of Msme’s ‘Shramdaan
Event’ For A ‘Garbage-Free India’
69TH NATIONAL FILM AWARDS 2023
 Sudha Murty, The First Woman To
CONFERRED BY PRESIDENT DROUPADI
Get Global Indian Award
MURMU
 Pro-China Leader Mohamed Muizzu
Wins Maldives Presidential Election
 Icai Receives Un Award For Its
Contribution To Sustainability
Reporting
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
 Isb Prof Sarang Deo Appointed By
Who On Its Tb Advisory Group
 Nita Ambani Receives Usispf Global
Leadership Award For Philanthropy
And Corporate Social Responsibility

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SPORTS
ONE LINERS 4 India 28 38 41 107
 Asian Games 2023, India Bag Gold 5 Uzbekistan 22 18 31 71
With 2-1 Win Over Pakistan In Men’s
Squash 6 Chinese Taipei 19 20 28 67
 Icc Names Sachin Tendulkar As
7 Iran 13 21 20 54
‘Global Ambassador’ For Odi World
Cup 202 8 Thailand 12 14 32 58
 Ojas Deotale Is Nagpur’s First Asian
Games Gold Medalist (Archery) 9 Bahrain 12 3 5 20
 Shubman Gill Becomes Fastest Batter
To Score 2000 Runs In Odis Democratic
 Mohammed Shami Make History To People’s
7 11 18 10 39
Claim 2nd 5-Wicket Haul In World Republic of
Cups Korea
 Zahid Hussain From South Kashmir
Clinches Silver At Asian Shooting
Championship
 Lionel Messi Wins Eighth Ballon D’or
2023
 Neeraj Chopra Nominated For 2023
World Athlete Of The Year Award
 Pm Modi Inaugurated 37th Edition Of
National Games In Panaji, Goa
 Sundar Singh Gurjar Breaks World
Record In Men’s Javelin F46 Event
With Gold
 India Grabs 111 Medals At The 4th
Asian Para Games

ASIAN GAMES MEDAL TALLY

Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total

1 China 201 111 71 383

2 Japan 52 67 69 189

3 South Korea 42 59 89 190

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
INTERNATIONAL
AUKUS developing countries use trade,
investment, finance, and technology
 Established in 2021, the AUKUS is
for inclusive and sustainable
intended to be a strategic partnership
development.
among Australia, the United Kingdom
 Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland.
(UK), and the United States to bolster
their allied deterrence and defense Reports published by the UNCTAD
capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
 Trade and Development Report
 The trilateral partnership,
 World Investment Report
which builds on their decades-long
 The Least Developed Countries Report
security cooperation, has two pillars.
 Pillar I revolves around the
acquisition and development of INTERNATIONAL CORAL REEF
conventionally armed nuclear- INITIATIVE
powered submarines for the Royal
Australian Navy;  It was launched in 1994 by Australia,
 Pillar II calls for collaboration on France, Japan, Jamaica, the
advanced capabilities that will Philippines, Sweden, Britain and the
involve technology and information United States.
sharing;  Its members now include 45
countries that represent three
quarters of the world’s coral reefs.
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON  India is also a member country of this
TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD) initiative.
 It is a global partnership between
 It is the UN’s leading
Nations and organizations which
institution dealing with trade and
strives to preserve coral reefs and
development.
related ecosystems around the world.
 It is a permanent
 Its decisions are not binding on its
intergovernmental body established
members.
by the United Nations General
 The work of ICRI is
Assembly in 1964.
regularly acknowledged in United
 It supports developing countries to
Nations documents, highlighting the
access the benefits
Initiative’s important cooperation,
of a globalised economy more fairly
collaboration and advocacy role within
and effectively.
the international arena.
 It provides economic and trade
analysis, facilitates consensus- Objectives
building and offers technical
assistance to help
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 Encourage the adoption of best three Protocols on December 12,
practice in sustainable management of 2002.
coral reefs and associated ecosystems  The Central Bureau of
 Build capacity Investigation (CBI) is the nodal
 Raise awareness at all levels on the agency for all dealings with UNTOC
plight of coral reefs around the world.
ASIA-PACIFIC INSTITUTE FOR
BROADCASTING DEVELOPMENT
UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST
TRANSNATIONAL ORGANISED CRIME  It was established in 1977 under the
auspices of UNESCO.
 Recently, the union Minister of State  The AIBD currently has 92 member
for Home Affairs participated in the organisations from across 44
two-day UN Convention against countries, including 26 government
Transnational Organised Crime members (countries) represented by
Ministerial Conference at Palermo in 48 broadcasting authorities and
Italy. broadcasters.
 It is a multinational treaty against  It also has 44 affiliates (organisations)
transnational organized crime represented by 28 countries
that was established by the United and regions in Asia, Pacific, Europe,
Nations in 2000. Africa, Arab States and North
 It is often known as the Palermo America.
Convention.  India is one of the founding
 The UNTOC has a total of 147 members of this organization.
signatories and 190 parties to the  The Prasar Bharati, India’s public
convention. service broadcaster, is
 The Convention is further the representative body of the
supplemented by three Protocols Ministry of Information &
 The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress Broadcasting, Government of India, at
and Punish Trafficking in Persons, AIBD.
Especially Women and Children;
 The Protocol against the Smuggling of
Migrants by Land, Sea and Air; and
INDIAN OCEAN RIM ASSOCIATION
 The Protocol against the Illicit
Manufacturing of and Trafficking in  Sri Lanka to take over as Chair of
Firearms, their Parts and Components Indian Ocean Rim Association
and Ammunition.  It was established in 1997 as
 India signed the UN an intergovernmental organisation of
Convention against Transnational States on the rim of the Indian Ocean.
Organized Crime (UNTOC) and its
Member countries:
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 It has members from Africa, West Asia,  It was launched by India on April 9,
South Asia, Southeast Asia , 2023, for the conservation of seven
Europe and Oceania. big cats, namely Tiger, Lion, Leopard,
 The Association’s membership has Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and
expanded to 23 member states and 11 Puma harbouring our planet.
dialogue partners.  Membership: It is open to 97 'range'
 Asia: India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, countries, which contain the natural
Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, habitat of these big cats, as well as
Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United other interested nations, international
Arab Emirates and Yemen. organizations, etc.
 Africa: Kenya, Madagascar,  It will provide a platform for the
Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, member nations to share knowledge
Tanzania, Comoros, Mauritius, and expertise and extend support to
Seychelles. recovery efforts in potential habitats.
 Oceania: Australia.  Its major activities will
 Europe: France include advocacy, partnership, knowl
 Its apex body is the Council of Foreign edge e-portal, capacity building, eco-
Ministers (COM) which meets tourism, partnerships between expert
annually. groups, and finance tapping.
 IORA has identified six priority  IBCA will also assist existing species-
areas namely: Trade and Investment, specific inter-governmental
Maritime Safety and Security, platforms to boost conservation
Fisheries Management, Disaster Risk efforts.
Management and Blue Economy.  Funding: After the first five
 The secretariat is based in Ebène years, which will be supported by
Mauritius and is overseen by India's 'total grant assistance' of $100
a secretary-general who is appointed million, the IBCA is expected to
for a three-year period. sustain itself through membership
fees and contributions from
bilateral and multilateral institutions
INTERNATIONAL BIG CAT ALLIANCE and the private sector.
(IBCA)
 Tanzanian President recently
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION
conveyed approval to join flagship
UNION (ITU)
Indian programmes like the
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)  It is the United Nations specialized
and the Global Biofuels Alliance agency for information and
(GBA). communication technologies.

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 It is an intergovernmental peace, democracy, and sustainable
organization that coordinates betwee development around the world.
n governments and private sector  It was the first multilateral political
bodies with respect to global organization in the
telecommunication and information world, encouraging cooperation
communication technology (ICT) and dialogue between all nations.
services.  Slogan: “For democracy. For
 It was established in 1865 as everyone”
International Telegraph Union.  Today, the IPU comprises 179
 In 1947 the ITU became a specialized member parliaments and 13 associate
agency of the United Nations. members.
 Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.  It promotes democracy and helps
 Membership: It has a parliaments become stronger,
membership of 193 countries and younger, gender-balanced, and more
nearly 800 private sector entities and diverse.
academic institutions.  It also defends the human rights of
parliamentarians through a dedicated
Functions:
committee made up of MPs from
 allocate global radio spectrum and around the world.
satellite orbits;  The IPU moved its headquarters
 coordination and setting of technical to Geneva in 1921.
standards related to  Funding: The IPU is
telecommunication/ICT; financed primarily by its members out
 strive to improve access to ICTs in of public funds.
underserved communities worldwide;
 India and ITU: India has been
an active member of the ITU since INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION OUTLOOK
1869 and has been a regular member 2023
of the ITU Council since 1952.  Recently, the ‘International Migration
INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU) Outlook 2023’ was released by the
Organisation for Economic Co-
 IPU is the international organization operation and Development (OECD).
of Parliaments.  India saw the highest migration
 I was established in 1889 in flows to Organisation for Economic
Paris to promote representative Co-operation and
democracy and world peace. Development (OECD) countries in
 The IPU facilitates parliamentary 2021 and 2022.
diplomacy and empowers parliaments  In terms of nationalities, 0.13 million
and parliamentarians to promote Indian citizens acquired the

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nationality of an OECD country in  The forum has universal membership,
2021. and is composed of all Member States
 Inflows of refugees from of the United Nations and specialized
Ukraine reached the highest level on agencies.
record, OECD-wide, due to the  India is a founding member of
ongoing Russia-Ukraine war; more UNFF.
than 10 million people have become
either internally displaced or refugees
in the OECD region.
 In terms of workers, migration flows
ESCALATION OF ISRAEL-PALESTINE
from India (+172 percent), Uzbekistan
CONFLICT: “OPERATION AL-AQSA
(+122 percent), and Turkey (+240
FLOOD” UNLEASHED BY HAMAS SPARKS
percent) rose sharply, making them
WIDESPREAD VIOLENCE
primary countries of origin after
Ukraine.

UNITED NATIONS FORUM ON FORESTS

(UNFF)
 The Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change is organizing a
Country-Led Initiative (CLI) event as
part of the United Nations Forum on
Forests (UNFF) from 26-28 October,
2023 at the Forest Research Institute
(FRI), Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
 It promotes the management,
conservation, and sustainable
development of all types of forests.
 It was established in 2000 by the UN
Economic and Social Council of the
United Nations (ECOSOC).
 The Forum meets annually at the UN
Headquarters in New York, bringing
together representatives of all member
states and forest-related agencies
for high-level dialogue on technical
matters in odd years and policy
matters in even years.

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MISCELLANEOUS
 GANDHI JAYANTI – 2 OCTOBER  WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY-
Theme: “Ek Tareekh Ek Ghanta Ek 10TH OCTOBER
Saath” Theme: “Mental health is a universal
 WORLD HABITAT DAY – 2 human right.”
OCTOBER  INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL
World Habitat Day, observed on CHILD- 11TH OCTOBER
the first Monday of October each year. Theme: “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our
Theme: “Resilient Urban Economies: Leadership, Our Well-being.”
Cities as Drivers of Growth and  WORLD SIGHT DAY- 12TH
Recovery.” OCTOBER
 WORLD ANIMAL WELFARE DAY 4 Theme: ‘Love Your Eyes at Work,’
OCTOBER  INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR
Theme: “Great or Small, Love Them DISASTER RISK REDUCTION –
All,”. 13TH OCTOBER
 WORLD TEACHERS DAY- 5TH Theme: “Fighting inequality for a
OCTOBER resilient future.”
Theme: “The Teachers We Need for  WORLD ANAESTHESIA DAY – 16TH
the Education We Want: The Global OCTOBER
Imperative to Reverse the Teacher Theme: ‘Anaesthesia and Cancer
Shortage”. Care.’
 NATIONAL WILDLIFE WEEK- 2ND  WORLD FOOD DAY- 16TH
TO 8TH OCTOBER. OCTOBER
It is 69th celebration. Theme: “Water is life, water is food.
Theme: “Partnerships for Wildlife Leave no one behind.”
Conservation,”  WORLD HEALTH SUMMIT 2023-
 WORLD COTTON DAY – 7TH FROM OCTOBER 15 TO OCTOBER
OCTOBER 17
Theme: ‘Making cotton fair and The 2023 World Health Summit was
sustainable for all, from farm to hosted in Berlin, Germany.
fashion,’ Theme: “A Defining Year for Global
 INDIAN AIRFORCE DAY – 8TH Health Action”.
OCTOBER  INTERNATIONAL STUTTERING
Theme: 'IAF - Airpower Beyond AWARENESS DAY – 22 OCTOBER
Boundaries' Theme: “One Size Does NOT Fit All”
 WORLD POST DAY- 9TH OCTOBER  WORLD POLIO DAY- 24 OCTOBER
Theme: “Together for Trust: Theme: “A healthier future for mothers
Collaborating for a safe and connected and children.”
future,”  WORLD DAY FOR AUDIOVISUAL
HERITAGE- 27 OCTOBER
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
Theme: “Your Window to the World.”  Occupation: Traditionally, the Baiga
 WORLD STROKE DAY- 29 lived a semi-nomadic life and
OCTOBER practised slash-and-burn
Theme: ‘Together we are #Greater cultivation. Now, they are mainly
Than Stroke.’ dependent on minor forest
produce for their livelihood.
 They practice a form of shifting
SANWARIYA SETH TEMPLE cultivation called, "Bewar."
 Mahua is an important aspect
 It is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord
of Baiga's food and drink. It is an
Krishna, specifically to his beloved
intoxicant prepared from the
child form known as “Sanwariya Seth”
fermentation and distillation of the
or “Shyam Seth.
flowers of the Mahua tree.
 Location: It is located in
 Tattooing is an integral part of Baiga
the village of Mandaphia in
culture, every age and body part has a
the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan.
specific tattoo reserved for the
 It was built in 1840 A.D.
occasion.
 The temple follows the traditional
architecture of Rajasthan, known for
its intricate carvings, domes, and
KATI BIHU
vibrant colors.
 The main structure of the temple  Recently, the Prime Minister of India
is built using white marble. extended best wishes on the
 In the sanctum sanctorum of the auspicious occasion of Kati Bihu to
temple, a black stone idol of Lord the people of Assam.
Krishna is installed.  It is celebrated in the state of Assam.
 Kati means to cut and this day marks
the time of relocation of rice saplings.
BAIGA TRIBE
 It is also known as Kongali
 Recently, the Baiga Particularly Bihu. (Kongali means poor)
Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)  There are another two Bihu
became the second to get habitat festivals celebrated
rights in the state of Chhattisgarh. in Assam - Bhogali or Magh Bihu is
 The Baiga Tribe is one of observed in January and Rongali or
the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Bohag Bihu is observed in the month
Groups (PVTGs). of April.
 They reside in Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West
Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh.

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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
INDIA’S FIRST REGIONAL RAPID  It is considered one of the 12 holy
TRANSIT SYSTEM (RRTS) TO BE Jyotirlinga shrines in India.
LAUNCHED IN UP  In recent times, Bhimashankar has
gained tremendous significance since
it was declared a "Wildlife Sanctuary".
SOMESHWARA INSCRIPTION
This sanctuary is a part of the
 This inscription is very significant in Western Ghats.
the study of Tuluva history and  Bhimashankar is the source of the
culture. river Bhima.
 It has two panels on the top, and in  It was built around the 13th century.
between the two panels, the first line It is a testament to the skills of the
is engraved. Vishwakarma sculptors.
 The rest of the inscription written  Structures such as the shikhara
below the panels is in Kannada (spires) were added
script and the language of 12th by Maratha Empire
century characters announcing the statesman Nana Phadnavis in the
death of Alupendra I. 18th century.
 The human figures shown in the  It is a composite of old and new
inscription represent Kulashekara structures in the Nagara style of
Alupendra himself. architecture
 In the first figure, he is shown
standing in Tribhanga (tri-bent
BRU REFUGEES
posture). He holds a sword in his right
hand while the left hand rests on a  For the first time, Bru refugees will not
gurani (shield). participate in elections in Mizoram as
 To the left of this panel, divided by a they were given permanent settlement
pillar, the King is again shown in a in Tripura under a centrally
sitting posture on a mound, resting sponsored rehabilitation
both his palms on the centre of his arrangement.
legs in dhyana mudra.  Bru, also known as Reang, is a
community indigenous to the
Northeast, living mostly in Tripura,
BHIMASHANKAR TEMPLE Mizoram, and Assam.
 In Tripura, they are recognised as
 It is an ancient Hindu shrine
a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal
dedicated to Lord
Group.
 Location: It is located in the Sahyadri
 They belong to Indo-Mongoloid racial
hills in the Pune District of
stock. Their languages have an affinity
Maharashtra.
with Austro-Asiatic groups under the
Tibeto-Burman family.
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 “Saaransh”: Monthly Current Affairs
 Ignou & Icai Ink Mou For Academic
Collaboration.
NEANDERTHALS
 Pm Modi To Inaugurate 141st Ioc
 They are the closest known human Session In Mumbai.
relatives and interbred with Homo
sapiens.
 Species: Homo neanderthalensis
 They lived throughout Europe
and parts of Asia from about 400,000
until about 40,000 years ago.
 Current evidence from both fossils
and DNA suggests that Neanderthal
and modern human lineages
separated at least 500,000 years ago.
 Neanderthals co-existed with modern
humans for long periods of
time before eventually becoming
extinct.

INDIA TO HOST WORLD’S LARGEST

TEXTILES EVENT, BHARAT TEX 2024
Bharat Tex 2024 embodies India’s
holistic 5F vision:
covering Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fas
hion to Foreign.

SARAS AAJEEVIKA MELA

Recently, the union Minister of State for
Rural Development, Consumer Affairs,
Food, and Public Distribution inaugurated
the popular SARAS Mela Gurugram.

ONE LINERS
 Dilip Nongmaithem Receives Bal
Sahitya Puraskar In Manipuri
Language
43

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