October 2024

National News (India):

• Gandhi Jayanti: India celebrated Gandhi Jayanti on October 2nd, marking the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.¹
• Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti: The nation also commemorated the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on October 2nd.²
• Indian Air Force Day: Celebrated on October 8th, honoring the Indian Air Force’s efforts and achievements.³
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 150th Birth Anniversary: The Union government announced a two-year nationwide celebration (2024-2026) to commemorate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 150th birth anniversary.⁴
• New Loan Limit Under PM Mudra Yojana: The loan limit under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) was increased to ₹20 lakh from ₹10 lakh.⁵
• President’s Rule Revoked in J&K: President’s Rule was revoked in Jammu and Kashmir on October 13, 2024.⁶
• Nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) Launched: A new nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine was launched in Visakhapatnam.
• First Privately Owned Military Aircraft Factory: India’s first privately owned military aircraft factory was inaugurated in Gujarat.⁷
• AI-Powered Digital Assistant ‘Shiksha Copilot’: The Karnataka government launched ‘Shiksha Copilot,’ an AI-powered digital assistant for teachers.⁸
• New Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI): Vipin Kumar, an IAS officer, was appointed as the Chairman of the AAI on October 28, 2024.⁹
• PM Modi Launched Healthcare Projects: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched healthcare projects worth approximately ₹13,000 crore on Dhanvantari Jayanti.¹⁰
• New Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS Delhi: PM Modi inaugurated a new Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS, New Delhi, providing affordable generic medicines.¹¹
• Digital Memorial of Valour by RPF: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) launched the Digital Memorial of Valour in New Delhi to pay tribute to martyrs.¹²
• Muthalapozhi Harbour Development Project: The Union Government approved a ₹177-crore project to develop Muthalapozhi Harbour in Thiruvananthapuram.¹³
• Jammu Diabetes Study Data Released: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh released data from the ICMR-India Diabetes (INDIAB) Study, showing 18.9% diabetes prevalence in Jammu.¹⁴
• Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Honored: PKL received the “Best Sports League of the Year” award at the CII Sports Business Awards 2024.¹⁵
• India’s First ‘Writers Village’ Inaugurated: The country’s first ‘Writers Village’ was inaugurated in Uttarakhand.¹⁶
• Two Indigenous Patrol Vessels Launched: The Indian Coast Guard launched two indigenous patrol vessels, ‘Adamya’ and ‘Akshar.’¹⁷
• UDAN Scheme Extended: The UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme was extended for another 10 years to enhance regional air connectivity.
• Joint Naval Exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’: India and Oman conducted the joint naval exercise ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ off the coast of Goa.¹⁸
• World Justice Project’s 2024 Rule of Law Index: India ranked 79th in the World Justice Project’s 2024 Rule of Law Index.¹⁹
• Supreme Court Upholds States’ Right on Industrial Alcohol: The Supreme Court upheld states’ right to regulate industrial alcohol in an 8:1 majority judgment.²⁰
• International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched this system to block international spoofed calls using Indian numbers.²¹
• Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) Secretariat in India: India and GBA signed an agreement to establish the GBA Secretariat in India.²²
• ADB Loan for Solar Facility in Assam: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 434.25 million loan for a solar photovoltaic facility in Assam.²³
• International News:
• Russia-Ukraine War: Vuhledar Captured: Russian forces captured the town of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.²⁴
• Iran-Israel Conflict Escalation: Iran launched ballistic missile attacks against Israel in retaliation for earlier strikes.
• Israeli Invasion of Lebanon: Israeli forces invaded southern Lebanon and began ground operations against Hezbollah.
• Haitian Crisis: Mass Displacement: Over 700,000 Haitians were internally displaced due to gang violence, as reported by the UN.²⁵
• Ballon d’Or 2024 Winners: Rodri (Men’s) and Aitana Bonmati (Women’s) clinched the Ballon d’Or 2024 awards.²⁶
• Egypt Certified Malaria-Free: The World Health Organization (WHO) certified Egypt as malaria-free, making it the second country in 2024 to achieve this status.²⁷
• Lahore Most Polluted City: Lahore, Pakistan, was declared the most polluted city in the world with an Air Quality Index (AQI) level of 394.
• Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Honored by Fiji: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar received Fiji’s highest civilian award, the Honorary Officer of the Order of Fiji.²⁸
• UNRWA Activities Banned by Israel: The Israeli parliament voted to ban the activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Israel.²⁹
• 251 Million Children Out of School: UNESCO reported that 251 million children and youth worldwide remain out of school.³⁰
• UN Official Urges Restraint in Ukraine: A senior UN disarmament official urged restraint and renewed calls for peace in Ukraine.³¹
• International Day of Older Persons: Observed on October 1st to raise awareness about issues faced by the elderly.³²
• International Coffee Day: Celebrated on October 1st, honoring the hard work of coffee farmers.³³
• World Vegetarian Day: Observed on October 1st, promoting vegetarianism’s health and environmental benefits.³⁴
• World Animal Welfare Day: Celebrated on October 4th, raising awareness about animal rights and welfare.³⁵
• World Teachers’ Day: Observed on October 5th, commemorating the adoption of the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.³⁶
• World Mental Health Day: Observed on October 10th, aiming to raise awareness about mental health issues.³⁷
• International Day of the Girl Child: Celebrated on October 11th, addressing issues like child marriage and gender inequality.
• Dussehra: The Hindu festival celebrating the victory of good over evil was observed on October 12th.³⁸
• International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction: Held on October 13th, promoting prevention and preparedness for disasters.³⁹
• World Students’ Day: Observed on October 15th, commemorating Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s legacy.⁴⁰
• World Food Day: Celebrated on October 16th, focusing on global food security and hunger.⁴¹
• International Day for the Eradication of Poverty: Observed on October 17th, calling for solidarity in fighting poverty.⁴²
• United Nations Day: Observed annually on October 24th, marking the founding of the UN.⁴³
• Dhanteras: The first day of the Diwali festival, where people purchase gold and silver, was celebrated on October 29th.⁴⁴