Oct 20, 2024 | Current Affairs for UPSC, State PCS & other Govt. Exams

In Oct, 2024, India has fulfilled its commitment made during the third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC III) Summit by sending its first consignment of 12 Haemo-Dialysis machines to Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Additionally, India has dispatched the first tranche of a 33-ton consignment of medical supplies as part of a humanitarian effort to support Lebanon. The third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit was held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG), on May 22, 2023.

On October 19, 2024, PM Modi will inaugurate the 'Karmayogi Saptah' National Learning Week (NLW), aimed at enhancing the individual and organizational capacities of civil servants. This initiative is part of the broader 'Mission Karmayogi,' which was launched in September 2020.

The 2024 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) reveals that 1.1 billion people live in acute multidimensional poverty with 455 million in conflict-affected regions where poverty rates are higher and progress is slower.

Over half of those in poverty are children, and many lack essential resources like sanitation and nutrition. It is jointly published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

Renowned filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani was conferred with the prestigious National Kishore Kumar Award for the year 2023.

Chiratae Ventures (चिराटे वेंचर्स) has awarded Narayana Murthy, Founder of Infosys, the India Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the 2024 Patrick J. McGovern Awards.

Shantanu Narayen received the Global Lifetime Achievement Award, while Abhinav Asthana was honored with the Exceptional Entrepreneurial Achievement Award.

Cricket is set to make a comeback at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28), pending approval by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This inclusion will mark the sport's second appearance at the Olympic Games, following its debut at the 1900 Paris Games. However, instead of the traditional two-innings format, cricket at LA28 will be played in the Twenty20 (T20) format.

FTSE Russell announced on October 8 that it will add India's sovereign bonds to its Emerging Markets Government Bond Index (EMGBI) in September 2025. This follows similar inclusions by JP Morgan and Bloomberg Index Services, which are expected to attract billions of dollars.

FTSE Russell is a subsidiary of London Stock Exchange Group that produces, maintains, licenses, and markets stock market indices. The division is notable for the FTSE 100 Index in the UK and the Russell 2000 Index in the US, among others.

On October 16-17, the Indian Coast Guard conducted the 'Sagar Kavach' coastal security exercise across Gujarat, Daman & Diu, Goa, and Maharashtra.