Current Affairs 4 October 2024 By GkSeries

Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why; many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 4 October 2024, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc.

The first shipment of 100 land-based Harpoon anti-ship missile systems ordered from the United States has reportedly arrived in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, marking a significant milestone in the island’s defense capabilities. The equipment was unloaded at Kaohsiung Port on September 27.

Background

This is part of a 71.02 billion new Taiwan dollar ($2.22 billion) deal in 2020 for the US to supply the island with up to 100 shore-mounted Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems and related equipment. 

Taiwan’s defense ministry also allotted an additional 15 billion new Taiwan dollars ($469 million) to construct related facilities, bringing the total package to $86.02 billion new Taiwan dollars ($2.69 billion).  

In 2023, it was reported that Taiwan and US officials had discussed focusing on expediting the arms shipment timeline, aiming to secure more than half of the Harpoon missiles within three years and the remainder by the end of 2029.

Harpoon Missiles

• Company : The Harpoon missile, developed by Boeing, is an over-the-horizon, all-weather anti-ship weapon that has proven to be a reliable solution for coastal defense.
• Mode : The Harpoon Coastal Defense System (HCDS) is a land-based variant of the Boeing Harpoon missile Block II, specifically designed to target a range of maritime and land-based threats, including enemy coastal defenses, surface-to-air missile sites, ports, and moored ships.
• Simulation System : According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the acquisition of the Harpoon missile systems was driven by a computer simulation study, which demonstrated the need for a substantial number of anti-ship missiles to neutralize 50 percent of an adversary’s naval targets.
• Range : The Harpoon missile system can strike stationary and moving targets from at least 124 kilometers (77 miles), which places much of the Taiwan Strait within its range.

An Unbeaten Run Helps To Win SAFF Men’s U-17 Championship 2024

The Indian Men’s Football U-17 (Under 17) lifted the SAFF (South Asian Football Federation) Men’s U-17 Championship after defeating Bangladesh in the final game of the tournament. The final was played at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, Bhutan. An unbeaten run throughout the tournament after winning the title is like cherry on top for Indian Football.

Honorable Prime Minister of India Shri. Narendra Modi unveiled the developmental projects worth Rs. 83,700 crore in Jharkhand. Including the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan for tribal development. He launched this project on the day of Gandhi Jayanti. And also laid the foundation stone for multiple projects.

About Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan

Aim :  To ensure comprehensive and holistic development for tribal communities across the country.

Implemented Cost of around 79,150 crore. 

Beneficiaries as per PMO Source : The project will benefit more than 5 crore tribals in 549 districts across 30 states and Union Territories.

Objective : The scheme seeks to address critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, and livelihood through 25 interventions implemented by 17 central ministries and departments.

PM Remarks : The Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan with an outlay of around Rs 79.150 crore. 

• This scheme will cover around 63,000 tribal villages for their development. It will benefit more than 5 crore people. 
• I am happy that this scheme is starting from the land of Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)

• PM also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for multiple projects under the PM Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN),
• The scheme is valued at over Rs 1,360 crore.
• These include the construction of more than 1,380 km of roads, 120 anganwadi centers , 250 multi-purpose centers, and 10 school hostels.

About PM-JANMAN

• PM-JANMAN (comprising Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes) was launched for the socio-economic welfare of PVTGs on 15th November 2023 in Khunti, Jharkhand, on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.
• PM-JANMAN, with a budget of approximately Rs 24,000 crore, focuses on 11 critical interventions through 9 Ministries.

Aim : To improve socio-economic conditions of the PVTGs by saturating PVTG households and habitations with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, electricity, road and telecom connectivity etc.

Numbers : India has a Scheduled Tribes population of 10.45 crore as per 2011 census, out of which 75 communities located in 18 States and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been categorized as PVTGs.

What are PVTGs?

• PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups.
• Due to this factor, more developed and assertive tribal groups take a major chunk of the tribal development funds, because of which PVTGs need more funds directed for their development.
• In this context, in 1975, the Government of India declared 52 tribal groups as PVTGs on the recommendation of the Dhebar Commission.
• Currently, there are 75 PVTGs out of 705 Scheduled Tribes.
• The PVTGs are spread over 18 states and one Union Territory (UT), in the country (2011 census).
• Odisha has the highest number (more than 2.5 lakh) of PVTGs.

Other announcements by PM

• The Prime Minister announced the electrification of over 75,800 households belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in around 3,000 villages.
• Other initiatives include the operationalisation of 275 mobile medical units, 500 anganwadi centers, establishment of 250 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras, and the provision of piped water (Nal se Jal) to more than 5,550 PVTG villages.
• To bolster educational infrastructure for tribal communities, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate 40 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and lay the foundation stone for an additional 25 EMRS worth over Rs 2,800 crore.

Info about EMRS

• EMRS is a scheme for making model residential schools for Indian tribals (ST- Scheduled Tribes) across India. It started in the year 1997-98.
• The Eklavya Model Residential School in Shinde (Nashik) has been planned by the Ministry Tribal Affairs to give impetus to quality education in nearby tribal areas.
• The EMR School follows the CBSE curriculum.
• Eklavya Model Residential Schools are being developed to impart quality education to tribal students, with an emphasis on not only academic education but all-round development of tribal students.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA), on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, from Hazaribagh, Jharkhand  The scheme has a total outlay of Rs.79,156 crores with the contribution from Central government is Rs.56,333 crore and State government is Rs. 22,823 crore.

Attendees at Event

Hon’ble Governor, Jharkhand, Shri Santosh Gangwar; Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram; Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt Annpurna Devi; Union MoS for Tribal Affairs, Sh. Durgadas Uikey; Union MoS for Defence, Shri Sanjay Seth; and senior officers from Central and State Government graced the occasion.

Vision

Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan envisions saturation of critical gaps in social infrastructure, health, education, livelihood, through 25 interventions implemented by 17-line ministries of Govt of India by convergence and outreach; and ensures holistic and sustainable development of tribal areas and communities. 

Reach

The Abhiyan will cover around 63,843 villages benefitting more than 5 crore tribal people in 549 districts and 2,911 blocks spread across all tribal majority villages and aspirational blocks in 30 States/UTs.

In a major update, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that 98% of the ₹2,000 notes have been returned since their withdrawal in May 2023. This has led to the total value of the denomination in circulation dropping significantly from ₹3.56 lakh crore to ₹7,117 crore as of September 2023. The withdrawal was initiated due to concerns about the quality of the notes, introduced after the 2016 demonetization.

Background of ₹2,000 Notes

The ₹2,000 note was introduced post-demonetization in November 2016 to manage cash shortages. By 2023, the RBI deemed its purpose fulfilled and moved to withdraw it, citing concerns about the denomination’s quality.

Current Status and Legal Tender

Although withdrawn from circulation, ₹2,000 notes remain legal tender. These can be exchanged physically at 19 RBI issue offices or sent via post for credit into bank accounts.

How to Deposit or Exchange ₹2,000 Notes

Despite their withdrawal, ₹2,000 notes remain legal tender and can be exchanged at any of RBI’s 19 issue offices across India. Citizens can either visit these offices or send the notes by post for deposit into their bank accounts. While the exchange facility at bank branches ended on 7 October 2023, RBI continues to accept ₹2,000 notes for deposit at its offices located in cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and more. From 9 October 2023, notes can also be sent via Indian Post to RBI offices for direct deposit into bank accounts.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has imposed a penalty of ₹12 lakh on NSE Data And Analytics Ltd due to multiple regulatory infractions identified during an inspection. This fine highlights ongoing concerns about compliance within financial institutions and the importance of maintaining stringent operational standards in the market.

SEBI’s inspection, conducted on September 6-7, 2023, scrutinized NSE Data And Analytics’ operations as a KYC Registration Agency from April 2022 to July 2023. The regulator found significant irregularities, including:

• Lack of IT Infrastructure Segregation: SEBI noted that there was no segregation of IT infrastructures and manpower between NSE Data And Analytics and its parent organization, the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
• Delayed Acknowledgment Letters: The company failed to send acknowledgment letters to investors in 61 cases, exceeding the mandated 10-day limit.
• Cybersecurity Lapses: Irregularities in cybersecurity audits were noted, including unaddressed vulnerabilities and deficiencies in data center security practices.

NSE Data And Analytics asserted that it had taken corrective steps in response to SEBI’s findings, but the regulator emphasized that as a separate legal entity, the company bears full responsibility for its compliance.

Implications for the Future

This ruling serves as a reminder of the stringent standards expected from financial institutions in India, particularly regarding cybersecurity, KYC processing, and corporate governance. The imposed fine underscores the need for rigorous compliance measures to protect investor interests and maintain market integrity.

The ICC (International Cricket Council)  has launched a new software as part of a social media moderation programme for the Women’s T20 World Cup to help protect the cricket community from “toxic content” to safeguard the mental health of individuals and “ensure a safer, kinder and healthier online community for the sport.” This programme is designed to identify and filter out toxic comments, including hate speech, harassment, and misogynistic content, ensuring a safer, more respectful environment for everyone involved in the tournament.

Features

In addition to this social media programme, fans of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will have access to several exclusive features on the ICC’s official website and app.

• Live and free radio commentary from the ICC Audio World Feed will be available globally for every match through the ICC Match Centre.
• Live streaming of matches, available free in select territories, including Southeast Asia, continental Europe, and the Pacific Islands, through ICC.tv on the ICC website and app. Fans can check the full list of countries to see if they can access this service.
• Interactive fan engagement features, such as the chance to win prizes by predicting the Aramco Player of the Match.
• Exclusive content, including match highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, live scores, stats, schedules, and team standings. Fans can follow and join the conversation with the official event hashtag.

Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) in collaboration with the International Kho Kho Federation revealed plans to organize the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup in India come 2025. This historic event marks a significant milestone in the journey of this traditional Indian sport toward global recognition.

Tournament Structure and Participation

The groundbreaking championship will feature:

• 24 countries from six continents
• 16 men’s teams and 16 women’s teams
• A week-long series of high-intensity matches

This diverse participation underscores the growing international appeal of Kho Kho, which has evolved from its humble beginnings on mud grounds to now being played on professional mats across 54 countries worldwide.

Olympic Aspirations

According to Shri Sudhanshu Mittal, President of the Kho Kho Federation of India, the World Cup represents more than just a tournament. It is a strategic step toward:

1. Promoting cultural exchange
2. Showcasing Kho Kho’s intensity and appeal
3. Working toward the ultimate goal of Olympic recognition by 2032