CURRENT AFFAIRS 21 October, 2024
- GOVERNMENT TO EXTEND UDAN SCHEME FOR 10 MORE YEARS: TRANSFORMING INDIA’S AVIATION LANDSCAPE –
- In a landmark announcement on October 21, 2024, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu declared that the government will extend the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme for an additional 10 years.
- The decision, made during a special event celebrating eight years of the scheme, reinforces the government’s commitment to enhancing regional air connectivity and making air travel accessible to every citizen of India.
- The UDAN scheme, launched on October 21, 2016, has been instrumental in not only boosting regional airlines but also creating thousands of jobs and significantly contributing to the growth of tourism across India.
- With 601 air routes and 71 operationalized airports under the scheme, UDAN has drastically improved air travel infrastructure in underserved and remote regions.
- HARYANA BECOMES FIRST STATE TO IMPLEMENT DALIT SUB-QUOTAS –
- In a landmark move, Haryana has become the first state to implement sub-quotas for the Dalit community by subclassifying the Scheduled Castes (SCs). The decision follows the Supreme Court’s August 2023 ruling, granting states the power to divide SCs and STs for preferential reservations.
- Haryana’s move, backed by a state commission’s recommendations, is aimed at addressing the underrepresentation of the “Deprived Scheduled Castes” (DSC), who are more marginalized in employment sectors compared to “Other Scheduled Castes” (OSC).
- The state has divided the SC community into two groups: DSC, which includes 36 castes like Balmikis and Dhanaks, and OSC, which includes castes such as Chamars and Jatavs.
- This initiative, previously postponed during Haryana’s election period, is now active, ensuring that each subgroup gets 50% of the 20% SC quota for government jobs. It signifies a crucial step toward equitable distribution of benefits within the SC community, in line with the Supreme Court’s directive that reservations be linked to caste-based underrepresentation.
- VIJAYA KISHORE RAHATKAR APPOINTED AS CHAIRPERSON OF NCW –
- Smt. Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), making her the 9th individual to hold this esteemed position.
- The announcement was made by the Narendra Modi government, highlighting a commitment to advancing women’s rights and issues in India.
- Her appointment is effective immediately and will be for a period of three years or until she reaches the age of 65, whichever comes first.
- HONG KONG REGAINS TITLE OF WORLD’S FREEST ECONOMY –
- Hong Kong has regained its title as the freest economy in the world, surpassing Singapore, according to the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World report. This ranking is important, especially since earlier reports showed a decline in Hong Kong’s economic freedoms.
- In the latest report, Hong Kong scored 8.58, just ahead of Singapore’s score of 8.55. Following them, Switzerland ranked third, New Zealand fourth, and the United States fifth. On the other hand, Venezuela was ranked last, with a low score of 3.02.
- MALDIVES TO INTRODUCE UPI FOLLOWING PRESIDENT MUIZZU’S VISIT –
- Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has initiated steps to introduce India’s Unified Payment Interface in the Maldives.
- A consortium involving banks, telecom, state-owned, and fintech companies will oversee UPI’s implementation, led by TradeNet Maldives Corporation Limited.
- India also launched the RuPay cards in the Maldives to enhance the ease of payments for Indian tourists visiting there.