Current affairs 31 October 2023

Paytm Becomes Official Sponsor For 37th National Games.

• One97 Communications Ltd (OCL), owner of brand Paytm announced that it is the official sponsor for the National Games being held in Goa.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Games at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda.
• The Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led company would introduce QR codes, soundbox, and card machines in multiple government departments, including panchayats and municipalities, in the state.

MGNREGS Reports a 7.5% Decrease in Active Workforce Participation.

• Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), a data analysis by LibTech India – a consortium of academics and activists.
• For April-Sep 2023 reveals a 7.5% reduction in the number of active workers, from 15.49 crore in the previous fiscal year to 14.33 crore, as per the data available till Oct 6, 2023.
• The LibTech’s MGNREGS tracker for April-Sep 2023 provides a comparative analysis of data from preceding fy 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Bank of Baroda introduces bob LITE Savings Account.

• Bank of Baroda has launched the Bob LITE Savings Account, a lifetime zero-balance savings bank account, as part of its festive campaign.
• Bob LITE offers customers a hassle-free banking experience without any minimum balance requirement.
• The account also includes a lifetime free RuPay Platinum Debit Card for account holders who maintain a nominal Quarterly Average Balance in the account.
• Additionally, eligible account holders can avail of a lifetime free credit card.

Karnataka Forest Department launches centralised WCMS.

• The Karnataka Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of India announced that NTT DATA, is supporting the development of the HAWK (Hostile Activity Watch Kernel) system.
• This is a specialized software system that will be the nerve center of the state forest department as part of their modernization initiatives.
• HAWK is used to monitor all aspects of forest and wildlife crime, such as the death of wildlife, and movement of suspicious vehicles.

PM Modi releases three books at Tulsi Peeth in Chitrakoot, MP.

• PM Modi visited Tulsi Peeth and released three books - Ashtadhyayi Bhashya, Rambhadracharya Charitam and Bhagwan Shri Krishna ki Rashtraleela.
• Ashtadhyayi is a thousands-year-old text of India's linguistics, India's intellectuality, and our research culture.
• Tulsi Peeth is an important religious and social service institution in Chitrakoot, MP established by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya in 1987.
• It is one of the leading publishers of Hindu religious literature.