Current affairs 05 September 2024

South Africa Announces New Scheme to Boost Tourism from India.

• Scheme Name: Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS)
• Implementation Date: January 2025
• Purpose: To enhance tourism from India and China by reforming the visa system and addressing obstacles that deter tourism.
• Current Statistics: Indian tourists currently account for only 3.9% of all international visitors to South Africa.
• Aims to boost economic growth by 0.6% annually.

IIT Bombay and BITS Pilani Top IIRF 2024 Engineering Rankings.

• Top Government College: IIT Bombay leads the rankings, maintaining its status for excellence in academics, research, and placements.
• Top Private College: BITS Pilani is ranked 1st among private institutions, recognized for its academic quality and strong industry connections.
• IIT Madras and IIT Delhi follow IIT Bombay, while Thapar Institute and IIIT Hyderabad rank behind BITS Pilani.

Ayushmann Khurrana and Neeraj Chopra Named FICCI Youth Icons.

• Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana and Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra receive the FICCI Young Leader’s Youth Icon award for their contributions and positive impact.
• Award presented by Shashwat Goenka and Aishwarya Bansal at the FICCI Young Leaders Awards in New Delhi.
• Khurrana is the only Bollywood actor to be honored this year, highlighting his influence and achievements.

HDFC Bank Launches GIGA for India's Gig Workers.

• HDFC Bank introduces GIGA, a financial suite tailored for gig workers, featuring savings and current accounts, specialized debit and credit cards, and health insurance starting at Rs 20 per day.
• GIGA offers a flexible savings account with low balance requirements, and the business credit card includes rewards and deals on essential services.

Malabar Group Wins CSR Times Award for "Hunger Free World".

• Malabar Group received the CSR Times Award 2024 for its Hunger Free World project, which provides 41,000 food packets daily across India and 10,000 in Zambia.
• Award presented by Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant; Malabar's CSR team accepted.
• The Group also runs the Grandma Home initiative and invests 5% of profits in various social causes.