Current affairs 20 October 2024

India Increases Grant Support for Upgrading Schools in Sri Lanka.

• India has doubled its financial support for upgrading nine schools in Sri Lanka’s plantation areas, raising it to SLR 600 million.
• Santosh Jha and J.M. Thilaka Jayasundara signed diplomatic letters to formalize the agreement.
• India also recently launched a STEM teacher training program for plantation schools, marking the bicentennial of the Indian-origin Tamil community in Sri Lanka.

UAE Introduces New Visa-On-Arrival Policy for Indians.

• Indian nationals with ordinary passports, as well as those holding permanent resident or green cards, or valid visas from the US, UK, or EU, are eligible.
• Visa Options:
• 14-day visa on arrival, extendable for another 14 days.
• 60-day visa on arrival, non-extendable.
• In February, Dubai introduced a five-year multiple-entry visa for Indians to enhance business and tourism ties.

IIT Madras to Launch Global Research Centre in Dubai.

• The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras is set to launch its first international flagship centre here for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in early 2025.
• The IITM Global Dubai Centre will specialised in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), data science, robotics, and sustainable energy and create a new bridge to India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

India Sends Haemodialysis Machines to PNG and Lebanon.

• India sent 33 tonnes of medical supplies to Lebanon, with the first tranche of 11 tonnes dispatched.
• The consignment includes cardiovascular drugs, NSAIDs, antibiotics, and anesthetics.
• Additionally, 12 haemodialysis machines with portable RO units were shipped to Papua New Guinea, fulfilling India’s commitment at the FIPIC III Summit to bolster healthcare in the region.

Government and Meta Launched "Scam se Bacho" Campaign.

• The Scam Se Bacho campaign, launched by the Government and Meta, aims to address the rising threat of online scams in India.
• The campaign is a collaborative effort involving the Ministry of Electronics, Home Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.
• It aims to combat the growing menace of scams and cyber fraud.