MoEF&CC launches Green Credit Program & Ecomark Scheme to Encourage EcoFriendly Actions
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched 2 new initiatives, Green
Credit Program (GCP) and the Ecomark Scheme to encourage sustainable practices rooted in tradition and
conservation and promote the ideas of ‘LiFE’ –
‘Lifestyle for Environment’ movement.
These 2 initiatives includes India’s pro-active
approach of climate change, sustainability and
promotion of eco-conscious practices.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched 2 new initiatives, Green
Credit Program (GCP) and the Ecomark Scheme to encourage sustainable practices rooted in tradition and
conservation and promote the ideas of ‘LiFE’ –
‘Lifestyle for Environment’ movement.
These 2 initiatives includes India’s pro-active
approach of climate change, sustainability and
promotion of eco-conscious practices.
- Ecomark Scheme notified on 11th October
2023 succeed the previous rules notified in
1991. It provides accreditation and labelling
for household and consumer products that meet
specific environmental criteria while
maintaining quality standards as per Indian norms
- The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) notified the Green Hydrogen Standard for India
which sets emission limits for hydrogen production to be considered ‘Green,’ indicating it comes from
renewable sources.
About Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):
Director General– Pramod Kumar Tiwari
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Establishment– April 1, 1987
Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of
Tanzania’s State Visit to India, October 8-10, 2023
- President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania visited India at invitation of President Droupadi Murmu from
October 8-10, 2023. The events took place at Kaushal Bhawan,New Moti Bagh in New Delhi,Delhi. She
was accompanied by a high-level delegation
including the Minister for Foreign Affairs
and East African Cooperation Hon. January
Makamba (MP).
- She also attended the India-Tanzania
Business and Investment Forum on October
10, 2023.
- The two countries inked six agreements
providing for cooperation in the digital
domain, culture, sports, maritime industries
and white shipping information sharing
- The Reserve Bank of India has allowed
authorized banks to open Special Rupee
Vostro Accounts (SRVA) for correspondent banks of Tanzania to facilitate transactions in local currencies (i.e., Indian Rupee and Tanzanian Shilling)
- Tanzania’s President Hassan Granted Honorary Doctorate by JNU, the First Woman to Receive
This Honour
About Tanzania
Capital – Dodoma
Currency – Tanzanian shilling
President – Samia Suluhu Hassan
Prime Minister- Kassim Majaliwa
East Coast Sagar Kavach 02-23: Coastal Security Exercise held in AP, TN &
Puducherry
- East Coast Sagar Kavach 02-23, a two-day comprehensive Coastal Security Exercise was conducted in
Andhra Pradesh(AP), Tamil Nadu(TN) and
Puducherry(PY) from 11-12 October 2023 to
assess the efficacy and robustness of the coastal
security system in responds to unconventional
threats from the sea.
- About 2500 personnel including from Indian
Navy, Indian Coast Guard, State and Union
Territory Administration, Marine Police,
Fisheries, Customs, International Agencies, Light
Houses, Ports Forest etc were engaged in the
exercise.
- The Joint Operations Centre (East) in
Visakhapatnam(AP) is the nodal hub to
monitor all coastal security operations and
exercises in area of operations.
- The exercise was executed under Vice Admiral
Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Eastern Naval Command(ENC), He
is also the Commander-in-Chief, Coastal Defence (East).
- Indian Navy ships, Coast Guard assets, and other coastal security agencies were deployed to increase
surveillance in the area.
- Enhanced security measures were put in place, and Dornier aircraft and helicopters from Visakhapatnam,
Chennai(Tamil Nadu), and Ramnathapuram(Tamil Nadu) conducted extensive aerial surveillance.
Forbes’ India’s 100 Richest 2023: Mukesh Ambani Top the List with USD 92 Billion
- Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Ltd. topped the Forbes
India’s 100 Richest 2023 List with USD 92
Billion. Mukesh Ambani regains the ‘Richest
Indian’ title after he slipped to second spot in
2022.
- With a net worth of USD 68 Billion, Gautam
Adani of Adani Enterprises slipped to the
second rank from the first in 2022 and Shiv
Nadar of HCL Technologies ranked 3rd with
a net worth of USD 29.3 Billion
- Savitri Jindal of the O.P. Jindal Group is
India’s richest woman with a net worth of
USD 24 billion. She ranked 4th in the list with
net worth of USD 24 Billion.
- Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of the trading platform Zerodha, is the youngest billionaire at the age of 37.
He ranked at 40th position along with his Brother Nithin(44 years old) with a net worth of USD 5.5
Billion.
- NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation ranked 261st out of the top 700
companies in the Forbes “World’s Best Employers 2023” list and it is the only Indian Public Sector
Undertaking (PSU) featured in the list.
About Forbes:
Forbes is a global media company, focusing on business, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership,
and lifestyle.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Mike Federle
Headquarters- Jersey City, New Jersey, the United States of America (USA)
Founded in – 1917
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das receives award for A+ ranking in Global Finance’s
Central Banker Report Cards 2023
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das was awarded the “Best Central Bank Award
2023” for being ranked ‘A+’ in the Global Finance Central Banker Report Cards 2023. The award was
presented during the 30th annual World’s Best Banks Awards ceremony held at Marakesh, Morocco.
Shaktikanta Das was rated as A+ in Global
Finance’s Central Banker Report Cards 2023.
Key Points:
- The Central Banker Report Cards is an
annual publication by Global Finance
magazine that grades the central bank
governors of 101 key countries, territories,
and districts.
- The grades are based on a scale from A to
F, with A representing excellent performance
and F representing outright failure.
- The grades are based on the central bank
governors’ success in inflation control,
economic growth goals, currency stability,
and interest rate management.
- The Central Banker Report Cards recognize central bank governors who have developed and
implemented original, creative, and tenacious strategies that have outperformed their peers.
Global Finance was founded in 1987 and headquartered in New York, United States of America(USA).
NASA’s Psyche Spacecraft was Launched to Study Metal Asteroid ‘Psyche’
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) has launched a
Psyche Spacecraft to an interplanetary
transfer orbit by using SpaceX Falcon Heavy
rocket from Launch Complex 39a (LC-39a)
at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida,
United States of America (USA) on 13th
October 2023.
After escaping Earth’s gravity, Psyche
Spacecraft will use solar electric propulsion
to accomplish its six-year journey to the
asteroid called ‘Psyche’ which is orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
Key Points:
- The Psyche spacecraft is built by Maxar Technologies Inc. of USA
- The spacecraft will travel to the asteroid using solar-electric (low-thrust) propulsion, following a Mars
flyby and gravity-assist.
- It will reach the asteroid by 2029.
- After arriving, the spacecraft will map the asteroid and study its properties
World Students Day 2023- October 15
World Students Day is annually observed on 15 October to commemorate the birth anniversary of the 11th
President of India (from 2002 to 2007) and the
Missile Man of India Dr. A P J (Avul Pakir
Jainulabdeen) Abdul Kalam.
15 October 2023 marks the 92nd birth
anniversary of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
About Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam:
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was born on 15
October 1931 in Rameswaram, Tamil
Nadu. .As an aerospace Scientist, he worked
with the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO) and the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO).
Awards: Padma Bhushan in 1981 for Civil
Service; Padma Vibhushan in 1990 for
Science and Engineering and Bharat Ratna in 1997 for Science and Engineering.
Autobiography: Wings of Fire: An Autobiography (1999)
World Food Day 2023 – October 16
- United Nations (UN) World Food Day (WFD) is annually observed across the globe on 16 October to
highlight the millions of people worldwide who cannot afford a healthy diet and the need for regular
access to nutritious food.
- WFD also raises awareness of hunger and
action for the future of food, people, and
the planet and also to ensure food security
and combating hunger
- The day 16 October also commemorates
the establishment of the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN
in 1945.
The 2023 theme of WFD is, ‘Water is Life,
Water is Food. Leave No One Behind.’
- The observance of WFD is led by the FAO.
WFD is one of the most celebrated days on
the UN calendar.
Key Points:
- WFD was established in 1979 during the 20th session of the Conference of FAO, held in Rome, Italy
- On 5 December 1980, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/35/70
and proclaimed the 16th of October of every year as WFD.
- The first-ever WFD was observed on 16 October 1981.