Daily Current Affairs September 24 & 25 2023 | Latest News

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

Finance Ministry is comfortable with 6.5% baseline GDP growth estimate for FY24

• Terming India’s economic outlook for the current fiscal remains “bright”, the finance ministry stated the baseline estimate for GDP growth in FY24 is 6.5%.
• The Indian economy grew by 7.2 percent last fiscal but growth is expected to slow down in the current fiscal due to the global slowdown.
• The economy however, grew at a higher than anticipated rate of 7.8% in the first quarter of 2023-24, raising growth projections by private agencies for the fiscal.
• However, most agencies still remain cautious about GDP growth with forecasts at less than 6.5%.
• The monthly report however, highlighted positives for the economy and noted that the monsoon deficit of August has been partially plugged in September while prices of selected food items that drove inflation to over 7% in July are on the retreat.

What is GDP?

• Gross domestic product (GDP) isa monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced in a specific time period by a country or countries.

About Ministry of Finance:

• The Ministry of Finance is a ministry within the Government of India concerned with the economy of India, serving as the Treasury of India.
• Formed: 29 October 1946
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Jurisdiction: Government of India
• Minister responsible: Nirmala Sitharaman

Axis Bank Launched ‘NEO For Business’ Banking Platform For MSMEs

• Axis Bank announces the launch of ‘NEO for Business’, a distinctive Transaction Banking platform specially curated for Indian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• This is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive digital proposition that caters to the real, current, and emerging Transaction Banking needs of MSMEs.
• Neeraj Gambhir – Group Executive and head – Treasury, Markets, and Wholesale Banking Products, at Axis Bank, stated that ‘NEO by Axis Bank’ was launched as a platform for our corporate banking customers offering a complete suite of digital banking products and services.
• Within this platform, our newly launched ‘NEO for Business’ is a one-stop solution for the business requirements of MSMEs,” he further added.

Benefits of Axis Bank’s NEO for Business:

• The ‘NEO for Business’ platform is a game-changer for MSMEs, offering a comprehensive suite of Banking and Beyond Banking features that enhance convenience and productivity.
• Some of its key features include:
• Digital Self On-boarding
• With NEO for Business, MSMEs can easily onboard themselves onto the platform digitally, eliminating the need for physical visits to a bank branch.
• Bulk Payments
• The platform facilitates bulk payments, streamlining the process for businesses that require frequent and large-scale payment transactions.
• GST Compliant Invoicing
• NEO for Business ensures GST compliance in invoicing, helping businesses manage their tax-related documentation effortlessly.
• Payment Gateway Integration
• Integration with payment gateways simplifies online transactions for MSMEs, enabling them to accept payments securely.
• 360° Customer View
• Users gain access to a comprehensive view of their financial data, enabling better decision-making and financial management.
• End to End Transaction Tracking
• Businesses can track their transactions from initiation to completion, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Auto Reconciliation
• NEO for Business automates the reconciliation process, reducing errors and saving valuable time for MSMEs.
• Recurring Collections
• For businesses that rely on recurring payments, the platform offers tools to efficiently manage collections.
• Cash Flow Reports and More
• Detailed cash flow reports and a range of additional features empower MSMEs with insights to optimize their financial operations.

About Axis Bank:

• Founded: 3 December 1993 as UTI Bank
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• MD & CEO: Mr Amitabh Choudhary
• Tagline: Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

JP Morgan to add G-Secs to its emerging market index

• In a development that could help India attract $21 billion (Rs 1.7 lakh crore) worth of investments from the next fiscal, global financial firm JP Morgan stated that it plans to include Indian government bonds (IGBs) or government securities (G-Secs) into its benchmark Emerging Market index.
• This is the first time Indian G-Secs have been added to a major global bond index.
• The inclusion of the IGBs will be staggered over a 10-month period from June 28, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
• Beginning with 1%, the weightage of Indian G-Secs would rise to a maximum of 10% over the 10 months until March 2025.
• This would help attract higher foreign flows, as many overseas funds are mandated to track global indices
• It will also help bring in large passive investments from overseas, as a result of which more domestic capital would be available for industry
• In 2021, JP Morgan had for the first time put Indian G-Secs on ‘index watch positive‘ mode – a precursor for inclusion in its bond indices.

About JP Morgan:

• P. Morgan & Co.is an American financial institution specialized in investment banking, asset management and private banking Industry.
• Founded: 1871
• Founder: P. Morgan
• Headquarters: New York City

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Prime Minister Modi to lay foundation stone of International Cricket Stadium in Varanasi

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of an International Cricket Stadium in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has spent Rs 121 crores on land acquisition to construct the stadium while the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has earmarked a budget of Rs 330 crores for the stadium’s construction.
• The thematic architecture of this stadium draws inspiration from Lord Shiva, with designs developed for crescent-shaped roof covers, trident-shaped floodlights, ghat steps-based seating, and Bilvipatra-shaped metallic sheets on the facade.
• The stadium will have a capacity of 30,000 spectators.

About UP:

• Governor : Anandiben Patel
• Chief Minister : Yogi Adityanath
• Capital : Lucknow
• National Park : Dudhuwa National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary, KishanpurWildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary, Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary.

14th edition of Global Skills Summit begins in New Delhi

• The 14th edition of the Global Skills Summit has begun in Delhi.
• The theme of the two-day Summit is building skills, empowering youth, and creating a future.

Aim of the Summit:

• The Summit aims to focus on creating a road map for a high-quality industry-led skilling ecosystem in India.
• Addressing the Summit, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Secretary Atul Kumar Tiwari stated the country’s dynamic workforce seeks immediate post-school opportunities.
• He further stated that the ecosystem of education, skills, and entrepreneurship in the country must equip the youth with skills and employment opportunities as the economy grows.
• The Summit will see future-forward discussions and deliberations on the ways to make the youth of India skilled for the industry and navigate the skilling and education ecosystem in India.

About Delhi:

• Governor : Vinai Kumar Saxena
• Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
• Capital : Delhi
• National Park : National Zoological Park, Butterfly Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Aravali Biodiversity Park.

AI Chatbot for PM-KISAN Scheme launched

• The Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in India has unveiled an AI Chatbot for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme, marking a significant milestone in enhancing the scheme’s efficiency and reach.
• The AI Chatbot will provide farmers with quick, accurate, and clear responses to their queries, offering a user-friendly interface to engage with the program effectively.
• Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Kailash Choudhary, highlighted that this initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to improve the lives of farmers and governance through technology.

About AI Chatbot:

• The Chatbot will facilitate access to scheme information and grievance resolution, with plans to expand its services to include weather updates, soil conditions, and bank transactions.
• The AI Chatbot, integrated with the PM KISAN mobile app, offers multilingual support, catering to linguistic and regional diversity among PM-KISAN beneficiaries.
• It is the first AI Chatbot integrated with a major government flagship program and is set to empower farmers with accessible information, transparency, and informed decision-making.
• Currently available in five languages, it will soon expand to cover all 22 languages of the country.
• This initiative reflects the government’s commitment to leverage technology for the welfare of farmers and the agricultural sector.

About PM-KISAN Scheme:

• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi(PMKISAN) is an initiative by the government of India that gives farmers up to ₹6,000 per year as minimum income support.
• The initiative was announced by Piyush Goyal during the 2019 Interim Union Budget of India on 1 February 2019.
• The scheme was first conceived and implemented by government of Telanganaas the Rythu Bandhu scheme, where a certain amount is given directly to eligible farmers.

One Nation One Election Committee headed by former President Ramnath Kovind meets in New Delhi

• Taking the issue of one nation one election forward, the high level committee headed by former President Ramnath Kovind held in New Delhi.
• It has decided to go in for larger consultations with various stakeholders like political parties and the Law Commission on the issue of holding synchronized polls in the country.
• According to the committee, they have decided to invite recognised national parties, parties having governments in states, those having their representatives in Parliament, other recognised state parties “for seeking suggestions/viewpoints on the issue of simultaneous elections in the country”.
• In addition, the committee will also invite the Law Commission for its suggestions and viewpoints on the issue of simultaneous elections, a law ministry stated.
• Noted lawyer Harish Salve joined the meeting virtually.
• Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was not present in the meeting, the statement noted.
• Home Minister Amit Shah, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, former Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission chairman N K Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari attended the meeting.

About One Nation One Election:

• The government had notified the 8-member committee on September 2 to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections at all levels.
• Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had earlier declined to be part of the committee saying the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge was excluded from the panel whereas Mr Azad, a former Congress leader, was included.
• Until 1967, elections used to be held simultaneously across the country and four elections were held in this manner.
• The practice stopped with some state assemblies being dissolved prematurely in 1968-69.
• The Lok Sabha too was dissolved a year ahead of its schedule in 1970 – a first in its history.
• Simultaneous elections were part of the BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 elections.

About Ramnath Kovind:

• Ram Nath Kovindis an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 14th president of India from 2017 to 2022.
• He is the first person from Uttar Pradesh to serve as President of India.
• He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
• Prior to his presidency, he served as the 26th Governor of Biharfrom 2015 to 2017.
• He also served as a Member of Rajya Sabha from 1994 to 2006.
• Before entering politics, he was a lawyer for 16 years and practiced in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India until 1993.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan’s General Elections To Be Held In January 2024:

• Pakistan’s election commission announced that the general elections in the country will take place in the last week of January 2024.
• In a statement, the electoral body stated that it reviewed work on delimiting constituencies and the initial list for the delimitation of constituencies would be published in September last week.
• It added that the final list would be issued on November 30 after hearing objections and suggestions regarding the list. The commission stated that polls will be held in the last week of January 2024.
• General elections are scheduled to be held in Pakistan within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly, which was prematurely dissolved on August 9, 2023.
• The previous government just days before the end of its term announced that the elections could take place only after a new census was completed and new constituency boundaries were drawn.

About Pakistan:

• Capital: Islamabad
• Currency: Rupees
• President: Arif Alvi

Singapore is now the world’s freest economy

• Singapore has dethroned Hong Kong to become the world’s freest economy, according to a report released by Canadian think tank Fraser Institute.
• For the first time since the Economic Freedom of the World Index started in 1970, Hong Kong slipped to second place from the number one spot and its score is about to drop even further.

Freedom index based on:

• Some of the tenets used to gauge economic freedom index are measured based on ease of international trade, freedom to enter and compete in markets, as well as business regulations, amongst other yardsticks.
• The findings in the 2023 report are based on data from 2021, the most recent year with available comparable statistics across the 165 jurisdictions. It measures the economic freedom of individuals — or their ability to make economic decisions on their own.

About other places:

• Singapore climbed to the top spot from second place the previous year.
• Switzerland, New Zealand and the U.S. occupy the third, fourth and fifth positions respectively.
• Other notable mentions include the United Kingdom coming in ninth, while Japan and Germany claimed 20th and 23rd place respectively.

About Singapore:

• Capital: Singapore
• Currency: Dollars
• President: Tharman Shanmugaratnam

Foreign ministers of Quad nations meet on sidelines of UN General Assembly

• The foreign ministers of Quad group — which includes India, Australia, Japan and the United States—met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York.
• The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japan’s new Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.
• Antony Blinken stated that The Quad is vital to our shared vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

Quad expressed concern over:

• The Quad expressed concern over the war in Ukraine and called for a “comprehensive, just, and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
• The four nations condemned North Korea’s “destabilizing launches using ballistic missile technology and its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
• The group also expressed concern over the political, humanitarian and economic crisis in Myanmar and called for an end of violence.

About Quad:

• Established: 2007
• Members: India, Australia, Japan and United states

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Assam’s Biswanath Ghat selected as India’s Best Tourism Village 2023

• Biswanath Ghat in Assam has been selected as the Best Tourism Village of India 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
• Biswanath Ghat has been selected from amongst 791 applications from 31 states and Union Territories.

About Biswanath Ghat:

• Biswanath Ghat is situated on the banks of Brahmaputra river and is located towards south from Biswanath Chariali Town.
• The Ghat is also popularly known as “Gupta Kashi’ in comparison with Kashi during the golden rule of the Guptas.
• It has got its name after the ancient Biswanath mandir.
• The Biswanath Ghat has a cluster of temples of different gods and goddesses.
• A temple of Lord Shiva was located at the confluence of Bridhaganga (Burigonga) river with the Brahmaputra.

About Assam : 

• Governor : Gulab Chand Kataria
• Chief Minister : Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Capital : Dispur
• National Park : Manas National Park, Khaziranga National Park, Nameri National Park, Orang National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary, LaokhowaWildlife Sanctuary, Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Chakrasila Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS & HONORS

Odisha scientist Swati Nayak wins Norman Borlaug Award

• The award, instituted by the World Food Prize Foundation, is named in honour of Nobel Laureate and Green Revolution’s chief architect Dr Norman E Borlaug.
• Odisha scientist Dr Swati Nayak has been named the 2023 recipient of the Norman E. Borlaug Award for field research and application for her work in the field of food and nutrition.

About Swati Nayak:

• A scientist and South Asia Lead for Seed System and Product Management at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Dr Nayak was selected for the award for her innovative approach to engaging farmers in demand-driven rice seed systems.
• She is the third Indian and first Odisha to receive the award.
• She has so far organised more than 10,000 extensive on-farm trials for more than 500 rice varieties, working with thousands of smallholder farmers across diverse ecosystems in Asia and Africa.
• In Odisha, Nayak and her team formulated a strategy for introducing the drought-tolerant rice variety ‘Shahabhagi Dhan’ which remains an integral part of every farm family’s diet and crop rotation. For this, she is referred to by the local communities as ‘Bihana Didi’.

About Odisha : 

• Governor : Ganeshi Lal
• Chief Minister : Naveen Patnaik
• Capital : Bhubaneswar
• National Park : Simlipal National Park, Bhitarkanika National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Ushakothi Wildlife Sanctuary, Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUs & AGREEMENTS

TCS, BankID BankAxept team up to bolster Norway’s financial infrastructure

• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has forged a strategic partnership with BankID BankAxept AS, the linchpin of Norway’s financial infrastructure, to establish and manage an operations command center in Oslo, Norway.
• The deal aims to enhance the resilience, security, and availability of the country’s critical financial infrastructure.
• Addressing Compliance and Security Concerns in Norway’s Financial Infrastructure

Role of BankID BankAxept:

• BankID BankAxept AS plays a pivotal role in Norway’s financial landscape with 80% of the country’s card payments made using BankAxept cards and over 90% of the population dependent on BankID for electronic identification.
• With evolving regulations surrounding digital identity authentication, there is a heightened need for robust, reliable, and secure electronic identity solutions.
• BankID BankAxept AS has enlisted TCS’s services for setting up a 24×7 operations command center to manage and monitor the national payments and electronic identity verification systems.

Role of TCS:

• TCS’s Monitoring Framework for 24×7 Operational Resilience
• TCS will implement a dedicated monitoring framework in the command center that will feature advanced mechanisms for proactive issue identification and resolution.
• This framework will be capable of efficient data sharing with experts and vendors, allowing for rapid problem identification and resolution.
• The center will also be able to manage teams and vendors effectively, ensuring quick responses to disruptions, security alerts, or events while integrating value-added services from partners.

BankAxept why choose TCS?

• Oyvind Westby Brekke, CEO, BankID BankAxept AS, stated, “BankID is currently used by 4.4 million users across Norway, and BankAxept handles approximately 8 out of 10 in-store payments. Any downtime of these systems will have a severe impact on the country’s public institutions, businesses and citizens. We turned to TCS as a trusted technology partner to build a mission critical command center that will quickly help us resolve any technical issues or disruption to services, and this will ensure the resilience and reliability of Norway’s vital financial services infrastructure.”

About BankID BankAxept:

• Introduced: 1991
• Country: Norway
• BankAxept is the national payment system in Norway, with 80% of card payments made using a BankAxept card.
• BankID is the Norwegian eID verification solution, with more than 90% of the country’s population, banks, public institutions, and commercial enterprises dependent on it.

About TCS :

• Tata Consultancy Services is an IT services, consulting and business solutions organization that has been partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses in their transformation journeys for over 55 years.
• Hemakiran Gupta, Head, Banking, Financial Services & Insurance – Continental Europe, TCS.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SUMMIT & CONFERENCE

ICCR to organise 4th Edition of Indo-Latin American Cultural Festival on 28 & 29 September in New Delhi

• Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will organise the 4th Edition of the Indo-Latin American Cultural Festival on the 28th and the 29th of September in New Delhi.
• The festival is being organised in association with the Embassies of Colombia, Ecuador, and Chile.
• Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, ICCR President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe stated the vibrant celebration of culture and art aims to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Latin America.
• He stated that the festival will bring together key stakeholders from India and Latin America to deliberate on the prospects of cultural and educational collaborations.
• Director General of ICCR Kumar Tuhin informed that artists from three countries- Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador will participate in the festival.
• He added that ambassadors, academicians, and other artists are also expected to join the festival.
• The Indo-Latin American Cultural Festival serves as a testament to the enduring cultural bonds between India and Latin America, fostering mutual understanding and appreciation of the rich traditions and artistic expressions from both regions.

About ICCR:

• The Indian Council for Cultural Relations(ICCR), is an autonomous organisation of the Government of India, involved in India’s global cultural relations, through cultural exchange with other countries and their people.
• Established: 9 April 1950 by Maulana Abul kalamAzad (the first Education Minister of independent India)
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• President: Vinay Sahasrabuddhe
• Director General: Kumar Tuhin

PM Modi to inaugurate two day International Lawyers Conference in Delhi

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a two-day International Lawyers Conference in New Delhi.
• The theme of the Conference is Emerging Challenges in the Justice Delivery System.
• This conference is being organized for the first time by the Bar Council of India.
• Topics such as emerging legal trends, challenges in cross-border litigation, legal technology, and environmental law will be discussed.

Objective of the Conference:

• The objective of the conference is to act as a platform for meaningful dialogue and discussion on various legal topics of national and international importance.
• It also aims to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences and strengthen international cooperation and understanding on legal issues.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT

World’s Largest Flower, The Rafflesia, Is Nearing Extinction

• The World’s largest flower – the Rafflesia – is nearing extinction. New research indicates that the Rafflesia, best known for its speckled red petals and “dead flesh” smell, may not exist a few years down the line.
• While it’s known as the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia is actually a parasite in the disguise of a flower.

About Rafflesia:

• Rafflesia blooms on tropical vines in parts of Southeast Asia.
• The flower is mostly found in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.
• As per researchers from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, one of the species of this flower has been classified as “critically endangered“.
• To understand the plant better and to correctly identify its conservation status, an international group of botanists examined a total of 42 species of the Rafflesia across all five Southeast Asian countries.
• Based on their research, the botanists have concluded that the flower is at greater risk of extinction than previously known.

CUSAT researchers name new marine tardigrade species after Kalam

• In a tribute to ‘Missile Man’ Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, researchers from the Marine Biology department of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) named a new species of marine tardigrade that they discovered after the former President.
• Named ‘Batillipes kalami’, the new species of tardigrades was found by researchers in the intertidal beach sediments of Mandapam coast, close to Kalam’s birth place in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu.
• The researchers’ move aims to honour Dr Kalam’s legacy, his unwavering commitment to science and technology, and his inspirational role in fostering scientific curiosity among young Indians.

About Tardigrades:

• Tardigrades, often referred to as water bears, are eight-legged micro-animals found in the water.
• They are known for extraordinary resilience and survival abilities in extreme environmental conditions.
• They are considered to be one of the toughest organisms on earth, having survived all five mass extinctions, and are also the first known animal to survive in space.
• Ecologically, they act as pioneer species by inhabiting new developing environments, attracting other invertebrates to colonise the space.
• The newly-discovered species is approximately 0.17mm long and 0.05mm wide, characterised by four pairs of legs.
• It belongs to the phylum Tardigrada, which comprises more than 1,300 described species. Of them, just 17% are marine species.
• Batillipes kalami is the 37th species under the genus Batillipes.
• Few morphological variations among species and limited number of differential characters make its taxonomy challenging and problematic.
• The discovery was made by research scholar Vishnudattan N K and senior professor S Bijoy Nandan of the Marine Biology department during an extensive marine biodiversity survey conducted along the Tamil Nadu coast.
• The discovery was published in Zootaxa, a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists, this month.
• This is the second time a marine tardigrade is described from Indian waters – the first time from the east coast.
• In 2021, the same research team had discovered a marine tardigrade from the southwest coast and named it ‘Stygarctus keralensis’ after the state of Kerala.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS

ICC Player of the Month (August 2023): Babar claims third honor

• Pakistan skipper Babar Azamclinched his third ICC Player of the Month award this year as he won the award for the month of August 2023.
• The experienced batter continued to impress with his exceptional performances, and therefore, he owns the top spot in the ICC ODI Batting Rankings.
• He won the award, beating Shadab Khan and West Indies dasher Nicholas Pooran.

Why does this story matter?

• The Player-of-the-Month award is given to male and female cricketers with superlative performances in international cricket in a particular month.
• Three nominations are announced for both categories. The International Cricket Council has been distributing this award since the start of 2021.
• The voting panel features renowned journalists and former cricketers.
• The general public has 10% of the stakes in voting.

Fastest to 19 ODI centuries:

• Babar scripted history with his 151 against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup as he slammed his 19th ODI century.
• He became the fastest cricketer to slam 19 ODI centuries.
• Babar reached the landmark in 102 innings, breaking the previous record of South African legend Hashim Amla, who reached the milestone in 104 innings.
• Babar was the fastest to 18 ODI centuries as well.

Babar slammed his 31st international century

• The one against Nepal marked Babar’s 31st international ton as he matched the tally of legends Javed Miandad and Saeed Anwar.
• Among Pakistani batters, Babar is only behind Younis Khan (41), Mohammad Yousuf (39), and Inzamam-ul-Haq (35) in terms of centuries.
• Overall, Babar has amassed 5,380 runs in 107 ODI at an impressive average of 58.47.
• Besides 19 hundreds, he has smoked 28 fifties.

Who won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award?

• Ireland seamer Arlene Kelly won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for August.
• Kelly bagged the award ahead of Netherlands’ Iris Zwilling and Malaysia’s Ainah Hamizah Hashim.
• She was superb in the three-match T20I series against the Netherlands, scalping 10 wickets.
• Her average of 4.30 is the fourth-best in a bilateral series where a bowler has taken 10-plus wickets in women’s T20Is.

Daily CA on Sep 24 :

• Terming India’s economic outlook for the current fiscal remains “bright”, the finance ministry stated the baseline estimate for GDP growth in FY24 is 6.5%.
• Axis Bank announces the launch of ‘NEO for Business’, a distinctive Transaction Banking platform specially curated for Indian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• In a development that could help India attract $21 billion (Rs 1.7 lakh crore) worth of investments from the next fiscal, global financial firm JP Morgan stated that it plans to include Indian government bonds (IGBs) or government securities (G-Secs) into its benchmark Emerging Market index.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of an International Cricket Stadium in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi.
• The 14th edition of the Global Skills Summit has begun in Delhi & the theme of the two-day Summit is building skills, empowering youth, and creating a future.
• The Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in India has unveiled an AI Chatbot for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme, marking a significant milestone in enhancing the scheme’s efficiency and reach.
• Taking the issue of one nation one election forward, the high level committee headed by former President Ramnath Kovind held in New Delhi.
• Pakistan’s election commission announced that the general elections in the country will take place in the last week of January 2024.
• Singapore has dethroned Hong Kong to become the world’s freest economy, according to a report released by Canadian think tank Fraser Institute.
• The foreign ministers of Quad group — which includes India, Australia, Japan and the United States — met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in New York.
• Biswanath Ghat in Assam has been selected as the Best Tourism Village of India 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
• The award, instituted by the World Food Prize Foundation, is named in honour of Nobel Laureate and Green Revolution’s chief architect Dr Norman E Borlaug.
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has forged a strategic partnership with BankID BankAxept AS, the linchpin of Norway’s financial infrastructure, to establish and manage an operations command center in Oslo, Norway.
• Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) will organise the 4th Edition of the Indo-Latin American Cultural Festival on the 28th and the 29th of September in New Delhi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate a two-day International Lawyers Conference in New Delhi.
• The World’s largest flower – the Rafflesia – is nearing extinction. New research indicates that the Rafflesia, best known for its speckled red petals and “dead flesh” smell, may not exist a few years down the line.
• In a tribute to ‘Missile Man’ Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, researchers from the Marine Biology department of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) named a new species of marine tardigrade that they discovered after the former President.
• Pakistan skipper Babar Azamclinched his third ICC Player of the Month award this year as he won the award for the month of August 2023.