Today's Current Affairs 1st October 2023

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan's inflation rises to 31.4% y/y amid high energy prices

• Pakistan’s inflation rate surged to 31.4% year-on-year in September, driven by soaring fuel and energy prices. This alarming increase followed a high of 27.4% in August, highlighting the severe economic challenges faced by the nation.
• The International Monetary Fund’s approval of a $3 billion loan in July prevented a sovereign debt default but imposed stringent conditions. Reforms, such as easing import restrictions and removing subsidies, fueled annual inflation, reaching a record 38.0% in May.
• To curb inflation, Pakistan increased interest rates to a staggering 22%.

Maldives election: Pro-China candidate Muizzu wins presidency

• In a closely-watched election in the Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, the candidate from the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), emerged victorious in the presidential polls after a runoff vote. Muizzu secured more than 53 percent of the vote in the runoff, defeating the incumbent president, Ibrahim Solih.
• In the first round of voting, Muizzu led with approximately 46 percent of the votes, while Ibrahim Solih trailed with 39 percent.
• The runoff election saw Muizzu consolidating his lead with over 53 percent of the votes, as reported by local media sources after tallying results from all 586 ballot boxes.
• President Ibrahim Solih gracefully conceded defeat and congratulated Muizzu on his victory.

 Indonesia Starts Southeast Asia’s First High-Speed Rail Operations

• Indonesian President Joko Widodo officially inaugurated Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway on Monday, marking a significant milestone for the nation’s infrastructure development. The ambitious project, known as the “Whoosh” high-speed railway, is a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and is poised to dramatically reduce travel times between two vital Indonesian cities.
• With an estimated cost of $7.3 billion, this monumental infrastructure project was predominantly funded by China. It was brought to fruition through the joint efforts of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (PT KCIC), a collaboration between an Indonesian consortium comprising four state-owned companies and China Railway International Co. Ltd.

 NATIONAL

'Swachhata Hi Seva Campaign' Becomes 'Jan Andolan'

• The Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) campaign, which kicked off on September 15, reached its culmination on the eve of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary. This nationwide initiative, also known as the ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ campaign, was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and garnered widespread participation from citizens across India. The campaign was not just a standalone effort but a precursor to the grand celebration of ‘Swachh Bharat Diwas’ or ‘Swachhta Diwas,’ observed on October 2 each year.
• India observed ‘Swachh Bharat Diwas‘ on October 2, marking the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

 Swachh Bharat: All 6.6k Villages In J&k Declared Odf+ Model

• All 6,650 villages of Jammu and Kashmir have been declared Open Defecation-Free (ODF) Plus Model under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Achieving ODF Plus Model status is not an overnight endeavor but a journey that involves three stages: Aspiring, Rising, and Model.
• When a village demonstrates visual cleanliness with minimal litter, stagnant water, effective solid and liquid waste management, and sufficient information, education, and communication (IEC) activities, it is declared as an ODF Plus Model.

 Launch of New KHADI INDIA OUTLET at IIT, DELHI

• In a bid to bridge the generational gap and ignite a renewed interest in the age-old fabric, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) inaugurated a revamped Khadi India outlet at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Campus in Delhi on October 2.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has repeatedly urged the youth of India to embrace Khadi as a preferred fabric for fashion, supporting the ‘swadeshi‘ (indigenous) and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) initiatives.
• In addition to the outlet’s inauguration, Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman of KVIC and Shri Nagendra Raghuvanshi, Member, Commission KVIC, also unveiled an exciting new collection of apparel designed by the Centre of Excellence for Khadi (CoEK) in collaboration with various Khadi Institutions.

Bihar Caste Census Important Highlights

1.OBCs and EBCs Dominate:

Extremely Backward Class (EBC) comprises 36.01% of the population.

Other Backward Class (OBC) constitutes 27.13% of the population.

2. Scheduled Castes and Tribes:

Scheduled Caste (SC) population stands at 19.65%.

Scheduled Tribe (ST) population is 1.68%.

3. General Caste and Yadavs:

General Caste population is 15.52%.

Yadavs represent 14% of the population.

4. Religious Composition:

Hindus make up 82% of the population.

Muslims account for 17.71%.

 SPORTS

India’S squash team win gold medal

• India has won a gold medal in men’s squash team event after beating Pakistan 2-1 at the Asian Games. In a tightly contested match, the team led by Abhav Singh outperformed their rivals in the final round.
• The best-of-three tie started with Mahesh M losing to Nasir Iqbal in straight games – 8-11, 3-11, 2-11. Saurav Ghosal, however, pulled the contest square with his 11-5, 11-1, 11-3 victory over Muhammad Asim.
• The decider between Abhay Singh and Noor Zaman stretched the full distance but the Indian eventually prevailed 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10.

 APPOINTMENTS AND RESIGNATIONS

Lt General Raghu Srinivasan Takes Over As Border Roads Organisation Chief

• Lieutenant General Raghu Srinivasan assumed the role of the 28th Director General (DG) of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Saturday. This transition follows the superannuation of Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry.
• Srinivasan is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, where he was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers in 1987.