Ministry of I&B Made Significant Revisions to the Cable Television Network Rules of 1994Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued a notification amending the Cable Television Network(CTN) Rules of 1994. Moreover, a new provision has been added, enabling Cable Operators to share infrastructure with Broadband Service providers.

• This amendment introduces a formal procedure for the renewal of registrations for Multi-System Operators (MSOs). This significant change updates the rules which previously only allowed for fresh registrations.

Key Points:
i.Following are the amended rules:

• MSOs will be required to submit their registration or renewal applications online through Broadcast Seva Portal of MIB.
• Registrations for MSOs will be approved or renewed for a duration of ten years.
• A processing fee of Rs. One lakh will be applicable for the renewal of registration.
• Request for the renewal of registration must be made within seven to two months prior to the expiration of the current registration.

ii.The Ministry has provided a dedicated helpline number and email address (sodas-moiab[at]gov[dot]in) for any necessary assistance.
iii.This initiative ensures continuity of services for cable operators without interruptions, enhancing the sector’s appeal for foreign investment.
What is A “Multi-System Operator (MSO)” ?– It is referring to a cable operator who receives programming services from a broadcaster or their authorized agents. The MSO then re-transmits these services or transmits their own programming simultaneously to multiple subscribers. This transmission can occur either directly or through one or more local cable operators (LCOs). The definition of MSO also encompasses their authorized distribution agencies, regardless of the terminology used to refer to these entities.
About Broadcast Seva Portal
Launched By – Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
It is a centralized platform where multiple stakeholders and applicants submits their requests for various activities issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) in the field of broadcasting.
About Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Union Minister – Anurag Thakur (Lok Sabha – Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh)
Minster of State (MoS) – Dr. L. Murugan

DEA hikes interest rate on 5-year Recurring Deposit Scheme to 6.7% for Q3FY24The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA-Budget Division), Ministry of Finance, has increased the interest rate on the 5-year recurring deposit scheme by 20 basis points to 6.7% from 6.5% for the 3rd quarter (October-December) of 2023-2024  i.e. Q3FY24.

• The rates of other small savings schemes remained unchanged.

Interest Rates on Small Savings Schemes for Q3FY24

• The formula to arrive at the interest rates for small savings scheme was given by the Shyamala Gopinath Committee in January 2023.

India retains 40th rank in Global Innovation Index 2023: Innovation in the face of uncertaintyThe World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an agency of the United Nations, published the 16th edition of the Global Innovation Index  (2023). India retains 40th rank among 132 economies. While Switzerland secured the top spot in the rankings, with Sweden and the United States of America (USA) following closely.

• NITI Aayog, in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and WIPO, has hosted the virtual India Launch of Global Innovation Index (GII) on September 29, 2023.
• India was also highlighted as the top innovation economy among the lower-middle-income countries, followed by Viet Nam and Ukraine.
• India, the Republic of Moldova, and Viet Nam continue to set records by being innovation overperformers for a 13th consecutive year.

About World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO):
It is the global forum for intellectual property (IP) services, policy, information and cooperation with 193 member states (As of 30 September 2023).
Establishment– 1967
Director General– Daren Tang
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland

India, Argentina sign Social Security Agreement for ProfessionalsOn September 29, 2023, a Social Security Agreement (SSA) was signed between India and Argentina to ensure professionals and workers retain benefits and contributions made toward social security, promoting easier mobility between countries.
Signatories:
SSA was signed by Dinesh Bhatia, India’s Ambassador to Argentina; and Santiago Cafiero, Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship in the presence of Raquel Kismer de Olmos, Argentine Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security.
Key Points:
i.This SSA covers Indian laws on old age, survivor’s pension and permanent, total disability pension for employed persons, and includes Argentina’s contributory benefits under their Social Security System.
ii.The agreement grants temporary overseas workers and their families full rights to contributory benefits such as cash allowance for retirement or pension, rent, subsidy or lump sum payments, without reduction, modification, or suspension.
iii.It establishes the legal framework regulating insurance period i.e., period of services credited with contributions, contributory benefits and export thereof, in respect of detached workers, including crew members of airlines and ships.
iv.It sets the legal framework for insurance period, contributory benefits, and export rights for detached workers, including airline and ship crew members detached workers, i.e., employees working in another country on a temporary basis.
About Argentina:
President– Alberto Angel Fernandez
Capital– Buenos Aires
Currency– Argentine Peso

ADB Capital Management Reforms Bring $100 Billion Benefits Over Next Decade to Asia-PacificAsian Development Bank (ADB) announced the approval of capital management reforms that are set to release approximately USD($)100 billion in fresh funding capacity over the next decades for financing projects in Asia-Pacific region.

• People in Asia and the Pacific, especially those who are poor and vulnerable, are facing severe challenges due to escalating and interconnected crises.An estimated 155 million people, or 3.9% of the region’s population, lived in extreme poverty as per the report in 2022.

Key Points:
i.This funding is intended to tackle significant Asian challenges, notably climate change.
ii.These reforms were implemented by updating the ADB’s Capital Adequacy Framework (CAF).
iii.These reforms significantly enhance the bank’s capacity for new commitments, allowing it to commit to projects and initiatives totaling more than USD 36 billion annually.
iv.This represents a substantial increase of approximately USD10 billion, which representing about a 40% rise in the ADB’s capability to fund various projects, initiatives ,infrastructure, and other essential sectors in the Asia-Pacific region.
v.ADB’s strategic measures enable $360 billion financing for member countries and private clients. Safeguarding AAA credit rating, they ensure affordable, long-term funding, sustaining developmental support for member countries.”
Role of ADB’s Capital Adequacy Framework (CAF)

• CAF evaluates assets, liabilities, and risks to ensure the bank maintains enough capital to meet obligations, even in defaults or asset depreciation and ensuring financial stability.
• ADB reviews its CAF every 3 years to ensure it is benchmarked against best practices and aligned with the evolution of ADB’s operations.

Additional Information

• Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) such as ADB and World Bank are advised to raise their yearly expenditures by USD 3 trillion by 2030. This includes USD 1.8 trillion for additional climate action and USD 1.2 trillion for achieving other sustainable development goals (SDGs). These suggestions come from a committee led by N.K. Singh and Lawrence Summers, co-conveners of the G20 expert group on strengthening MDBs.
• In May 2023, ADB established the Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP).

About Asian Development Bank:
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters – Manila, Philippines
Establishment – 1966
Members – 68 members (49 from Asian and the Pacific and 19 outside)

SEBI Extends Demat Account and Mutual Fund Unit Holder Nominations Deadlines Until December 2023

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) extended the deadline for adding nominees to demat accounts and submitting PAN and KYC details for physical security holders until December 31, 2023.SEBI also extended the nomination deadline specifically for mutual fund unit holders until January 1, 2024.
Extension Deadline for Current Demat Account Holders
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has announced an extension of the deadline for current demat account holders to select their nominees for an additional three months, now ending on December 31, 2023.

• Sebi’s circular on March 16, 2023, required submission of PAN, nomination, contact, bank, and signature details for physical securities by September 30, 2023. The deadline has been extended to December 31, 2023, preventing folio freezing.
• Sebi extended the deadline for Demat account holders to make their ‘choice of nomination’ until December 31, 2023.
• This extension applies to both new and existing Demat accounts. The goal of this initiative is to guarantee that the assets held in these accounts are transferred to the rightful beneficiaries in the event of the account holder’s passing.
• Sebi has directed stock exchanges, depositories, Registrar and Transfer Agents (RTAs), and listed companies to implement the provisions outlined in its recent circular.

Demat Account

• A Demat account or Dematerialized account, is an electronic account used for holding and trading financial securities such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, government securities, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in electronic format.
• Demat accounts simplify the process of trading, eliminating the risks associated with physical certificates, such as theft, loss, or forgery. When an investor buys or sells securities, the changes are reflected electronically in the Demat account.

Extension Deadline for Mutual Fund Unit Holders
i.SEBI has extended the deadline to another three months for mutual fund account holders to nominate a beneficiary or opt out until January 1,2024. If investors fail to comply, their folios will be frozen with effective from January 1,2024. Earlier, the deadline for existing mutual fund holders to provide a choice of nomination was September 30.
ii.SEBI has directed asset management companies (AMCs) and registrar and transfer agents (RTAs) to regularly remind investors via email and SMS to fulfil the nomination requirements.
iii.This mandate, introduced on June 15, 2022, required mutual fund holders to submit nomination details or opt-out declarations starting from August 1, 2022, with multiple deadline extensions since.
About SEBI
Chairman- Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established- constituted as a non-statutory body on April 12, 1988 and it was established as a statutory body in the 1992.

President of India Presents National Service Scheme Awards for the Year 2021-2022On 29 September 2023, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu presented the National Service Scheme Awards for the year 2021-2022 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Delhi. The award was given to 52 persons to recognize their outstanding contributions towards voluntary community social services.

• The awards included 3 categories namely Universities/+ 2 Council (2 Awards); NSS units and their Programme Officers (10 NSS Units + 10 Programme Officers); and NSS volunteers (30 Awards).

About National Service Scheme (NSS):
Director– Pankaj Kumar Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Launched on– 24th September, 1969
The Motto or watchword of the NSS: “NOT ME BUT YOU”.

2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize awarded to Mathematician Ruixiang ZhangThe  Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) Ramanujan Prize for 2023 will be awarded to Ruixiang Zhang of China, Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, the United States of America(USA) for his contribution to Mathematics from analytic number theory, combinatorics, Euclidean harmonic analysis to geometry.

• The Prize will be conferred at the International Conference on Number Theory, which will be held from 20 to 22 December 2023 at SASTRA University in Kumbakonam(birthplace of Ramanujan) of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu.

About Ruixiang Zhang:
i.In 2022, he was awarded Sloan Research Fellowship, one of the most prestigious honors given to early-career scientific researchers for 2022-24.
ii.His work has appeared in Inventiones Mathematicae in 2019.
iii.In 2008, he received a gold medal at the 49th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), held in Madrid, Spain.
iv.He contributed to solving two long-standing problems in restriction theory:

• Carleson’s problem on pointwise convergence of solutions to the Schr¨odinger equation.
• The two-dimensional case of Sogge’s local smoothing conjecture for wave equations.

About SASTRA Ramanujan Prize: 
i.The SASTRA Ramanujan Prize, instituted by the SASTRA University in 2005 with a cash prize of USD 10,000.
ii.The first SASTRA Ramanujan Prizes were awarded jointly to Professors Manjul Bhargava (Princeton University) and Kannan Soundararajan (University of Michigan) in 2005.
The criteria for the awardees:
The award is given annually to a mathematician not exceeding the age of 32 for outstanding contributions in an area of Mathematics.

• The age limit has been set at 32 because Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan achieved so much in his brief life of 32 years.

SASTRA Ramanujan Prize Committee:
The 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize Committee comprised

• Krishnaswami Alladi -Chair (University of Florida, USA),
• Don Blasius (University of California, Los Angeles, USA)
• Sergei Konyagin (Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia)
• Jonathan Pila (Oxford University, United Kingdom)
• Bjorn Poonen (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)
• Zeev Rudnick (Tel Aviv University, Israel), and
• Wadim Zudilin (Radboud University, The Netherlands)

Additional info:
National Mathematics Day is annually celebrated across India on December 22 to mark the birth anniversary of renowned Indian Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.

International Olympic Committee Announced the Winners of the Inaugural IOC Climate Action Awards The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the winners of the inaugural IOC Climate Action Awards, which recognise athletes, International Federations (IFs), and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for their efforts to combat climate change.

• IOC Climate Action Awards 2023 were awarded under 3 categories: sustainable travel, innovation, and athlete advocacy.
• The 2023 awards are supported by Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partners Airbnb, Deloitte and Procter & Gamble (P&G).

Winners of the 2023 awards include Athletes Ben Blankenship (athletics, USA), Marcus Mepstead (fencing, Great Britain) and Paloma Schmidt (sailing, Peru) and  World Rugby, World Sailing, the Colombian Olympic Committee and the Spanish Olympic Committee.
The IOC Climate Action Awards was introduced in November 2022, with the goal of highlighting how sport can play an essential part in addressing the climate issue.
About International Olympic Committee:
The International Olympic Committee is the administrator of the Olympic Games and the driving force behind the Olympic Movement.
President – Thomas Bach
Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
Established – 1894

IFC Received RBI’s Approval for Acquiring 9.7% stake in Federal BankInternational Finance Corporation(IFC) has received approval from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to acquire upto 9.7% of the paid-up share capital or voting rights of the in Federal Bank Limited (subject to the conditions specified therein).

• The approval has been granted by RBI with reference to the application made by IFC.

Key Points:
i.In July 2023, the Federal Bank raised Rs 959 crore from IFC through a preferential issue of shares.
ii.IFC currently holds a 1.34% of the paid-up share capital or voting rights in the bank.
Followed Regulations:
The approval granted by RBI is subject to the compliance with the relevant provisions of the

• Banking Regulation(BR) Act, 1949.
• RBI’s Master Direction and Guidelines on Acquisition and Holding of Shares or Voting Rights in Banking Companies dated January 16, 2023 (as amended from time to time).
• Foreign Exchange Management Act(FEMA) 1999.
• Regulation 30 of  Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.
• Any other guidelines, regulations and statutes as applicable.

About International Finance Corporation(IFC):
IFC is one of the members of the World Bank Group(WBG). It is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries.
Managing Director – Makhtar Diop
Headquarters – Washington DC, United States of America(USA)
Established in – 1956
About Federal Bank Limited:
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) –  Shyam Srinivasan
Headquarters – Aluva, Kerala
Established in 1931
Tagline – Your Perfect Banking Partner

Air India Completes Acquisition of its 1st A350-900 Aircraft through GIFT City On September 29, 2023, Tata Group owned Air India successfully acquired India’s first Airbus A350-900 aircraft by way of finance lease transaction with HSBC through AI Fleet Services Limited (AIFS), a 100% subsidiary of Air India, and a Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) International Financial Services Centre (IFSC)-registered finance company.

• Air India is the India’s first scheduled carrier to have acquired an aircraft from an entity registered in GIFT City.
• It is also its first financing transaction from its orders for 470 aircraft that were made earlier in 2023.

Key Points:
i.Air India has placed orders for six A350-900 planes and five of them are scheduled for delivery through March 2024.

• Apart from these, it orders 470 new aircraft include 34 A350-1000s, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, 10 Boeing 777Xs, 140 A320 neos, 70 A321 neos and 190 Boeing 737MAXs.

ii.Air India had signed purchase agreements to acquire these aircraft with Airbus and Boeing on the sidelines of Paris Air Show held in June 2023.
Note:
Tata Sons acquired a 100% stake in loss-making Air India in January 2022 through its fully owned subsidiary, Talace Private Limited.
About International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA):
IT has been established on April 27, 2020 under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
Chairperson– K. Rajaraman
Headquarters– Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar, Gujarat

MoS Dr Jitendra Singh Launches IGMS 2.0 Public Grievance portal & Automated Analysis in Tree Dashboard Portal of DARPGOn September 29, 2023, the Union Minister of State (MoS) Dr Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, launched the Intelligent Grievance Monitoring System (IGMS) 2.0 Public Grievance portal and Automated Analysis in Tree Dashboard portal of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

• He also launched the Swachhata Special Campaign 3.0 and released the Precedent Book (e-book) prepared by DARPG.

Note: DARPG work under the aegis of Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
About IGMS 2.0:
i.IGMS 2.0 dashboard has been implemented by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP) following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DARPG on December 14, 2021 for upgrading Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities.
ii.The IGMS portal provides instant tabular analysis of grievances filed and disposed, enabling officials to identify root causes.
iii.It automates grievance processing for the 20 lakh annual complaints on CPGRAMS, expediting resolutions.

• Notably, Reforms led by DARPG have slashed average resolution time from 32 to 18 days, a 50% decrease.

Launch of Swachhata Special Campaign 3.0
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh also launched the Swachhata Special Campaign 3.0 w.e.f. October 2, 2023 i.e. on the occasion of Birth Anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, till 31st October, 2023.

• It is a sequel of the Special campaigns conducted in the last two years.
• DARPG is the Nodal Department for implementation of Special Campaign 3.0.

Key Points:
i.It will focus on field/outstation offices responsible for service delivery or having public interface, in addition to the Ministries/Departments and their attached/subordinate offices.
ii.DARPG introduced 300 Best Practices for all Ministries, emphasizing a ‘Whole of Government’ and ‘Whole of Science’ approach, in Special Campaign 3.0.

IAF inducts 1st of 6 Dornier Do-228 aircraft Manufactured by HAL
The Indian Air Force (IAF) inducted the first of six new Dornier Do-228, 19 seater aircraft, manufactured Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a Public Sector Undertaking(PSU) under the Ministry of Defence(MoD).
About Dornier Do-228:
i.In March 2023, the MoD signed an agreement with HAL to manufacture these aircraft with a budget of Rs 667 crore.
ii.Dornier Do-228 aircraft has enhanced fuel efficiency engines, five-bladed composite propellers, advanced avionics, and a modern glass cockpit.
Uses:
i.The Dornier-228 aircraft is a multifunctional, lightweight transport aircraft which can perform functions from utility and commuter transport to maritime surveillance.
ii.IAF uses the aircraft for Route Transport Role and communication tasks. This also plays a vital role in  training transport pilots.

Protosticta Armageddonia: Pune researchers found new Damselfly Species in Western Ghats, Kerala Researchers from MIT-World Peace University (MIT-WPU) in Pune (Maharashtra) have discovered Protosticta Armageddonia (Armageddon Reedtail), a new species of damselfly in the southern Western Ghats of Kerala.

• They name “Armageddon” symbolizes the global crisis of habitat loss and climate change affecting insect populations.
• The discovery of the new species has been documented in the International Journal of Odonatology. It has also been recorded and registered with the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Pune.
• This new species, with its ominous name, serves as a clear reminder of the ongoing ecological crisis powered by uncontrolled habitat loss and climate change.

Note: The International Journal of Odonatology is a publication affiliated with the Worldwide Dragonfly Association based in the United States of America (USA).
Genus and Species:
i.The new damselfly species, P.Armageddonia belongs to the genus ‘Protosticta‘ in the family Platystictidae, which is endemic to Western Ghats in India.
ii.The genus Protosticta consists of slender-built damselflies commonly called reed-tails or shadow damsels.
iii.It belongs to the order Odonata (“toothed ones”) and one of its group Zygoptera (which includes damselflies).
Armageddon:
i.The name, Armageddon Reedtail, is a direct reference to the concept of “Ecological Armageddon”, which describe the devastating decline of insect populations around the world.
ii.This phenomenon, also called insect apocalypse, affects entire ecosystems because insects pollinate, cycle nutrients, and provide food for other animals.
Features:
i.The newly found species exhibits a captivating dark brown to black body with vibrant greenish-blue eyes.
ii.It features delicate pale blue markings on half of its eight abdominal segments.
iii.Its exclusive habitat choice is primary montane streams, where it grows beneath dense canopy cover.
iv.The new species is distinguished from its other damselflies by a combination of characteristics, including:

• A marking on the ventral side of the thorax, structure, and colour of the prothorax.
• Markings on the 8th abdominal segment;
• The structure of caudal appendages and genital ligula.

Note: A new species of Protosticta Selys (1885), is described based on specimens collected from northeast of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in the southern parts of the southern Western Ghats of India.
Research Team:
i.Dr. Pankaj Koparde (Lead Researcher for the Armageddon Reedtail), Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Studies at MIT-WPU.
ii.Arajush Payra, PhD Scholar, MIT-WPU, entomologist and lead author.
iii.Ameya Deshpande, MSc Environmental Science Student at MIT-WPU.
iv.Mr. Reji Chandran, a prominent wildlife photographer and team member first spotted the species.

PM Modi Releases 4 Books Showcasing G20’s Presidency Success
Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi released four Books revolving around the success of India’s Group 20 (G20) presidency at  the G20 University Connect Finale programme held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi.
These 4 books are available on the G20 India website and on its application in ebook format.
About released books:
i.The Grand Success of G20 Bharat Presidency: Visionary Leadership, Inclusive Approach.
ii.G20 University Connect Programme: Engaging Young Mind.

• These 2 books are published by New Delhi(Delhi)–based autonomous policy research institute Research and Information System for Developing Countries(RIS).

iii.India’s G20 Presidency: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Earth, One family, One Future.

• The book features important event held at G20 under India’s Presidency

iv.Showcasing Indian Culture at G20.

• This book showcases the range and diversity of Indian culture through length and breadth of India

International Translation Day 2023- September 30 The United Nations (UN) International Translation Day (ITD) is annually observed across the globe on 30 September to recognise and honour the invaluable contributions of translators and language professionals, who facilitate communication between nations strengthening global peace, cooperation, understanding, and development.

• The day is observed by the Fédération Internationale des Traducteurs/International Federation of Translators (FIT) to highlight the significant role of translators all across the world.

Since 1991, FIT has celebrated ITD, creating an annual theme as the basis for the celebrations.

• The 2023 theme of ITD is, “Translation unveils the many faces of humanity“.

Background:
i.On 24 May 2017, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in its 71st session adopted the resolution A/RES/71/288 and declared 30 September of every year as International Translation Day.
ii.The first UN-recognised ITD was observed on 30 September 2017.
About International Federation of Translators (FIT):
President– Alison Rodriguez
Secretary-General– Alexandra Jantscher
Headquarters– Paris, France
Established in– 1953

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel Inaugurates various Schemes and Infrastructural Projects Worth Rs 1021.59 CroreChhattisgarh Chief Minister (CM) Bhupesh Baghel virtually inaugurates various schemes and infrastructural projects worth Rs 1021.59 crore.

• The schemes include the installation of a panic button and Global Positioning System (GPS) services as part of the Nirbhaya project in every passenger vehicle to locate the vehicle once the panic button is pressed.
• He inaugurated bio-ethanol demonstration plant, Chhattisgarh Niwas, and launched Chief Minister Construction Workers Pension Assistance Scheme, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) based e-detection system.

Key Points:
i.The Nirbhaya Command and Control Center was established to ensure women’s safety.

• If the panic button is pressed in case of an emergency, the Command Centre will receive information through Chhattisgarh’s emergency number (Dial 112) and the location of the vehicle can be found through the GPS system already installed.

New initiatives launched:
i.CM also inaugurated a state-of-the-art bio-ethanol demonstration plant in Godhi, Durg District to promote biofuel.

• The Chhattisgarh Biofuel Development Authority has prepared the technical design and drawings of the plant under the guidance of scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMRI).

ii.The Chief Minister Construction Workers Pension Assistance Scheme was launched. Under this initiative, the pension amount of Rs 1,500 per month for life will be given to the construction workers who are registered for ten years and completed 60 years of age.
iii. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) based electronic-detection (e-detection) system to take strict measures against vehicles plying without fitness, tax, and proper documents.

• The implementation of the ANPR system will enable automatic fines for vehicles without fitness and tax when they pass through the roads.

iv.Baghel also inaugurated the Chhattisgarh Niwas in New Delhi, Delhi.

• It was built at a cost of Rs 60.42 crore on a 43,803-square-foot area.

v.He also inaugurated the first tennis academy of Chhattisgarh in Labhandi, Raipur at a cost of Rs 18 crore.
About Chhattisgarh:
Chief Minister – Bhupesh Baghel
Governor – Biswa Bhusan Harichandan
Dance Forms – Saila Dance, Karma, Sua Nacha
Festivals: Bastar Dussehra, Bastar Lokotsav, Fagun Wadai