Daily GK Update: 30th October 2023

 National & International Appointments

1. SBI Ropes in Cricket Icon MS Dhoni as Brand Ambassador

• State Bank of India has roped in cricketing legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the bank's official Brand Ambassador to strengthen its connection, especially with the younger population.
• Dhoni will play a pivotal role in various marketing and promotional campaigns of SBI.
• Among public sector banks, Bob had appointed Rahul Dravid as its brand ambassador. 
• At present, badminton players P V Sindhu, K Srikanth, and cricketer Shafali Verma are BOB's brand ambassadors.

 Defense

2. Indian Army, IAF participate in India-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise

• Indian Army and Indian Air Force contingent comprising 120 personnel departed for Kazakhstan to take part in the 7th edition of Joint Military ‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’. 
• The Exercise will be conducted at Otar in Kazakhstan from 30th October to 11th November.
• The Joint Exercise between India and Kazakhstan was instituted as ‘Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK’ in 2016. After the second edition, the Exercise was upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed as ‘Exercise KAZIND’.

 Important Dates

3. World Thrift Day is observed on 30th October

• World Thrift Day or World Savings Day is celebrated each year on 30 October to raise awareness to people about their financial security, savings, and freedom.
• The theme of World Thrift Day in 2023 is “Preparing for the future through saving.
• Aim:  To promote the importance of saving money and how savings can cushion our difficult times. It raises awareness about the importance of thrifting to save money.

 Banking & Finance

4. Bank of Baroda introduces bob LITE Savings Account

• Bank of Baroda has launched the Bob LITE Savings Account, a lifetime zero-balance savings bank account, as part of its festive campaign.
• Bob LITE offers customers a hassle-free banking experience without any minimum balance requirement.
• The account also includes a lifetime free RuPay Platinum Debit Card for account holders who maintain a nominal Quarterly Average Balance in the account. 
• Additionally, eligible account holders can avail of a lifetime free credit card.

 Books & Authors

5. Former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan's new book 'Breaking the Mould'

• Former RBI governor, Raghuram Rajan has teamed up with economist Rohit Lamba to write a book, "Breaking the Mould: Reimagining India's Economic Future", 
• Goal: To give the reader a rare glimpse into India's economic future. 
• The book is being published by Penguin Random House India and is set to be released on December 7.
• This eagerly anticipated book seeks to delve into some of the critical questions surrounding India's economic trajectory.

 Banking & Finance

6. AU Small Finance Bank launches 'Planet First-AU Green Fixed Deposit'

• AU Small Finance Bank has introduced its first Green Fixed Deposit called Planet First – AU Green Fixed Deposit
• Aim: To allocate its entire proceeds to support renewable and green projects.
• It is in a unique position to contribute towards sustainable ‘Badlaav’ by gradually offering such retail products aligned with the guidance of the regulator.
• Planet First - AU Green Fixed Deposit offers an interest rate of up to 8.5%, with an investment requirement of only ₹5k

 Books & Authors

7. PM Modi releases three books at Tulsi Peeth in Chitrakoot, MP

• PM Modi visited Tulsi Peeth and released three books - ‘Ashtadhyayi Bhashya’, ‘Rambhadracharya Charitam’ and ‘Bhagwan Shri Krishna ki Rashtraleela’.
• Ashtadhyayi is a thousands-year-old text of India's linguistics, India's intellectuality, and our research culture.” 
• Tulsi Peeth is an important religious and social service institution in Chitrakoot, MP established by Jagadguru Rambhadracharya in 1987. 
• It is one of the leading publishers of Hindu religious literature

 State Affairs

8. Karnataka Forest Department launches centralised WCMS

• The Karnataka Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of India announced that NTT DATA, is supporting the development of the HAWK (Hostile Activity Watch Kernel) system. 
• This is a specialized software system that will be the nerve center of the state forest department as part of their modernization initiatives.
• HAWK is used to monitor all aspects of forest and wildlife crime, such as the death of wildlife, and movement of suspicious vehicles. 

 Banking & Finance

9. Paytm Becomes Official Sponsor For 37th National Games

• One97 Communications Ltd (OCL), owner of brand Paytm announced that it is the official sponsor for the National Games being held in Goa. 
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi  inaugurated the National Games at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda.
• The Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led company would introduce QR codes, soundbox, and card machines in multiple government departments, including panchayats and municipalities, in the state.

 Schemes

10. “MGNREGS Reports a 7.5% Decrease in Active Workforce Participation”

• Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), a data analysis by LibTech India – a consortium of academics and activists 
• For April-Sep 2023 reveals a 7.5% reduction in the number of active workers, from 15.49 crore in the previous fiscal year to 14.33 crore, as per the data available till Oct 6, 2023. 
• The LibTech’s MGNREGS tracker for April-Sep 2023 provides a comparative analysis of data from preceding fy 2021-22 and 2022-23.

 Schemes

11. “MGNREGS Reports a 7.5% Decrease in Active Workforce Participation”

• Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), a data analysis by LibTech India – a consortium of academics and activists 
• For April-Sep 2023 reveals a 7.5% reduction in the number of active workers, from 15.49 crore in the previous fiscal year to 14.33 crore, as per the data available till Oct 6, 2023. 
• The LibTech’s MGNREGS tracker for April-Sep 2023 provides a comparative analysis of data from preceding fy 2021-22 and 2022-23.