Current Affairs

On November 8, 2024, Union Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya announced the successful pilot of the new Centralised Pension Payments System (CPPS) under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995. Conducted on October 29-30, the pilot disbursed approximately Rs 11 crore to over 49,000 EPS pensioners across Jammu, Srinagar, and Karnal.

The CPPS enables pensioners to receive payments from any bank branch nationwide, eliminating the need for regional transfers and streamlining disbursements. Expected to fully launch by January 2025 as part of EPFO’s Centralised IT Enabled System (CITES 2.01), the CPPS will benefit over 78 lakh pensioners, enhancing the EPFO’s modernization and efficiency in pension services.

The second annual Indian Military Heritage Festival (IMHF) commenced in New Delhi on November 8, 2024. This two-day event aims to engage global and Indian think tanks, corporations, public and private sector organizations, non-profits, academicians, and research scholars focused on India’s national security, foreign policy, military history, and heritage.

The festival was inaugurated by Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan alongside three Service Chiefs. During the inauguration, Project ‘Shaurya Gatha’ was launched, an initiative by the Department of Military Affairs and the United Service Institution (USI) of India to conserve and promote India’s military heritage through education and tourism.

On November 7, 2024, President Droupadi Murmu visited the Indian Navy’s indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, marking her first time aboard Navy vessels at sea. After arriving at INS Hansa in Goa, she was greeted by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, with a ceremonial Guard of Honour in her honor. Aboard INS Vikrant, the President observed a series of naval demonstrations, including deck-based fighter operations, missile drills, submarine maneuvers, and a flypast involving over 30 aircraft.

India’s progress in reducing tuberculosis (TB) has gained global recognition, with a 17.7% drop in TB cases from 2015 to 2023. This decline is more than twice the global average of 8.3%, according to the World Health Organization’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2024.

India committed to achieving the United Nations’ “End TB” targets by 2025, five years before the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) deadline. This progress reflects the success of India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, which has led to an 80% decrease in TB cases and a 90% reduction in TB deaths since 2015.

The fifth Vietnam-India Bilateral Army Exercise (VINBAX) 2024 began on November 4, 2024, in Ambala, Haryana. The goal of VINBAX-2024 is to strengthen the joint military abilities of India and Vietnam.

This year’s exercise is special because, for the first time, it includes personnel from both the Army and Air Force of each country. The Indian Army has sent 47 personnel, including a Regiment of the Corps of Engineers and members from other units. VINBAX-2024 will end on November 23.

The 15th India-US joint Special Forces exercise, VAJRA PRAHAR, began on September 2, 2024, at Orchard Combat Training Centre in Idaho, USA, and will end on September 22. The previous VAJRA PRAHAR was held in December 2023 in Umroi, Meghalaya. This is the second India-US Army exercise of the year, following YUDH ABHYAS 2024, which took place in Rajasthan in September.

In VAJRA PRAHAR, each country’s contingent includes 45 personnel: Special Forces units from India and Green Berets from the US. The goal is to improve military cooperation, focusing on interoperability, joint operations, and tactical skills in desert and semi-desert environments, with emphasis on physical fitness and joint planning.

Rajesh Kumar Singh, an IAS officer from the 1989 Kerala cadre, became the Defence Secretary on November 1, 2024. He replaced Giridhar Aramane, a 1988 Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS officer, who retired the day before. Before starting his new role, Mr. Singh paid respects at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

Previously, he was the Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He has held various key roles in the Union Government and also served as Secretary for Urban Development and Finance in Kerala.

Ayodhya set two Guinness World Records on October 30, 2024, during Deepotsav. Over 2.5 million diyas were lit on the Saryu River banks, and the most people performed a simultaneous ‘diya’ rotation.

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath received the Guinness certificates, joined by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak.

Festivities Highlights:

• The riverbanks and ghats were adorned with diyas, and the night included laser shows, Ram Leela reenactments, a drone show, and fireworks.
• This Deepotsav was especially significant, being the first after the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Lala at Ayodhya temple.
• A procession led by CM Yogi featured Lord Ram, Sita, and Lakshman, symbolizing their return to Ayodhya.
• Eighteen tableaux showcased key events from Lord Ram’s life, organized by the Information and Tourism Departments.