Rajasthan

Appearance

India-US Defense & Other International Engagements

  • India and the United States signed a historic 10-year defense framework agreement in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summit.
  • India and Nepal signed an agreement for the development of a 400 kV cross-border transmission line for electricity.
  • India and Sri Lanka held their first joint working group meeting on agriculture in New Delhi.
  • SCO Summit took place in Tianjin, China.
  • BRICS Summit was held in Brazil.
  • COP30 will be held in Brazil.
  • G20 Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
  • G7 Summit was held in Canada.

India's Foreign Policy and Military Presence

  • India officially ceased operations at the Ayni Airbase (Gissar Military Airport) in Tajikistan, which was its first airbase abroad.
  • Central Asian Countries & Exercises:
    • Kazakhstan (Capital: Astana) - Kazind exercise with India.
    • Uzbekistan (Capital: Tashkent) - Dustlik exercise with India.
    • Turkmenistan (Capital: Ashgabat)
    • Kyrgyzstan (Capital: Bishkek) - Khanjar exercise with India.
    • Tajikistan (Capital: Dushanbe)

International Solar Alliance (ISA) Initiatives

  • The 8th Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in New Delhi launched several solar platform initiatives:
    • Sunrise Initiative: Focuses on recycling and innovation in the solar energy sector.
    • OSO WOG (One Sun, One World, One Grid): A global grid initiative.
    • GCC (Global Capacity Center): A center for research and training, including AI applications in solar.
    • SIDS (Solar Procurement Platform): A solar procurement platform supported by the World Bank.
    • Unrise Initiative: Aims to convert waste into wealth using solar energy.

Digital India & Rural Development

  • The Department of Telecommunications launched a pilot project called "Samriddh Gram Bhautik Seva" (Prosperous Village Physical Services) in rural areas of:
    • Madhya Pradesh (villages Ari, Umri)
    • Uttar Pradesh (Chaurawala village)
    • Andhra Pradesh (Narkoderu)
  • The project aims to provide better internet and online infrastructure to promote e-governance, e-commerce, telemedicine, and online education.
  • It is supported by the BharatNet (National Optical Fiber Mission), which uses total internal reflection for high-speed internet.

Environmental Policy

  • The Uttarakhand government announced a "Green Tax" on vehicles from other states entering Uttarakhand, effective December 2025.
  • The tax will be automatically deducted from FASTag wallets at entry points.
  • Funds collected will be utilized for pollution-free initiatives in Uttarakhand.

Cultural & Social Trends

  • Dictionary.com selected "67" (pronounced "six-seven") as its 2025 Word of the Year, representing Generation Z's internet culture for online humor.

International Days & Events

  • World City Day was celebrated on October 31st with the theme "People-centered Smart Cities".
  • A global event for World City Day was held in Bogota, Colombia.
  • The objective was to focus on Sustainable Development Goal 11 (inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities).
  • October 31st also marks National Unity Day, celebrating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birthday.

Sports

  • Magnus Carlsen (Norway) won the Clutch Chess 2025 title in Missouri, USA.
  • D. Gukesh finished fourth in the same tournament.

Economic & Financial News

  • An RBI report for FY 2024-25 ("Foreign Liabilities and Assets Report") indicates:
    • The USA is the top contributor to India's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) (20%).
    • Singapore is the second-highest contributor (14%).
    • One-third of India's FDI came from the USA and Singapore combined.
    • Manufacturing was the sector with the highest FDI, followed by Services.

Agricultural Initiatives

  • SBI Foundation and ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) launched the "Smart Crop" initiative in Telangana and Karnataka.
  • The initiative aims to assist over 8,000 farmers using AI, remote sensing, and satellites to improve crop resilience, reduce pest and climate risks, and increase productivity.
  • ICRISAT's headquarters are in Hyderabad, India.

Literature & Translation

  • Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi released the Hindi translation of the novel "The Last Day," originally authored by Josław Melnikas from Lithuania.