Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for Indian Navy’s second Very Low Frequency (VLF) Naval Station in the Damagundam forest area of Vikarabad district on Tuesday. This facility, which is set to be operational by 2027, is expected to enhance Indian Navy’s communication with ships and submarines.

“This establishment will greatly benefit the armed forces. Once the VLF station becomes operational, it will significantly support the armed forces. With warfare becoming increasingly dynamic, seamless coordination between ‘men and machine’ is essential,” said Mr. Singh while speaking at the venue.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced three Artificial Intelligence Centres of Excellence (AI-COE) focused on Health, Agriculture and Sustainable cities today in New Delhi. Mr. Pradhan said these centres will play a major role in promoting research, innovation, and economy, and ensuring public welfare. These three CoEs for Artificial Intelligence will be led by top educational institutions, in consortium with industry partners and startups. They will conduct interdisciplinary research, develop cutting-edge applications, and create scalable solutions in these three areas.
These centres will be established in AIIMS Delhi, IIT Ropar and IIT Kanpur. The centre at AIIMS Delhi, along with IIT Delhi, will work in the field of health, the centre at IIT Ropar will work in agriculture and the one at IIT Kanpur will work for a sustainable city.

Mr Pradhan said that this landmark decision will strengthen the position of the country in AI. He added that after 10 years, these AI-COEs will work as a solution giver to the world.

The establishment of these centres was announced in the Budget for 2023-24, as part of the vision to Make AI in India and Make AI work for India.

As the nation prepares to honour the valiant soldiers who fought in the Battle of Walong during the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the Indian Army is set to commence a month-long series of commemorative events marking the 62nd Walong Day.

The commemoration will begin on October 17, 2024, and continue until November 14, 2024, honouring the indomitable spirit, sacrifice, and courage of the heroes who defended the nation's eastern front.

This year's commemoration promises a vibrant mix of activities aimed at engaging local communities and honouring the memory of the fallen heroes. The meticulously planned events include white water rafting, motorcycle rallies, bicycle rallies, battlefield treks, adventure treks, and a half marathon, all reflecting the adventurous spirit of the Indian Army in the rugged terrain of Arunachal Pradesh.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Islamabad on Tuesday to represent India at the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Heads of Government (CHG). The summit is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, with Pakistan hosting the event under tight security measures.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has emphasized that the focus of the summit will be on the trade and economic agenda of the organization. “The 23rd Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government will be held on October 16, 2024, in Islamabad under Pakistan’s chairmanship. The SCO CHG meeting is held annually, concentrating on economic cooperation and trade issues,” the MEA statement read.

Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation at the summit, reaffirming India’s active participation within the SCO framework. “India remains actively engaged in various initiatives and mechanisms under the SCO format,” the release said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has secured $1 billion in pledges for its next budget, spanning 2025-28. Nearly $700 million of this was made in terms of new funding commitments from various European countries, foundations, and organisations. Meanwhile, $300 million was made up from reaffirmed funding commitments.

The funding was announced during the WHO Investment Round Signature Event, held at the World Health Summit in Berlin, co-hosted by Germany, France, and Norway.

This event marked a crucial moment in the global health strategy outlined by WHO’s Fourteenth General Programme of Work 2025-2028, approved by the Organisation’s 194 Member States earlier this year at the World Health Assembly.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary inaugurated a new National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) extension centre at the Andhra Medical Tech Zone (AMTZ) campus in Visakhapatnam today. Sharing details Mr Jayant Chaudhary informed that the extension centre will provide training in Computer Software Applications (CSA) under the Crafts Instructor Training Scheme (CITS), starting from the 2024-25 academic session. The Minister said it will also offer short-term courses on various applications of computers, under the Advanced Vocational Training scheme, implemented by the Directorate General of Training (DGT).

Mr Chaudhary expressed his gratitude to the state government for its support and reaffirmed the central government’s commitment, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, to strengthening skill infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh.

The Kerala Legislative Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Monday, October 14, urging the central government to withdraw the controversial 2024 Waqf Amendment Bill. Minister for Waqf, Haj pilgrimage, and sports, V Abdurahiman, presented the resolution, stating that the bill undermines the federal principles enshrined in the Constitution.

Abdurahiman argued that the bill infringes on state rights regarding Waqf matters, effectively weakening the authority of Waqf boards and tribunals, which are tasked with overseeing Waqf properties. “This bill not only violates the secular principles outlined in the Constitution but also threatens democratic values by replacing elected representatives with a board of nominated members and a nominated chairman,” he said.

Nasa has launched a groundbreaking mission to investigate Jupiter and its moon, Europa, one of the prime locations in the search for life beyond Earth.

The spacecraft, named Europa Clipper, launched on Monday, is designed to study the moon’s icy surface and the subsurface ocean believed to exist beneath.

It was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center, with the mission costing $5.2 billion.

Europa Clipper will not directly search for life, but will assess whether Europa's environment could support it. The spacecraft will examine the moon’s ice-covered ocean, located relatively close to the surface. Although it won't hunt for microorganisms, its findings may pave the way for future missions aimed at detecting life.

The Election Commission (EC) is set to announce the poll dates for assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand on Tuesday. The announcement will be made during a press conference at 3.30 pm.

With several upcoming festivals, including Diwali from October 29 to November 3, Chhath, and Dev Deepawali, the EC is likely to schedule the polling in the second week of November.

This will allow voters, particularly those temporarily migrating for the festivals, ample time to return to their registered voting locations.

The elections will cover bypolls of over 45 assembly as well as Lok Sabha seats across various states including Wayanad and Basirhat. Wayanad's seat became vacant following Rahul Gandhi's resignation, while the Basirhat bypoll is due to the death of Trinamool MP Sheikh Nurul Islam.

Karnataka can become the gaming and animation capital of India, and Asia said Priyank Kharge, Minister of Information Technology and Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka, addressing the second edition of the Indian Gaming Convention (IGC) in New Delhi, organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India. He announced plans to set up a gaming accelerator by the end of this financial year.

“Karnataka is the fourth largest technology cluster in the world. We run over 27 centres of excellence (COE) and are setting up a COE specifically for gaming. I am keen to host India’s first government-sponsored eSports Olympics to ensure we remain the leaders in this sector and be the most disruptive innovation capital in the world,” he added.

Speaking on the scale of India’s gaming sector, Shri Kharge said, “The global AVGC market is estimated to be more than $366 billion with animation and visual effects constituting 46per cent share and gaming 54per cent share. The country boasts as the world’s second-largest gaming community, comprising 42.5 crore gamers, and from 2020 to 2023, the online gaming segment in India experienced a rise of 28per cent which was a market size of 16428 crore in 2023 and in the next four years, it should double.”