Ghulam Nabi Azad launched a new political party, The Democratic Azad Party (DAP)

• Azad quit the Congress on August 26 after over four decades following differences with the party high command.
• Ghulam Nabi Azad is Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister

Modi leaves for Japan to attend Shinzo Abe’s funeral

• Abe was assassinated in July this year and is being given a state funeral at Tokyo’s massive Nippon Budokan indoor arena on Tuesday
• India had announced a one day national mourning on July 9 as a mark of respect for Abe.
• Representatives from about 100 countries are also expected to arrive in Japan

 JNU receives ₹28 crore from UGC, repair work to start soon

About JNU

• Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public major research university located in New Delhi, India.
• the first vice-chancellor was Moonis Raza.
• The JNU Bill was passed in Lok Sabhaon 16 November 1966 and the JNU Act came into force on 22 April 1969.
• Jawaharlal Nehru University was established in 1969 by an act of parliament
• The university is known for leading faculties and research emphasis on social sciences and applied sciences

About University Grants Commission – UGC

• The UGC was established in 1953 and made into a statutory organisation with the UGC Act in 1956.
• UGC is responsible for coordinating, determining and maintaining standards of higher education.
• The University Grants Commission provides recognition to universities in India and disburses funds to such recognised universities and colleges.
• The UGC has its Head Office in New Delhi and six regional offices:

1. Bengaluru
2. Bhopal
3. Guwahati
4. Hyderabad
5. Kolkata
6. Pune

• In 2018, the Ministry of Human Resource Development announced its plans to repeal the UGC Act, 1956.
• The bill also stipulates the formation of a new body, the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI).
• The attempts to formalise a national educational system in India started during the British Raj. The University Grants Committee was formed in 1945 to oversee the functioning of the three central universities of the time – Aligarh, Delhi and Banaras. Its responsibility was extended in 1947 to cover all Indian universities.
• The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an organisation that assesses and accredits higher education Institutions (HEIs) in India.
• It is an autonomous body funded by the University Grants Commission and headquartered in Bangalore

Leh district has achieved 100 per cent digitization of banking operations

• Adoption of digitalization is very important for the banking sector.
• By embracing digitalization, banks can provide enhanced customer services.
• This provides convenience to customers and helps in time. Digitalization has transformed manual processes, transactions and activities into digital services.

Union Bank of India has established the Ethical Hacking Lab

• The lab with cyber defence mechanism will protect the bank’s information system, digital assets, and channels, against potential cyber threats

President Murmu inaugurates Dasara festivities in Mysuru

• President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the popular Mysuru Dasara festival at the Chamundi Hills on Monday in her first visit to the state as the president of India.
• Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai welcomed president Murmu at the Mysuru airport and felicitated her.

23 IITs join hands for mega R&D fair to be held on Oct. 14

• 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in the country will come together for a mega fair on Research and Development (R&D)
• mega fair will orgnised on October 14 and 15 with an aim to inculcate “innovationdriven” outlook and encourage development of affordable technologies in line with the “Make in India” and “Digital India” initiatives.
• The R&D fair called “IInvenTiv” is being organized as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence.
• Apart from creating awareness of research and innovation work by the IITs, the fair will provide an opportunity for universities to explore avenues for collaboration.

France to hold education fairs next month in four big cities

• France will host a series of education fairs in India called “Choose France Tour 2022” from October 11 to October 16 to attract students for higher education.
• The fairs will be held in Kochi, Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi and representatives of 37 leading universities, Grandes Ecoles, and colleges will be participating.
• Students can get free counseling sessions and receive information regarding scholarships, visa opportunities and student life in France.
• French President Emmanuel Macron has set a target of welcoming 20,000 Indian students by 2025, a fourfold increase from the current levels.

World Tourism Day – 27 September

• The UN World Tourism Organization has celebrated September 27 as World Tourism Day since 1980
• the theme is to “rethink tourism.”
• A theme was adopted at every annual meeting. The idea was to help spread awareness and increase tourism internationally