• The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has directed the office of the chief secretary of Karnataka to submit a response on the issue of encroachment of the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of the Bannerghatta National Park.

ABOUT BANNERGHATTA NATIONAL PARK

• It is located near Bangalore, Karnataka, in the hills of the Anekal range.
• Area- 260 sq.km
• The park is a portion of the elephant corridor that runs between the Sathyamangalam forest and the BR Hills.
• Suvarnamukhi stream, originating from Suvarnamukhi Hill, runs through the centre of the park.
• In 1974, it was designated as a national park.
• In 2002 a portion of the park became a biological reserve, the Bannerghatta Biological Park.
• It is the first biological park in India to have a fenced forested elephant sanctuary.
• In 2006, India’s first butterfly enclosure was inaugurated at the park.
• Vegetation includes Dry Deciduous Scrub Forests, Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests and Southern Tropical Moist Mixed Forests with species, including Sandalwood, Tamarind, and Bamboo
• Fauna- elephants, gaur, tiger, leopard, jackal, fox, wild boar, sloth bear, Sambar, Chital, spotted deer, barking deer, common langur, pangolin, bonnet macaque, porcupine and hares.

• The European Union Tax Observatory released ‘Global Tax Evasion Report 2024’

FINDINGS

• Tax evasion is enabling billionaires to enjoy effective tax rates equivalent to 0% to 0.5% of their wealth.
• The report highlighted the success of one measure — the automatic exchange of bank information — in reducing offshore tax evasion by a factor of three over the past 10 years.
• $1 trillion profit shifted (in 2022) to tax havens, with negligible effects of policies like Base Erosion and profit Shifting (BEPS, 2015).
• The global minimum tax of 15% on MNCs, adopted in 2012 by 140 countries and territories — has been a disappointment.
• Challenges- The report identifies two primary reasons for offshore tax evasion-

• Non-compliance by Offshore Financial Institutions for the automatic exchange of bank information, often due to concerns about losing their customer base.
• Shift to Uncovered Asset Classes like real estate

RECOMMENDATIONS

• It has called for a global minimum tax on billionaires equal to 2% of their wealth.
  • This would both address evasion and “generate nearly $250 billion from less than 3,000 individuals”.
  • The tax rate of 2% “would still be very modest” given that the wealth of billionaires has grown at 7% a year annually on average since 1995.

ABOUT EU TAX OBSERVATORY

• The EU Tax Observatory is an independent research laboratory
• It is hosted at the Paris School of Economics.
• It conducts innovative research on taxation, contributes to a democratic and inclusive debate on the future of taxation, and fosters a dialogue between the scientific community, civil society, and policymakers in the European Union and worldwide.

• Opener Shubman Gill on October 22 bettered Hashim Amla’s record to become the fastest batsman to reach 2,000 runs in ODI cricket during the World Cup match against New Zealand.
• Gill achieved the milestone in 38 innings — two better than South Africa’s Amla who needed 40 visits to the crease to reach the mark — and hand India a quick start in reply to New Zealand’s 273 in Dharamsala.

• The opening ceremony of the 4th Asian Para Games will kick off in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province.
• Themed “Hearts Meet, Dreams Shine,” the ceremony will take place at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, or “Big Lotus,” on Sunday evening.
• India is sending its largest-ever contingent, consisting of 313 athletes, to compete in various events at the Asian Para Games 2023.

FLAG BEARERS:

• Parul Parmar: Renowned Para Shuttler Parul Parmar will proudly bear the Indian flag during the opening ceremony, symbolizing the spirit of Indian para-athletes.
• Amit Saroha: Para-club Thrower Amit Saroha joins Parul Parmar as the co-flag bearer, representing India with pride and determination.

• Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer Sanjay Kumar Jain has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
• After the recommendation of Search-Cum-Selection Committee (SCSC), his appointment to this post was approved. The post of CMD has been vacant since January 2021, after the retirement of Mahendra Pratap Maal.
• Jain, an IRTS officer of the 1990 batch, was serving as the Principal Chief Commercial Manager in Northern Railway.

• President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Raghubar Das as Governor of Odisha, and Indra Sena Reddy Nallu as Governor of Tripura.
• Raghubar Das has been appointed as the 26th governor of Odisha. He will succeed Ganeshi Lal as the new governor of Odisha.
• Das is a former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has also served as the president of the Jharkhand BJP twice.
• Indra Sena Reddy Nallu is a national secretary of the BJP and has thrice served as an MLA in Andhra Pradesh. He is a BJP leader from Bihar and has previously served as a Governor of Haryana.

• The Cyclone Tej in the Arabian Sea is turning into a cyclonic storm.
• It is expected to turn into a severe cyclonic storm and move towards the south coasts of Oman and adjoining
• Cyclone Tej was named by India.

ABOUT CYCLONES

• A Cyclone is a rapid inward air circulation around a low-pressure area. In other words, it is a low-pressure system that forms over warm waters.

CYCLONES IN INDIA:

• Tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean region (Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea) develop during the pre-monsoon (April to June) and post monsoon (October to December) periods.

Cyclone Tej is developing in the Arabian Sea.

• Assam Environment & Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary reopened the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary for tourists at the elephant-riding point inside the wildlife sanctuary.

ABOUT POBITORA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

• It is located on the southern bank of the river Brahmaputra in Morigaon district, adjacent to Guwahati in Assam.
• It was declared a reserve forest in 1971 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1987.
• It is home to the highest population density of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros species (around 102 rhinos in an area of 38.8 sq. km).
• Landscape: It is dominated by alluvial lowlands and marshland.
• The Brahmaputra River offers a natural boundary to the premises of the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary on the north, while the Garanga Beel offers a natural boundary to its south.

• Lieutenant governor VK Saxena inaugurated six renovated monuments in Mehrauli Archaeological Park in Delhi, along with a restored water body and other amenities. The restoration work was undertaken jointly by stakeholders at a cost of ₹2.6 crore.
• The LG is also chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

ABOUT MEHRAULI ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK

• It is spread over 200 acres and is adjacent to Qutub Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It is home to 55 historic structures built by various empires — including the Khaljis, Tughlaqs, Lodhis, Mughals, and the British — and many have now been revamped.
• These include the Jamali Kamali Mosque, Metcalfe House, Rajon ki Baoli, as well as the tombs of Mamluk king Ghiyas-ud-din Balban and Mughal governor Shah Quli Khan.

• The Indian Railways will operate special trains to transport volunteers carrying mitti (soil) from State capitals and other major stations across the country to reach New Delhi on October 29.
• The soil that gets collected would be used in the Amrit Vatika, a special garden being created in Delhi. To facilitate the movement of the volunteers, the Ministry of Railways would operate special Amrit Kalash Yatri trains, add additional coaches in scheduled trains and facilitate release of berths from emergency quota depending upon the

ABOUT MERI MAATI, MERA DESH CAMPAIGN

• “Meri Maati Mera Desh” [My soil, my country] campaign is envisaged from 9th August 2023 as a culminating event of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
• It is a tribute to the Veers and Veeranganas who have made the supreme sacrifice for the country.
• It is being organised by the Ministry of Culture.
• It comprises many activities and ceremonies conducted across the country at Panchayat/Village, Block, Urban Local Body, State and National levels.