Awards & Honors
American Singer Bob Dylan wins 2016 Nobel prize in literature:
i. The 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Bob Dylan “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.
ii. Literature was the last of this year’s Nobel prizes to be awarded. The prize is named after dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel and has been awarded since 1901 for achievements in science, literature and peace in accordance with his will.
Literature Nobel facts:
=> Hundred and nine have been awarded the Prize from 1901.
=> The youngest laureate was Rudyard Kipling (41), best known for his The Jungle Book.
National
Cabinet approves to IIM establishment in Jammu:
i. The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment and operationalisation of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Jammu.
ii. It will become operational from the Academic Year 2016-17 at the transit or temporary campus at Old Government College of Engineering & Technology.
iii. The Union Cabinet also approved the formation of an IIM Jammu Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
iv. IIM Jammu will be run and managed by the Society with a Board of Governors (BOGs) to be constituted by the Central Government.
v. IIM are the country’s premier institutions imparting best quality education in management. At present, there are total nineteen IIMs.
vi. New six IIMs were started in 2015 and they are located at Amritsar, Nagpur, Sirmaur, Sambalpur, Bodhgaya and Vishakhapatnam.
India ranked 2nd in science research growth: Report
i. India is ranked second among countries with the highest growth in their contribution to high-quality scientific research, according to a recent report.
ii. Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), ranked 16, is the top Indian institute among the 100 best research institutes across the world.
4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting held at Jaipur:
i. The 4th BRICS Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was held at Jaipur, Rajasthan.
ii. The 4th BRICS Science, Technology, and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was held at Jaipur, Rajasthan.
iii. In alignment with the theme of India’s Chairmanship of 8th BRICS Summit, Building, Responsive Inclusive and Collective Solutions, Jaipur Declaration was unanimously adopted.
iv. India’s proposal to establish a BRICS Science and Technology driven Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnership Programme to harness innovativeness of youth was also agreed.
Himansh, India’s remote, high-altitude station opens in the Himalayas:
i. A high altitude glaciological research station in Himalaya called Himansh (meaning a slice of ice) began functioning above 13,500 ft (4000 m) in a remote region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
ii. The research lab has been established by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) in Spiti Valley, one of the most uninhabited parts of the country.
iii. It will also serve as the base for Terrestrial Laser Scanners (TLS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for undertaking surveys.
The significance of it: The Himalayan region has the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar caps. It is called the “Water Tower of Asia”. It is the source of 10 major river systems that provide irrigation, drinking water, and power for over 700 million people (10% of world’s population) living in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
International
International Day for Disaster Reduction is observed on 13 October:
i. The International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is observed annually on 13 October across the world encourage citizens and governments to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations.
ii. The significance of the day: It seeks to spread awareness about reining the risks of disasters around the world and also reduce exposure of people and communities to disasters.
iii. 2016 Theme: “Live to Tell: Raising Awareness, Reducing Mortality”.
International Day of the Girl Child was observed on 11 October:
i. The International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) is observed every year across the world on 11 October to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
ii. The significance of Day: The observance of the day seeks to increase awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based on their gender and supports more opportunity for girls. This year it was the fifth edition of this day after it was observed for the first time in 2012.
iii. 2016 Theme: “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls”.
iv. The United Nations has named the comic book character Wonder Woman as its new Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls.
Note: The International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) was instituted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by adopting Canada backed Resolution in December 2011.
Obituary
Thailand’s King Bhumibol, world’s longest reigning monarch, dies:
i. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died was the world’s longest-reigning monarch, credited with restoring the influence of Thailand’s royalty during 70 years on the throne.
ii. King Bhumibol, who ascended the throne on June 9, 1946, was seen as a force for unity.
iii. The 64-year-old Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn is the heir-apparent.
Short News
I. Abdelilah Bekirane was re-appointed as the Prime Minister of Morocco for the second term. Benkirane has been serving as Prime Minister since November 2011.
Capital: Rabat
Currency: Moroccan dirham (MAD)
II. Researchers from Kolkata-based Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) have produced cost-effective, metal-free cathodes using human hair for use in solar cells. This is the first instance where a bio-waste-derived electrode (in this case human hair) has been used as a cathode in a quantum dot sensitized solar cell device.
III. Telangana Government in its the biggest administrative reform has created 21 new districts. With this reorganization, the total number of districts in the State went up to 31 from 10.
IV. The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has developed a new high-tech electroactive bandage that uses electricity to significantly promote healing of injured wounds.
V. Bank of Baroda, the Indian public sector bank, has sealed a 3-year principal sponsorship contract with badminton players PV Sindhu and K Srikanth.
VI. India has imported the first parcel of Iranian oil in order to build an emergency storage in southern India, the Mangalore Refinery, and Petrochemicals.
VII. Italian football team skipper Gianluigi Buffon won 2016’s Golden Foot award at a ceremony in Monaco.
VIII. State-owned Indian Oil plans to lay India’s longest gas pipeline (1987 KM) from Gujarat coast to Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh, to meet the growing demands of cooking gas in the country, IOC has said.