National
Telangana ties up with ISRO for bandwidth to telecast coaching programmes:
i) The Telangana Government has signed an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to get bandwidth to telecast Mana TV programmes.
ii) To start with, the TV channel will air coaching programmes for students appearing for various competitive examinations to get government jobs.
iii) Run by the Society for Telangana State Network (SoFTNET), Mana TV will launch digital classes in 6,000 schools beginning October 14.
iv) Under the pact, the ISRO has allotted 17 MHz bandwidth on GSAT–8 for the channel.
v) The government has roped in Shailesh Reddy, who headed Zee’s regional channel, to run the channel.
India ranks 39th in 2016-17 Global Competitiveness Index:
i) India has jumped 16 ranks to settle at the 39th spot on the global competitiveness index prepared by the World Economic Forum, that lists 138 countries.
ii) India has been ranked 39th among the 138 countries in the 2016-17 Global Competitiveness Index (GCI).
iii) Switzerland (1st), Singapore (2nd), United States (3rd), Netherlands (4th) and Germany (5th).
iv) India jumps 16 ranks for the second time, second most competitive BRICS economy.
Kerala Tourism to make Fort Kochi disabled-friendly:
i) Kerala Tourism is introducing specially designed ramps as well as toilets for the differently-abled in Fort Kochi, in order to assist the differently-abled and elderly.
ii) The facilities provided will focus on those with visual, hearing, mobility and cognitive impairments.
iii) The facilities will make the town the first disabled-friendly heritage destination in Kerala.
India, China agree to jointly deal with security threats:
i) India and China have held the first High-Level Dialogue on Counter-terrorism and Security held in Beijing, the capital city of China.
ii) The meeting was co-chaired by R N Ravi, Chairman of Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and Wang Yongqing, Secretary General of Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission of China.
IGI Airport becomes ‘Carbon-Neutral’, First In Asia Pacific:
i) Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) New Delhi, has become the first airport in Asia-Pacific to be recognised as carbon-neutral.
ii) The announcement in this regard was made by the Airports Council International (ACI) during the Airport Carbon Accreditation certificate presentation ceremony to IGI in Montreal, Canada.
iii) The Airport Carbon Accreditation certificated has upgraded the IGI airport’s status to “Level 3+, Neutrality,” the highest level for airports across the world.
Gurgaon is re-named officially ‘Gurugram’:
i) The Haryana Government decided to rename Gurgaon as Gurugram and its neighbouring district Mewat as Nuh.
ii) It was announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar after presiding over the first meeting of the State-level ‘Swarna Jayanti Celebrations Committee’ at Panchkula.
iii) Gurugram is the mythological name derived from Guru Dronacharya, the master of archery in Mahabharata who groomed the Pandavas and Kauravas in war tactics.
International
World Rabies Day gets celebrated today: 28 September
i) World Rabies Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness about rabies prevention and to highlight progress in defeating this horrifying disease.
ii) 28 September also marks the anniversary of Louis Pasteur’s death, the French chemist, and microbiologist, who developed the first rabies vaccine.
2016 Theme: “Rabies: Educate. Vaccinate. Eliminate”.
World Bank re-appoints Jim Yong Kim for the second term:
i) Jim Yong Kim has been re-appointed as President of World Bank for a second five-year term beginning 1 July 2017.
ii) He was unanimously chosen by the Executive Directors of the World Bank.
About Jim Yong Kim:
a) Jim Yong Kim is a South Korean-American physician and anthropologist.
b) He is the 12th President of the World Bank and for the first time was appointed in 2012.
About World Bank:
1. The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs.
2. It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and 3. Development (IBRD), and the International Development Association (IDA).
Formation: July 1944.
Headquarters: Washington DC, United States.
Motto: Working for a World Free of Poverty.
Membership: 189 countries (IBRD), 173 countries (IDA)
3. The World Bank is one of the five components of the World Bank Group, which is part of the United Nations system.
Cuba, Russia sign Agreement on Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation:
i) Russia and Cuba have signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful atomic energy use.
ii) The agreement was signed between Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom and Cuba’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment in Vienna.
iii) The agreement was signed on the sidelines of International 60th Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference held in Vienna, the capital city of Austria.
Sports
Official emblem of FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 launched:
i) The official emblem of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, scheduled in India next year, was launched during the AFC U-16 Championships in Goa.
ii) The ceremony was attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Praful Patel, Chairman of the All India Football Federation.
iii) The FIFA U-17 World Cup will be held across six venues in India in October 2017.
Indian women win kabaddi gold at Asian Beach Games:
i) Indian women’s kabaddi team won the country’s first gold medal at the Asian Beach Games 2016, defeating Thailand.
ii) The team has set the record by winning five consecutive gold medals at the Games since 2008, defeating Thailand every time in the final.
Short News
I. The Coal Ministry has decided to move all its papers and documents into digital format from November 1 to bring efficiency and transparency in its functioning. Coal Secretary Anil Swarup has informed this.
II. The Colombian Government and left-wing FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) rebels have signed a historic agreement that formally brings an end to 52 years of civil war.
III. Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has made it compulsory for wrestlers to produce Aadhaar cards in order to participate in national tournaments.
IV. Paralympics gold medalist Devendra Jhajharia was named Sportsman of the Year at the GQ Men of the Year Awards 2016,
V. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin rose one spot to be ranked second in the latest ICC Test bowlers rankings, overtaking England’s James Anderson by one point.
VI. Chavvi Kohli, a 15-year-old fencer from Patiala, has won gold in the Under-17 Epee category at the International Thailand Open held in Bangkok.
VII. India will invest up to $2 billion in Sri Lanka over the next two-four years in a range of sectors including real estate, energy, and infrastructure, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said
VIII. Actress Kangana Ranaut has been named ‘Woman of the Year’ while actor Ranveer Singh has been named ‘Actor of the Year’ as part of ‘GQ Awards 2016’.