Daily Current Affairs Updates–15th October 2016:
Daily Current affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Day of Rural Women: October 15
i. The International Day of Rural Women is observed across the world on 15 October. The theme for the day for the year 2016 is Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.
ii. The theme tries to bring focus on farmers, fishers and pastoralists who are standing on the frontlines of food insecurity as temperatures rise, weather patterns become less predictable and climate-related disasters become more frequent.
World Student Day: October 15
i. October 15th, Dr. Abdul Kalam's birthday, is observed as World Student Day by United Nations Organization annually. In India he is highly respected as a scientist and as a great personality. He was the 11th President of India.
India decided to eliminate potent greenhouse gas HFC-23 by 2030
i. India announced its decision to eliminate the HCF-23 gas. The decision was made in line to its commitment to combat the threat emanating from climate-damaging HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons).
ii. The announcement was made by Minister of State Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Anil Dave at Kigali, Rwanda, at a meeting of parties to the Montreal Protocol, where final negotiations are taking place to substantially reduce the use of HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) by 2030.
iii. HFC–23 gas, a potent greenhouse gas, with Global Warming Potential of 14800, is produced during the manufacture of a common refrigerant gas, HCFC-22. If vented out in environment, is a threat to the environment. HCFC stands for hydro chloro fluro carbon.
PM Modi to inaugurate 104th Science Congress in Jan
i. Prime Minister NarendraModi will inaugurate the five-day 104th Indian Science Congress at the Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati on January 3, the organisers said on Friday. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu will also accompany Modi. Nine Nobel prize winners, four in Physics, three in Chemistry, and one each in Economics and Peace would also take part in the meet.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Shaurya Smarak in Bhopal
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 October 2016 inaugurated 'Shaurya Smarak', the war memorial in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The 'Shaurya Smarak' was constructed by the state government in honour of those who laid down their lives for the country.
About the Shaurya Smarak
• The Smarak built over an area of 12.67 acres of land.
• It was developed at an expense of 41 crore rupees includes a 62-foot Shaurya Stambh.
• It has light and sound facility to narrate stories of bravery of the nation's valiant soldiers, who have laid down their lives fighting enemies on the borders.
• Various stages of life, war, death and victory over death have been displayed here.
• The memorial was designed by Mumbai-based architecture firm, UCJ Architecture and Environment.
IRCTC to operate swanky restaurant ‘The Rails’ at National Rail Museum
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will manage and operate “The Rails”, the newly constructed swanky restaurant at the National Rail Museum (NRM) designed to attract visitors and tourists with an array of sumptuous cuisines.
The restaurant, which is to be made operational soon, has a replica of the Central Dome portion of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Mumbai, which is a UNESCO World Heritage building.
Highlights of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2016’
‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) -2016’ is being organized by M/o Culture in IGNCA premises, Janpath, New Delhi from 15th to 24th October, 2016. RSM was conceived by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015 with an intent to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, viz.
Handicrafts, Cuisine, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Documentation and Performing Arts-Folk, Tribal, Classical and Contemporary- all in one place. The Seven Zonal Cultural Centres under the Ministry have been given the task of organizing the RSM in Delhi as well as taking it to different cities of the country under the banner of the slogan “EK BHAARAT, SHRESTH BHAARAT
Germany & India to work together on rail connectivity of Indian Ports
The Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that India and Germany are all set to collaborate on projects for improving rail connectivity of Indian ports. He said the two countries will work together on projects worth Rs one lakh crore being implemented by the Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd (IPRCL).
SmritiI rani to inaugurate India International Silk Fair
The flagship event of the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council, the 5th edition of India International Silk Fair, will be inaugurated by the Union Textiles Minister Smt. SmritiI rani, on 15th October, 2016 at 11 AM, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. Minister of State for Textiles, Shri Ajay Tamta and Secretary (Textiles), Smt. Rashmi Verma will also be present as Guests of Honour.
Govt launches special drive for hundred percent enrollment for Aadhaar in 22 States, UTs
The Unique Identification Authority of India has launched a special drive from today to enroll leftover population for Aadhaar in 22 States and Union Territories. The States include Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman AND Nicobar Island, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. The drive will ensure that nobody is left without an Aadhaar in these States. It will be only for adult population.
Odisha celebrates Kumar Purnima festival today
Kumar Purnima the famous age-old festival of Odisha, dedicated to Lord Kartik, the first son of Lord Shiva, is being celebrated across the state on the full moon day in Ashwin month today. The festival is also known as Kumara Punein as the full moon will be worshipped today evening by offering puffed paddy. According to Oriya tradition, young women wake up early in the morning and after purification rituals offer food to Sun God. Lord Surya is also worshipped during the process. Women then fast on the day.
Haryana starts a 'Farm Tourism' scheme
The Haryana government on Friday started a 'Farm Tourism' scheme, under which registered farm owners can host tourists as part of holiday packages. Haryana Tourism Minister Rambilas Sharma said that this scheme has been started to "attract people to villages". Holiday packages will be offered to tourists at registered farms near Delhi, he said.
INTERNATIONAL
World's largest solar plant costing $5 bn proposed
California-based renewable-energy developer Solar Reserve is planning the world's largest solar energy project, costing an estimated $5 billion. The plant could generate energy equivalent to two nuclear power plants, enough to power one million homes. The proposed concentrated solar plant (CSP) is said to be built over 15,000 acres in Nevada's desert and will have a capacity of two gigawatts.
'World's longest sightseeing escalator' opens in China
A 688-metre-long escalator, which is believed to be the world's longest sightseeing escalator, recently opened in China's Hubei province. Located in the Enshi Grand Canyon, it takes visitors on an 18-minute journey with views of waterfalls, caves, villages, rivers, and peaks. The escalator can transport about 7000 people per hour and is expected to carry about 6,00,000 people annually.
17th India Russia Annual Bilateral Summit: PM Modi holds one to one talks with Russian Prez Putin in Goa
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held restricted talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Goa as part of 17th India Russia Annual Bilateral Summit.
They led the delegation level talks between India and Russia. Both leaders reviewed the entire gamut of India Russia relations in their bilateral talks with a focus on defence and nuclear cooperation. Terrorism and improving connectivity between the two countries also figured in the talks.
India and Russia today signed a number of agreements in several fields including infrastructure, defence, ship building, science and technology and railways. The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
China to sign loans worth 1.6 lakh cr to B'desh
China will reportedly sign off loans worth $24 billion (around 1.6 lakh crore) to Bangladesh during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit on Friday. Notably, this is Bangladesh's biggest foreign credit line, and will reportedly help it in building power plants, a seaport, and railway infrastructure. Jinping is visiting Bangladesh on his way to the BRICS summit in Goa, India.
BANKING NEWS
SBI to divest 5% stake in its life insurance subsidiary
State Bank of India will divest up to 5% of its stake in its life insurance subsidiary SBI Life Insurance, the bank said on Friday. SBI Life is a joint venture between the State Bank of India and BNP Paribas Cardiff, in which the former owns 74% of the stake. The sale could reportedly fetch SBI around 1,950 crore.
Soft Bank, Saudi Arabia plan largest tech fund of $100 bn
Japan's Soft Bank has announced a technology investment fund of up to $100 billion with Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund. The 'Soft Bank Vision Fund' will comprise $25 billion from Soft Bank, up to $45 billion from Saudi Arabia and additional funds from other global investors over the next five years, to create the world's largest technology investment fund.
BUSINESS NEWS
ONGC beats Infosys to become India's 5th most valuable firm
State-run oil and gas major ONGC on Friday advanced over IT major Infosys to become the fifth most valuable company in India. Shares of ONGC have gained over 14% so far in this year on account of a rise in global crude oil prices, data stated. Notably, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is India's most valuable company.
Govt to use postal network for distribution of subsidized pulses
The Government has decided to use postal network for distribution of subsidized pulses. The decision was taken in the Inter Ministerial Committee on prices of essential commodities headed by Union Consumer Affairs Secretary, Hem Pande in New Delhi yesterday.
The committee reviewed availability and prices of essential commodities specially pulses and suggested that in the absence of government outlets in the states, postal networks should be used for the distribution.
It was observed that the prices of pulses are declining in recent weeks, while prices of some of the other commodities are stable. The committee also decided to release more Chana from buffer stock to ensure availability at reasonable prices during ongoing festival season.
It also reviewed procurement arrangements of Kharif pulses by government agencies. It was informed that so far 500 procurement centres have been opened and farmers are being paid through check or bank transfer instantly.
AGREEMENTS & MoUs
Ministry of Railways signs MoU with Government of Odisha
Ministry of Railways signed MoU with Government of Odisha For Cost Sharing of Two New Railway Line Projects in Odisha. This was signed in the presence of Shri Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister for Railways and Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha. On this occasion Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Jual Oram, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Member of Parliament from Odisha were also present.
The two new line projects viz. Jeypore- Nabarangpur and Jeypore - Malkangiri was included by Indian Railways in the Railway budget 2016-17 subject to requisite approvals from the Odisha government. Government of Odisha has agreed to partly bear the cost of these projects as detailed below:
• JEYPORE – MALKANGIRI (130 Km)- 25% of total cost
• JEYPORE – NABARANGPUR (38 Km)- entire land cost and 50% cost of construction.
APPOINTMENTS
ICICI Bank Appoints Anup Bagchi
ICICI Bank appointed its brokerage business head AnupBagchi as executive director of the bank and head of retail banking, replacing Rajiv Sabharwal.
Shilpa Kumar will replace Bagchi as MD and CEO of ICICI Securities.
Shilpa will be succeeded by B Prasanna as Group Executive and Head of Markets and Proprietary Trading at ICICI Bank.
The board also took on record the resignation of Sabharwal as executive director consequent to his decision to pursue opportunities outside the ICICI group, effective January 31, 2017.
Valvoline Ropes In Virat Kohli As Brand Ambassador
Valvoline Cummins India has roped cricketer Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador of it’s engine oils and lubricants range. Valvoline Ropes In Virat Kohli. He is an Indian international cricketer and who current captain of the Indian team in Test cricket and vice-captain of Team.
Previous month Kohli appointed as the brand ambassador of Punjab National Bank He was appointed as their Brand Ambassador of Celkon Mobiles and also joins Premier Futsal football league as brand ambassador on April 2016
Anup Wadhawan appointed Additional Secretary- Department of Commerce
Shri Anup Wadhawan IAS (Uttarakhand 1985), Director General, Foreign Trade has been appointed as Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce; vice: Ajay Kumar Bhalla IAS (Assam 1984).
Shri Wadhawan appointments have ranged from magisterial and development administration positions in the field to policy-related assignments in areas like education, planning, hill development, rural development, urban development and forests & environment in the States of UP and Uttarakhand.
Inder Jit Singh appointed Additional Secretary- Department of Commerce
Dr. Inder Jit Singh IAS (kerala 1985), Additional Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has been appointed as Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce; vice: Arvind Mehta IAS (Rajasthan 1984).
C G RajiniKaanthan appointed DCO, Tamil Nadu & Punducheery
Shri C G Rajini Kaanthan IAS (Haryana 2004) has been appointed as Director of Census Operations (DCO) /Director of Citizen Registration (DCR),Tamil Nadu & Punducheery under the Central Staffing Scheme. his appointment will be for a period of three years.
B P Sharma given Addl charge as Secretary- Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances
Shri Bhanu Pratap Sharma IAS (Bihar 1981) presently working as Secretary , Department of Personnel and Training has been given additional charge of the post of Secretary ,Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances vice Shri C Viswanath IAS (AP 1981).
Rear Admiral B Dasgupta assumes Command as Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet
Rear Admiral B Dasgupta, YSM, VSM took over command of the sword arm of Indian Navy, the Eastern Fleet, from Rear Admiral SV Bhokare, YSM, NM at an impressive ceremony held today, 14 Oct 16 in Naval Base, Visakhapatnam.
Rear Admiral B Dasgupta, a specialist in Navigation and Aircraft Direction, is a Graduate of National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla and has undergone the Command and Staff Course at Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Amrit Lugun concurrently accredited Ambassador to Eritrea
Shri Amrit Lugun IFS (1989), presently Ambassador of India to the Republic of the Sudan, has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the State of Eritrea, with residence in Khartoum(Sudan). He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
Ajay Kumar Bhalla appointed as Director General of Foreign Trade
Senior IAS officer Ajay Kumar Bhalla was on 13 October 2016 appointed as the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). He succeeds Anup Wadhawan, who was appointed as Additional Secretary in the commerce ministry.
Bhalla, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is presently an Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry.
R.A. Mashelkar conferred award by Centre for Organisation Development
R. A. Mashelkar, former Director-General of CSIR, has been conferred the V Krishnamurthy Award for excellence by the Hyderabad-based Centre for Organisation Development.
The former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Governor of Tamil Nadu, K Rosaiah, presented the award at a function in Hyderabad on Thursday.
The meeting was attended among others by Habil F Khorakiwala, Founder Chairman, Wockhardt Group, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of COD; Ramesh Gelli, a noted banker and Umeshwar Pandey, Director, COD.
The award was instituted in 2000 to recognise excellence in management. V Krishnamurthy had contributed enormously to the public sector, BHEL and SAIL
Indian-origin scientist bags young scientist award in US
Kirtiraj Kundlik Gaikwad, an Indian scientist with the Department of Packaging, has been awarded the prestigious IAFP Young scientist scholarship award for his research work on "development of novel oxygen absorbing package in the field of active packaging for oxygen sensitive food products".
Mizoram's Pachuau declared India's oldest working journalist
The Mizoram government and the Mizoram Journalists' Association declared Lalbiakthanga Pachuau as the "oldest working journalist in the country". The 90-year-old former soldier is the editor of 'Zoram Tlangau', a Mizo daily, started by him in 1970. Notably, Pachuau studied only till class III before joining the British Army in 1945 at the age of 18.
London's oldest Indian restaurant awarded Michelin Star
London's oldest Indian restaurant, Veeraswamy, has recently been awarded a Michelin Star, among 19 other restaurants listed in the 2017 Guide. Located on Regent Street, the restaurant celebrated its 90th birthday earlier this year. Veeraswamy is best known for serving different varieties of traditional curries including Madras Curry, Duck Vindaloo and Dak Bungalow Curry.
Madonna named woman of the year 2016 by Billboard
American singer-songwriter Madonna has been named 'Woman of the Year' by Billboard for "her creative vision, relentless innovation, and dedication to philanthropic causes". Born Madonna Louise Ciccone, the 58-year-old singer is the best-selling female recording artist of all time, having sold over 300 million records till October 2013. Madonna has won numerous awards so far, including 7 Grammys.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Harsh Vardhan calls for scientists' support for govt schemes
Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday called upon scientists to think “out-of-the-box” in research laboratories, as many of the government’s programmes like Digital India and Make in India “need support of the scientific community”. The scientists' research should also percolate down to the common man, he added. Further, he stated that scholarships have been introduced to attract talent.
ISRO plans to set up telescope on the moon
ISRO chairman AS Kiran Kumar has said that the space agency is in talks with an international body regarding setting up of a telescope on the moon. The telescope can have a lot of advantages as there are no atmosphere or atmospheric effects associated with it, he further said, while speaking at an event in IIT Madras.
SPORTS NEWS
Usain Bolt to retire after 2017 World Championships
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt has confirmed that he will retire after the 2017 World Championships in London in August. Bolt also informed that the Racers Grand Prix later this year will be his last race in Jamaica. Bolt, who is the world recorder holder in 100-metre and 200-metre sprints, is expected to participate in both the races at the event.
ICC announces 1st exclusive women's World T20 in 2020
ICC has announced that the 2020 women's World T20 will be held separately from the men's tournament for the first time. The proposal was put forward by Cricket Australia, hosts for the edition, and accepted at the ICC meeting in Cape Town on Friday. The move is intended to promote the tournament "away from the shadow of the men's game".
Ali becomes Pakistan's 4th triple centurion in Tests
Opener Azhar Ali became the fourth cricketer from Pakistan to score a Test triple hundred, making 302*(469) in the first Test against West Indies in Dubai on Friday. The triple hundred also makes Ali the first batsman to score 300 in day-night Tests. Ali completed 4,000 Test runs in the process, becoming the 10th Pakistani to do so.
Yengkhom 1st Indian to win gold in World Junior Wushu C'ship
Manipur's Jason Yengkhom has become the first Indian to win a gold medal in the World Junior Wushu Championships. Yengkhom won in the boys' 52 kg Sanshou event at the 6th edition of the Championships in Bulgaria, beating China's Jun Yang. India's Thoudam Malemnganbi and Roshibina Naorem won a silver and a bronze respectively in their events at the Championships.
Maharashtra's duo break 70-yr-old record of highest Ranji partnership
Maharashtra's Swapnil Gugale and Ankit Bawne broke the 70-year-old record of the highest partnership in Ranji trophy with their unbeaten stand of 594 runs. The previous best stand was 577 runs between Vijay Hazare and Gul Mohammed in 1946/47. Maharashtra declared their innings leaving the duo 30 runs short of the highest ever partnership in cricket history.
Renowned writer and litterateur Dayanand Anant passes away at 88
Renowned writer and litterateur from Uttarakhand, Dayanand Anant, passed away today at his residence in Bhowali near Nainital.He was 88, family sources said.
Born in Nainital in 1929, Anant completed his primary education at Nainital and higher education from Lucknow.He was one of the most prominent writers of Uttarakhand who penned two short story books, three novels, five TV dramas and many comics and satires.
Dayanand also translated many stories from other languages to Hindi. Also, Anant worked as Public Relations Officer with the Russian Embassy.He started a tabloid by the name of 'Parvatiya Times' in 1980 and remained its editor for a decade. DayanandAnant was honoured with many prestigious awards.
Dario Fo, Nobel-winning playwright, dies aged 90
The Nobel prizewinning playwright and actor Dario Fo, famous for his cutting political satire in plays such as The Accidental Death of an Anarchist, has died aged 90.
Fo, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1997, had been suffering from lung problems for months and had been in hospital for 12 days
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