Current Affairs Booster September India and Switzerland signed two agreements including technical cooperation in the field of railways. MS Dhoni became the sixth Indian cricketer to play 300 ODIs. According to Reserve Bank of India, Economic activity as measured by Gross Value Added (GVA) is expected to expand by 7.3 per cent in the current fiscal. Union minister for commerce and industry Nirmala Sitharaman honored Konkani and Marathi writer Mahabaleshwar Sail with the 'Saraswati Samman' for 2016. The New Development Bank (NDB) approved USD 1.4 billion loans for sustainable development projects in China, India and Russia. The Union cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding signed between India and Israel to set up USD 40 million fund for industrial research and technological innovation. The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Election Commission of India to enter into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of electoral management and administration with the Election Management Bodies of other countries/International Agencies. Tyre major Bridgestone India has appointed badminton player P V Sindhu as its brand ambassador. Senior IAS officer Rajiv Gauba took charge as the Union Home Secretary. R.K. Raghavan has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Cyprus. Skill Development Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy resigned from his post. Indian-origin J Y Pillay has been appointed as the acting president of Singapore. Pillay took over from Tony Tan Keng Yam. Former bureaucrat Sunil Arora has been appointed the new Election Commissioner of India. India will collaborate with Switzerland for developing 'tilting' trains which will tilt on approaching a bend, just like a motorbike on a winding road. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the two countries in this regard. India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate has reduced to 5.7 per cent in the first April-June quarter of the current financial year. This is the lowest in three years. Indian Boxer Gaurav Bidhuri won bronze medal at the World Boxing Championships. Noted economist Rajiv Kumar took over as the vice-chairman of Niti Aayog. Retired Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi has been appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. India and European Union (EU) have agreed to strengthen cooperation between their security and intelligence agencies to combat threat of terrorism and check terror financing. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India's largest autonomous public research and development organisations has been ranked 9th best government organisations in the world. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das inaugurated and laid foundation stones for various developmental programmes involving Rs 223 crore in Chatra district. Rajiv Kumar, an IAS of 1984 batch, took charge as Financial Services Secretary. Swedish defence firm 'Saab' announced a collaboration with India's Adani Group for defence related manufacturing. Central Coalfields Ltd chief Gopal Singh has been given the additional charge of CMD of Coal India, the world's largest coal miner. Divya Deshmukh won a bronze medal in the girls U-12 category at the World Cadets Chess Championship at Pocos de Caldas, Brazil. According to an SBI Research report, India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate is estimated to be at 6.5 percent in 2017-18. Microsoft's co- founder, Bill Gates overtook Spanish clothing brand Zara's Co-founder Amancio Ortega as the world's richest person. The world’s largest and powerful X-ray laser- European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) was unveiled in Hamburg, Germany. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the annual conference 'Rajaswa Gyan Sangam 2017' at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. India and Nepal began their joint military exercise 'Surya Kiran' in the western part of Nepal, focusing on counter- terrorism and forest fighting operations. Pulitzer Prize winner and poet John Ashbery passed away. He was 90. Lt Gen Sanjay Kumar Jha has been appointed as the new Commandant of the Indian Military Academy based in Dehradun. Global brokerage firm UBS has lowered India's GDP growth forecast to 6.6 per cent for this fiscal from 7.2 per cent earlier. The Aditya Birla group has entered the top valuation league with a market cap of over $50 billion post listing of financial services arm Aditya Birla Capital (ABCL), but the Tata's remain on top with over $132 billion. Former Union Minister and Trinamool Congress MP Sultan Ahmed died. He was 64. Virat Kohli has kept his stranglehold on the top spot in the ICC ODI batsman rankings and has also equalled Sachin Tendulkar's record of highest rating points pocketed by an Indian. 9th BRICS summit started in Xiamen, China with the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”. It will conclude on 5th september. India and Nepal began their joint military exercise 'Surya Kiran' in the western part of Nepal, focusing on counter- terrorism and forest fighting operations. Pulitzer Prize winner and poet John Ashbery passed away. He was 90. Lt Gen Sanjay Kumar Jha has been appointed as the new Commandant of the Indian Military Academy based in Dehradun. Global brokerage firm UBS has lowered India's GDP growth forecast to 6.6 per cent for this fiscal from 7.2 per cent earlier. The Aditya Birla group has entered the top valuation league with a market cap of over $50 billion post listing of financial services arm Aditya Birla Capital (ABCL), but the Tata's remain on top with over $132 billion. Former Union Minister and Trinamool Congress MP Sultan Ahmed died. He was 64. Virat Kohli has kept his stranglehold on the top spot in the ICC ODI batsman rankings and has also equalled Sachin Tendulkar's record of highest rating points pocketed by an Indian. 9th BRICS summit started in Xiamen, China with the theme “BRICS: Stronger Partnership for a Brighter Future”. It will conclude on 5th September. RBI included HDFC Bank in the list of D-SIB or domestic systemically important banks. India's largest lender SBI and private sector major ICICI Bank were classified as D-SIBs in 2015. With the inclusion of HDFC Bank in the list, there will now be three too big to fail financial entities in the country. BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) signed four documents, including on economic and trade cooperation with an aim to deepen commercial ties. India's Konsam Ormila Devi bagged a gold medal in 44kg weight category of the Commonwealth Youth (boys & girls) weightlifting championships, held at Gold Coast, Australia. P R Seshadri has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of private sector Karur Vysya Bank. Drugmaker Novartis has named Indian-origin Vasant Narasimhan as its Chief Executive Officer. Arunachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Jomde Kena died. He was 52. The US President Donald Trump has appointed Kenneth Juster as the United States Ambassador to India. President Ramnath Kovind laid foundation stone of Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation Yojana (SAUNI) Phase-II Link-4 in Rajkot district, Gujarat. Stepping up cooperation between the two coast guards, India handed over an off-shore patrol vessel, Varuna, to Sri Lanka. The ship was decommissioned with traditional honours on August 23 to facilitate the handing over at Kochi. India and Myanmar signed 11 agreements in a range of sectors, including one to strengthen democratic institutions in this country. Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra has been appointed as the first Indian woman ambassador (Friend of Australia) for Tourism in Australia. Five Indian-Americans have been included in the Politico Magazine's 2017 Politico 50 list for their contribution in American politics. In addition to US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, the list includes Seema Verma, top health care agency head in the Trump Administration, lawyer Neal Katyal, economist Aparna Mathur and lawyer Neomi Rao. India's Ankur Mittal won silver medal in the men's double trap event at the ongoing ISSF World Shotgun Championship. India will host the 2019 edition of the Commonwealth (Youth, Junior and Senior) Weightlifting Championships. State owned telecom operator BSNL has announced a web app GSP (GST Suvidha Provider)/ASP (Application Service providers) in partnership with the key service provider Taxmann Publications to provide services related to transitioning to GST to its customers. K V Rama Moorthy has appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd. Indian Journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh died. She was 55. Lai Ching-te became the new Prime Minister of Taiwan. He will replace Lin Chuan. Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy and Mumbai-born scientist Veena Sahajwalla have been conferred the PLuS Alliance Prize - a prestigious honour that recognises Research Innovation, Education Innovation, Global Leadership and Global Innovation. The Press Council of India and its counterpart in Myanmar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of media during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Nay Pyi Taw. Senior IAS officer N Baijendra Kumar assumed charge as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of NMDC Limited. In the annual World University Rankings released by Times Higher Education, the Indian Institute of Science of India has reached 251-300 band from last year's 201-250 band, while Oxford and Cambridge universities are on the top in the Global 1000 list. The seventh edition of India-Sri Lanka joint maritime naval exercise named SLINEX 2017 has been started near Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) in Bay of Bengal. Virat Kohli became the highest run-getter while chasing in T20 international matches. Nirmala Sitharaman took charge of the defence ministry, becoming the first full-time woman Defence Minister of the country. India and Japan have agreed to collaborate closely in defence production, including on dual-use technologies. India's biggest gas importer, Petronet LNG Ltd will build Sri Lanka's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. Vistara and Japan Airlines have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an extensive partnership that includes code share flights and frequent flyer partnership. Viveck Goenka, Chairman and Managing Director of the Express Group, and N. Ravi, a former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu daily, were unanimously elected Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively of Press Trust of India, the country's largest news agency. American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company SpaceX launched the Air Force's super-secret space shuttle. It's the fifth flight for one of these crewless mini- shuttles, known as the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. Hollywood star Donald Sutherland will be awarded with an honorary Oscar despite never being nominated in the past. The Public Sector Leading Bank, Bank of Baroda has received the first prize under the Rajbhasha Kirti Award Scheme for the year 2016-17 for outstanding performance in the field of Official Language Implementation. Indian Wrestler Sonam won a gold medal by defeating Japanese Wrestler Sena Nagamoto (in 56kg women's category) in the ongoing Cadet World Wrestling Championship in Athens. According to the Basel Institute on Governance's 2017 edition of the Basel Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Index, Pakistan has been placed on the 46th position in the list of 146 countries with high terrorism financing and money laundering risks. India has been ranked 88th in this list. India continued to be at the top of the ICC Test rankings but Australia slipped one place to fifth in the latest list after drawing the away series against Bangladesh. England pacer James Anderson became the third pacer and sixth bowler overall in Test history to take 500 wickets. The Andhra Pradesh government signed a MoU with the US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) to build India's first Hyperloop system. Gujarat International Finance-Tec City (GIFT City), has won the prestigious Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) Services Excellence Award. The Assam government signed a MoU with Google India Pvt Limited here to provide internet connectivity to 26,000 villages and 1500 tea garden areas across the state. Famous composer-lyricist Michael Friedman died. He was 41. Trinbago Knight Riders defeated St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 3 wickets in the finals to win the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title for the second time. Germany's Bibiana Steinhaus became the first female referee to officiate a top-flight European league match. India’s Shiv Kapur carded two-under 68 in the final round to get to six- under 274 and finished tied 20th at the Omega European Masters golf tournament Anthony Amalraj outlasted top seed Sharath Kamal 4-3 in the men's singles final at the All India National Ranking Table Tennis Championships (South Zone). India's spinner Ravindra Jadeja has lost his top spot after sliding a place to be at the second position in the latest ICC Test bowler’s rankings. Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Suhas L.Y. won the silver medal in the Para Badminton International Championships being played in Japan. Sumit Nagal of India defeated Colin van Beem of the Netherlands by 6-3, 6-0 to win the 8th MCC S R Subramaniam Memorial ITF Futures Men's singles title. Spain's Rafael Nadal defeated Kevin Anderson of South Africa to win the US Open men's singles title. Kochi will host the BWF World Senior Badminton Championships from September 11 to 17. India's second largest software services firm Infosys completed the acquisition of London-based Brilliant Basics. Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah became the first athlete to win four consecutive Great North Run titles. Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei has become the first woman in history to complete 10-km road race in under 30 minutes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe will lay the foundation stone of the proposed High Speed Rail Network, or bullet train, between Mumbai and Ahmedabad on September 14. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested the indigenously developed 3rd generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) “Nag”. Jordan has launched Sahara Forest Project near the southern port city of Aqaba to turn the desert land into farming Land. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman flagged-off Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Tarini (INSV Tarini) from INS Mandovi boat pool, Goa. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew. Miss North Dakota Cara Mund won the Miss America-2018 title. This beauty contest took place in New Jersey. Paytm Payments Bank (PPB) has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch a RuPay-powered digital debit card. Senior Congress MLA and former Madhya Pradesh minister Mahendra Singh Kalukheda passed away. He was 72. Badminton great Prakash Padukone will be conferred with the first Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) for his rich contribution to the sport. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched ‘FoSCoRIS’, a nationwide online platform to bring in transparency in food safety inspection and sampling. London has topped the 2017 Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) among 92 financial centres released by the Z/Yen and China Development Institute. Mumbai has been ranked 60th in this index. India and Afghanistan exchanged four pacts in areas of health, transport, space and new development partnership. US President Donald Trump has nominated noted Indian-American lawyer Manisha Singh to a key administration position in the State Department, making her in charge of economic diplomacy. Force Motors Chairman Abhay Firodia has been elected as the new president of the automobile industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). India and Belarus signed 10 agreements in various fields to strengthen their bilateral relations. Social media giant Facebook (2nd) and e-commerce major Amazon (3rd) have been ranked among the top 10 firms on Fortune's '100 Fastest-Growing Companies' list. Natural Health Trends has been ranked first in this list. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed the outgoing president of the General Assembly as the first special envoy for the oceans, seeking to galvanize efforts to protect the world's seas. Veteran Bollywood actor Zeenat Aman has been felicitated with lifetime achievement award for her immense contribution in the field of cinema at the DC South Asia Film Festival (DCSAFF). The Union Government has appointed M Nagaraja Sharma as the chairman and managing director of United India Insurance (UII). Mahendra Pratap Mall has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC). US President Donald Trump aide Hope Hicks has been named White House communication’s director. The Union Cabinet approved signing of an agreement with Morocco on healthcare and another with Armenia on cooperation in disaster management. The 2nd edition of the International Buddhist Conference will be held in Gujarat between September 17 and 23. Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar launched 'Mission-24' to develop Mumbai's M-East Ward, which has one of the highest slum population in the city. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has partnered with Google Maps to make commutes easier by sharing information on Metro routes, fares and connectivity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone of India's first bullet train project that will run between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. According to research agency Kantar Millward Brown's 'BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indian Brands 2017' list, HDFC bank has retained the top slot for the fourth year in a row while Reliance Jio has been ranked 11th in this list. India has been placed at a low 103 rank, the lowest among BRICS economies, on the World economic forum's (WEF) Global Human Capital Index, which has been topped by Norway. Online restaurant guide startup Zomato has acquired logistics company Runnr. India and Japan signed a MoU for expansion of an international laboratory set up for a collaborative research in the area of biotechnology. Government of India has notified issuance of Commemorative Coins of Rs. 100/- and Rs. 10/- denomination on the eve of Birth Centenary of Dr. M S Subbulakshmi. Commemorative Coins of denominations Rs. 100/- and Rs. 5/- have also been announced on the occasion of Birth Centenary of Dr. M G Ramachandran. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal (JNPCT) has been awarded 'Container Terminal of the Year' Award for the above 0.6 million TEUs category at The Gateway Awards 2017 held at Mumbai. Indian swimmers won 47 medals, including eight golds, at the 9th Asian Age-group Aquatic Championship. This tournament was held from September 8 to 12 at Tashkent in Uzbekistan. Wholesale inflation rose to a four-month high of 3.24 per cent in August. Inflation based on the wholesale price index (WPI) was 1.88 per cent in July 2017 and 1.09 per cent in August 2016. According to the Japanese financial services company Nomura, India's GDP growth will be 7.1 percent in the current financial year. Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been honoured with the Global Diversity Award 2017 in the British Parliament House. The oldest person in the world, Violet Mosse-Brown, has passed away recently. She was 117. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the 'HARPATH portal' for mapping roads in the state. Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan has become the youngest cricketer to take 100 wickets in T20s. Hollywood actor Harry Dean Stanton died. He was 91. Distinguished Hindi story writer and dramatist, Surendra Verma, will receive Vyas Samman on September 20. A book titled Unstoppable: My Life So Far authored by tennis star Maria Sharapova has been unveiled. India's first Centre for Animal Law has been established at the city-based NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, Telangana. Australian Test leg-spinner Bob "Dutchy" Holland has died. He was 70. Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni completed the coveted landmark of 100 international half-centuries across all three formats with an innings of 79 against Australia in the first ODI. Rajasthan government has started Agriculture Produce Deposit Loan Scheme (Krishi Upaj Rahan Loan Scheme) for the farmers so that they get right price for their produce. Indian pair of Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar notched up a lucky victory over compatriots V Diju and J B S Vidyadhar to win the +35 men's doubles crown at the Manorama BWF World Senior Badminton Championships. Lewis Hamilton won the Singapore Grand Prix and scored his 28 points in the driver's championship. This is the third consecutive win of Hamilton. The GST Network (GSTN) said it has reopened the facility for small taxpayers with turnover of up to Rs 75 lakh to opt for composition scheme. Veteran Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and MP from Araria, Mohammad Taslimuddin died. He was 74. India skipper Virat Kohli maintained his top spot in the latest ICC rankings of T20 batsmen, while pacer Jasprit Bumrah climbed up a place to be at second position in the bowlers' table. Search engine company Google launched its mobile payment service 'Tez' in India. Senior IPS officer YC Modi has been appointed as the head of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Rajinikanth Mishra has been appointed as the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu felicitated film-maker S S Rajamouli with the prestigious ANR National Award for his contribution to the Telugu film industry. Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has appointed a former economy minister Mercedes Araoz as the new prime minister of the country. India's Diya Parag Chitale clinched a bronze medal in the girls U-15 category at the Croatia Junior and Cadet Open. The human resource development (HRD) ministry, in its first edition of Swachhta Ranking, has recognised the Haryana-based O P Jindal Global University (JGU) as the cleanest higher educational institution. Airtel Payments Bank integrated Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on its digital platform. Olympic silver medalist Indian shuttler PV Sindhu won the women's singles title of the Korea Open Super Series Badminton Tournament by defeating world champion Nozomi Okuhara in the final match. BJP MP from Rajasthan's Alwar, Mahant Chandnath, died. He was 61. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the Sardar Sarovar Dam, almost 56 years after its foundation stone was laid. War hero Marshal Arjan Singh passed away. He was 98. He led the Indian Airforce in the Indo-Pak war of 1965. The armies of India and the US commenced a joint military exercise ‘Yudh Abhyas’ at a base in Washington. Veteran BJP leader L K Advani has been renominated as Chairman of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has been appointed as the brand ambassador for Uttrakhand's Swachchta Abhiyan. Micro-blogging website Twitter has hired Indian-born Sriram Krishnan, a former top executive from Facebook and Snap, as its Senior Director of Product. Senior Congress leader and MLA Qamar-ul-Islam died. He was 61. Indian athlete Purnima Hembram bagged gold in women's pentathlon event at the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan. Dr KS Chugh, who was known as the 'Father of nephrology in India', passed away. He was 85. China issued a commemorative stamp in honour of the world's largest radio telescope located in Guizhou province. Jharkhand Government has launched Shaheed Gram Vikas Yojana aimed at developing villages of freedom fighters in the state. The US and UAE's ground forces began a joint military exercise 'Iron Union 5' in Abu Dhabi. Tata Steel has in association with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) launched an initiative 'Green School Project' to create awareness about environment issues in school campuses in Odisha's Jajpur district. Three Indians - Ratan Tata, Lakshmi Mittal and Vinod Khosla have been featured on Forbes' list of the 100 Greatest Living Business Minds. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has nominated Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the country's third highest civilian award -- the Padma Bhushan. India TV chairman and editor-in- Chief Rajat Sharma will be the new president of the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) for 2017-18. India's second largest software services firm Infosys has signed a seven-year pact with French container shipping major CMA CGM Group. As part of the agreement, Infosys will open a Delivery Center (DC) in Marseille. Former Delhi football team captain, Santosh Kujur passed away. He was 53. The First ‘BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017’ (BIMSTEC DMEx-2017) will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from October 10-13, 2017 in Delhi. Saudi Arabia and Britain signed a framework deal for military cooperation. The Govardhan Eco Village, set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Palghar district, has won an award for its 'spirit of humanity'. Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture released the book entitled “Bhartiya Kala Mein Salil Kridayen Evam Sadyahsnata Nayika” authored by Kshetrapal Gangwar and Sanjib Kumar Singh. India's table tennis player Mudit Dani won the Under-23 title in the prestigious 2017 Butterfly Badger Open in the United States. More than 50 countries signed a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The Board of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced the unanimous appointment of B Sambamurthy as interim Chairman of the Board. Fino Payments Bank launched its mobile banking app called 'BPay'. Tech giant Google has signed an agreement with HTC to buy part of the Taiwanese company's smartphone business for USD 1.1 billion. Yesteryear Bollywood actress Shakila, best known for her roles in 'Aar Par' and 'CID', passed away. She was 82. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned a USD 300 million loan facility for carrying forward fiscal reforms in West Bengal. India has replaced China as the top retail destination in 2017 Global retail development index. India won one gold and two bronze medals on the fifth day of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Vice President inaugurated the National SC ST Hub (NSSH) Confluence organized by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). Novelist Surendra Verma has been awarded with the Vyas Samman for the year 2016 for his novel 'Katna Shami Ka Vriksha Padmapankhuri Ki Dhar Se'. Vanlalawmpuii Chawngthu became the first woman minister in Mizoram in 30 years. Chinese real estate giant Evergrande Group's Chairman Hui Ka Yan became Asia's richest man with a net worth of $41.1 billion. State Bank of India (SBI) along with FTSE Russell, global index and data provider, launched FTSE SBI Bond Index series at London Stock Exchange (LSE).It is India’s first bond index series for overseas investors. Iran successfully tested a new medium-range missile 'Khoramshahr'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dedicated the Deendayal Hastkala Sankul at Varanasi to the nation. It is a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts. Balraj Joshi took over as the Chairman and Managing Director of NHPC ltd. NHPC is India's premier hydropower utility company. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) sanctioned a loan of about Rs 119 crore to construct seven bridges and improvement of one rural road project in five districts of Haryana. Homegrown FMCG major Dabur India has tied up with e-commerce major Amazon for an online ayurveda marketplace which will house all ayurvedic brands and products available in the country. The Minister of Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harshvardhan launched “Pt Deen Dayal Upadhayay Vigyan Gram Sankul Pariyojana” which will experiment and endeavour to formulate and implement appropriate S&T Interventions for Sustainable Development through cluster approach in Uttarakhand. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the third Mahamana Express running between Vadodara and Varanasi. Leading industrialist Rajinder Gupta has been unanimously elected as the president of the Punjab Cricket Association. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of an AIIMS hospital at Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh on October 3. Max Healthcare is bringing its domain expertise in patient care to people within the environs of their homes with the launch of its new vertical Max@Home. A spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has been launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. India defeated Australia by five wickets in the third one-day international match, taking an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series and also secured the number one position in the ICC Team Rankings. Indian Wrestler Bajrang won a gold medal on the ninth day of the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Australia has announced the formation of a National Space Agency in view of rapid growth and prospects in the field of space. Retail major Shoppers Stop has entered into a commercial arrangement with Amazon India to sell its products on the latter's marketplace. Former home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi took over as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Noted writer and journalist Arun Sadhu passed away. He was 76. World champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark defeated Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei to clinch his first Japan Open title. Angela Merkel won her fourth term as the German Chancellor. Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi inaugurated “Hunar Haat” in Puducherry. Dharmendra Pradhan launched Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat scheme to distribute LPG connections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana-Saubhagya’ in New Delhi to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. Mary Kom became the first Indian to be selected as the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) representative for the IOC Athletes’ Forum to be held in November, 2017. Eruch N Kapadia will be the next chief financial officer (CFO) at Tata Sons. Egyptian national Eman Ahmed, who was once the world’s heaviest woman, passed away in Abu Dhabi. She was 37. Two Indian women have featured on Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women in business outside the US. Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar has been ranked fifth and Managing Director and CEO of Axis Bank Shikha Sharma has been ranked at 21 in this list. Asian Development Bank in its Asian Development Outlook 2017 has downgraded India's GDP growth to 7 per cent from 7.4 per cent in financial year 2017-18. In financial year 2018-19, the forecast is adjusted down to 7.4 per cent, from 7.6 per cent. Shashi Shanker has been appointed as the chairman and managing director (CMD) of India's biggest oil and gas producer ONGC. Baba Ramdev's associate Acharya Balkrishna and Radhakishan Damani of D-Mart have found their place in the Hurun India rich list 2017. Industrialist Mukesh Ambani have retained the richest Indian title. Sebi Chairman Ajay Tyagi has been ranked at the seventh position among the top 10 regulators worldwide. This is the list of the world's ten most influential people in the market structure, also known as The Exchange Invest 1000 (EI1000). The Asian Development Bank has sanctioned a USD 150 million soft loan for Nepal to improve urban infrastructures in the southern area of the country. Pakistan and Russia started joint exercise DRUZBA 2017 in Minralney Vody, Russia. According to Platts Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings, Reliance Industries ltd has become the world's third-biggest energy company. State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has been ranked 7th in this list. Artificial intelligence banking platform Payjo has launched an AI-powered chat assistant 'SBI Intelligent Assistant' for State Bank of India to addresses customer enquiries. Technology giant Apple has been named the most valuable brand for the fifth consecutive year by Interbrand in its Best Global Brands Report 2017. Noted vocalist Manik Bhide has been chosen for the prestigious Bharatratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi award for year 2017-18 for her contribution in the field of music. India will host the South Asian boxing Championship for the first time in Guwahati from December 6 to 10. E-commerce major Flipkart has acquired F1 Info Solutions, a mobiles and IT repair Services Company. The security cover provided by the CISF at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, has bagged the best airport security award from the World Quality Congress (WQC). Colin Gonsalves, a senior Indian advocate has been selected for a prestigious rights award in Sweden for his innovative use of public interest litigation in securing fundamental human rights for India’s most marginalised and vulnerable citizens. India has slipped down by one rank to be placed at the 40th position in the list of 137 countries in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index report 2017-18. Karnataka government will launch 'Mathru Purna' scheme on October 2 to meet the nutritional needs of pregnant and lactating women in rural areas. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Labour (PENCIL) Portal at the National Conference on Child Labour organised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. INS Tarasa (T94), the fourth and last ship in series of Water Jet Fast Attack Craft (WJFAC) was commissioned into Indian Navy. Joao Lourenco sworn in as the new President of Angola. He is the first new President of the country in 38 years. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot launched the Beta version of mobile application ‘Divyang Sarathi’. Legendary Bengali Actor Dwijen Bandyopadhyay died. He was 68. Indian star Priyanka Chopra has made it to Forbes' annual top-10 highest-paid TV actresses list. Sofia Vergara has topped this list. India Ratings has lowered India's growth forecast for the current fiscal to 6.7 per cent from 7.4 per cent. The Union Cabinet approved signing of an agreement with Ethiopia to increase cooperation in the field of information, communication and media. Former Speaker of the Nagaland Assembly and sitting MLA Kiyanilie Peseyie died. He was 69. BBC has included Mithali Raj as one of the most influential women in India in its BBC 100 Women list 2017. Veteran freedom fighter Suryamani Panda died. He was 96. Indians grabbed four medals, including a gold through tennis player Sumit Nagal, on the concluding day to end at 11th place in the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. The Union Ministry of Shipping has renamed Kandla Port Trust as Deendayal Port Trust. The Union Cabinet gave its approval for signing a MoU between India and Afghanistan on Technical Cooperation on Police Training and Development. State-owned BSNL has partnered with Indian telecom gear maker Vihaan Networks (VNL) to deploy emergency mobile network in the event of a natural disaster that will help track those trapped. Madhya Pradesh has won the 'Best Tourism State' national award for the third consecutive year. According to MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index 2017, Chennai, Kolkata along with the six Indian cities have been featured in with the six Indian cities. Apart from Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru have been included in the list. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena has been conferred with 2017 Luxury League Award for his contribution in promotion of brand 'Khadi'. According to a HSBC survey, India leapt up the global rankings by 12 places to take the 14th spot in terms of best country for expats to live and work in. Veteran Congress leader Makhan Lal Fotedar died. He was 85. Five Indians have been included in the top-20 players of the BWF men's singles rankings. These five Indian Players are - HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Ajay Jayaram, Sameer Verma and B Sai Praneeth. Indian captain Virat Kohli became the fastest cricketer to complete 2,000 runs in ODIs as captain. India and Norway signed a Letter of Intent to extend bilateral cooperation within health sector through the Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI) for a period of three years starting from 2018. Watchmaker Fossil has roped in actors Varun Dhawan and Shruti Haasan as its first brand ambassadors in the country. Banking Industry legend Rajiv Sabharwal will be the CEO and Managing Director of Tata Capital Limited.