PDF 4th Week Capsule Nov 2016

1. Prime Minister of Portugal to be Chief Guest for PBD 2017

Dr. António Costa, Prime Minister of the Republic of Portugal has accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to be the Chief Guest at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention to be held from 7 to 9 January, 2017 at Bengaluru in Karnataka.

 Mr. Michael Ashwin Satyandre Adhin, Vice President of the Republic of Suriname will be the Special Guest at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) to be held on 7 January 2017 in Bengaluru.

Portugal

 Capital: Lisbon  Currency: Euro

2. IIT Kharagpur is the top Indian university

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur is ’s highest-ranked institution features in the Top 100 QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2016-17.

 It’s the only Indian institution other than IIT Bombay to feature in top 100.  IIT Madras, and IIT Delhi are placed in the 200 rankings band.

 Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) rank first and second, while ’s Tsinghua University grabs third place.

3. to chair 2017 Energy Club of Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Turkey will chair the Energy Club of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2017, becoming the first non-SCO country to hold its term presidency.

 Earlier, only members of the SCO had assumed the term presidency of the Energy Club.  Apart from SCO's original members, Turkey, Afghanistan, , Mongolia, and Sri Lanka are the members of the SCO Energy Club.

Turkey

 Capital: Ankara  Currency: Lira  Prime Minister: Recep Tayyip Erdogan

4. ITU released Measuring the Information Society Report 2016

UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) released the 2016 edition of the Measuring the Information Society Report.

 The ITU index prepared after surveying 175 economies of the world was topped by the Republic of Korea with IDI of 8.84.  The Sub-Saharan Africa’s Niger with an IDI of 1.07 ranked lowest.

 India was placed at 138th rank with IDI score of 2.69. In 2015, it stood at 135th position.

5. International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women observed

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was observed on November 25, 2016 across the world.

 The theme for this year is “Orange the World - raise funds to end violence against women”.

6. New Zealand most searched by Indian tourists in 2016: Survey

New Zealand was the most searched country by Indian travellers in 2016, with travel searches increasing by 52% this year when compared to 2015, according to a new Skyscanner survey.

 Australia, the second most searched destination, recorded an increase of 47% in searches when compared to 2015.  Malaysia and the UK witnessed a 28% and 15% increase in travel searches.

New Zealand

 Capital: Wellington  Currency: Dollar  Prime Minister: John Phillip Key

7. Thailand invites crown prince to become new king

Thailand's parliament invited Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn to be the new king, completing a formal step for the heir apparent to take the throne following the death of his father last month.

 Vajiralongkorn's father, the much-revered Bhumibol Adulyadej, who took the throne in 1946, died on October 13 at age of 88 after many years of ill health.

Thailand

 Capital: Bangkok  Currency: Baht

8. Dictionary.com’s 2016 Word of the Year Is Xenophobia

As its 2016 word of the year, Dictionary.com has chosen “xenophobia,” which means “fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers.”

 Dictionary.com is the second major outlet to make their 2016 selection, following Oxford’s choice to anoint ‘post-truth’ earlier in November.

9. Khan Market world's 28th costliest location; slips 2 positions

National capital's upscale Khan Market has slipped two position to world's 28th most expensive retail location, even as it continues to be the costliest place to hire a shop in the country, says Cushman & Wakefield.

 New York’s Upper 5th Avenue continued to remain the world’s most expensive retail location, narrowly ahead of Hong Kong's Causeway Bay.

10. BHEL commissions 93 MW unit at RIL's Hazira power plant

State-run power equipment maker BHEL has commissioned a 93 MW steam turbine-based captive power plant (CPP) at Hazira in Gujarat for Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL).

 This is the second unit of the 4x93 MW steam turbine-based CPP, being set up by BHEL for RIL at Hazira.

11. Fifth International Tourism Mart Organised In Imphal

The Ministry of Tourism, , in association with the North Eastern States and West Bengal has organised the “International Tourism Mart” in Imphal, from 23rd – 25th November, 2016.

 The event was held in the City Convention Centre, Sanjenthong, Imphal, Manipur and inaugurated by Shri Okram Ibobi Singh, the Chief Minister of Manipur.

12. Palampur Assembly Constituency becomes first e-Assembly of nation

The Palampur Assembly Constituency of Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh became the first e-assembly constituency of the country.

 The e- system was inaugurated by State Assembly speaker Brij Behari Lal Butail at a function held in Palampur.  The system will help the residents of the constituency to know about the development works going on by one click on the computer.

13. National Constitution Day: 26 November

India observes its Constitution Day on November 26, as it was on this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution.

 On the occasion, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched two books: an updated version of the ; and “Making of the Constitution”.

14. Tribals celebrate Wangala harvest festival in Meghalaya

Hundreds of Garo tribals gathered here recently to celebrate the harvest festival of Wangala with much fervour here.

 The festival marks the end of a period of toil for farmers wanting a good output from their fields.

Meghalaya

 Capital: Shillong  Chief Minister: Mukul Sangma  : V Shanmuganathan

15. Nalanda University Chancellor resigns

The Chancellor of Nalanda University, George Yeo, resigned citing that earlier he was assured of the University’s autonomy but now things had changed.

 Yeo was appointed Chancellor in July 2015.  Earlier on November 23, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen ended his nine-year-long association with the Nalanda University, first as a Chancellor and later as a member of the governing board.

16. will be first state to go cashless from December 31

Goa is likely to become the first state in India to go cashless from December 31, as people will be able to buy perishables such as fish, meat, vegetables or anything else at the press of a button on their mobile.

 One has to dial *99# from their mobile phone, not necessarily a smart phone, and follow the instructions to complete the transcation.

Goa

 Capital : Panaji  Chief Minister : Laxmikant Parsekar  Governor : Mridula Sinha

17. Radha Mohan Singh launches e-pashuhaat portal

The Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh launched e-pashuhaat portal (www.epashuhaat.gov.in) on the occasion of National Milk Day.

 Shri Singh informed that for the first time in the world under the scheme National Mission on Bovine Productivity ‘e-pashuhaat’ portal has been developed for connecting breeders and farmers regarding availability of bovine germplasm.  Through the portal breeders/farmers can sell and purchase breeding stock, information on all forms of germplasm including semen, embryos and live animals with all the agencies and stake holders in the country has been uploaded on the portal.

18. Railways, IRCTC include transgender as third gender

Indian Railways and IRCTC have included "transgender as third gender" in the option alongside male and female in ticket reservation and cancellation forms.

 The decision, which was taken on a representation made by a lawyer will include the facility for reservations and cancellations, both online as well offline.

19. Coins to commemorate 500th anniv of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Culture Secretary N K Sinha released a commemorative non-circulation coin of Rs 500 and a circulation coin of Rs 10 to mark the 500th anniversary of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's arrival in Vrindavan as part of year-long celebrations.

 In 1515, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who propagated the worship of Lord Krishna and popularised the chanting of 'Hare Krishna' Mantra', visited Vrindavan with the objective of locating the lost holy places associated with Krishna's transcendental pastimes.

20. PM Modi flag off Hamsafar train

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flag off the Humsafar train from Kushinagar that will ply between Gorakhpur and Delhi's Anand Vihar terminus.

 This tri-weekly train will have several new features, including LED screen display to show information about stations, train speed and will have announcement system as well.

21. PM Modi launches Indian Police app to locate nearest police stations

Narendra Modi government recently launched the new Indian Police at Your Call app that helps citizens to locate the nearest police station along with the details when in an emergency.

 This Android and iOS supported app not only provides the list of nearby police stations, but also delivers added information about the phone number, the distance of the police station from the person's location, and they will take to reach the station.

22. 26 November: National Milk Day

All dairy cooperatives across the country has celebrated National Milk day on November 26.

 It was observed on the occasion of 95th birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien, founder of white revolution.  Dr Verghese Kurien is known as Milkman of India.

23. Asia's First Cycle Highway Opens In Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh now has Asia's first cycle highway. A first-of-its-kind project, the 207-km-long cycle highway runs between Etawah and Agra and was declared open recently.

 Constructed by the UP public works department, the cycle highway runs parallel to the main highway and is about 7-feet-wide.

Uttar Pradesh

 Capital: Lucknow  Chief Minister: Akhilesh Yadav  Governor: Ram Naik

24. Losar Festival being celebrated in J&K

10 day long festival named Losar festival has begun in Ladakh region of J&K to mark the beginning of New Year in this Himalayan region.

 Losar is Tibetan word for ‘new year’ and this festival is an important social and religious celebration in Ladakh.

Jammu & Kashmir

 Capital: Jammu (in winter) and Srinagar(Summer)  Chief Minister: Mahbooba Mufti  Governor: Narinder Nath Vohra

25. Sun Pharma to acquire 85 per cent stake in Russia's Biosintez

India’s largest drug maker Sun Pharma has announced the acquisition of Biosintez, a Russian company.

 Sun Pharma picked up 85.1% of the company for US$ 24 million and also the debt of approximately US$ 36 million as part of the transaction.  Biosintez is a Russian pharmaceutical company focusing on the hospital segment with annual revenues of approximately US$ 52 million for 2015.

26. Airtel Payments Bank goes live with pilot project in Rajasthan

Airtel Payments Bank, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, rolled out a pilot of its banking services in Rajasthan.

 It has become the first payments bank to go live in the country.  Airtel Bank would commence the pilot with banking points at 10,000 Airtel retail outlets.  The pilot aimed at testing systems and processes ahead of a pan-India launch.

27. NABARD to disburse Rs 21,000 crore to farmers

Government has allowed NABARD to disburse Rs 21,000 crore to cash-starved farmers, helping them sow winter crops like wheat ahead of the sowing season, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta said.

 The government’s demonetisation move has badly hit farmers leaving them without cash just ahead of the sowing season.

NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development)

 Founded: 1982  Headquarters: Mumbai  Chairperson: Harish Kumar Bhanwala

28. YES Bank, Gujarat Roadways join hands to digitise bus travel payments

YES Bank, the fifth largest private sector bank, has announced a partnership with Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) to digitise payment of bus tickets for its customers.

 For this the bank will install over 125 points of sale (PoS) terminals to facilitate booking through credit and debit cards at all GSRTC bus depots.  The initiative will cover all municipal corporation locations and multiple cities including Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara and towns including Bhuj, Dahod, Palanpur and Valsad.

Yes Bank

 Headquarters: Mumbai  Founded: 2004

29. RBI introduces incremental cash reserve ratio of 100 per cent

The has announced an incremental cash reserve ratio (CRR) of 100 per cent for banks for the fortnight beginning November 26, 2016 in order to tackle the surge in deposits following demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.

 The RBI said it will review the decision on December 9 or earlier as the incremental CRR is intended to be a temporary measure within RBI’s liquidity management framework to drain excess liquidity in the system.  The regular CRR would continue to be at 4 per cent. The excess liquidity is estimated to be around Rs 3 lakh crore.

Reserve Bank of India

 Founded: 1 April 1935  Headquarters: Mumbai

 Governor: Urjit Patel

30. SIB launches contactless debit card

South Indian Bank has launched a contactless debit card, which will make use of the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

 Once the merchant enters the purchase amount in the contactless PoS terminal, the customer simply has to just wave the card on the terminal and the payment is processed wirelessly in a fast and secure manner.  Customers can also opt to use their card as a normal CHIP card and transact in a ‘contact’ mode too.

South Indian Bank

 Founded: 1929  Headquarters: Thrissur, Kerala

31. Ola teams up with SBI, PNB for setting up mobile ATMs

After petrol pumps, cash can now be withdrawn by swiping debit cards at select Ola cabs as India’s largest ride-hailing service partners with lenders like State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank to ease cash crunch.

 POS machines are being installed by Ola on a test basis in its cabs in Kolkata and Hyderabad where taxis with a bank officer and POS machine are parked at different locations and dispense cash of Rs. 2,000 per card.  In Kolkata, Ola has partnered with Punjab National Bank (PNB), while for Hyderabad, it has collaborated with SBI and Andhra Bank.

32. Niti Aayog committee to oversee transition to cashless economy

The Central Government has set up a high-level committee to identify possible modes of digital payment across different sectors.

 The committee headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant will look at measures to make online transactions between government and citizens cheaper than cash transactions.  It will also assess costs involved in various digital payments options.

NITI Aayog

 Founded: 2015  Chairman: Prime Minister  CEO: Amitabh Kant  Vice Chairman: Arvind Pangariya

33. ICICI Bank to help 100 villages go digital

ICICI Bank announced that it will transform 100 villages into ‘Digital Villages’ in as many days as part of its continuing effort to provide digital ecosystem across the country, including rural India.

 Under this initiative, villagers will be able to open bank accounts using Aadhar-based e-KYC and make cashless payments to retail stores through a SMS/USSD-based mobile solution.

ICICI Bank

 Founded: 1994  Headquarters: Mumbai  CEO: Chanda Kochhar

34. Morgan Stanley lowers India’s growth forecast by 40 bps to 7.3% for FY’17

American Morgan Stanley has lowered its growth forecast for FY’17 to 7.3% from 7.7% earlier on account of currency replacement programme.

 We are cutting our forecasts: F2017 GDP growth to 7.3% (from 7.7%) and F2018 GDP growth to 7.7% (from 7.8%)”said Morgan Stanley in a report.

Morgan Stanley

 Founded: 1935  Headquarters: New York  CEO: James P Gorman

35. MobiKwik launches ‘Lite’ app

Digital wallet firm MobiKwik has launched a data-light version of its mobile application, targeting smartphone users and small business owners who face challenges of slow Internet connectivity that hampers access to digital payments.

 The MobiKwik Lite app’s size is as small as 1 MB and it can be downloaded in 30 seconds or by giving a missed call on a phone number.  No email ID will be required for signing up.

36. Economy grew 7.1% in first half of FY17

Commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the economy grew by 7.1 per cent in the first half of 2016-17.

 The economy grew by a five-quarter low of 7.1 per cent in the first three months. Figures for the second quarter are to come on 1st December.

37. Delhi become India's economic capital

Mumbai ranks 31st among 50 top metropolitan economic entities globally in 2015, as per latest data released by Oxford Economics.

 Mumbai has been officially beaten by Delhi who secured 30th ranking position.

38. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board sets up two advisory panels

Two high-level committees have been set up by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).

 The nine-member advisory committee on service providers is headed by educationist Mohandas Pai.  The panel on corporate insolvency and liquidation is chaired by noted banker Uday Kotak.  IBBI, chaired by M S Sahoo, will have 10 members. Apart from the chairman, there are now four government-nominated members.

39. Utkarsh Micro Finance gets final nod to set up Small Finance Bank

Utkarsh Micro Finance has received final license from The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start operations as Small Finance Bank (SFB).

 The new SFB will be named as 'Utkarsh Small Finance Bank Ltd' and is likely to start banking operations in early 2017, the company said in statement.

 In October 2015, Utkarsh Micro Finance had got the "in-principle" approval to set up SFB as per the guidelines issued by the RBI.

40. RBL Bank, Bajaj Finance launch co-branded credit cards

RBL Bank, one of the country’s fastest growing scheduled commercial banks, and Bajaj Finance, one of the most diversified NBFCs, announced a partnership to launch a series of co-branded credit cards for Indian customers.

 The first of these credit cards is proposed to be launched in Q4 of FY17.  The co-branded cards are targeted at the large segment of people in metros and non-metros who have no credit cards.

RBL Bank

 Headquarters: Kolhapur, Maharashtra  Founded: 1943  CEO: Vishwavir Ahuja

41. Canara Bank, Bajaj Allianz enter into pact

Canara Bank, a public sector bank, and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, a private general insurance company, have signed a corporate agency agreement for the distribution of Bajaj Allianz’s general insurance products.

 Both have set a target to achieve Rs. 400 crore business in the first year (FY 2017-18) of operations by utilising Canara Bank’s 5,920 branch network spread across the country.  A bouquet of personal lines of products are motor insurance, home insurance, health insurance, travel insurance and commercial line of products such as fire insurance, marine insurance, and engineering insurance.

Canara Bank

 Headquarters: Bengaluru  Founded: 1906  Chairman: T N Manoharan

42. Amul to sell products via Amazon in the US

Home-grown food brand Amul will now sell its products in the US through online retailer Amazon's global selling programme.

 Starting with Amul Ghee, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets brand Amul, will subsequently offer other products through this exclusive association in the US where it has been exporting since the last 20 years.

43. Nikki Haley appointed as US Ambassador to UN

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, the first woman tapped for a top-level administration post during his White House transition so far.

 Ms. Haley would replace Samantha Power as the next US Ambassador to the UN.  She would also be the first ever Indian-American Cabinet rank official in any administration.

44. Yudhvir Singh Malik Appointed As New NHAI Chairman

Yudhvir Singh Malik, the Special Secretary with NITI Aayog, has been appointed as new Chairman of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

 He will replace Raghav Chandra.  Malik had joined NITI Aayog as its Additional Secretary in September last year.

NHAI

 Founded: 1988  Headquarters:

45. Tata Steel board sacks Cyrus Mistry, names OP Bhatt as chairman

The Tata Steel board has sacked Cyrus Mistry as chairman and replaced him with OP Bhatt, an independent director.

 He has earlier worked as SBI chairman.  However, Mistry remains a director of Tata Steel.  Tata Steel is the third listed group company that has replaced Mistry as chairman, after Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Tata Global Beverages.

46. PayU India brings on board Maneesh Goel as new CFO

Naspers-backed PayU India has announced the appointment of Maneesh Goel as its new chief financial officer.

 As part of his new role at the company, Goel will directly report to Aakash Moondhra, CFO of PayU Global.  Goel has spent over 19 years in the field of finance.

47. Mariamma Koshy is new Hockey India President

Former Hockey player Mariamma Koshy took charge of Hockey India as its president with immediate effect.

 Hockey India, during its 41st Hockey India Executive Board meet, announced that Koshy will head the national body.  Koshy, 63, succeeds Narinder Dhruv Batra, who in recent past was elected as the first ever non- European chief of the sport's governing body International Hockey Federation (FIH).

48. General Qamar Javed Bajwa To Replace Raheel Sharif As Pakistan Army Chief

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif picked Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa to replace outgoing army chief Raheel Sharif.

 Lieutenant General Zubair Hayat has been appointed chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee.

Pakistan

 Capital: Islamabad  Currency: Rupee

49. Lt General AK Bhatt appointed as new DGMO

The Army has appointed Lieutenant General AK Bhatt as new Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) while promoted Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh to General Officer Commanding of Strike 1 Corps.

 Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved appointments.

50. N Chandrababu Naidu to head CMs Committee on Demonetisation

The Union Government has decided to constitute a sub-committee of Chief Ministers of five states in the wake of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes.

 The committee will be headed by Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu.  It will suggest measures to normalise the problems arose due to demonetisation.

51. Australia appointed Susan Kiefel as first woman high court chief justice

Susan Kiefel has been named as the next Chief Justice of the Australian High Court, the first woman to take on the role.

 Justice Kiefel will replace the outgoing Chief Justice Robert French, who ends his term on the High Court bench because he has reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.  Justice Kiefel was appointed to the High Court in September 2007.

Australia

 Capital: Canberra  Currency: Dollar  Prime Minister: Malcolm Turnbull

52. Thai Princess conferred 'World Sanskrit Award'

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand and George Cardona, Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania, USA, were presented with the World Sanskrit Award for contributing towards study, advertising and researching Sanskrit.

 The award was presented by Vice President Hamid Ansari at a function.  Sirindhorn was awarded for the year 2015 while George Cardona was awarded for the year 2016.  Awards are given by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Thailand

 Capital: Bangkok  Currency: Baht  Prime minister: Prayut Chan-o-cha

53. Journalist Malini Subramaniam honoured with press freedom award

Malini Subramaniam, a contributor to the news website Scroll.In, was among the journalists honoured by the Committee to Protect Journalists with its annual International Press Freedom Awards for their commitment to a free press despite death threats, imprisonment and exile.

 She has been harassed by police and members of a vigilante group for her critical coverage of human rights abuses in the Bastar area of Chhattisgarh.

54. Tata Steel awarded for sustainable development in mining

The OMQ (Ore, Mines & Quarries) Division of Tata Steel has been conferred with the Aqua Foundation's Excellence Award 2016 under the category of Sustainable Development in Mining Sector.

 The award was given away at an international conference, organised on sidelines of 'Water: Smart Solutions for Growing India' in New Delhi.

55. Mary Kom to receive ‘Legends Award’ from AIBA

Indian boxer M C Mary Kom is all set to get ‘Legends Award’ from the International Boxing Association (AIBA) on its 70th anniversary on December 20.

 An Olympic bronze-medallist and a five-time world champion, Mary Kom is also MP now.  AIBA is celebrating its 70th Anniversary on December 20 during which it will present the award to Mary Kom.

56. Manoj Bajpayee wins Asia Pacific Screen Awards best actor award

Indian actor Manoj Bajpayee has won the best performance award by an actor at the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards beating Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who was awarded a special mention in the same category.

 Bajpayee won the award for his performance as Professor Siras in "Aligarh" directed by Hansal Mehta.  Nawazuddin won the award for his role in Kashyap's "Raman Raghav 2.0".

57. Times Lit Fest: Ruskin Bond conferred Lifetime Achievement Award

Noted author Ruskin Bond was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at Times Lit Fest for his outstanding contribution in the field of literature.

 Bond, moments after receiving the award, reminded his young readers of climate change in the course of conversation with writer Paro Anand.

58. Iranian film 'Daughter' bags Golden Peacock at IFFI 2016

Iranian film Daughter, directed by Reza Mirkarimi, won the coveted Golden Peacock award at the 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

 The film also won the best actor [male] award for Farhad Aslani, who won the Silver Peacock prize and Rs.10 lakh in cash.  The best actor [female] award was bagged by Elina Vasca for her performance in the Latvian film Mellow Mud.  The best director award went to Soner Caner and Baris Kaya, co-directors of the Turkish film Rauf.  South Korean director Lee Joon-ik won the special jury award for the film The Throne.  The ICFT–Unesco Gandhi medal was awarded to Turkish film Cold of Kalandar, directed by Mustafa Kara.  Pepa San Martin’s Spanish film Rara won the Centenary Award for best debut feature film.  National Award-winning Director S. S. Rajamouli was the chief guest of the closing ceremony.

59. UNESCO Salon Competition: Toonz wins award for 'Magical Piano'

'Magical Piano', a short film by the Toonz Media Group has won an award at the prestigious UNESCO Salon Youth Video Competition 2016.

 UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova congratulated the winners and praised them on their wonderful creativity.  This unique story was written by Mayul Verma, an upper primary student from Agra, India, the release said.

UNESCO

 Headquarters: Paris  Founded: 1945  Director General: Irina Bokovo

60. Pink To Be Screened at UN Headquarters

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s film Pink, which dealt with crime against women, has been invited for a special screening at the United Nations head quarters in New York.

 The 73-year-old actor, who plays a lawyer in the film, took to Twitter to make the announcement.  Pink, directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, also starred Taapsee Pannu, Andrea Tariang and Kirti Kulhari in lead roles. It released on September 16.

61. Vikas krishan yadav selected for AIBA 'best boxer’ award

International Boxing Association (AIBA) has selected Vikas Krishnan for this year's best boxer title for his excellent performance.

 Vikas Krishan Yadav is the first Indian to receive this award.  Vikas Krishan Yadav has won medal twice - gold medal in 2014 and bronze medal in 2010.

62. Steven Gerrard, former England captain, announces retirement

Former Liverpool and England football captain Steven Gerrard has announced the end of his playing career.

 Gerrard made 710 appearances for Liverpool and won 8 trophies including champions league. He played 114 matches for England.

63. Sachin win gold at Youth World C'ship

World Junior bronze-medallist Sachin Singh (49kg) became only the third Indian boxer ever to strike gold at the AIBA Youth World Championships with a stunning unanimous victory over Cuban national champion Jorge Grinan in the summit clash at St Peterburg, Russia.

 The 17-year-old outpunched his more fancied rival 5-0 to record a rare Indian triumph over a Cuban boxer.  India thus finished the tournament with one gold and a bronze, a marked improvement from the solitary bronze won in the 2014 edition.  Naman Tanwar (91kg) had settled for a bronze after losing in the semifinal.

64. Indian Golfer Aditi Ashok wins inaugural Ladies Open

Indian teen golfer Aditi Ashok shot a final round of three-under 69 on a weather-hit last day to notch up her second successive victory on the Ladies European Tour at the inaugural Qatar Ladies Open.

 Just a fortnight after claiming her maiden win at the Hero Women's Indian Open, the 18-year-old rookie professional from Bangalore totaled 15-under-par at the Golf Club to grab a three- stroke win over Lydia Hall and Caroline Hedwall.

65. Azamgarh DM Suhas LY wins gold in Asian Para Badminton Championship

District Magistrate (DM) from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, Suhas LY created the history after winning the gold medal in the Asian Para Badminton Championship in Beijing.

 He defeated Hare Sushanto of Indonesia in the final.

66. Nico Rosberg wins F1 title as Lewis Hamilton wins in Abu Dhabi

Nico Rosberg won his first Formula 1 world title after finishing second at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

 Hamilton won the Abu Dhabi GP driving slowly in an attempt to bring other drivers into the battle, knowing he needed Rosberg to finish below third.

67. Davis Cup: Argentina beat Croatia

Argentina fought back to beat Croatia 3-2 and win the Davis Cup for the first time in a dramatic final in Zagreb.

 Argentina is the 15th winner of Davis Cup in 116 years.

Argentina

 Capital:Buenos Aires  Currency: Peso  President: Mauricio Macri

68. Pankaj Advani claims bronze medal at IBSF World Snooker Championship

Fifteen-time world champion Pankaj Advani suffered a 2-7 loss in the semifinals against Andrew Pagett of Wales to settle for a bronze medal at the IBSF World Snooker Championship here.

 His opponent Andrew kept the pressure and reached the final after notching up a 14-74, 8-71, 0- 87, 78-64, 0-81, 70-37, 7-80, 37-68, 19-74 win.

69. Tamil director K Subaash passes away

Tamil writer-director K. Subaash, best known for penning superstar Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Chennai Express", breathed his last in Chennai.

 Subaash started his career as an assistant to Mani Ratnam in 1987 Tamil film "Nayagan", and a year later, he made his directorial debut with Prabhu-starrer "Kaliyugam".  He directed nearly 20 films with last one being 2005 Hindi actioner "Insan".

70. Noted journalist Dileep Padgaonkar passes away

Noted journalist and Times of India editor Dileep Padgaonkar passed away in Pune, aged 72.

 Mr. Padgaonkar was born in Pune in May 1944.  Fluent in French, he joined the Times of India as its Paris correspondent, serving it in various capacities before being appointed its editor in 1988. He held the post for six years.  Mr. Padgaonkar served with the UNESCO in Bangkok and Paris from 1978 to 1986.

71. Fidel Castro, Cuba's leader of revolution, dies

Cuba's former president Fidel Castro, one of the world's longest-serving and most iconic leaders, has died aged 90.

 His younger brother and successor as president Raul Castro announced the news.  Castro toppled the government in 1959, introducing a Communist revolution. He defied the US for decades, surviving many assassination plots.

Cuba

 Capital: Havana  Currency: Peso  President: Raul Castro

72. Marathi litterateur Anand Yadav passes away

Noted Marathi author and Sahitya Akademi awardee Anand Yadav died in Pune. He was 80.

 His autobiography ‘Zombi’ had won Sahitya Akademi award in 1991.  Yadav wrote nearly 40 books about essays, poetries, criticism etcetera.

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