Current Affairs October 2019
Current Affairs October 2019
1st Oct, 2019
Chhattisgarh government to start five new schemes on Gandhi Jayanti Chhattisgarh government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is set to launch five new schemes on October 2 to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The schemes are: Mukhyamantri Suposhan Abhiyaan (Chief Minister Nutrition Scheme), Mukhyamantri Haat Bazaar Clinic Yojana (Chief Minister Market Clinic Scheme), Mukhyamantri Shahariya slum Swasthya Yojana (Chief Minister Urban Slum Health Scheme), Universal PDS scheme Mukhyamantri ward Karyalaya (Chief Minister Ward Offices). In a first, rail passengers to be compensated for delays on board IRCTC's Tejas Express train Passengers of IRCTC's Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express will be compensated in case of delays, the Railway subsidiary said on Tuesday, announcing a first of its kind offer from any national carrier. An amount of Rs 100 will be paid in case the delay is for over an hour and Rs 250 for delays of over two hours, the IRCTC said ahead of the launch of its first train. Rajnath Singh launches DefExpo 2020 website Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday launched the website of the 11th edition of DefEXpo, which will be held in Lucknow in February next year, officials said. The event will be hosted from February 5-8. "The website, www.defexpo.gov.in, provides online services to exhibitors, besides hosting informative content about the product profile of DPSUs (Defence Public Sector Undertakings) and ordnance factories," a senior official said. President Kovind presents Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019 President Ram Nath Kovind today conferred the Vayoshreshtha Samman-2019 on the eminent senior citizens and institutions in New Delhi in recognition of their services towards the cause of the elderly persons. Vayoshreshtha awards are instituted by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry and are presented as part of the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons on 1st October. Economist Surjit S Bhalla appointed as Executive Director for India at IMF Economist Surjit S Bhalla was on Tuesday appointed as the Executive Director for India on the board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an official order said. Bhalla (71) will succeed former RBI deputy governor Subir Gokarn, who died in the US on July 30 after a brief illness. Gokarn, who died at the age of 59, was appointed as the executive director for India on the board of the IMF in November 2015. He was to complete his term in October.
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Current Affairs October 2019
AIM, NITI Aayog’s Atal Tinkering Labs and UNICEF India launches ‘The Gandhian Challenge’ On the 150th birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, AIM, NITI Aayog’s Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) and UNICEF India, including Generation Unlimited, have launched ‘The Gandhian Challenge’. This innovation challenge provides a platform for every child across India to ideate innovative solutions for a sustainable India of their dreams, using Gandhi’s principles. NBCC (India) inks MoU for development of National Sports University at Imphal NBCC (India) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS), the Department of Sports, government of India. The company will provide project management consultancy (PMC) for development of the National Sports University at Imphal, Manipur. The approximate cost of the project is Rs 400 crore. 2nd Oct, 2019
Wild Life Week in India Wildlife Week is celebrated all over the country in the month of October from 2nd to 8th October every year with the view to preserve the fauna means the animal life of the India. Wild Life Week 2013 would be celebrated this year for the whole week from Wednesday (2nd October) to the Tuesday (8th October). US successfully tests intercontinental ballistic missile The US military said on Wednesday (Oct 2) it had tested an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with re-entry vehicle from a base in California across the Pacific Ocean. Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1.13am local time, the re-entry vehicle travelled about 6,750km across the Pacific Ocean to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
Ecuador to quit Opec in 2020 in search of bigger export revenue Ecuador, one of the smallest members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said on Tuesday it will leave the 14-nation bloc from Jan. 1 due to fiscal problems. The Andean nation is attempting to increase crude production to raise more income and has on multiple occasions broken its output quota fixed by Opec. Sachin Tendulkar gets most effective Swachhata Ambassador award President Ram Nath Kovind today presented the most effective Swachchta Ambassador award to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Addressing the India Today Safaigiri Summit in New Delhi, he said, in the past five years, the sanitation drive launched in the country had truly become a mass movement.
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Current Affairs October 2019
PM Modi releases commemorative Rs 150 coins on Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a commemorative Rs 150 coins on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary on Wednesday. PM Modi launched the commemorative coin in Ahmedabad, Gujarat when he had reached Sabarmati Riverfront for the 'Swachh Bharat Diwas' programme in the state.
'Paryatan Parv 2019' being organised by Ministry of Tourism The Delhi leg of the Paryatan Parv 2019 concluded on Sunday and as per the ministry of tourism, around 2.5 lakh people visited the Rajpath lawns where the event had been taking place since October 2. This was the third edition of Paryatan Parv. The ministry said the idea of Paryatan Parv is to propagate the message of ‘DekhoApna Desh’, with the objective to encourage Indians to visit various tourist destinations of the country and also to spread the message of ‘Tourism for All’. MNRE to organise Global Student Solar Assembly on Oct 2 The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in association with IIT Bombay, is organizing the Global Student Solar Assembly on October 2, 2019. The day-long event scheduled at Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex, New Delhi will see participation of over 10,000 students from across the institutions from National Capital Region and Delhi, an official statement said. 3rd Oct, 2019
Army's biggest mountain combat exercise 'Him Vijay' begins in Arunachal Pradesh Air force and Army helicopters will be transferring troops and equipment at the terrain of upto 15,000 ft. The sensitivities arose as Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in India from October 11-13 for the second informal bilateral meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai. “It is an important exercise for validation of the operational concepts of the newly raised Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) to meet the requirements of modern warfare keeping the military progress of the enemy threats in mind." IndianOil launches drive to turn plastic waste into bitumen These initiatives were launched to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatama Gandhi and as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The company will use its refinery operations to convert the single use plastic waste into a specialised bitumen that can be used for construction of roads and highways. A pilot project has been done at Faridabad via the creation of a "Single Use Waste Plastic" based bituminous road. The company will commercially supply the specialised bitumen for use in road construction going ahead.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Govt. launches PRAKASH Portal for monitoring coal supply to power plants The government has launched a portal for better coordination among the ministries of power, coal and Indian Railways for coal supply to power plants. The Prakash portal – ‘Power Rail Koyla Availability through Supply Harmony’ – will enable all stakeholders to monitor coal right from mines to transportation, power Secretary SC Garg said. This is a laudable project in ensuring adequate availability optimum utilisation of coal at thermal power plants, Coal Secretary Anil Jain said. Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express launched today by Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday flagged off the Delhi-Katra Vande Bharat Express from the New Delhi Railway Station and said it was a "big gift" for Jammu and Kashmir's development. Shah also said that Article 370 was the "biggest roadblock" in the state's development and within 10 years, it will be one of the most developed regions of the country.
Envoys of Five Nations Present Credentials to President of India Ambassadors of Denmark, France, European Union, Mexico and Kazakhstan presented credentials to the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, at a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (October 3, 2019). The envoys who presented their credentials were: - Mr Freddy Svane, Ambassador of Denmark Mr Emannuel Lenain, Ambassador of France Mr Ugo Astuto, Ambassador of the European Union Mr Federico Salas Lotfe, Ambassador of Mexico Mr Yerlan Alimbayev, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan WEF Organizing India Economic Summit in New Delhi Theme: Innovating India: Strengthening South Asia, Impacting the World. The summit will have special focus on collaboration with South Asia and ASEAN countries. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has arrived in India to attend the summit. She would co – chair the summit along with Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Sania Mirza representing UN Women. Ore than 800 leaders from 40 countries are expected to attend the forum. 4th Oct, 2019
Andhra Pradesh: CM Reddy launches YSR Vahana Mitra scheme Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday launched the YSR Vahana Mitra scheme which provides Rs 10,000 allowance to self-employed drivers of autos, taxis and maxi cabs.
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Current Affairs October 2019
NHSRC redesignated as WHO collaborating centre for medical devices, health technology policy New Delhi The National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) has been redesignated as a WHO collaborating centre for priority medical devices and health technology policy, an official statement said on Thursday. In the past, NHSRC as a collaborating centre has supported WHO in formulating technical specifications for medical devices such as oxygen concentrators and resuscitation devices and continues to support evaluation of innovations for WHO's compendium on innovative devices, the statement said. Ministry of Tourism has launched Audio Guide facility App "Audio Odigos" for 12 sites of India (including Iconic Sites). Rajasthan- Amer Fort, Delhi- Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, Purana Quila and Humayun’s tomb Uttar Pradesh- Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal, Gujarat- Somnath and Dholavira Madhya Pradesh- Khajuraho Tamilnadu- Mahabalipuram, Bihar- Mahabodhi Temple Delhi cabinet approves setting up of 'Sports University': Arvind Kejriwal The Delhi government will open a "Sports University" in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal, with his deputy Manish Sisodia by his side, said a bill in this regard was approved by the cabinet on Thursday and it would be sent to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal for approval. The chief minister said the "Sports University" would come up on a 90-acre land in the Mundka area. 5th Oct, 2019
Ministry of S&T launches Eco friendly crackers developed by CSIR Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Saturday launched a set of new crackers that promises to help reduce particulate emissions by 30 per cent while producing the same level of light and sound effects of traditional fireworks. The new firework, which cover popularly used sound emitting crackers, flowerpots, pencils, chakkar and sparklers, are based on formulations developed by a consortium of eight laboratories under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) led by Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute. CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurates 39th World Congress of Poets at Bhubaneswar World Congress of Poets based on the theme “Compassion through Poetry” that held from the 2nd to 5th of October 2019 at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KIIT & KISS) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Researchers see individual virus formation for the first time In a first, researchers have captured images of the formation of individual viruses, providing a detailed view of the mechanism with which particles self-assemble into the parasite -- an advance that may help us find new treatment approaches for viral diseases. The study, published in the journal PNAS, looked at the formation of single-stranded RNA viruses -- the most abundant type of virus on the planet that is responsible for diseases like the West Nile fever, gastroenteritis, hand, foot, and mouth disease, polio, and the common cold. The researchers, including those from Harvard University in the US, studied an RNA virus that infected the bacterium E. coli. The virus was about 30 nanometres in diameter (thousands of times smaller than the width of a single human hair), and had one piece of RNA with about 180 identical proteins, the study noted. Home Minister Shri Amit Shah inaugurates the North East Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition in Aizawl, Mizoram Handloom and handicrafts can generate huge employment opportunities in the North East, due to availability of natural resources and presence of traditional culture and skill: Home Minister In last 5 years, PM Shri Narendra Modi has worked day and night to initiate whole of the North East on a path of peace and prosperity. Indo-Mongolian Joint Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2019 14th edition of Indo – Mongolian joint military training, Exercise Nomadic Elephant-XIV, being conducted over a period of 14 days, will commence from 05 Oct 2019 to 18 Oct 19 at Bakloh. The Mongolian Army is being represented by officers and troops of the elite 084 Air Borne Special Task Battalion while Indian Army is being represented by a contingent of a battalion of RAJPUTANA RIFLES. October 5: World Teachers Day Theme of 2019- “Young Teachers: The future of the Profession.” Goa Maritime Conclave – 2019 Concludes The Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC) 2019, which was conducted by the Naval War College, Goa over 2 days concluded today, on 05 Oct, 2019 with an address by Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM ADC, Chief of the Naval Staff, who exhorted all the stakeholders to work together based on a strong foundation of mutual trust, cooperation and collaboration in the Indian Ocean Region, so as to secure the sea lanes and thereby the economies of the region. NHA and Google tie up for Ayushman Bharat Implementation The National Health Authority (NHA) has joined hands with Google to collaborate and strengthen the implementation of the government's flagship health scheme, Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), it was announced on Friday. The two organizations will be working closely to explore various user cases for increasing process efficiencies in day-to-day applications. Google will also support NHA in improving PM- JAY's digital presence and showcasing relevant content to the 50 crore entitled beneficiaries.
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Current Affairs October 2019
6th Oct, 2019
PMJAY, first year: 90,000 cancer claims, Tamil Nadu tops list Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), the tertiary care arm of Ayushman Bharat, has funded the treatment of 90,000 cancer patients through 1.8 lakh hospital admissions. Tamil Nadu, with 40,056 cases, tops the state where the most cancer patients availed treatment under PMJAY, followed by Kerala (22,000), Madhya Pradesh (19,455), Chhattisgarh (15,997) and Gujarat (14,380). 7th Oct, 2019
IFS officer Ramesh Pandey selected for Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by UNEP Senior Indian Forest Service officer Ramesh Pandey has been selected for the prestigious Asia Environmental Enforcement Award by the United Nations Environment Programme. The 1996-batch IFS officer, posted as Chief Conservator Forests in Lucknow and Secretary, UP State Bio-diversity Board, is known for his investigation and intelligence gathering on poachers. Pandey will receive the award on November 13 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The purpose of the Asia Environmental Enforcement Awards is to publicly recognise outstanding achievements by public organisations and individuals in Asia to combat transboundary environmental crime. Discovery of 20 new moons gives Saturn a solar system record Jupiter may be the solar system’s king, but Saturn has a bigger entourage: Today, astronomers announced that they have discovered 20 more moons around Saturn, bringing its total number to 82—the most for any planet in the solar system. The massive haul comes just over a year after astronomers announced 12 new moons orbiting Jupiter, but with the latest finds, Saturn’s retinue now surpasses Jupiter’s 79 known natural satellites. (Explore our interactive atlas of moons.) October 7: World Habitat Day 2019 theme: Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste to wealth Income Tax Department launches faceless e-Assessment scheme Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey launched the faceless e-Assessment scheme. It aims to facilitate faceless assessment of income tax returns through completely electronic communication under which taxpayers will receive notices on their registered e-mails as well as on registered accounts on the web portal www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in with real-time alert by way of SMS on their registered mobile number, specifying the issues for which their cases have been selected for scrutiny.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan launches e-Dant Seva Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan launched eDant Seva website & Mobile application. eDantSeva aims to sensitize you about the significance of maintaining optimum oral health and equips you with the tools and knowledge to do so, including awareness on the nearest oral health service facility. The website provides oral health information gathered from authentic scientific resources and connects you to timely advice for managing any dental emergency or oral health problem. eDantSeva reaches out to more than one billion healthy smiles with one click. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2019 The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2019 was awarded jointly to William G. Kaelin Jr, Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza for their discoveries of “how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability."
India, Bangladesh sign MoU for setting up a coastal surveillance system radar in Bangladesh India and Bangladesh on Saturday inked a important MoU that will enable Delhi to set up a coastal surveillance system radar in Bangladesh besides deciding to further expand connectivity network corridors boosting Delhi's Indo-Pacific strategy with Dhaka emerging as a key pillar in that vision. After the summit here between PMs Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina here the two sides signed seven pacts -- MoU for providing a Coastal Surveillance System; Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on the use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for Movement of goods to and from India; MoU on withdrawal of 1.82 cusec of water from Feni River by India for drinking water supply scheme for Sabroom town, Tripura; Agreement concerning Implementation of the Lines of Credit (LoCs) committed by India to Bangladesh; India to Bangladesh; MoU between University of Hyderabad and University of Dhaka; Renewal of Cultural Exchange Programme MoU on Co-operation in Youth Affairs. Vice President to embark on a two-nation tour to Africa to visit Comoros and Sierra Leone The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will embark on a tour to Comoros and Sierra Leone on October 10. Soon after arrival in Moroni, the capital of Comoros, Shri Naidu will meet President of the Union of Comoros, Mr. Azali Assoumani. Later, Shri Naidu will address the Indian community living in Comoros. On October 13, the Vice President will meet the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Mr. Julius Maada Bio, and later hold delegation-level talks with him and both the dignitaries will witness the signing of agreements.
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Current Affairs October 2019
8th Oct, 2019
2019 Nobel Prize – Physics The Nobel Prize in Physics 2019 was awarded "for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth's place in the cosmos" with one half to James Peebles, "for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology", the other half jointly to Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz "for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star."
World Space Week 4-10 oct World Space Week, October 4-10 annually, is the largest space event on Earth. More than 5,000 events in over 80 countries celebrated the theme “Space Unites the World” in 2018. The 2019 theme is “The Moon: Gateway to the Stars.” “The General Assembly declares 4 to 10 October World Space Week to celebrate each year at the international level the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition”. 9th Oct, 2019
9th October: National Postal 2019 celebrated World Post Day was mooted by an Indian, Anand Mohan Narula in 1969 at Universal Postal Union Congress in Tokyo. Since then, World Post Day has been celebrated all over the world. World Post Day, also called World Post Office Day, is observed every year on October 9 and marks the anniversary of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), which was set up in 1874 in bern, Switzerland. World Post Day is observed to create awareness about the role and importance of postal services in the lives of people, and how it contributes to the global development. It was mooted by an Indian, Anand Mohan Narula, in 1969 at Universal Postal Union (UPU) Congress in Tokyo, Japan. Since then, World Post Day has been celebrated all over the world. UNICEF launches Cryptocurrency Fund UNICEF will now be able to receive, hold and disburse donations of cryptocurrencies ether and bitcoin, through its newly-established UNICEF Cryptocurrency Fund. In a first for United Nations organizations, UNICEF will use cryptocurrencies to fund open source technology benefiting children and young people around the world. “This is a new and exciting venture for UNICEF,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “If digital economies and currencies have the potential to shape the lives of coming generations, it is important that we explore the opportunities they offer. That’s why the creation of our Cryptocurrency Fund is a significant and welcome step forward in humanitarian and development work." PM Modi releases commemorative stamp on Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday attended the 'at home' programme of the Indian Air Force to mark its 87th raising day and released a commemorative stamp to honour Marshal of the Air Force late Arjan Singh. The PM also witnessed an exhibition on self-reliance through innovation. Uploaded by https://westbengalgovtjobs.com/ Page 9
Current Affairs October 2019
Govt collaborates with IIM Bangalore to launch Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship Programme to be launched on a pilot basis in six states including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on Wednesday announced its partnership with Indian Institute of Management (IIM)- Bangalore to launch a new programme 'Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship'. The two-year Fellowship programme will be delivered by IIMB’s Centre of Public Policy (CPP), an independent public interest-oriented policy think-tank engaged in research, teaching, training, and capacity-building. A New Antibiotic Has Been Discovered in The Soil of a Mexican Rainforest Known as phazolicin, this previously unknown compound was recently isolated deep in the tropical forests of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico; it appears the new antibiotic can strike against several types of bacteria. The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry are awarded to John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry are awarded to John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino “for the development of lithium-ion batteries”. Through their work, they have created the right conditions for a wireless and fossil fuel-free society, and so brought the greatest benefit to humankind. C40 cities climate summit The C40 World Mayors Summit, taking place in Copenhagen from 9-12 October 2019, will showcase examples of how cities are already delivering on their strong commitments and accelerate the bold climate solutions needed for a sustainable, healthier, resilient and inclusive future. Global competitiveness index; Singapore on top India has moved down 10 places to rank 68th on an annual global competitiveness index, The Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) is a yearly report published by the World Economic Forum. rank-1: Singapore; rank-2 : United States; rank-3: Hong Kong The WEF said the healthy life expectancy, where India has been ranked 109th out of total the 141 countries With a ratio of female workers to male workers of 0.26, India has been ranked very low at 128th place. 10th Oct, 2019
Scientists in Kerala discover new subterranean fish species: 'Pangio bhujia' A research team led by Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos) here has discovered a unique species of miniature well-dwelling subterranean fish from Kozhikode. The new species which has been named 'Pangio bhujia' is the first species of eel- loach in the world that has been discovered to be living in subterranean environments. Eel-loaches are generally found in fast- flowing streams in the south and the south-east Asia.
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Current Affairs October 2019
India Sports Summit in New Delhi; Kiren Rijiju addresses India Sports Summit in New Delhi; stresses on need for building a sports culture Union Minister for Sports Kiren Rijiju has said that if every Indian starts paying attention to sports, every sport will become an industry. Draft Arms (Amendment) Bill, According to the draft Arms (Amendment) Bill, anyone possessing more than two licensed guns will have to deposit the third one with authorities as the government is planning to ban the practice of granting multiple licences to an individual. As per the draft bill, the government is planning to amend Section 25 (1AA) of the Arms Act, 1959, to give punishment from the usual life term of 14 years to "imprisonment for the remainder of that person's life" for manufacturing, selling, repairing and possessing "prohibited" arms. The minimum punishment under this section will be 14 years. Under the present law, the offence invites imprisonment not be less than seven years but may extend to life imprisonment -- mostly up to 14 years. Solar, wind farms soon along India-Pak border
India has set a target of achieving 175GW of clean energy capacity by 2022 under its climate commitments A 30km long and 20km wide parcel of land has been identified along the border in Kutch district of Gujarat.
9th RCEP Intersessional Ministerial Meeting to be held in Thailand Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will attend the 9th Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, RCEP Intersessional Ministerial meeting beginning tomorrow at Bangkok in Thailand. This will be the last Ministerial before the 3rd Leaders Summit to be held on 4th of next month in Bangkok. Nobel Prize, Literature, 2019
The Nobel Prize in Literature for the year 2018 was awarded to Polish author Olga Tokarczuk and for the year 2019 was awarded to Austrian author Peter Handke.
October 10: World Mental Health Day Theme: Suicide Prevention World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. NASA Launches Long-Delayed ICON Space Weather Satellite to Study Earth's Ionosphere The Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft launched tonight (Oct. 10) at 10:00 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT on Oct. 11) aboard a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket, which was released in midair from its carrier plane, a Stargazer L-1011. The aircraft had taken off about an hour and a half earlier from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Uploaded by https://westbengalgovtjobs.com/ Page 11
Current Affairs October 2019
GEMINI device launched by Govt. of India to for advance disaster warning The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), in collaboration with the Airport Authority of India (AAI), launched two marine information dissemination products on October 9, 2019, to enhance the livelihood of fishermen and increase their security from extreme weather conditions. The new system called GEMINI (GAGAN Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information) has developed on this limitation by utilizing GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation) satellite systems of the AAI to transmit PFZ and disaster warnings to the fishermen. The data coverage of GEMINI covers the entire India Ocean full-time, which will help in information transmission to the fishermen far away from coastal areas.
11th Oct, 2019
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Union Bank of India (UBI). Government e-Marketplace (GeM) on Friday said it has signed a pact with Union Bank of India (UBI) under which the bank will offer several services to it including transfer of funds. The commerce ministry launched the procurement portal GeM to increase transparency in public procurement of goods and services, which is estimated at about Rs 8 lakh crore per year. "Online integration for payments and various banking services is one of the priorities for GeM. It has already signed MoU with 14 public sector and private banks to enable this," it said. It added that GeM is working with others banks, TReDs, and SIDBI to provide invoice financing and bill discounting to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) registered on GeM. This will help MSMEs access easy credit and do better business with government departments. West Bengal-cadre IAS officer Talleen Kumar was recently appointed as the new chief executive officer of GeM. Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 has been awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali The Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 has been awarded to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for "his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea." the youngest head of government in Africa - is the first Ethiopian to be awarded a Nobel Prize. Shashi Tharoor nominates Kerala fishermen for Nobel Peace Prize 2019 Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has recommended Kerala fishermen, whose deeds of courage were the main highlight of the rescue operations during the 2018 Kerala floods, for the Nobel Peace Prize. "It was during the height of this tragedy that fishermen groups of Kerala, at great risk to their lives and potential damage to the boats that are the source of their livelihood, jumped into the fray to save their fellow citizens," Tharoor, MP from Thiruvananthapuram, wrote to the Chairperson of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Nobel Peace Prize ceremony: Murad-Mukwege dedicate award to rape victims Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Yazidi activist Nadia Murad, an IS sex slave survivor, were presented with the Nobel Peace Prize, as they challenged the world to combat rape as a weapon of war. Mukwege, dubbed "Doctor Miracle" for his work helping victims of sexual violence, and Murad, who has turned her experience into powerful advocacy for her Yazidi people, will receive the prize at a ceremony in Oslo.
First-of-Its-Kind Satellite Servicing Spacecraft Launches on Russian Rocket The robotic Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) launched atop a Russian Proton rocket on Oct. 9 from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 6:17 a.m. EDT (1017 GMT, 4:17 p.m. local Kazakhstan time). MEV-1, which was built by Virginia-based company Northrop Grumman, launched along with the Eutelsat 5 West B communications satellite. If all goes according to plan, both spacecraft will deploy into a supersynchronous transfer orbit about 16 hours after liftoff. "The MEV provides a 15-year design life and sufficient fuel to enable well in excess of 15 years of station-kept life while docked with a typical 2,000-kg [4,400 lbs.] geosynchronous satellite," Northrop Grumman representatives wrote in the MEV fact sheet. "The rendezvous, proximity and docking systems of the MEV allow for numerous dockings and undockings during the life of the MEV."
India International Cooperatives Trade Fair held in India The first ever 'India International Cooperatives Trade Fair'(IICTF) was inaugurated today by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2019 SARAS Aajeevika Mela is an initiative by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India, with an objective to bring the rural women Self Help Groups (SHGs) formed with support of DAY-NRLM, under one platform to show-case their skills, sell their products and help them build linkages with bulk buyers. Through participation in SARAS Aajeevika Mela, these rural SHG women get vital national level exposure to understand the demand and taste of urban customers. The Mela is organised by the marketing arm of the Ministry, Council for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART). The SARAS Aajeevika Mela at India Gate Lawn features curated collection of handlooms, handicrafts, natural food products and food court with traditional cuisines, for the esteemed residents of Delhi NCR. Gujarat to host conference of State Power Ministers To brainstorm new ideas in sustainable and renewable energy sector, as well as discuss the current challenges faced by the power sector, a two-day State Power Ministers’ Conference will take place starting October 11 at Kevadia, on the banks of Narmada river. Gujarat Energy Minister Saurabh Patel said that Union Minister of State for Power (independent charge) RK Singh will inaugurate the conference in the presence of the State Power Ministers, Secretaries, key officials of the PSUs and private sector players.
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Current Affairs October 2019
National Diabetes and Diabetic Retinopathy Survey report for 2015-19 The survey – conducted during 2015-2019 by Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (New Delhi) and released by the health ministry.
October 11: International Day of Girl Child 2019 Theme — Girl Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable "We need to uphold the equal rights, voices and influence of girls in our families, communities and nations. Girls can be powerful agents of change, and nothing should keep them from participating fully in all areas of life." — UN Secretary-General António Guterres CEPC organizing 38th India Carpet Expo in Varanasi To promote the cultural heritage and weaving skills of Indian handmade carpets, Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) is organizing 38th India Carpet Expo in Varanasi from October 11 to October 14, 2019 in Sampurnanand Sanskrit University Ground. India carpet expo is a platform for international carpet buyers, buying houses, buying agents, architects and Indian carpet manufacturers andexporters to meet and establish business relationship. The Expo is organized twice a year in Varanasi and Delhi and this is the 15th expo in Varanasi. Govt launches Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan along with several State Health Ministers on Thursday launched Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan, SUMAN, initiative in New Delhi. The initiative was launched during the 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare. 12th Oct, 2019
Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, Who Was First to Walk in Space, Dies at 85 Soviet-era cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, who in 1965 became the first person to walk in space before co-leading the first joint mission between Russia and the United States, has died at the age of 85. Worst typhoon in 6 decades, Hagibis closes in on Tokyo Typhoon Hagibis, closing in from the Pacific, is expected to bring up to 80 centimeters (30 inches) of rain in the Tokyo area, including Chiba to the north that had suffered power outages from a typhoon that hit last month, and some buildings remained partly repaired. Google Doodle honours Bengali poet and activist Kamini Roy on 155th birth anniversary Kamini Roy was the first woman to graduate with honours in British India. She got a degree in Sanskrit from Bethune College, which helped her earn her BA with honours. Team Nawabzade win Free Fire India Today League, to represent India in Brazil Free Fire India Today League: Team Nawabzade won the grand finale at Siri Fort. Nightmare finished 1st runners-up while Namooney took the 3rd position. Team Nawabzade won the Free Fire India Today League grand finale on Saturday to take home a whopping price money of Rs 8.5 Lakh. They will next represent India in a global tournament called the Free Fire World Series that will be held in Brazil in November.
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Current Affairs October 2019
UK's 1st Moon Rover to Launch in 2021 The little robot will fly aboard Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander. The United Kingdom is set to make its own giant leap soon, with a very small rover. A 2.2-lb. (1 kilogram), four-legged robot built by London-based Spacebit will launch aboard Astrobotic's Peregrine moon lander in July of 2021, representatives of both companies announced recently. PM Modi to inaugurate Kartarpur corridor on November 8 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor to Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan on November 8. Punjab CM Amarinder Singh had invited President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Modi to attend the 550th Prakash Purb celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev, including the historic opening of the Kartarpur corridor. India, Japan to hold joint military exercise from October 19 A joint military exercise Dharma-Guardian 2019 will be conducted between India and Japan at the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte in Mizoram from October 19 to November 2, an official statement said. The scope of this exercise covers platoon-level joint training on counter-terrorism operations in jungle and urban scenario. Bill to ban e-cigarettes put in public domain for feedback The Union Health Ministry has put the draft of the bill, that will replace the ordinance issued last month to ban e-cigarettes, in public domain for eliciting views of public. "The Government of India promulgated an ordinance namely Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and Advertisement) Bill, 2019 on September 18. Navy Bilateral Drill Of India, Bangladesh At Visakhapatnam The navies of India and Bangladesh will participate for the first time in a bilateral exercise at Visakhapatnam from October 12 to 16. The exercise would also include air familiarization of Bangladesh Navy aircrew and a 10-day training exercise between Indian Navy Marine Commandos and BN SWADS, it said. The second edition of the Indian Navy (IN) and the Bangladesh Navy (BN) Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) commenced in northern part of Bay of Bengal. The drill will take place a week after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India. INS Ranvijay, a guided-missile destroyer and INS Kuthar, an ingeniously built missile Corvette are participating in the CORPAT along with BNS Ali Haider, a Type 053 frigate and BNS Shadinota, a Type 056 stealth guided missile corvette. "The two-day CORPAT will be followed by the maiden edition of IN-BN Bilateral Exercise at Visakhapatnam from October 12 to 16," the Navy said in a statement. mHariyali app launched for Environment Protection in Government Colonies Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has launched the mobile app, “mHariyali,”. The app is aimed to encourage Public engagement in planting trees and other such Green drives. People can now upload information/photos of any plantation done by them, which is linked to app and will be displayed on the website www.epgc.gov.in. The App provides for automatic geo- tagging of plants. This app will also enable nodal officers to periodically monitor the plantation. The App is user friendly and works on any android mobile phone.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu conferred highest Civilian Honour of Comoros India and Comoros signed six agreements on defence, health and culture. Both the countries also decided to exempt each other from Visa for diplomatic and official passport holders for short visits. Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu was on Friday conferred the highest Civilian Honour of Comoros — The Order of the Green Crescent. The honour was conferred by the President of the Union of Comoros Azali Assoumani in Moroni, the capital city of Comoros. Naidu is on a first-ever high-level visit to Comoros.
Mamata Banerjee govt to set up Kanyashree University in Nadia, West Bengal Aiming to empower girls, the West Bengal government has taken the initiative to set up a Kanyashree University in Nadia district and Kanyashree colleges across the state, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday. Banerjee had laid the foundation stone of the new university at Krishnagar in Nadia district in January. The Kanyashree university would be only for women.
13th Oct, 2019
RBI cuts repo rate to 5.15%, lowest in 9 years The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on October 4 cut the repo rate — its key lending rate — by 25 basis points to 5.15 percent, triggering hopes for cheaper loans during the festival season, but sharply lowered the economy's growth projections amid persistent slowdown in household spending. The repo rate, the rate at which banks borrow from the RBI, is now at its lowest level in nine years, aided by the fifth rate cut in as many monetary policies since February 2019. World Bank cuts India's growth projection to 6% After a broad-based deceleration in the initial quarters of this fiscal year, India's growth rate is projected to fall to 6 percent, the World Bank said on October 13. In 2018-19, the growth rate of the country stood at 6.9 percent. However, the bank in its latest edition of the South Asia Economic Focus said the country was expected to gradually recover to 6.9 percent in 2021 and 7.2 percent in 2022 as it assumed that the monetary stance would remain accommodative, given benign price dynamics. Netherlands King, Queen to arrive in India on Oct 13 for state visit Netherlands King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima will arrive here on October 13 for a five-day visit during which they will hold meetings with the top Indian leadership to boost bilateral economic and political cooperation. King Willem-Alexander's trip would be his first state visit to India, following his ascension to the throne in 2013. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will arrive here on October 13 night for the visit at the invitation of President Ram Nath Kovind, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The King and Queen will visit New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kerala during their visit.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Suzuki Motorcycle India overtakes Hero MotoCorp to be 3rd largest scooter maker in H1 Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt Ltd (SMIPL) has overtaken Hero MotoCorp to be the third largest scooter maker by sales in the first half (H1) of the current fiscal, according to a latest data by auto industry body SIAM. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) continues to be the undisputed leader in the segment followed distantly by Chennai-based TVS Motor Company. In April-September this fiscal, SMIPL sold a total of 3,41,928 units of scooters as compared to Hero MotoCorp's 2,49,365 units, as per Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) data. Manju Rani Settles for Silver on Debut at Women's World Boxing Championships Manju Rani had to settle for silver at the Women's World Boxing Championships after losing her 48kg final to Russian opponent Ekaterina Paltceva with a scoreline of 4-1 at Ulan-Ude in Russia on Sunday. The 2019 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships were held in Ulan-Ude, Russia from 3 to 13 October 2019. International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, 13th Oct 2019 Theme: Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. Held every 13 October, the day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face. PM Modi chairs meeting on 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' programme Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' programme. Under the initiative, the government plans to hold people-to-people exchange between states to enhance knowledge about each other’s culture. 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat' is a personal initiative of the Prime Minister that highlights India's diversity and furthers national unity. The goal behind this unique Mission is to develop a holistic national perspective on important issues and encourage the celebration of India's vibrant regional cultures. The programme was announced by the Prime Minister in 2015 on the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. IHMCL, GSTN to ink pact to link FASTag with GST e-way bill system The Indian Highways Management Company Ltd (IHMCL) and Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) will sign a memorandum of understanding on Monday for integration of FASTag with GST e-way bill system. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be inked at the 'One Nation, One FASTag' conference, which will be inaugurated by Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari. FASTag is a simple to use, reloadable tag which enables automatic deduction of toll charges and lets vehicle ..
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Current Affairs October 2019
India joins G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on responsible use of smart city technologies The G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology Governance will create global norms and policy standards for the use of connected devices in public spaces, a World Economic Forum (WEF) release said. The Global Smart Cities Alliance's founding set of institutional partners include the presidents and host nations of the Group of 20 (G20) in 2019 and 2020; Japan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; the Smart City Mission of India; Cities for All; Cities Today Institute; Commonwealth Local Government Forum; Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Network among others. Indo-US joint military exercise 'Vajra Prahar' to take place in Seattle from October 13 The 10th edition of the joint military exercise 'Vajra Prahar' between India and the US will be held at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Seattle from October 13-28. "These exercises will enable sharing of best practices and experience in areas such as joint mission planning capabilities and operational tactics," the Embassy said in its statement. Earlier in September, a joint military training exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' had taken place at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord. World Youth Chess Championship 2019: R Praggnanandhaa Wins Open Under-18 Gold, India Bag Seven Medals India's R Praggnanandhaa emerged as the unconquered king in the World Youth Chess Championship, claiming the coveted gold in the Under-18 Open in Mumbai on Saturday. The 14-year-old Grand Master from Chennai etched out a cautious draw in the 11th and final round against Valentin Buckels (Germany) to top the charts with 9 points. He, however, will have to thank compatriot IM Arjun Kalyan for engineering a crucial draw against top seeded Shant Sargsyan (Armenia). Dharma Guardian: India-Japan joint military exercise to be conducted from October 19 Dharma Guardian, the joint military exercise between India and Japan, will be held at the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School Vairengte in Mizoram from October 19 to November 2. Technology Summit 2019 This unique 3-day training summit focuses on the intersection of technology and domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and trafficking. Covering a wide range of technology-related issues, this conference will be helpful to advocates, law enforcement, and legal professionals who work with survivors of abuse. Sunday, July 28, 2019 - Thursday, August 1, 2019 Parc 55 San Francisco - A Hilton Hotel 55 Cyril Magnin Street San Francisco, California 94102 USA
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Current Affairs October 2019
Dubai to host ‘FIRST Global DXB Challenge’ from October 24 to 27 Dubai will host the ‘2019 FIRST Global DXB Challenge’ in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence from October 24 to 27 at Festival Arena in Dubai. To be held for the first time in the region, the event will bring together more than 1,500 youth from over 191 countries. One of the largest events of its kind, the event aims to address the world’s most critical environmental issues such as wastage of water and energy, sustainability and pollution through a global robotics competition. Organised by the Dubai Future Foundation under the theme ‘Ocean Opportunities’, the Challenge focuses on developing robots to clean up the millions of tons of pollutants in the oceans. Each team receives a robotic kit and is tasked with assembling a robot able to address various issues related to ocean and marine life. India extends over 60 million dollar line of credit to Comoros for Energy and Maritime Defence Cooperation India has said, it will extend a Line of Credit of over 60 million US Dollars to Comoros in the field of energy and maritime defence cooperation. Addressing the parliament of the East African island nation Comoros at its capital Moroni, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said, both the countries have signed some important agreements including cooperation in defence and energy sectors. He said, India will extend a Line of Credit of over 41.6 million US Dollars for setting up of 18 MW Power Plant in Moroni and another 20 million US Dollars for the procurement of High-Speed Interceptor Boats.
14th Oct, 2019
Sourav Ganguly former Indian captain in 65 years to become 39th BCCI president Former captain Sourav Ganguly emerged as consensus candidate to be BCCI's new president after Brijesh Patel appeared to have grabbed the coveted post. Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah will be the new secretary while Arun Dhumal will be the new treasurer.Dhumal is younger brother of MoS Finance and former BCCI president Anurag Thakur. Coco Gauff wins first WTA title beating Jelena Ostapenko in Linz Open final Teenager Coco Gauff has become the youngest player to win a WTA title in 15 years with victory in the Linz Open. The 15-year-old American beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 1-6 6-2 and is projected to move inside the world's top 75. Rajasthan government to discontinue pension to those detained during Emergency Rajasthan government, led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has decided to discontinue the pension scheme of prisoners detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). Thousands of people were held and put behind bars under MISA during the Emergency in 1975. As per the decision taken by the Rajasthan government, medical services that were being given to the people, who were imprisoned during emergency under MISA, will be regularised but the pension that was being given to them will be discontinued.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Indian MIT Prof Abhijit Banerjee win Nobel in Economics The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2019 to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer “for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty.” The laureates have played a decisive role in reshaping research in development economics. Their research has already helped in alleviating global poverty and has great potential to further improve the lives of the most impoverished people on the planet. Abhijit Banerjee joins Tagore, Raman in India's club of Nobel Prize winners. Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to win the coveted prize for Literature in 1913 "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West". C V Raman won the prize for Physics in 1930 "for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him." The Nobel for Economic Sciences in 1998 was won by Kolkata-born economist Amartya Sen "for his contributions to welfare economics." India-born Venkatraman Ramakrishnan won the 2009 Nobel Prize along with two others in Chemistry "for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome." 2.India’s first visually-impaired woman IAS officer Pranjal Patil takes charge as sub- collector in Kerala Pranjal Patil hails from Maharashtra and she has created history by becoming the first visually-challenged IAS officer to be appointed in Kerala cadre. In a first, 30-year-old Pranjal Patil on Monday become the country’s first visually challenged woman IAS officer to take charge as the Assistant Collector of Ernakulam district of Kerala. On the historic occasion, Patil was received at the Collectorate by Senior Superintendent of police and some other senior government officials. Patil hails from Maharashtra and she has created history by becoming the visually-challenged IAS officer to be appointed in Kerala cadre. Varun Dhawan reunites with Sriram Raghavan for Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal biopic This biopic is based on Arun Khetarpal's relentless heroic efforts against the Pakistani army, during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Battle Of Basantar. Second Lieutenant Arun was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra. Nepal, China to jointly announce re-measured height of Mt Everest Mount Everest's height was first recorded by an Indian survey in 1954. Mt Everest's official height is 8,848 metres. Many speculations have surfaced claiming that the Mt Everest has shrunk over the years Nepal and China have jointly agreed to announce the re-measured height of Mount Everest. A joint statement issued following the completion of the engagements of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kathmandu, said, "Recognising that Mount Everest, also famous as Sagarmatha in Nepali and Zhumulangma in Chinese, is an eternal symbol of the friendship between Nepal and China." The land-locked country is expected to come forward with the new measurement late by next year.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Google Doodle honours Belgian physicist Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau on his birth anniversary Google honoured Belgian physicist Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau on his 218th birth anniversary today with a doodle. The physicist is celebrated for inventing the phenakistiscope after his extensive research on visual perception. Phenakistiscope is a device that escalated the birth of cinema by creating the illusion of a moving image. Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau was born to a flower painter in Brussels on October 14, 1801. He studied law following which Plateau became one of the renowned Belgian scientists of the nineteenth century. His study of physiological optics, especially the effect of light and colour on the human retina, also made Plateau an acclaimed scientist. Indian team wins $5,000 IBM award to prevent flooding in country A team of Indian software professionals has been awarded a prize money of $5,000 by IBM for providing a potential solution to prevent pervasive flooding that plagues the Indian subcontinent, and help save lives and property the technology giant has announced. Purva Suchak took the top prize in the IBM and David Clark Cause foundation Call for Code 2019 for Asia Pacific region. Pre-school children should learn in mother tongue: NCERT curriculum 'No tests, oral or written for them' Children between the ages of three and six years should begin their educational journey in their own mother tongues, learn through play and not be subjected to tests of any kind, says the NCERT's first-ever preschool curriculum. Noting that teaching through a child's mother tongue or home language is internationally recognised as most appropriate in the early years, the NCERT guidelines also acknowledge the challenge of language diversity in India. "In case there are more than one language as mother tongue, teachers may allow as many languages as are in the classroom to be used for expression with gradually exposing the child to school language...Children need a bilingual or multilingual environment for smooth transition," says NCERT, adding that all children should also be exposed to sign language. Mi-17 chopper crash: 2 IAF officers to face court martial Two Indian Air Force Officer will face court-martial proceedings for lapses which led to Mi 17 chopper crash in friendly fire in Srinagar on February 27. The crash had left six IAF personnel dead. World Cup semis and finals not to be decided by boundary count, rules ICC England won the World Cup 2019 final based on a superior boundary count after the scores were tied. In World Cup semis and finals, the Super Over will be repeated till there is a clear winner. Anil Kumble-led ICC Cricket Committee recommended the change in the rules. The International Cricket Council on Monday tweaked the Super Over rule for all its major events following the uproar over the outcome of the men's World Cup final in July when England were declared winners against New Zealand on boundary count. Retail inflation rises to 3.99% in September Retail inflation based on consumer price index accelerated to a 14-month high of 3.99 per cent in September against 3.28 per cent in August, government data showed on Monday. The figure came marginally below the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) 4 per cent target.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Brazilian state declares state of emergency over oil spills Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia is declaring a state of emergency after 20 beaches were contaminated by oil sludge. The mysterious oil has polluted at least 150 beaches in nine different states. 8 states sign MoU with NHAI for FASTags Eight road-owning agencies under state governments on Monday signed MoUs with NHAI, paving way for allowing use of FASTags to pay toll charges even on state roads. The government has named this initiative as "One Tag One Nation", which aims to facilitate people even to buy fuel and pay parking charges through the smart card. The agencies that have agreed, include UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation, AP Road Development Corporation, Haryana PWD, Karnataka PWD and Karnataka Road Development Corporation. PWDs of Haryana, Punjab, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh too signed MoUs with NHAI for early rollout of the programme. Special Marriage Act to be applicable to Sikkim President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the extension of the Special Marriage Act, 1954, under which inter-religion weddings can be registered, to Sikkim. Indian entry to Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition bags golden award An Indian entry to the eighth edition of the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 has bagged a golden award in the outdoor garden category. The 2019 edition of the event with the theme 'Live Green, Live Better' was organised by the Chinese government and saw the participation of over 110 countries and international organisations across the world. Director Priyadarshan gets MP govt's Kishore Kumar award Noted director and producer Priyadarshan, who has made several blockbuster Malayalam and Hindi films, was on Sunday conferred the Madhya Pradesh government's National Kishore Kumar Samman for 2018-19 at a function in Khandwa, the birthplace of the legendary singer- actor. The award, instituted by MP Department of Culture, carries a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh and a citation, Prahlad Singh Patel participates in BRICS Culture Ministers' meeting Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel participated in BRICS Culture Ministers' meeting held in Curitiba, Brazil. Speaking at the event, Mr Patel asserted that BRICS for India is a valuable forum for consultation, coordination and cooperation on contemporary global issues of mutual interest. Reaffirming India's commitment to contribute towards strengthening bonds between the member countries, Mr. Patel said that the BRICS countries have witnessed cultural cooperation scaling to new heights. He also proposed to add literature as another field of cooperation between the countries to enhance cooperation in the field of literary works.
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Current Affairs October 2019
7500 youth visit Skill India’s Rozgar Mela in Bikaner The two-day Skill India Rozgar Mela concluded today with close to 7500+ visitors/ job aspirants attending the varied activities at the event. More than 2000 youth were shortlisted over the last two days getting offered for myriad job roles across industry. One of the largest job fairs organized by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), the Rozgar Mela witnessed overwhelming participation from over 100 companies across more than ten high economic growth sectors. Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship graced the closing ceremony. The Rozgar Mela, held in various cities across the country, provides a platform to aspiring candidates to interact with potential employers and learn more employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. The Bikaner Rozgar Mela was held at the Seth Tolaram Bafna Academy in Bikaner, Rajasthan. 9th edition of ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav’ under the Ministry of Culture, inaugurated in Tehri , Uttarakhand Gala inaugural event showcases an amalgamation of Crafts & Art Forms, Cuisine Fest and Magnificent Cultural Performances. Continuing its endeavour to promote India’s rich cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture has organised 3 day long diversified cultural festival ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav’ festival which was inaugurated today by Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat, at Koti Colony, Near Tehri Lake, Uttrakhand, National Cultural Festival under the banner of the slogan “EK BHARAT SHRESHTHA BHARAT”. India, ADB sign 190 million dollar loan agreement for improving road connectivity in Rajasthan India and Asian Development Bank, ADB have signed 190 million dollar loan agreement for improving road connectivity in Rajasthan. Finance Ministry said, the agreement was signed yesterday to upgrade 754 kilometres of state highways which will benefit about 26 million people in 14 districts of Rajasthan. The agreement was signed between Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance and Mr Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission. For the benefit of commuters and pedestrians, particularly women and children, the project provides for constructing more than 200 bus stops and 2 kilometer of raised sidewalk on project roads. 14th October:World Standards Day 2019 The theme of this year is- “Video Standards Create a Global Stage” World Standards Day (WSD) is celebrated each year all over the world on 14 October by the members of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to pay tribute to the collaborative efforts of thousands of experts worldwide, who develop voluntary technical agreements that are published as International or National Standards. Each year, ISO, IEC and ITU determine a theme of the World Standards Day based on a seminal issue relevant to standardization.
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Current Affairs October 2019
15th Oct, 2019
Kais Saied to become president of Tunisia Kais Saied has won Tunisia’s presidential election by a landslide taking 72.71 percent of the votes, World Students' Day , 15th Oct Today is the birth anniversary of former president APJ Abdul Kalam. Every year, the United Nations celebrates the day as World Students' Day. NIT Srinagar to reopen The Ministry of Human Resource Development had on September 28 said that the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar will reopen on October 15. Air India becomes first airline in world to use Taxibot on A-320 aircraft Air India has become the first airline in the world to use a Taxibot on an A-320 aircraft with passengers on board. Taxibot is a robot-used aircraft tractor for taxiing an aircraft from parking bay to runway and vice-versa. Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani flagged off flight AI665 and it was carried to runway using Taxibot at Terminal 3 of the Delhi Airport - to Mumbai. It is a pilot-controlled semi-robotic tow bar-less aircraft tractor used as alternate taxiing equipment. The third edition of the India Mobile Congress starts at Delhi Aerocity metro station IMC is the biggest and most relevant digital technology event in South Asia. Amit Shah to inaugurate India Mobile Congress 2019 at Delhi Aerocity metro station. The India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2019, which is to be held from October 14 to 16, is unlikely to see the top honchos from the industry including Mukesh Ambani (Reliance), Sunil Bharti Mittal (Airtel) and Kumar Mangalam Birla (Vodafone-Idea). Even next- gen entrepreneurs are also unlikely to attend the summit. The 2019 Booker Prize won jointly Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo Margaret Atwood and Bernardine Evaristo have been announced as the joint winners of the 2019 Booker Prize in a historic, rule-defying judgment. Atwood won the the prestigious award for the book - 'The Testament' and Evaristo won for the book- 'Girl, Woman, Other'.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Mumbai's Flora Fountain And Four Others Win UNESCO Heritage Awards Mumbai's iconic 155-year-old Flora Fountain and two other heritage landmarks in the country's financial capital are among the four sites that have been chosen from India for the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation announced on Monday. The fountain, a veritable symbol of Mumbai was opened to the public early this year after painstaking restoration. The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation awards were announced at a ceremony held in Penang, Malaysia, marking 20 years since its institution. The four winners from India are: Award of Distinction- Vikram Sarabhai Library, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad; Award of Merit - Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue and Our Lady of Glory Church, Mumbai; Honourable Mention - Flora Fountain, Mumbai
President Kovind to pay 7-day visit to Philippines, Japan from Oct 17 President Ram Nath Kovind will pay a seven-day-visit to the Philippines and Japan from October 17 with an aim to expand bilateral cooperation with the two Asian countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday. Kovind will arrive in Philippines on Thursday. The five-day visit would witness the President holding both restricted and delegation-level talks with his Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Roa Duterte in Manila, as well as participating in business and community events. Egypt archeologists uncover 20 ancient coffins in Luxor
Egypt's Antiquities Ministry says archeologists have uncovered at least 20 ancient wooden coffins in the southern city of Luxor.
Oct 15, 2019 International Day of Rural Women 2019 Theme: Rural Women and Girls Building Climate Resilience International Day of Rural Women is being celebrated today. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has urged the world community, accord top priority to empowerment of women.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2019: India is 102 in Hunger Index of 117 nations India has slipped from 95th rank in 2010 to 102nd in 2019 on the Global Hunger Index (GHI), with the increase in prevalence of wasting (low weight for height) among children under five contributing the most to the country’s poor performance. The following countries could not be included because of lack of data: Bahrain, Bhutan, Burundi, Comoros, the the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Moldova, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Somalia, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Tajikistan. The 17 countries with 2019 GHI scores of less than 5 are not assigned individual ranks, but rather are collectively ranked 1–17. Differences between their scores are minimal. Rythu Bharosa scheme launch Farmers in Andhra Pradesh will get annual financial support of Rs 12,500 each as the new YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government in the state has decided to implement the "Rythu Bharosa" scheme from October. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the scheme, which would come into effect from October 15, will cost the state exchequer Rs 13,125 crore.
Bahrain International Series: Priyanshu Rajawat wins men's singles title; Juhi Dewangan, Venkat Gaurav Prasad finish with mixed doubles silver Indian shuttler Priyanshu Rajawat claimed the men's singles title at the Bahrain International Series Badminton at Isa Town last night. Seventeen year old Rajawat beat top-seed Jason Anthony Ho-Shue from Canada in the finals 16-21, 21-7, 21-12 in the summit clash. Juhi Dewangan, Venkat Gaurav Prasad finish with mixed doubles silver. 15 October, Moratorium Day: The day that millions of Americans marched 15 October marks 50 years since the first Moratorium Day to end the Vietnam War. Moratorium Day involved mass protests across the US. Religious services, rallies and meetings were held, aiming to bring the war to an end. By this point, US troops had been fighting the Communist Viet Cong in Vietnam since 1965. About 45,000 Americans had been killed in action by the end of 1969.
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Current Affairs October 2019
16th Oct, 2019
The world's first artificial womb for humans Scientists in the Netherlands say they are within 10 years of developing an artificial womb that could save the lives of premature babies. Premature birth, before 37 weeks, is globally the biggest cause of death among newborns.But, the development also raises ethical questions about the future of baby making. We meet Lisa Mandemaker, the designer working with the Maxima Medical Centre to create a prototype. Vijay Hazare: Mumbai's Yashasvi Jaiswal youngest batsman to hit double hundred in List A cricket Yashasvi Jaiswal hit 203 off 154 balls with 12 sixes and 17 boundaries as Mumbai posted a mammoth 358 for 3 against Jharkhand in their Vijay Hazare group fixture. 17-year-old Mumbai’s Yashasvi Jaiswal on Wednesday became the youngest batsman to hit a double hundred in a List A and one-day match during the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy Group A fixture at the Just Cricket stadium.
Indian Railways kicks off Promotion On Wheels. Akshay Kumar and Housefull 4 team to take first ride As part of its bid to generate additional revenue, the railways has decided to allow trains to be booked for promotional activities under a new scheme, it said on Tuesday. Under the initiative called Promotion on Wheels, special trains will be made available for promotion and publicity of art, culture, films, television programmes, sports etc. The makers of Akshay Kumar-starrer Housefull 4 have already booked a train for the film's promotion. The first special Promotion on Wheels train by the IRCTC and the Western Railway, in coordination with the Housefull 4 team, carrying celebrities and media persons, will leave Mumbai Central on Wednesday and reach New Delhi on Thursday. Joint military exercise 'Shinyuu Maitri' with Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) The Indian Air Force will be carrying out a joint military exercise 'Shinyuu Maitri' with Japanese Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) from 17 to 23 October at Air Force Station, Arjan Singh in Panagarh town Durgapur district in West Bengal. The focus of the exercise will be to undertake Joint Mobility and Tactical interoperability among the two forces.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Pakistan isolated by all countries in FATF, being in Dark Grey list till Feb, 2020 Pakistan is on the verge of strong action by the international terror financing watchdog FATF and the country may be put in the 'Dark Grey' list, the last warning to improve. Officials attending the ongoing plenary of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) here said as per indications, Pakistan will be isolated by all members for not doing enough. Pakistan is on the verge of strong action by FATF, given its inadequate performance, whereby it managed to pass in only six of 27 items, According to FATF rules there is one essential stage between 'Grey' and 'Black' lists, referred to as 'Dark Grey'. 'Dark Grey' means issuance of a strong warning, so that the country concerned gets one last chance to improve, another official said. If Pakistan continues with the 'grey list' or put in 'Dark Grey' list, it would be very difficult for the country to get financial aid from the IMF, the World Bank and the European Union, making its financial condition more precarious. Govt. launches Food Safety Mitra Scheme Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced scheme of Food Safety Mitra (FSM) through which it plans to engage motivated individuals with the food safety ecosystem at ground level. On the occasion of World Food Day, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan launched Food Safety Mitra Scheme, Eat Right Jacket and Eat Right Jhola. Addressing a gathering in New Delhi today, he said, Eat Right India and Fit India Campaign can prove to be a big success with the right strategy and implementation. The Minister urged people to reduce ghee, salt and ghee in food. 14th World Skills India Training Centres will be set up The Cities are Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Mumbai, Pune, Shillong and Trivandrum. The new institutes will be set up for advanced skill training of candidates in media and entertainment sector and to further develop skilling eco-system for training candidates for the international market. Union Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey on Tuesday unveiled plans to set up 14 Authorized World Skills India Training Centres across 9 cities for media and entertainment sector.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Young women from tribal areas to receive digital skills training:Program GOAL Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda announced the second phase of GOAL (Going Online as Leaders), a Facebook programme aimed at inspiring, guiding and encouraging tribal girls from across India to become village-level digital young leaders for their communities. Launched earlier this year in March, GOAL connects underprivileged young tribal women with senior expert mentors in the areas of business, fashion and arts to learn digital and life skills. ISRO Reusable Launch Vehicle to land in Karnataka: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is finally following in the footsteps of NASA and SpaceX by developing a space program for Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV) which it has been testing since 2016. The RLV program aims to cut down on launch costs by, well, reusing the spacecraft. ISRO's current project appears to be using a hybrid design that sits somewhere between NASA's now-shuttered Space Shuttle program and SpaceX's reusable rockets.
17th Oct, 2019
J&K's Chenani-Nashri Tunnel to be Renamed After Bhartiya Jansangh Founder SP Mukherjee Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said India's longest Chenani-Nashri tunnel that links Kashmir with Jammu will be rechristened after Bhartiya Jansangh founder Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 had dedicated to the nation this 9.2 km long tunnel that reduces the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 31 km. Chenani- Nashri Tunnel also known as Patnitop Tunnel on NH 44, in Jammu and Kashmir to be named after Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. This is our humble homage to Shyama Prasad Ji whose battle for Kashmir, One Nation One Flag has immensely contributed in national integration. 1. International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 17 October 2019 Theme: Acting Together to Empower Children, their Families and Communities to End Poverty
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Current Affairs October 2019
Abu Dhabi establishes world’s first graduate-level and research-based AI university UAE has added another feather to its cap. After appointing the world’s first artificial intelligence minister, Abu Dhabi has established the world’s first graduate-level and research-based AI university at Masdar City. The country is aiming to empower human capital with knowledge and scientific thinking. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) Board of Trustees, said that the world has entered a new era of technological innovation driven by AI and this new era will pave the way for "unprecedented opportunities". 20th Livestock Census: Taking forward the dream of Digital India India's livestock population has increased to over 535 million showing an increase of 4.6 per cent over Livestock Census-2012. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying released the 20th Livestock Census -2019 yesterday. As per the livestock census, the share of cattle is around 36 per cent, goat is over 27 per cent, buffaloes is over 20 per cent, sheep around 14 per cent and pigs around two per cent. The cow population is over 145 million, increasing by 18 per cent over the previous census. Among the states, West Bengal reported the highest increase of over 23 per cent in livestock population, followed by Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. Mastercard launches initiative to promote digital payments in India MasterCard has tied up with Indian Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni to launch a nationwide initiative to accelerate the acceptance and adoption of digital payments in India. The initiative dubbed as ‘Team Cashless India‘ aims to bring consumers and merchants to the “forefront of the digital payments dialogue”.
Lionel Messi wins sixth Golden Shoe award Lionel Messi has been presented with the European Golden Shoe for the sixth time, extending his own record as another incredible La Liga campaign was recognised on Wednesday. Messi earned the award, which is given to the player who scores the most league goals across Europe's top divisions, by finding the net 36 times in 34 La Liga appearances in 2018-19.
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Current Affairs October 2019
48th Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair (IHGF), Delhi (Autumn)
IHGF is amongst Asia's largest gifts & handicrafts fair, held biannually (Spring & Autumn edition) and is organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
Florida will host the G7 summit next June, the White House has announced. The 46th G7 summit will be held June 10 through June 12, 2020 in the United States while it holds the presidency of the G7. On October 17, 2019, acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney announced the summit would be held at Trump National Doral in Miami. Participents of G7 summit Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, European Union.
A revised Brexit deal has been agreed by the UK and EU
All sides want to avoid the return of a "hard border" between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit - with checks and infrastructure which could be targeted by paramilitary groups. Here are some of the key new parts:
Customs The whole of the UK will leave the EU customs union. This means the UK will be able to strike trade deals with other countries in the future. There will be a legal customs border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (which stays in the EU). But in practice the customs border will be between Great Britain and the island of Ireland, with goods being checked at "points of entry" in Northern Ireland. But where something is "at risk" of then being transported into the Republic of Ireland (which is part of the EU customs union), duty will be paid. A joint committee made up of UK and EU representatives will decide at a later date what goods are considered "at risk". Regulations on goods When it comes to the regulation of goods, Northern Ireland would keep to the rules of the EU's single market, rather than UK rules. That removes the need for product standard and safety checks on goods at the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, because both will be part of an "all-island regulatory zone". Uploaded by https://westbengalgovtjobs.com/ Page 31
Current Affairs October 2019
But it adds to the checks between the rest of the UK - which will not be sticking to EU single market rules - and Northern Ireland. VAT The new agreement says that EU law on value added tax (VAT - a tax added when you make purchases) will apply in Northern Ireland, but only on goods, not services. But it also allows Northern Ireland to have different VAT rates to the rest of the UK, which would not normally be allowed under EU law. Transition The transition - a period of time during which all of the current rules stay the same allowing the UK and the EU to negotiate their future relationship - is due to last until the end of December 2020. Lana Del Rey wins song of the decade at the Q Awards Lana Del Rey's haunting ballad Video Games has been named song of the decade at the Q Awards in London.The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Here is a full list of all the winners from the music awards ceremony: Events Names Best Breakthrough Act Pale Waves Best Track Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved Best Album Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost (Part 1) Best Live Act Performance Michael Kiwanuka – End Of The Road Festival Best Solo Act Stormzy Best Act In The World Today The 1975 Best Festival/Event All Points East Innovation In Sound Dizzie Rascal Classic Album Tricky – Maxinquaye Fender Play Award Anna Calvi Outstanding Contribution To Music Kano Classic Songwriter Kevin Rowland Inspiration Madness Icon Christine And The Queens Hero Kim Gordon Song Of The Decade Lana Del Rey – Video Games Best Vocal Performance Little Simz
Cairngorms loch dropped to lowest level in '750 years'
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Current Affairs October 2019
The water level of a Highlands loch likely dropped to its lowest in at least 750 years in May this year, according to archaeologists. Loch Vaa, near Aviemore, had been mysteriously losing water since September last year. Researchers at Loch Vaa in the Cairngorms, Scotland collected and carbon-dated timbers which had been covered by water since the 13th Century, to reveal that water levels reached a historic low in May 2019. Nasa unveils new spacesuit for next Moon landing The US space agency has unveiled the prototype for a new spacesuit that could be worn by the next astronauts on the Moon. Nasa chief Jim Bridenstine shared a close-up look at the next-generation suits for the agency's Artemis programme. The new Moon suit, which is known formally as Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU)prototype suit looks similar to ones used at the International Space Station. 2. IAF begins Joint Exercise with Oman Indian Air Force is participating in a Bilateral Joint Exercise with Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO), named EX-EASTERN BRIDGE-V, from today, at Air Force Base Masirah in Oman. MiG-29 will be exercising with Royal Air Force Oman’s Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16 and Hawk. This exercise will enhance inter-operability during mutual operations between the two Air Forces and will provide an opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices. 3. Karnataka ranked as India's most innovative state, says Niti Aayog NITI Aayog released the first India Innovation Index on the lines of the Global Innovation Index on Thursday. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Telangana have topped the chart. States were ranked on parameters such as innovation capability, challenges and opportunities, and actions needed to be implemented for promoting innovation. Sikkim topped in the North-East category, while Delhi was at the top in the UT segment.
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Current Affairs October 2019
India jumps five places to 52nd rank in Global Innovation Index 2019
States III Rank Enablers Rank Performance Rank Major States KARNATAKA 1 3 1 TAMIL NADU 2 5 2 MAHARASHTRA 3 1 3 TELANGANA 4 9 4 HARYANA 5 2 7 States III Rank Enablers Rank Performance Rank KERALA 6 4 8 UTTAR PRADESH 7 15 5 WEST BENGAL 8 11 6 GUJARAT 9 6 9 ANDHRA PRADESH 10 8 10 PUNJAB 11 7 13 ODISHA 12 10 11 RAJASTHAN 13 12 12 MADHYA PRADESH 14 13 14 CHHATTISGARH 15 14 17 BIHAR 16 16 15 JHARKHAND 17 17 16
NE and Hill states SIKKIM 1 1 11 HIMACHAL PRADESH 2 2 5 UTTARAKHAND 3 4 1 MANIPUR 4 3 4 JAMMU & KASHMIR 5 5 3
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Current Affairs October 2019
TRIPURA 6 6 9 ARUNACHAL PRADESH 7 7 6 ASSAM 8 11 2 NAGALAND 9 9 7 MIZORAM 10 8 10 MEGHALAYA 11 10 8
Union Territories/City states/Small States
States III Rank Enablers Rank Performance Rank DELHI 1 3 1 CHANDIGARH 2 2 2 GOA 3 1 5 PUDUCHERRY 4 5 6 ANDAMAN & NICOBAR 5 4 7 ISLANDS DAMAN & DIU 6 7 3 DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI 7 8 4 LAKSHADWEEP 8 6 8 4. Shirui Lily Festival inaugurated in Manipur Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel yesterday inaugurated Shirui Lily Festival, 2019 at Shirui Vangayan Ground of Ukhrul in Manipur. Mr Patel along with State Chief Minister N. Biren Singh inaugurated the Strength of Unity Statue as a mark of opening the third edition of the four-day state festival.
5. Amit Shah to inaugurate 2-day international seminar at BHU Union Home Minister Amit Shah will today inaugurate a 2-day international seminar being held to discuss "the role and relevance of famous ruler of Gupta Dynasty, Skandagupt Vikramaditya and the political future of the nation" at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi.
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Current Affairs October 2019
18th Oct, 2019
Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde to be next Supreme Court Chief Justice, CJI Ranjan Gogoi writes to Centre Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi initiates process for appointment of Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde as the next Chief Justice of India by writing a letter to the Centre recommending Justice Bobde as his successor.
This is the process followed by all outgoing Chief Justices to send the recommendation ahead of their retirement. Justice Bobde is second seniormost judge in the Supreme Court after CJI Ranjan Gogoi. Former world and Olympic champion Li Xue Rui retires from international badminton The 28-year-old Chinese, who won gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, was among the most dominant players of her time before an injury at the Rio Olympics disrupted her career. Li had announced her arrival when she had beaten Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal and compatriot Liu Xin as a 19-year-old on way to her first major title at the Badminton Asia Championships in 2010.
Air Alliance kicks off first direct flight from Chennai to Jaffna. Now reach Sri Lanka in an hour Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India is the first international airline to land in the newly inaugurated Jaffna International Airport, Sri Lanka. The Palaly airfield was previously designated a military facility that served the Sri Lankan Air Force during the three decade long civil war. With the war ending in 2009, Sri Lanka, with assistance provided by the Indian government, has upgraded the airfield into the Jaffna International Airport that will be used for civilian traffic. The preliminary pact to develop the airport was signed in 2005. The National Highway In Punjab renamed After Guru Nanak Dev The National Highway starting from Kapurthala connecting Gobindwal Sahib and terminating near Taran Taran in the State of Punjab has been declared as new National Highway No. 703AA and named as "Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg”. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari named the highway as ''''Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Marg'''' to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.
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Current Affairs October 2019
The Indian Railways will run its first Buddhist Circuit train between India and Nepal The Indian Railways will run its first Buddhist Circuit train between India and Nepal from October 19 to October 26. The train journey will cover sites significant to Gautam Buddha's life in both India and Nepal. According to the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the Buddhist circuit train will cover important Buddhist destinations such as: Lumbini - the birthplace of Buddha, Bodhgaya - the place of enlightenment, Sarnath - the place of Buddha's first sermon and Kushinagar - the place of Buddha's Nirvana. The train will originate and terminate at Safdarjung railway station in New Delhi. Assam wants reopening of old railway links with Bangladesh Assam government discusses reopening of traditional railway links to Bangladesh. State government has moved Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and NITI Aayog for reopening of the pre-partition railway links from Chittagong to Makum, Cox Bazar to Ledo and third line between Bangladesh via Golakganj till Moirabari Assam industry ministry Chandra Mohan Patwary on Wednesday said, “While work for Agartala-Akhaura Railway Link (Bangladesh) has started, we have discussed with MEA and NITI Aayog for restoration of three railway links from Assam to Bangladesh.” Indian Army Launches Software OASIS to Digitize Records of its Officers The Indian Army has launched a new software “Officers Automated Structured Information System “ (OASIS) to digitise the service and personal records of the Army officers. The new software will be hosted on Army’s intranet and can be accessed by the Army officers to check their details. Before this, the records were maintained manually by Manpower Planning (MP) Directorate, making the whole process of collecting the records, checking the records and keeping a track very cumbersome. Worldsteel elects Sajjan Jindal as vice chairman
Global body World Steel Association (worldsteel) said it has elected JSW Steel Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Sajjan Jindal as its vice chairman. The association has also appointed Tata Steel CEO and MD T V Narendran and ArcelorMittal Chief L N Mittal as its members.
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Current Affairs October 2019
THE 2019 ASIAN ACADEMY CREATIVE AWARDS India Best Actor in a Leading Sumedh Mudgalkar – RadhaKrishn by Swastik Productions Role for Star Bharat Best Actor in a Balaji Manohar – Bhak by HOOQ Supporting Role Best Actress in a Shefali Shah – Delhi Crime by Golden Karavan Leading Role Productions/Ivanhoe Pictures for Netflix Best Actress in a Mona Ambegaonkar – Bhak by HOOQ Supporting Role Best Adaptation of an Hear Me Love Me by Fremantle India for Amazon Prime Existing Format Best Animated Programme or Series Lamput : Collection V2 by Vaibhav Studios for Cartoon Network (2D or 3D) Magesh Madan – Mega Icons – Dalai Lama by National Best Cinematography Geographic India Best Comedy Zakir Khan for Kaksha Gyarvi by OML Entertainment for Performance Amazon Prime Video Best Comedy Sketchy Behaviour by OML Entertainment for Amazon Prime Programme Video Best Current Affairs India’s Game-Changers: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw by BBC World Programme or Series News Richie Mehta for Delhi Crime by Golden Karavan Productions/ Best Direction (Fiction) Ivanhoe Pictures for Netflix Best Direction (Non- Paramangsu Mukherjee – Mega Icons – APJ Abdul Kalam by Fiction) National Geographic India Best Documentary TARINI by National Geographic India Programme (one-off) Best Documentary Firepower: Defending India by AETN18 Media for History TV18 Series Delhi Crime by Golden Karavan Productions/Ivanhoe Pictures Best Drama Series for Netflix Beverley Mills – Delhi Crime by Golden Karavan Best Editing Productions/Ivanhoe Pictures for Netflix
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Current Affairs October 2019
Best Feature Film Gully Boy by Excel Entertainment Best Infotainment The President’s Bodyguard by National Geographic India Programme Best Lifestyle Travel Trends India by CNN Programme Best Lifestyle, Maniesh Paul – Indian Idol 10 by Fremantle India for Sony Entertainment Entertainment Presenter/Host Best Non Scripted Masters of Taste – The Family Table by National Geographic Entertainment India Best Original Delhi Crime by Golden Karavan Productions/Ivanhoe Pictures Programme by a for Netflix Streamer/OTT Best Original Richie Mehta – Delhi Crime by Golden Karavan Productions/ Screenplay Ivanhoe Pictures for Netflix Best Promo or Trailer RadhaKrishn by Swastik Productions for Star Bharat Best Short Form Lamput : The Airport by Vaibhav Studios for Cartoon Network Content Best Single News Yogita Limaye: Afghanistan Sexual Harrassment by BBC World Story/Report News Best Sports Programme VIVO IPL CRICKET LIVE – Maruti Suzuki Cricket Live – VIVO IPL (one off/series) Final 2019 by STAR TV INDIA Best Telenovela or Chandragupta Maurya by One Life Studios for Sony Soap Opera Series Entertainment Television Best Theme Song or Bhak – ‘City of Schemes’ by Surya Ragunaathan & Adriel George Title Theme for HOOQ Best Visual or Special FX in TV Series or RadhaKrishn by Swastik Productions for Star Bharat Feature Film
HCL-SCFRI tour: Mahesh Mangaonkar loses to Malaysia's Ivan Yuen in final
In the Chennai leg of the HCL-Squash Racket Federation of India tour, the top-seed Ivan Yuen of Malaysia won the Championship by defeating India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar by 7- 11, 12-10, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Nasa astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir in all-women spacewalk Nasa Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir have made the first all-female spacewalk. The astronauts left the International Space Station (ISS) to replace a battery. This is the first time two women have made a scheduled spacewalk together. Despite it being 35 years since the first female made a spacewalk was Russian Svetlana Savitskaya, who went outside the USSR's Salyut 7 space station for three hours, 35 minutes on 25 July 1984. FATF retains Pak on Grey List, warns of action Pakistan continues to be on the Grey List of the international terror financing watchdog Financial Action Task Force. Islamabad has been warned of action for its failure to combat money laundering and terror financing. The decision of FATF was taken today after the completion of its five-day plenary session in Paris. If Pakistan continues with the 'Grey List' or is put in the 'Dark Grey' list, it would be very difficult for the country to get financial aid from the IMF, the World Bank and the European Union which will make its financial condition more precarious. Renowned painter Kalidas Karmakar dies in Dhaka Internationally acclaimed painter of Bangladesh Kalidas Karmakar passed away in Dhaka today. He was 73. Karmakar had suffered a cardiac arrest in the afternoon at his residence. Born on January 10, 1946, in Faridpur district, he completed his graduation from the Government College of Fine Arts and Crafts in Kolkata in 1969. An icon of modern art in Bangladesh, Kalidas was awarded Shilpakala Padak in 2016 and the Ekushey Padak in 2018 by the Government of Bangladesh for his contribution to fine arts.
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Current Affairs October 2019
19th Oct, 2019
Nasa Mars 2020 Mission's MiMi Aung on women in space
Next year, Nasa will send a mission to Mars. The woman in charge of making the helicopter that will be sent there – which is set to become the first aircraft to fly on another planet – is MiMi Aung. At 16, MiMi travelled alone from Myanmar to the US for access to education. She is now one of the lead engineers at Nasa.
Anup Kumar Singh appointed as Director-General of NSG Senior IPS officer of Gujarat cadre Anup Kumar Singh has been appointed as Director-General of the National Security Guard (NSG). The appointment of Mr. Singh, who is a 1985-batch IPS officer, was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. His appointment will be from the date of joining the post and up to 30th of September, 2020.
Sultan of Johor Cup: Indian junior hockey team loses to Great Britain in final
Indian junior hockey men's team lost a second consecutive final to Great Britain in the Sultan of Johor Cup as it succumbed to a 1-2 loss at Johor Bahru, Malaysia today.
Lt Gen Harinder Singh takes the charge of Ladakh
After taking charge of 16 corp of the army in Ladakh, Lt Gen Harinder Singh, General Officer Commanding 'Fire & Fury Corps' visited forward locations in Eastern Ladakh on LAC (Line Of Actual Control) on Friday and reviewed the operational preparedness in the area of responsibility.
Rohit Sharma breaks world record after six-hitting spree in Ranchi Test vs South Africa Rohit Sharma has hit 17 sixes so far in the ongoing Test series. Rohit broke the record for most sixes hit in a Test series by a batsman. Rohit scored his 6th Test hundred on Saturday in Ranchi.
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Current Affairs October 2019
India-Myanmar Naval Exercise commence on-board INS Ranvijay The opening ceremony of the second edition of 'India Myanmar Naval Exercise' IMNEX-2019 was conducted on-board INS Ranvijay on Friday. Myanmar naval ships UMS Sin Phyu Shin (F-14) and UMS Tabinshweti (773) arrived at Visakhapatnam and would engage in professional interaction with Indian Navy personnel for sharing of expertise on various maritime issues between both the navies. 7th Military World Games 2019 in China China launched the 2019 Military World Games in its inland metropolis of Wuhan Friday evening with a dazzling ceremony showcasing the nation's ancient civilization and an offer of friendship to the world. Chinese President Xi Jinping officially opened the Games, by saying: "Now I declare the 2019 Military World Games open." ONGC Videsh Ltd makes two new oil discoveries in Colombia, Brazil ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), on Wednesday said it has made two new oil and gas discoveries in Colombia and Brazil, strengthening its reserves in Latin America. OVL made an oil find in Colombia's onshore exploration block CPO-5 in the Llanos basin and major natural gas discovery in the deep offshore exploration block BM-SEAL-4 in Brazil's Sergipe Alagoas Basin, the company said in a statement. India-UK collaboration creates a hand-washing robot. A collaboration between researchers from the UK and India has resulted in a new robot which encourages children to wash their hands. The robot, named Pepe, was recently used by pupils at a primary school in Kerala as a fresh approach to hygiene. The novel, hand-shaped speaking robot has also taught the 100-odd SC and ST students of the Wayanad Government Primary School how to wash their hands in accordance with WHO standards, researchers announced on Global Handwashing Day on 15th Oct, 2019. Pepe costs around Rs 7,000 and was developed by researchers from the University of Glasgow in Scotland in collaboration with the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University in Tamil Nadu. Raunak Sadhwani at 13, becomes India’s 65th Grand Master
Raunak Sadhwani is set to become country’s Grandmaster after continuing his spectacular unbeaten run in the FIDE Chess.com Grand Prix following a sixth successive draw on Thursday.
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Current Affairs October 2019
20th Oct, 2019
Marquez wins 10th title of 2019 MotoGP season
World champion Marc Marquez of Repsol Honda Team rode a brilliant race to claim his 10th title of the season at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit here on Sunday.
Anupam Kher’s autobiography, Lessons Life Taught Me Unknowingly, Bollywood actor Anupam Kher is coming out with his autobiography, “Lessons Life Taught Me Unknowingly” that is set to hit stands on 5 August. The book promises to be an engaging and riveting read where the author, who has acted in over 530 films, will shed light on his life, his intriguing and compelling journey, and will also share anecdotes and behind-the-scene details. UP Culture Dept to organise training & performance programme of KHON Ramlila The Culture Department of Uttar Pradesh government is going to organise the country’s first training and performance programme of world famous KHON Ramlila, a masked form of Ramlila art of Thailand in collaboration with Thai government. Artists, who will get training from experts of Thailand as part of cultural exchange programme between two nations, will perform at Grand Deepotsav function which will be organised on 26th of this month in Ayodhya. KHON Ramlila of Thailand is included in the list of UNESCO’s Intangible cultural heritage and it’s a form of masked dance depicting the scenes of Ramlila. It has no dialogues and background voices narrate the whole story of Ramayana. KHON Ramlila’s performance is also a visual delight famous for its beautiful attire and golden masks. Republic of Chile Declares State of Emergency October 20th, 2019 – According to an alert published by the U.S. Embassy in Santiago, Chile, the Chilean government has declared a State of Emergency in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, as well as the Coquimbo, Valparaiso, O’Higgins, and Bio-Bio regions. Sri Lanka removed from FATF's Grey List Sri Lanka has been removed from the "Grey List" of the international terror financing watchdog FATF, according to a media report. The island nation will no longer be subject to the Financial Action Task Force's monitoring under its on-going global anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) compliance process, the Colombo Gazette reported on Saturday.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Uzbekistan President to be Chief Guest at Vibrant Gujarat Summit President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev will attend the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, as a key guest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi will inaugurate the summit. Theme of the summit is- 'Shaping a New India.' This is the second visit of President Mirziyoyev to India during the last four months. PM Modi will also be having a one-on-one meetings with the heads of five states, Denmark, Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, Malta and Rwanda. India to host Interpol General Assembly in 2022 India won the vote for hosting the 91st General Assembly of the Interpol in India in 2022, which will be part of celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the country’s Independence. Great Britain beat India in the final of Sultan of Johor Cup 2019 The Indian junior men’s hockey team suffered a heart-breaking 1-2 defeat in the final, as Great Britain score 20 seconds before full-time to win the 9th Sultan of Johor Cup 1 on Saturday at Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Indo-Maldives joint military exercise Ekuverin– 2019 concludes Indo-Maldives joint exercise ‘Ex Ekuverin – 2019’ culminated on Sunday, with an impressive closing ceremony held at Foreign Training Node, Aundh Military Station in Pune, Maharashtra. The 14-day joint training commenced on October 7. It included joint training of the contingents in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in the semi-urban environment under the UN mandate, developing interoperability and cohesion between both the contingents. S Jaishankar Launches PhD Fellowship Programme For ASEAN Students At IITs A massive fully-funded PhD fellowship programme at IITs for students from ASEAN countries was on Monday launched by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who hoped the platform will help in generating "new business ideas" and "exciting technological breakthroughs". The programme billed as "the largest of its kind" will select 1,000 students in three phases. S Jaishankar inaugurated the programme at the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan, New Delhi, here and also launched a portal for receiving applications from students. The government will spend Rs. 300 crore on this fully-funded PhD fellowship programme for students from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 20th October: World Statistics Day Theme: Better Data, Better Lives
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Current Affairs October 2019
4th India ASEAN Expo and Summit 2019 India will host the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi on 25th and 26th January. Leaders of 10 countries attending the summit will also be a part of the Republic Day celebrations at India Gate on 26th January. Delegation of leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN - Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei
st 21 Oct, 2019
Prahlad Singh Patel to inaugurate CCRT e-portal and YouTube Channel Union Minister of state for Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel will inaugurate e-portal of Centre for Cultural Resources and Training and YouTube Channel in New Delhi today with an aim to take India to a newer digital pinnacle and to promote Indian culture. He will attend the “Digital Bharat - Digital Sanskriti” program organised by Rashtriya Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, CCRT of the Ministry of Culture.
Scientists develop a lithium-ion battery that won't catch fire A flexible lithium-ion battery designed by a team of researchers from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and built to operate under extreme conditions— including cutting, submersion, and simulated ballistic impact. Lithium-ion batteries offer a number of advantages for the renewable energy, electric vehicle, and grid-level storage markets: high energy density, no “memory effect,” low maintenance, and high current capacity. They do have a few disadvantages, not the least of which is that they are somewhat prone to “runaway thermal events.” (That’s the engineering euphemism for “catching on fire.”) Porous Power Technologies (PPT) has an improved battery design that promises to make battery fires a thing of the past.
World Osteoporosis Day (WOD), on October 20 In 2019 the campaign will feature “THAT’S OSTEOPOROSIS”. Ayurveda Palliative Care Unit inaugurated at Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt Union Minister of AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik inaugurated Ayurveda Palliative Care Unit at Palliative Care Centre at base Hospital, Delhi Cantonment, New Delhi. On this occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Defence for the Integration of AYUSH under the health establishments of Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services.
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Current Affairs October 2019
MeitY launches startup hub to further technology innovations in India To create a robust startup ecosystem in the country, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) has signed four Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) during the MeitY Startup Summit 2019. MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), a platform to connect the startup ecosystem has been formally inaugurated by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Communications and Law & Justice at the MeitY Startup Summit 2019. The MoUs includes a partnership with Intel India, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, Pontaq and IBM in the field of ICT and emerging technologies. Col Chewang Rinchen Setu: India's highest altitude bridge in eastern Ladakh Col Chewang Rinchen Setu inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is the highest altitude of India all- weather permanent bridge, located in eastern Ladakh. The 1400-ft -long bridge on Shyok River an altitude of 14,650 feet. The bridge is named after Colonel Chewang Rinchen who was awarded Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) twice. He is 'Lion of Ladakh'. The bridge, officially named 'Col Chewang Rinchen Setu' is strategically located on the 255-km Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) section of the road between Leh and Karakoram Pass. The bridge was constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) of India. Bali Yatra, one of the biggest trade fairs of Odisha Bali Jatra (also known as Bali Yatra and Boita Bandaṇa) literally means A Voyage to Bali. This festival is held in Odisha, in the city of Cuttack at Gadagadia Ghata of the Mahanadi river. The festival is celebrated every year from the day of Kartika Purnima according to the Odia Calendar, which comes around the end of October and November. Former Attorney General, Shri K. Parasaran honored with ‘Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award’ The Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu today presented ‘Most Eminent Senior Citizen Award’ to former Attorney General of India, Shri K. Parasaran at a function at the India International Centre in New Delhi. Terms the Award as a fitting recognition to the ‘Pitamaha’ of the Indian Bar’ Vice President describes the ill-treatment of elders as a social evil and calls for change of mindset Attends 39th Annual Day and Elder’s Day celebration of Age Care India.
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Current Affairs October 2019
PM Modi releases book titled 'Bridgital Nation' The book has been authored by Chairman, Tata Sons, N Chandrasekaran and Roopa Purushothaman. The book ‘Bridgital Nation’ presents a powerful vision of future where technology and human beings co-exist in a mutually beneficial ecosystem. It stresses that instead of accepting technology as replacement of human labour, India can use it as an aid to generate more jobs. The cutting edge digital tools can act as bridge between aspirations and achievements – hence the term ‘bridgital’. Joko Widodo sworn in as President of Indonesia after re-election
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo has been sworn into office for his second and final five-year term.
Kuhoo Garg-Dhruv Rawat win Egypt International mixed doubles title
In badminton, Kuhoo Garg and Dhruv Rawat put up a brilliant effort to win the mixed doubles title at the Egypt International 2019 in Cairo. They defeated Utkarsh Arora and Karishma Wadkar by 21-16, 22-20 in an all-Indian final.
Delhi Govt agrees to implement Central scheme PM-KISAN Delhi Government has agreed to implement the ambitious Central scheme Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) under which income support of 6,000 rupees is provided to each eligible farmer. Under the scheme, which was launched in February just before the Lok Sabha polls, the Centre is crediting 6,000 rupees in three equal instalments directly into the bank accounts of farmers.
IPL: Former Australian cricketer Andrew McDonald named Rajasthan Royals head coach Former Australian cricketer Andrew Barry McDonald has been roped in as the head coach of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals for a tenure of three years. Confirming the news, Rajasthan Royals Executive Chairman Ranjit Barthakur said that Andrew will be preparing for the season by sharing his experiences with exceptional coaches.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Govt Launches BHIM 2.0 To Take On Google Pay, Phone Pe The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), on October 21, launched a new version of its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) platform Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) to make it stand at par with other UPI-based payments platform.
The new interface BHIM 2.0 was launched by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad at the MeitY Startup Hub has additional languages, including Konkani, Bhojpuri and Haryanvi, increased transaction limit and an option of applying in initial public offering (IPO). Other features of BHIM 2.0 include Donation gateway, linking multiple bank, offers from merchants and giving money, etc. Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan to visit Russia and Japan Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will g on a two-day state visit to Tokyo, Japan, from October 25 to participate in Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity (GFSEC) Ministerial Meeting, news agency ANI reported on Monday. 22nd Oct, 2019
United Nations launches 'Feed Our Future' cinema ad campaign in India The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched its cinema ad campaign 'Feed Our Future' in India. Based on last year’s success, WFP is again collaborating with UFO Moviez - India's largest in-cinema advertising platform and SAWA -the Global Cinema Advertising Association, for the second time to raise awareness on hunger and malnutrition, a reality facing millions of people around the world. World’s oldest known natural pearl discovered on Abu Dhabi Island The oldest known natural pearl in the world has been discovered by Abu Dhabi archaeologists working at a Neolithic site on Marawah Island, just off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Dubbed the ‘Abu Dhabi Pearl’, it was found in layers that have been radiocarbon dated to 5,800-5,600 BCE, during the Neolithic period.
Novel catalyst can help turn carbon dioxide into fuel Researchers of Stanford University in the US have developed a new catalyst that can help turn carbon dioxide from car exhaust pipes and other sources into fuels like natural gas or propane.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Assam: Starting 2021, no govt jobs for those with more than two kids The Assam Cabinet on Monday decided that no government jobs will be given to persons having more than two children after January 1, 2021. In September 2017, the Assam Assembly had passed the 'Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam' that specified that job candidates with two children only would be eligible for government employment and the existing government staff were to strictly follow the two children family norm. Siachen, world's highest battlefield, now open for tourists
The world’s highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier, is now open for tourists, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Monday. Tourism will be allowed from Siachen base camp to Kumar Post that lies above 15,000 feet.
Sanjeev Nandan Sahai appointed the new power secretary
Senior IAS officer Sanjeev Nandan Sahai was on Tuesday appointed the new power secretary replacing Subhash Chander Garg, who had sought voluntary retirement after being shunted out from the post of finance secretary soon after the budget was passed by Parliament.
Pankaj Kumar appointed the new UIDAI chief
Pankaj Kumar, the additional secretary in the ministry of electronics and information technology, will be the CEO of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues Aadhaar.
Braj Raj Sharma appointed as the chairman of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC)
Braj Raj Sharma, a 1984 batch IAS officer working as Secretary in the Home Ministry's Department of Border Management, has been given the charge of SSC chairman. Nagendra Nath Sinha, who was the chairman of the National Highways Authority of India, has been transferred and posted as secretary of the department of border management in place of Sharma.
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Current Affairs October 2019
KVIC and Goa govt join hands to generate employment opportunities Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and the Goa government have joined hands with an aim to generate employment opportunities in Goa. Pramod Sawant, the Chief Minister of Goa, along with Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman, KVIC recently distributed electric potter wheels to 160 families and new models charkhas (spinning wheels) to 50 trained women. This will create direct employment to 700 people. KVIC is also establishing a Lijjat Papad unit in Goa, which will create 200 direct jobs to the local women. India consolidate top position in ICC World Test Championship India have strengthened their position in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test Championship with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over South Africa in the three-match home series, which ended at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. The top two teams at the end of the World Test Championship will play the final in the UK in June 2021 with the winners crowned the World Test Champions. Maximum Cases Of Crimes Against Women In UP: Crime Records Bureau Over 3.5 lakh cases of crime against women were registered across the country in 2017, continuing the upward trend for the third consecutive year, the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released on Monday showed. According to the NCRB data for 2017, the maximum cases were registered in Uttar Pradesh (56,011) -- the country's most populated state. Maharashtra recorded the second-highest number of crimes against women with 31,979 cases, followed by 30,992 in West Bengal, 29,778 in Madhya Pradesh, 25,993 in Rajasthan and 23,082 in Assam. Delhi, however, saw a decline in crimes against women for the third straight year. As many as 13,076 FIRs were registered in 2017, down from 15,310 in 2016 and 17,222 in 2015, the NCRB report said. Assam recorded the highest crime rate of 143 in the country in 2017. Crime rate is offences registered per one lakh people. Odisha and Telangana recorded the second-highest crime rate of 94 each, followed by Haryana (88) and Rajasthan (73). Eight states -- Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura -- registered crimes against women only in three digits, with not even one per cent contribution to the all-India figures, according to the NCRB data. Among Union Territories, Chandigarh registered 453 cases, followed by 132 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 147 in Puducherry, 26 in Daman and Diu, 20 in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and only six in Lakshadweep, the data stated. ‘Tallest, widest, longest cabin’: Gulfstream to build world’s biggest private jet G700 The long-awaited G700 corporate jet, powered by Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, will be delivered to its first customers in 2022, Gulfstream, the US manufacturer of luxury jets said. The business jet, priced at $75 million (Dh275m), will have the "tallest, widest and longest cabin in the industry" and will seat 19 passengers for long-haul flights.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Indian Railways instal most advanced Electronic Interlocking System on Grand Chord route Indian Railways has installed the most advanced Electronic Interlocking System on the Grand Chord route. The measure is expected to help Indian Railways speed up trains and achieve the objective of reducing the travel time between Delhi and Howrah to about 12 hours from the existing 17 to 19 hours. Grand Chord is part of the Howrah-Gaya-Delhi line and Howrah-Allahabad-Mumbai line. It acts as a link between Sitarampur in West Bengal and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, Uttar Pradesh, and covers a stretch of 450 kilometres falling in North Central Railway Zone. The new Electronic system has replaced outdated 65-year old mechanical signalling system at Tundla Junction in Uttar Pradesh on the route. The work will go a long way in improving punctuality of trains on New Delhi-Howrah mainline and benefits will be manifold during the incoming foggy season through safe and detention free handling of trains at Tundla Junction.
23rd Oct, 2019
Assam govt starts scholarship scheme for children of tea tribe community The Assam government has decided to start a scholarship scheme for children of tea tribe community, studying in 10th and 12th classes. It would cover students of all tea gardens in the state. An amount of 10 thousand rupees will be provided to each student. Praveen Kumar becomes first Indian man to win gold at Wushu World Championships Praveen Kumar today became the first Indian man to win a Wushu World Championships gold, beating Russel Diaz of Philippines in the 48kg category in Shanghai. The Indian saw off his Filipino opponent 2-1 in the men's Sanda event of the 15th World Wushu Championships. Among other Indians in the fray, Poonam (women's 75kg) and Sanathoi Devi (women's 52kg) secured silver medals while Vikrant Baliyan bagged the bronze in the men's 60kg category. India finished third overall in the championship in event with a gold, two silvers and a bronze. Saied sworn-in as President of Tunisia Tunisia's new President Kais Saied took the oath of office on Wednesday after his surprise election victory over champions of the political establishment. IFFI, Goa to celebrate Golden Jubilee Edition in November International Film Festival of India, IFFI, Goa celebrates its Golden Jubilee Edition this year beginning from 20th of next month. The list of films for Open-Air Screenings during 50th International Film Festival of India in Goa has been released. In all, 14 movies will be screened at the two venues.
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Current Affairs October 2019
First India-Bangladesh Stakeholders' summit in Guwahati Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has said that Bangladesh and North East India could benefit from improved physical connectivity and people-to-people contact. Participating in the India-Bangladesh stakeholders' meeting in Guwahati, Mr Munshi said better connectivity would enhance consumers' welfare through access to goods at competitive prices and enhance opportunities for exporters. Prakash Javadekar launches first national protocol to enumerate snow leopard population in India Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change today launched the first national protocol to enumerate the snow leopard population in the country on the occasion of International Snow Leopard Day. The Day is celebrated on October 23 every year to protect and conserve the snow leopards and preserve the beautiful wildlife of the Himalayas. He said it is time to think about the green economy and cross country cooperation for the conservation of wildlife. He also expressed happiness that 2,967 tigers reside in India, which is 77 per cent of the world tiger population. CBSE, NCERT to launch 'Tamanna' aptitude test for Class 9, 10 students In a bid to help students make the right career choices, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) have launched an online aptitude test called as ‘Tamanna’ (Try And Measure Aptitude And Natural Abilities). Tamanna is an aptitude test that aims at helping students of Class 9 and 10 make a better choice of subjects, eventually helping them in making an informed decision while choosing subjects in Class 11 and 12. M. Venkaiah Naidu to lead Indian delegation at 18th Non-Aligned Movement Summit Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu will lead the Indian delegation at the 18th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to be held at Baku, Azerbaijan on 25th to 26th of this month. The theme for the Summit is -Upholding the Bandung Principles to ensure concerted and adequate response to the challenges of the contemporary world.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Cloud data management company Rubrik opens R&D centre in Bengaluru Cloud data management company, Rubrik on Wednedsday opened a new Research & Development center in Bangalore to accommodate its global engineering team. The company said the demand for its data management solution had grown significantly. Bipul Sinha, co-founder and CEO of Rubrik.
China Building Huge Observatory, Over 200 Soccer Fields In Size, At Sichuan Province To Probe Origins Of Cosmic Rays The Chinese scientists are constructing a cosmic ray observation station on an area equivalent to 200 soccer fields in China's southwest Sichuan Province, 4,400 meters above sea level. Huge rocks left from the Ice Age have been blasted. Different detectors are being installed to form a huge "net" to catch the particles generated by cosmic rays in the atmosphere, to help scientists study both the micro and the macro worlds in the universe. Three huge underground pools, more than triple the size of the Water Cube (National Aquatic Centre) in Beijing, will hold detectors to collect high-energy photons generated by remote celestial bodies. Beside the pools, 12 telescopes will be erected to conduct high-precision measurement of cosmic rays with the highest energy. Construction of the first half of the observation station, known as Large High-Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), is due to be finished at the end of this year, and the whole project completed at the end of 2020, said Cao Zhen, chief scientist of LHAASO and a researcher at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
ITC launches world's most expensive chocolate priced at Rs 4,30,000 per kg Diversified group ITC on Tuesday launched the world's most expensive chocolate priced at Rs 4,30,000 per kilogram under its Fabelle brand. ITC's luxury chocolate brand Fabelle Exquisite Chocolates has introduced its limited edition range chocolate ‘Trinity - Truffles Extraordinaire’ — which entered into Guinness World Records to become the world’s most expensive chocolate. Co-curated by France's Michelin Star Chef Philippe Conticini and Fabelle's Master Chocolatier, Fabelle’s ‘Trinity - Truffles Extraordinaire’ box is priced at approximately Rs 4.3 lakh per kilogram.
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Current Affairs October 2019
India Bag Two More Gold Medals in World Military Games Aneesh Kumar , Surendran Pillai starred in the disabled men’s shot put IF1 category final as he bagged the gold medal in CISM World Military Games in Wuhan, China. Virender added one more gold medal by finishing first in the men’s disabled shot put IF5 final.
24th Oct, 2019
Indian Railway launches One Touch ATVM Indian Railways has launched ‘one touch ATVM’ at 42 suburban stations of Central Railway to render fast ticketing to millions of commuters over Mumbai Suburban Network. Railway passenger can avail the service of this new machine from today onwards at 42 suburban stations. This new machine will reduce the waiting time of the passengers and allow passenger to avoid standing in long queues. The new machine is loaded with the user friendly and uncomplicated procedure which will greatly ease the load on ticketing system of Mumbai Suburban Network. A total of 92 ATVMs has been installed at 42 suburban stations. The salient features of one touch ATVM is that a passenger can obtain a ticket in just two steps instead of earlier six steps on a regular ATVM. One touch ATVM will show one screen display for selecting single/return journey tickets. The passenger can select desired station in the distance slab, just press tab “upto station” either for journey tickets or return journey tickets. The passenger can get platform ticket also with single touch. New Delhi to Host First “Global Bio-India 2019” Summit The Global Bio-India 2019, one of the largest biotechnology stakeholders conglomerate will be held for the first time in India at New Delhi from 21st to 23rd November, 2019. The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said “India for the first time is hosting a mega event for the biotech community to attract investments, showcase our indigenous strengths and more importantly fuel the hopes and aspirations of the indigenous talent pool”. New World Bank Project to Support Climate Resilient Agriculture for 125,000 Smallholder Farmers in Odisha The Government of India, Government of Odisha and the World Bank today signed a US$165 million loan agreement to support smallholder farmers strengthen the resilience of their production systems as well as diversify and improve the marketing of their produce, for increased income. It will benefit about 125,000 smallholder farmer households from 15 districts of Odisha managing 128,000 ha of agricultural land.
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Current Affairs October 2019
India, Nepal, Bhutan plan trans-border conservation area India, Nepal and Bhutan have drafted a memorandum of understanding to create trans- boundary wildlife conservation 'peace park'. The proposed Park will include biodiversity-rich landscapes in adjoining areas of the three countries. There is already one trans-boundary Protected Area in India and Bhutan, which includes the Manas landscape of Assam, and the new tripartite park will be an extension of this. Govt accords 'Maharatna' status to Hindustan Petroleum, Power Grid Corp The government on Wednesday accorded 'Maharatna' status to state-owned Hindustan Petroleum and Power Grid Corporation, thus giving them greater operational and financial autonomy. Criteria for grant of Maharatna status :- The CPSEs fulfilling the following criteria are eligible to be considered for grant of Maharatna status. (i) Having Navratna status. (ii) Listed on Indian stock exchange with minimum prescribed public shareholding under SEBI regulations. (iii) Average annual turnover of more than Rs. 25,000 crore, during the last 3 years. (iv) Average annual net worth of more than Rs. 15,000 crore, during the last 3 years. (v) Average annual net profit after tax of more than Rs. 5,000 crore, during the last 3 years. (vi) Should have significant global presence/international operations.
Presently, there are 9 Maharatna, 16 Navratna and 71 Miniratna CPSEs. List of Maharatna CPSEs: I. Bharat Heavy Electric Limited II. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited III. Coal India Limited IV. GAIL Limited V. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited VI. Indian Oil Corporation Limited VII. NTPC Limited VIII. Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited IX. Power Grid Corporation Of India Limited X. Steel Authority Of India Limited Sakharov Prize: Jailed Uighur academic Ilham Tohti wins award The European Parliament on Thursday (24 October) awarded the Sakharov Prize for human rights to Uighur intellectual Ilham Tohti, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment in China for “separatism”. The outspoken former professor of economics at a Beijing university was sentenced in 2014 by Chinese courts in a trial that provoked an outcry from foreign governments and human rights organisations. European Parliament head David Sassoli urged China to immediately release Ilham Tohti as he announced the award, which was certain to sow diplomatic tensions with Beijing.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Govt approves BSNL-MTNL merger, clears Rs 70,000-crore relief package Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) are going to merge. The relief package includes a sovereign bond issue worth Rs 15,000 crore, to be serviced by the two telcos. Also, BSNL and MTNL will be allotted 4G spectrum at an administered price, pegged at the 2016 auction value. The two firms would be allotted 4G spectrum worth Rs 20,140 crore, Rs 29,937 crore for VRS covering 50 per cent of their employees and Rs 3,674 crore for goods and services tax (GST) that will be levied on allocation of radiowaves. India, Pakistan Sign Agreement To Operationalise Kartarpur Corridor India signed an agreement on the Kartarpur corridor with Pakistan today to allow Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the holy Darbar Sahib in Pakistan. Indian officials met Pakistan officials at Zero Point near near Dera Baba Nanak in the border town of Gurdaspur to ink the memorandum of understanding.
Pilgrims who wish to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan will be allowed to carry a maximum of Rs 11,000 and a 7-kg bag, and will not be allowed to venture beyond the shrine. All pilgrims who propose to visit Sri Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal district of Pakistan, will have to register online (www.prakashpurb550.mha.gov.in) in advance and the applicant is required to register himself/herself in advance of proposed date of travel. Sri Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, had spent more than 18 years of his life at the gurdwara Kartarpur, located on the banks of the river Ravi. India's rank jumps 14 places in World Bank's ease of doing business ranking India climbed 14 rungs in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2020 survey to stand at 63, among 190 countries, making it the one of world’s top 10 most improved countries for the third consecutive time. Last year, India jumped 23 places to reach the 77th position. Ever since the Modi government first came to power, India’s ranking has improved 79 places from 142nd in 2014 to 63rd in 2019, a record for a major economy. From 2020, the World Bank will include two more cities—Bengaluru and Kolkata—in its ease of doing business survey. Rohit Sharma becomes 3rd Indian batsman to reach top 10 in all formats Rohit Sharma has become the third Indian batsman to reach the top 10 in all three formats after a memorable series against South Africa in which he donned the new role of Test opener. Rohit became only the third Indian after Virat Kohli and former opener Gautam Gambhir to reach the top 10 in the ICC rankings across formats.
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Current Affairs October 2019
The Pataala Prophecy: The Mists of Brahma, written by Christopher C. Doyle
The newest book of The Pataala Prophecy series written by Christopher C. Doyle claims to have a good mix of adventure, mythology and mystery as series' teenager protagonists, Maya and Arjun, return to have a face-off with a new ruthless enemy.
Vivek Chikara Wins Gold at Asian Para Archery Championships
Vivek Chikara bagged a gold medal in the men’s recurve open event at the Asian Para Archery Championships in Bangkok. Chikara, 29, recorded a 7-1 verdict over China’s Sijun Wang to claim the top honours.
Dries Mertens Breaks Diego Maradona's Goal-scoring Record for Napoli Argentine legend Maradona scored 115 goals in 188 appearances from 1984 to 1991. Belgian international player Mertens has scored 116 goals, so far. He has not yet broken the record of Napoli's former captain Marek Hamsik who has 121 goals under his belt.
Shivpal Singh Wins Javelin Throw Gold in Military World Games Indian javelin thrower Shivpal Singh on Thursday won the gold medal while Gurpreet Singh clinched the bronze in shooting at the ongoing 7th CISM Military World Games in China. Shivpal, who is serving in the Indian Air Force, threw 83.33m to clinch the top honours. The 24-year-old had won the silver medal at the 2019 Asian Championships held in Doha with a personal best throw of 86.23 metres. Meanwhile, Gurpreet, who is currently serving the Indian Army, won bronze in the men's 25m center fire pistol event with a score of 585. The 31-year-old, who hails from Amritsar, had won two gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in India.
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Current Affairs October 2019
India slip to 106 in latest FIFA rankings, Belgium retain top spot The Indian football team slipped two places to 106 in the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday after their 1-1 draw with much lower-ranked Bangladesh in the World Cup qualifier earlier this month. Despite securing an impressive 0-0 draw against Asian champions Qatar in September, the home stalemate against then 187th ranked Bangladesh saw India drop two ranks from 104 to 106 in the latest tally. Belgium has remained at the top spot in the rankings followed by France and Brazil. Gunasekaran wins 3rd gold, in World Military Games After claiming top honours in the men’s disabled 100m and 400m IT1 events earlier, Gunasekaran won the gold in men’s disabled 200m IT1 event with a timing of 24.31s. India have so far garnered seven medals from the Games, which includes six gold and one bronze. The World Military Games are being held in China for the first time where over 10,000 athletes from more than 140 nations are participating across 27 disciplines. Mohun Bagan confers life membership to Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee City soccer giants Mohun Bagan on Wednesday conferred their Life Membership to Nobel Prize winner Abhijit Vinayak Banerjee after club officials met him at his residence. Besides conferring him with Life Membership, the club also handed him the First Day Cover of 1911 and the maroon green jersey with his name written on it. He was also given the book titled “Sona e Lekha Itihase” written by Subir Mukherjee on the history of the club.
Indo-Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) celebrates 58th Raising Day ITBP celebrates its 58th Raising Day on Thursday. MoS Home Kishan Reddy attended the function at ITBP's Headquarter in Greater Noida. The Indo-Tibetian Border Police is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of India, raised on 24 October 1962, under the CRPF Act in the wake of the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The ITBP was intended for deployment along India's border with Tibet.
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Current Affairs October 2019
25th Oct, 2019
25th oct, 2019: National Ayurveda Day Fourth Ayurveda Day with a theme of 'Ayurveda for Longevity' was celebrated in Leh on Friday. In a programme organized in National Research Institute for Sowa-Rigpa, the traditional Sowa-Rigpa practitioners called Amchis from various parts of the Ladakh have participated. Sowa-Rigpa is one of the medical practices recognized under Ministry of Ayush, practiced in Himalayan states and countries. Former Gujarat CM Dilip Parikh passes away Former Gujarat Chief Minister Dilip Parikh passed away on Friday. He was 82 and took his last breath at a private hospital in Ahmedabad following a prolonged illness. He served as the 13th Chief Minister of Gujarat during 1997-98 when he was with Rashtriya Janata Party - RJP, floated by Shankersinh Vaghela. Jammu and Kashmir government winds up District Consumer Forums Jammu and Kashmir Government yesterday ordered the winding up of Jammu and Kashmir District Consumer Forums constituted under Jammu and Kashmir Consumer Protection Act, 1987 with effect from October 31, 2019. It is the appointed date for the formation of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and Union Territory of Ladakh. Gandhinagar becomes first kerosene-free district of Gujarat Gandhinagar district of Gujarat has become the first Kerosene-free district of the state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has allotted 1000 LPG connections under the Ujjwala Yojana to the women beneficiaries of Gandhinagar district. Cyclonic storm 'Kyarr' may unleash strong winds, heavy rain in Maharashtra Cyclonic storm 'Kyarr' may unleash strong winds, heavy rain in Mumbai and surrounding Konkan region. India Meteorological Department today said that the cyclonic storm Kyarr is likely to bring very heavy to extremely heavy rains in coastal districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra in the next 12 hours and also cause strong winds.
J&K: Govt renames Chenani-Nashri tunnel after Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee The government has renamed Chenani-Nashri tunnel on national highway NH44 in Jammu & Kashmir as Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel. Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, sacrificed his life for the country and has been a source of inspiration for the nation.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Yogi Adityanath launches Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana on Dhanteras On the occasion of Dhanteras, Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana was launched in Uttar Pradesh by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The programme aims at empowering the girl child for which an amount of 15 thousand rupees will be provided to every family in which a girl child takes birth.
Karnataka crowned Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20 champions Karnataka was crowned the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Champions as they beat Tamil Nadu by nine wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy at Bengaluru. Abhimanyu Mithun and Mayank Agarwal put on a masterclass performance as Karnataka won their fourth Vijay Hazare Trophy title with a dominant display against Tamil Nadu via VJD method. 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup scheduled to be held in South Africa from 17 January to 9 February 2020. President Kovind inaugurated the day long golden jubilee celebrations of Vishwa Shanti Stupa in Rajgir. 25th Oct, 2019 is 50th anniversary of Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Rajgir, Bihar. Governor Fagu Chauhan, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other dignitaries graced the Golden Jubilee celebration of Rajgir Vishwa Shanti Stupa. China to host the inaugural edition of expanded 24-team Club World Cup
China will host the inaugural edition of the expanded 24-team Club World Cup. FIFA president Gianni Infantino made the announcement after a meeting in Shanghai of the FIFA Council, the decision-making unit of football's world governing body.
GC Murmu appointed as L-G of J&K, RK Mathur as L-G of Ladakh; Satya Pal Malik to be new Goa Governor IAS officers Girish Chandra Murmu has been appointed as Lt. Governor of Jammu-Kashmir. R K Mathur has been appointed as Lt. Governor of Ladakh. Mr P.S. Sreedharan Pillai has been appointed the new Governor of Mizoram. Satya Pal Malik has been moved to Goa as the new Governor.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Prasar Bharati CEO gives away Rajbhasha Awards CEO, Prasar Bharati, Shashi Shekhar Vempati today gave away Rajbhasha Awards to the winners of Hindi Pakhwada competition held at Prasar Bharati secretariat last month. Winners, who received awards, are employees at Prasar Bharati Secretariat. The theme of the competition was “Plastic Free India and Cleanliness drive.”
Telangana govt to declare 2020 as the 'year of artificial intelligence' The Telangana government will declare the year 2020 as the ‘year of artificial intelligence’ (AI) to promote its use in various sectors, including agriculture, urban transportation and healthcare. State Information Technology (IT) Minister K T Rama Rao spoke of the government's intent at a meeting with Debjani Ghosh, president of the IT industry body NASSCOM, on Friday.
Marvel-ous: Tennis Star Naomi Osaka Transforms Into a Marvel Superhero
Tennis star has a Marvel superhero named 'Naomi' modeled after her as the new original promotional superhero character for Japanese watch manufacturer Citizen Watch. Naomi Osaka is the brand ambassador for the watch company.
Manchester City's Phil Foden Enters Guinness World Records For Being Youngest-Ever Premier League Winner
Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden became the youngest ever to win the Premier League last year (on 13th May 2018), when he managed the feat aged 17 years 350 days. He received the official Guinness World Records certificate recently.
Indians Will No Longer Require Visas to Visit Brazil, Says its President Jair Bolsonaro Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday the South American nation will drop its requirement that visiting Chinese and Indian tourists or business people obtain visas. Earlier this year, the Brazilian government ended visa requirements for tourists and businesspeople from the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia. Those countries, however, have not in return dropped their visa requirements for Brazilian citizens.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Book: “Time hasn't diminished Sahir Ludhianvi's appeal” by Surinder Deol October 25 is the 30th death anniversary of Sahir Ludhianvi. Presented below is an exclusive extract from the book, "Sahir - A Literary Portrait", by Surinder Deol. Sahir passed away nearly forty years ago, but time has not diminished interest in his personality, his poetry, and his 'love affairs', as observed in social media, and there's an enduring public interest in his film lyrics.
26th Oct, 2019
Book : “A Ticklish Affair And Other Stories” by Sunil Kapoor and Sudhir Kapoor
“A Ticklish Affair And Other Stories” by Sunil Kapoor and Sudhir Kapoor is one such collection of short stories, which explores a range of human emotions such as revenge, courage, betrayal, unrequited love, adultery, and spirituality.
Jeff Bezos loses world’s richest man title to Bill Gates Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has lost the title as the world’s richest man, paving the way for tenacious Bill Gates to grab the top spot after Amazon’s lacklustre Q3 results resulted in Bezos losing nearly $7 billion in stock value. Amazon shares fell 7 per cent in after-hours trading on Thursday, leaving Bezos down to $103.9 billion. Microsoft co- founder Bill Gates is currently worth $105.7 billion. NASA to Send VIPER Robot to Moon in Search of 'Hundreds of Millions of Tons of Water Ice' NASA will send a golf cart-sized robot to the moon in 2022 to search for deposits of water below the surface, an effort to evaluate the vital resource ahead of a planned human return to the moon in 2024 to possibly use it for astronauts to drink and to make rocket fuel, the US space agency said on Friday. The VIPER robot will drive for miles (km) on the dusty lunar surface to get a closer look at what NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has touted for months: underground pockets of "hundreds of millions of tons of water ice" that could help turn the moon into a jumping-off point to Mars. VIPER stands for Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover. The rover is expected to arrive on the moon's south polar region in December 2022, carrying four instruments to sample lunar soil for traces of hydrogen and oxygen - the basic components of water that can be separated and synthesized into fuel for a planned fleet of commercial lunar launch vehicles.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Lucknow school bags Guinness World Record title for having 55,547 students A Lucknow-based school has won the Guinness World Record for becoming the 'world's largest school' in terms of strength of students. City Montessori School (CMS) has won the global award for having 55,547 students in 2019-20, as stated by CMS founder, Jagdish Gandhi.
Book: “The Lives of Freda” by Andrew Whitehead This biography of the remarkable Freda Bedi - Oxford communist, Indian nationalist, Tibetan nun - has just been published by Speaking Tiger. This site gives you news of the book and reviews of it, excerpts from it, and photos and details of Freda Bedi's exceptional and inspiring life. Freda Bedi was the first Western woman to become a Tibetan Buddhist nun—but that pioneering ordination was really just one in a life full of revolutionary acts. Freda Bedi (1911–1977) broke the rules of gender, race, and religion—in many cases before it was thought that the rules were ready to be challenged. She was at various times a force in the struggle for Indian independence, spiritual seeker, scholar, professor, journalist, author, social worker, wife, and mother of four children. She counted among her friends, colleagues, and teachers Mohandas Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and many others. She was a woman of spiritual focus and compassion who was also not without contradictions. Vicki Mackenzie gives a nuanced view of Bedi and of the forces that shaped and motivated this complex and compelling figure. Book: “Panjab: Journeys Through Fault Lines” by Amandeep Sandhu In 2015, Amandeep Sandhu began an investigation that was meant to resolve the ‘hole in his heart’, his ‘emptiness about matters Panjab’. For three years, he crisscrossed the state and discovered a land that was nothing like the one he had imagined and not like the stories he had heard. Present-day Panjab prides itself on legends of its military and valorous past even as it struggles with daily horrors. The Green Revolution has wreaked ecological havoc in the state, and a decade and a half of militancy has destabilised its economy and governance. Sikhism—the state’s eclectic and syncretic religion— is in crisis, its gatekeepers brooking no dissent and giving little spiritual guidance. And Panjab has yet to recover from the loss of its other half, now in Pakistan. Underneath it all, though, the old spirit of the land beats away— an undercurrent of resistance to power and hegemony that holds the hope that Panjab’s unyielding knots can be untied.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Book: “The Steel Frame: A History of The IAS” by Deepak Gupta The development and role of the Indian Civil Service was one of the dominant features of the period of the East India Company and later, British rule in India. It is extraordinary how people employed by a trading company in a foreign land transformed into the most powerful Civil Service in the world. It was also the first Civil Service in the modern world where recruitment was on the basis of open competition and not through patronage. Deepak Gupta looks at changes from the past, its present and also the future of the IAS. He also suggests some measures so that it could re- invent itself to play the important role envisaged by the makers of our Constitution.
27th Oct, 2019
Christian Pulisic Becomes Youngest Chelsea Player to Score Premier League Hat-trick as They Thrash Burnley
Christian Pulisic, the 21-year-old American winger hit a hat-trick to inspire Chelsea's impressive 4-2 win at Burnley as the US winger enjoyed his Premier League breakthrough moment on Saturday.
Roger Federer Claims 10th Basel Title, Career Trophy Number 103
Roger Federer won his 10th Basel title on Sunday, smothering young Australian Alex De Minaur 6-2, 6-2 to secure what the Swiss legend described as "an unbelievable" success at the home-town tournament where he used to work as a ballboy.
100 years ago, Lakshman Sarup, an Indian was Oxford’s first doctor The University of Oxford is marking the centenary of the first person who passed its Doctorate of Philosophy (DPhil) degree: Lakshman Sarup, who arrived from Lahore in colonial India to study Yaksa’s ‘Nirukta’, the oldest Indian treatise on etymology. Sarup, who graduated from DAV College, Lahore, in 1913 and obtained MA in Sanskrit from Oriental College, Lahore, was the first of two students enrolled on Oxford’s DPhil, the other was James Bronte Gatenby from New Zealand.
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Current Affairs October 2019
ASI finds 2,000-year-old trade center in Andhra Pradesh The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed a 2000-year old historic trade settlement in Andhra Pradesh's Gottiprolu village, along with a Pallava-period Vishnu statue. The excavation done, 80 kilometres east of Tirupati and Nellore by an ASI team, has discovered the remains of a huge settlement surrounded by a massive brick enclosure. Among many antiquities unearthed, is a life-sized Vishnu sculpture and a wide variety of pottery of the early centuries of the current era. UP CM Yogi Adityanath introduces Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the occasion of Mahanavmi today introduced the Mukhya Mantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana. This program aims at empowering the girl child for which an amount of 15 thousand rupees will be provided to every family in which a girl child takes birth.
Donald Trump confirms the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died "whimpering and crying" in a raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria, President Donald Trump announced on Sunday, in a major blow to the jihadist group. Baghdadi killed himself during the raid by detonating a suicide vest after fleeing into a dead-end tunnel, Trump said in a televised address from the White House.
Guinness World Records: Ayodhya Lights Over 4 Lakh Diyas on Diwali
History was created at Ayodhya here as a record six lakh earthen lamps lit up the Saryu river bank on the eve of Diwali, days ahead of the Supreme Court verdict on the title suit over the disputed Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid land.
28th Oct, 2019
CVC observes vigilance awareness week from Oct 28 to Nov 2 The Central Vigilance Commission, CVC is observing vigilance awareness week starting from today till 2nd November, to promote probity in public life through citizen participation. The theme for the vigilance awareness week is 'Integrity - A way of life'.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Argentina's left-leaning candidate Alberto Fernandez wins presidential election
Argentina's left-leaning candidate Alberto Fernandez won the presidential election in the first round yesterday bringing to an end the crisis-plagued rule of market-friendly incumbent Mauricio Macri.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty bag silver in doubles event at French Open In Badminton, India's top men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost to world No.1 pair of Marcus Fernaldi Gideon and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo in the finals of the French Open in Paris last night. The Indian duo settled for silver after losing the final 18-21, 16-21. Satwik and Chirag had won their maiden Super 500 title at the Thailand Open earlier in August this year. It was the first time that an Indian men's doubles pair reached a World Tour 750 final. Manohar Lal sworn-in as Haryana CM for 2nd term Senior BJP leader Manohar Lal has been sworn-in as Chief Minister of Haryana. Governor Satyadev Narayan Arya administered him the oath of office and secrecy at a function at Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh on Sunday. This is the second consecutive term for Manohar Lal as Chief Minister. Jannayak Janta Party leader Dushyant Chautala was sworn-in as Deputy Chief Minister.
Formula 1 2019: Lewis Hamilton wins Mexican GP with near-flawless drive
Lewis Hamilton drove to a near-flawless victory, but not yet a sixth drivers' world championship on Sunday when he claimed his 10th win of the season for Mercedes at the Mexican Grand Prix.
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu takes charge as NHAI chairman Senior IAS officer Sukhbir Singh Sandhu on Monday took over as chairman of National Highways Authority Of India (NHAI). Sandhu succeeds Nagendra Nath Sinha who has been appointed as secretary, Department Of Border Management.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Tamilnadu: Koonthankulam village in Tirunelveli district celebrating Diwali without bursting crackers Koonthankulam village in Tirunelveli district of Tamilnadu is unique in celebrating Deepavali (Diwali) without bursting crackers. It is also noteworthy that the villagers completely avoid the use of crackers even during the celebrations of temple festivals as well as household functions like marriages. Ornithologists have observed that more than 45 species of birds from countries as far away as Siberia and Australia come to Koonthankulam for breeding purposes. The birds usually come in December and start return journeys during the period from August to October. Veteran journalist C Raghavachari Passes Away at 80 After Prolonged Illness Eminent journalist C Raghavachari died following prolonged illness in the early hours of Monday, sources said. He was 80. Raghavachari was editor of 'Visalaandhra' Telugu daily for over 30 years from 1972. Hailing from Warangal district, now in Telangana, Raghavachari began his career as a student union leader in CPI's All India Students Federation and worked as its state (then united AP) president.
IIM Calcutta best B-school in India, bags 17th spot globally in FT ranking
Master in Management Rankings 2019 released by the Financial Times, IIM Calcutta leads the way. IIM Calcutta has bagged the 17th rank globally for its 2-year Masters in Business Administration programme.
Persons with Disability, over 80 aged people can vote through postal ballot The people over 80 years of age and Persons with Disability can now cast their votes through postal ballot. However, such voters will have both the choices available either voting through postal ballot by following due procedure or going to the polling station on polling day for voting. The Ministry of Law and Justice has amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, allowing senior citizens and person with disabilities in the absentee voter list.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Air India depicts 'Ik Onkar' on tail to mark 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev
In a unique gesture to mark 550th birth anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, Air India has depicted Sikh religious symbol 'Ik Onkar' on the tail of one of its aircraft. The flight is set to fly from Amritsar to Stansted in the United Kingdom on Thursday.
PM to address civil service probationers at Statue of Unity The first of its kind common foundation course - Aarambh - is being held for civil service probationers at the Statue of Unity at Kevadiya in Narmada district of Gujarat. Around 450 civil service probationers are participating. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the closing session of the programme on Thursday. The theme of the session is how to achieve the goal of making India a five trillion economy. The Statue of Unity is a colossal statue of Indian statesman and independence activist Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950), who was the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home minister of independent India and the chief adherent of Mahatma Gandhi during the non- violent Indian Independence movement. The statue is located in the state of Gujarat, India. It is the world's tallest statue with a height of 182 metres. It is located on a river island facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam on river Narmada in Kevadiya colony, 100 kilometres (62 mi) southeast of the city of Vadodara and 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Surat. Tiger Woods equals world record for most career titles on PGA Tour with his 82nd win in Japan Tiger Woods made history today when he won the Zozo Championship in Japan for his 82nd US PGA Tour victory, equalling Sam Snead's 54-year-old record. The 15-time major winner held off the challenge of home favourite Hideki Matsuyama to win by three shots at the tournament. It was his first outing since a left knee surgery in August. Prince Charles to Visit India Next Month to Celebrate India-UK Ties Britain's Prince Charles will visit India on November 13 and 14 to celebrate India-UK relations during which he will also discuss issues like climate change and sustainable finance, his office announced on Monday. Charles, the longest-serving heir apparent in British history, will celebrate his 71st birthday in India on November 14.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Philippine shows interest to buy India’s BrahMos supersonic cruise missile The Philippine Army has shown a keen interest in buying the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, regarded as the world’s fastest supersonic missile, in order to strengthen its coastal defences. Major General Reynaldo Aquino, the Vice Commander of the Philippine Army, confirmed this over the weekend while undertaking a tour of the visiting Indian Navy Ship (INS) Sahyadri docked in the country’s capital Manila. It is a medium-range ramjet supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarine, ships, aircraft, or land. The BrahMos missile, with a flight range of 290 kilometres, can ensure the lower dispersion of targets, quicker engagement time and non-interception by any known weapons system in the world. It is the world’s fastest anti- ship cruise missile in operation. This extraordinary missile has been developed as a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia as BrahMos Aerospace via an inter- government agreement. 29th Oct, 2019
Nawazuddin bags Golden Dragon Award at Cardiff International Film Festival Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been honoured with the prestigious Golden Dragon Award at the Cardiff International Film Festival for excellence in cinema in the global arena. The "Gangs of Wasseypur" actor was presented the award by counsel general of Wales, UK, Mick Antoniw, on Sunday at an event in Cardiff. Hollywood legend Judi Dench was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award at the ceremony. The actor has made a mark internationally with Netflix's "Sacred Games", Ritesh Batra's "Photograph" and BBC UK's "McMafia". Saudi Arabia inaugurates financial summit; Modi, world leaders to attend Saudi Arabia on Tuesday inaugurated a three-day high-profile financial summit, being attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other world leaders, aimed at drawing foreign investors to help the Gulf Kingdom diversify its oil-based economy. The forum, dubbed "Davos in the desert", is an initiative of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who plans to diversify the Kingdom's economy while reducing its economic dependence on petroleum products under his ambitious vision 2030 plan.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Biocon number six in top 10 Global Biotech Employers ranking for 2019 Bengaluru-headquartered biopharmaceuticals company Biocon Ltd NSE 0.58 % has moved up to sixth spot in the Top 10 Global Biotech Employers ranking for 2019. It continues to be the only company from Asia to feature on the prestigious US-based 'Science' magazine's annual 'Science Careers Top 20 Employers' list, since its debut in 2012. Free bus rides for women in Delhi, AAP govt scheme kicks off Women in Delhi will get free rides in public buses from Tuesday as the AAP government is all set to fulfill its promise months ahead of the assembly polls in the national capital. As per the plan, conductors will distribute pink tickets having face value of Rs 10 each to women passengers for free-travel. The government will then reimburse the transporters based on the number of such tickets issued.
'Bangladesh-India Friendship Dialogue' at Cox's Bazar from Nov 1 The ninth edition of Bangladesh-India Friendship Dialogue will be held at Cox Bazar in Bangladesh from November 1. The two-day dialogue will cover a wide range of issues like trade and investment, connectivity, technology, energy, regional security, extremism and sustainable development among others. The dialogue aims to draw from learning and experiences in these sectors between India and Bangladesh. President Kovind confers first National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards President Ram Nath Kovind today conferred the first National Corporate Social Responsibility Awards to the companies for their outstanding contribution in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Commending the efforts of Ministry of Corporate Affairs for initiating the National CSR Awards in the year of Gandhiji’s 150th birth anniversary, he said, these awards will be conferred every year on 2nd October.
India-France joint Army exercise to begin from Oct 31 The bilateral 'Exercise SHAKTI' between the armies of India and France will be conducted from 31st October to 13th November 2019 at Foreign Training Node in Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan. The joint exercise will focus on counter terrorism operations in semi-desert terrain. The exercise aims at enhancing understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the two armies.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Book: “Classic Krakauer: Essays on Wilderness and Risk”, by Jon Krakauer
Apollonia Poilâne is opening the company’s oven doors wide with her first English-language cook book, Poilâne: The Secrets of the World- Famous Bread Bakery, a weighty collection of nearly 100 recipes.
Tokyo Unveils 2020 Olympics Venue Organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Tuesday unveiled a custom-built $188 million gymnastics venue inspired by Japanese architecture that uses wood brought from around the country. The futuristic-looking Ariake Gymnastics Centre in central Tokyo uses 2,300 cubic metres of wood and is intended to hark back to traditional building techniques that predated the use of modern materials. Argentina's Grossi elected head of UN's nuclear watchdog Argentina's Rafael Grossi was elected on Tuesday to head the UN's nuclear watchdog, which is tasked in particular with monitoring the implementation of the increasingly shaky Iran nuclear deal. Grossi, 58, succeeded Yukiya Amano, who died in office. Grossi beat Romanian diplomat Cornel Feruta to become Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) following the death of the former head Yukiya Amano of Japan in July. Sadako Ogata, First Female UN Refugee Chief from Japan, Dies at 92 Japan's Sadako Ogata, the first woman to head the UN's refugee agency UNHCR, has died at the age of 92, Japan's foreign aid agency said Tuesday. Ogata was widely respected for her efforts to help refugees and internally displaced people around the world and emphasised making visits to conflict zones during her tenure from 1991-2002. She worked to help Kurdish refugees from Iraq after the Gulf War, and was also known for tackling crises in Rwanda, Zaire, Sudan and the former Yugoslavia. She was credited with re-establishing UNHCR's credibility and was even touted as a potential successor to former UN chief Boutrous Boutrous-Ghali.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Anup Kumar Singh takes charge as new DG of National Security Guard
Senior IPS officer Anup Kumar Singh has taken charge as the new Director General (DG) of National Security Guard (NSG). The NSG is a counter-terrorism unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was raised in 1984.
ICC bans Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh Test and T20 Captain Shakib Al Hasan has been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) from all cricket for two years. One year of the punishment has been suspended after he accepted three charges of breaching the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. This was announced today in a press release issued by the ICC. Shakib was found guilty for not reporting to the ICC that he was approached by the bookies. He was approached by the bookies during the home tri-series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka last year in January. He was approached a second time during the same series. Bookies approached him during the Indian Premier League match between Sunrisers Hyderabad v Kings XI Punjab in April 2018.
30th Oct, 2019
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Datta Padsalgikar appointed deputy NSA Former Mumbai Police Commissioner and Maharashtra DGP Datta Padsalgikar has been appointed as Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA). The 1982-batch IPS officer had earlier served in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) for 26 years before he was picked as the Mumbai Police Commissioner in 2016. He retired as the Director General of Police (DGP) in 2018.
28th Vyas Samman conferred on Leeladhar Jagoori The 28th Vyas Samman for the year 2018 was conferred on well- known Hindi writer Leeladhar Jagoori at a function in New Delhi today. Mr Jagoori has been chosen for the prestigious award for his poetry collection- Jitne Log Utne Prem. The Vyas Samman, started in 1991, is given by K K Birla Foundation for an outstanding literary work in Hindi authored by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years. It carries an award money of four lakh rupees along with a citation and plaque.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Nirmala Sitharaman releases special commemorative coin of Paramahansa Yogananda
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has released a special commemorative coin on Paramahansa Yogananda to mark his 125th Birth Anniversary. Paramahansa Yogananda was a great son of India, who became so recognized globally.
Post-Diwali pollution in Delhi likely to be lower than last 3 years: SAFAR Delhi's air quality is predicted to touch the "severe" mark in the early hours on Monday, the peak level of PM2.5 is likely to be the lowest in the past three years, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said in a special report on Diwali. PM2.5 is particulate matter equal to or less than 2.5 microns in diameter. These tiny particles can enter deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream.
United States Grand Prix: Sixth World Title for Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton will win his sixth Formula One drivers' world championship at the United States Grand Prix.
Women's Tennis Association Finals: Kiki Bertens Stuns World Number One Ash Barty Kiki Bertens defeated world number one Ashleigh Barty 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in just over two hours at the WTA Finals. Nagaland govt launches Ex-gratia Scheme for Students Nagaland Government today launched the Nagaland Ex- gratia Scheme for Students Studying outside Nagaland belonging to any recognized scheduled tribes and indigenous inhabitants of the state. The scheme is targeted for students who die outside the state while pursuing secular, technical, professional, diploma and theology courses. Launching the scheme at the Directorate of Higher Education in Kohima, Minister of Higher & Technical Education and Tribal Affairs Temjen Imna Along, said it is a historic day for the state and a visionary step taken towards the students’ community. The Minister also assured that the scheme will be implemented in a transparent manner. IIT Delhi collaborates with ISRO to set up space technology cell Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi is going to set up a space technology cell in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). With the move, IIT Delhi will join the league of other premiere institutions like IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati and IIT Roorkee where the Space Technology Cells (STCs) have been set up to play a major role in taking up the space technology research and applications to the newer heights.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Shilpa Shetty Kundra the brand ambassador for Bodycare International Ltd Bollywood actress-producer Shilpa Shetty Kundra, a new age mother who inspires women across the country and efficiently balances career and family, has been signed as brand ambassador by Bodycare International Ltd for promoting their stylish and comfortable range of anti- bacterial thermals made out of quilt knit technology.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg declines environmental award Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday refused to accept an environmental award, saying the climate movement needed people in power to start to “listen to science” and not awards. The young climate activist, who has rallied millions to her “Fridays for Future” movement, was honoured at a Stockholm ceremony held by the Nordic Council, a regional body for inter-parliamentary cooperation. Thunberg had been nominated for her efforts by both Sweden and Norway and won the organisation’s annual environment prize.
31st Oct, 2019
Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are officially Union Territories Jammu & Kashimr and Ladakh, as the two regions will be formally accorded the status of Union Territory on October 31. Girish Chandra Murmu, a 1985-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Gujarat cadre will take oath as the first Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday afternoon. Murmu served as expenditure secretary at the Centre before getting appointed as Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Radha Krishna Mathur will be sworn-in as the first Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh. Mathur, a retired 1977-batch IAS officer from Tripura cadre retired as the Chief Information Commissioner of India in November 2018. Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Geeta Mittal will administer the oath to both Lieutenant Governors. In August this year, the government revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and also bifurcated the state into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
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Current Affairs October 2019
India's life expectancy rises to 68.7 years: National Health Profile 2019 Life expectancy in India has increased from 49.7 years in 1970-75 to 68.7 years in 2012-16, as per the National Health Profile 2019 released on Wednesday. For the same period, the life expectancy for females is 70.2 years and 67.4 years for males. According to the survey, the highest population density of 11,320 people per square kilometre was reported by the NCT of Delhi whereas Arunachal Pradesh has reported the lowest population density of 17. Atanu Chakraborty gets additional charge of Department of Expenditure secretary Senior bureaucrat Atanu Chakraborty has been appointed as the Department of Expenditure secretary on Wednesday, replacing G C Murmu who was named as the first Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor. HM Amit Shah flags off Run For Unity from New Delhi's Major Dhyanchand National Stadium The 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is also promoted as 'National Unity Day'-31st Oct, 2019 through a "Run for Unity" event. Thousands, including political leaders and celebrities, took part in marathons across India. Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off Run For Unity from New Delhi's Major Dhyanchand National Stadium this morning. On 5th August, the Narendra Modi Government removed Article 370 and 35A and realized the unfulfilled dream of Sardar Patel. UNESCO network of creative cities: Mumbai for films, Hyderabad for food UNESCO has announced that Mumbai and Hyderabad have been included in its network of 'Creative Cities' on the occasion of World Cities Day 2019 on 31st Oct. Mumbai has been designated as Creative City of Films and Hyderabad a Creative City of Gastronomy. Chennai and Varanasi are UNESCO cities of music while Jaipur is the City of Crafts and Folk Arts.
PM Modi to visit Thailand for 35th ASEAN summit Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Thailand from 2nd to 4th November to participate in the 35th ASEAN summit, began today in Bangkok, the capital of Thiland. Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan -o-Cha inaugurated this summit at IMPACT convention complex. During five days summit East Asia summit (EAS) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Summit (RCEP) will be also held. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a group of ten member countries that encourages political,economic and social co-operation in the region.
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Current Affairs October 2019
KVS organizes four-day event of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Parv' 2019 Four-day long event Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Parv 2019 was inaugurated in New Delhi today. The event, which will run till Sunday, is being organized by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, KVS. The main objective of the event is to celebrate the unity in diversity and to promote the spirit of national integration through deep and structured engagement among all Indian states and Union Territories in a year-long planned engagement between states. Veteran CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta dies at 83 Former Parliamentarian and veteran CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta died in Kolkata today after prolonged illness. He was 83. He was former Deputy General Secretary of CPI. Dasgupta was elected General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress - AITUC, in 2001. He was member of Rajya Sabha and also elected in Lok Sabha from Midnapore district of West Bengal.
Spain Confirms Offer to Host COP Climate Summit After Chile Abandons Plans Amid Anti-govt Protests The Spanish government confirmed Thursday that it has offered to host the COP 25 climate summit after Chile abandoned plans to hold it due to deadly anti-government protests. Pavan Kapoor appointed as Ambassador to UAE
Pavan Kapoor, a 1990 batch Indian Foreign Service officer today took charge as the new Ambassador to UAE. Ambassador Kapoor replaced Navdeep Singh Suri, who retired last month.
Ravinder settles for silver at U-23 World Wrestling Championship At the Under-23 World Wrestling Championship in Budapest, Indian grappler Ravinder settled for a silver medal after going down to Kyrgyzstan's Ulukbek Zholdoshbekov in the final. He suffered a 3-5 loss to Ulukbek in 61-kg category yesterday. Ulukbek is the current Asian U23 champion.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Sheikh Sultan inaugurates Sharjah International Book Fair 2019 The 38th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) 2019 was inaugurated today by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. Nearly 1800 exhibitors from 77 countries are participating in the Fair. The theme of the Sharjah World Book Capital (SWBC) is 'Open Books Open Minds', to promote books and reading across age groups and communities. Tokyo Olympics 2020: Mary Kom to represent Asian bloc in athlete ambassadors group Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom has been included in a 10-strong athlete ambassadors group to represent boxers in the build-up to next year's Tokyo Olympic Games by the IOC's Task Force for the sport. Mary Kom will represent the Asian bloc in the group, which also comprises two-time Olympic and world gold-medallist Vasyl Lamachenko and five-time world champion and 2016 Olympic gold-winner Julio Cesar La Cruz among others.
Bengaluru Gets 1st Non-stop Flight to Africa Ethiopian Airlines will operate direct flight between Bengaluru and Addis Ababa four- times-a-week. With this, passengers can now travel to Africa in mere 6 hours 35 minutes.
Cyclonic Storm 'Maha' forms over Maldives-Comorin; Navy, Lakshadweep Admin take precautions The deep depression over the Maldives- Comorin areas has intensified into Cyclonic Storm Maha. Naval Officer - in - Charge Lakshadweep and Minicoy and INS Dweeprakshak at Kavaratti are taking all precautions in co-ordination with Union Territory Lakshadweep Administration to ensure the safety of men and material. Under the influence of the Cyclone "Maha," most parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have received light to moderate rain in the last twenty four hours. 3rd edition of Guwahati International Film Festival (IFF) to be inaugurated In Assam, the third edition of the Guwahati International Film Festival will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence of noted filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar in Guwahati. The inaugural ceremony will have renowned Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi as the Chief Guest.
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Current Affairs October 2019
Twitter to ban political ads worldwide on its platform Twitter will stop accepting political advertising globally on its platform, the company said, responding to growing concerns over misinformation from politicians on social media. According to Chief executive Jack Dorsey, internet advertising is incredibly powerful and very effective for commercial advertisers, that power brings significant risks to politics, where it can be used to influence votes to affect the lives of millions."
Indira Gandhi’s Death Day Celebrated as National Pledge Day or Rashtriya Sankalp Diwas Indira Gandhi, the only women Prime Minister of India, was assassinated on October 31, 1984. She was shot dead by one of her Sikh bodyguards in broad daylight. Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was born to Jawaharlal Nehru and Kamala Nehru. She was an Indian politician, stateswoman and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She served as Prime Minister of India from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984. The death anniversary of Indira Gandhi is marked as Rashtriya Sankalp Diwas or National Pledge Day. The occasion is dedicated to Indira Gandhi and her service to India. On this day, people take a pledge for a unified India. Hamilton Masakadza named Zimbabwe's first director of cricket
Recently-retired cricketer Hamilton Masakadza has been appointed as Zimbabwe Cricket's first Director of Cricket (DoC), a position created as a part of restructuring approved by the country's cricket board during their last meeting in August.
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Current Affairs October 2019
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