Current Affairs of 25 October 2015

1. Union Government approves induction of women fighter pilots in Indian Air Force

Union Government has approved induction of women into the Fighter branch of Indian Air Force (IAF). Henceforth, women are eligible to get inducted in all branches and streams of the Air Force. Union Defence Ministry has taken this decision keeping in view the aspirations of Indian women and in line with contemporary trends in Armed Forces of developed nations. Under the new rules, the first women fighter pilots would be selected from the batch which is presently undergoing flying training at Air Force Academy in Hyderabad, Telangana. These women pilots will be commissioned into the fighter stream in June 2016 after successful completion of initial training. Thereafter, they would undergo advanced training for 1 year and would enter a fighter cockpit by June 2017.

2. 24 October: World Polio Day

World Polio Day is observed annually across the world on 24 October. The day seeks to create awareness about the hazards of the crippling Polio disease. To mark this day, Rotary International has organised numerous events across different countries. It is also planning to make world Polio free by 2019 by stepping up its vaccination campaigns.

3. Doordarshan emerges most watched Hindi channel

Public broadcaster Doordarshan today claimed that it has emerged as the most watched Hindi channel in terms of time spent per viewer ahead of top General Entertainment Channels.

The “monumental development” comes in as Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) released the much awaited All India viewership data, which includes rural India, for the very first time.

This indicates that after tuning to the channel, viewers preferred to continuously watch it for a longer duration of time rather than frequently switching the channels, as compared to other GECs

4. Telugu Actor Mada Venkateswara Rao Dies at 65

Veteran Telugu actor Mada Venkateswara Rao died in Hyderabad after a brief illness. He was 65.

The actor, known for his comedy roles, died after undergoing treatment for a brief period at a private hospital on the night of October 24, said his family members.

Born in 1950, Mr Rao shot to fame with his role as a eunuch in film Chillara Kottu Chittemma directed by Dasari Narayana Rao in 1977.

The noted comedian has also acted in over 300 films, including some in other regional languages.

He was popular for his roles in films like Muthyala Muggu, Lambadolla Ram Das and Mayadari Malligadu.

5. DBS Sees India's FY16 Growth at 7.4% With Downside Risks

 India is expected to clock 7.4 per cent growth rate this fiscal year with a downside risk amid weak exports, a slow pace of structural reforms and investment spending, says a DBS report.

According to the global financial services firm, though better production numbers and improved discretionary spending are encouraging for the country's growth prospects, the capex cycle is yet to take-off convincingly and this could affect the economy's return to high growth rates.

DBS expects FY16 real GDP growth at 7.4 per cent with "downside risks".

India clocked a GDP growth of 7.3 per cent for financial year