31st October 2015 - Important Current Affairs updates

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International Affairs

Today is Halloween.
- The word Halloween came from 'Hallowed evening', and is the day before All Hallows Day - also known as All Saints' Day.
Today (31st October) is World Savings Day.
- This day was established on October 31, 1924, during the 1st International Savings Bank Congress (World Society of Savings Banks) in Milano, Italy.
The BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - have signed Moscow Declaration for co-investment of resources for supporting multilateral Research and Development (R&D) Projects in mutually agreed areas.
- This declaration was signed during the third meeting of the BRICS Ministers for Science, Technology and Innovation that was held in Moscow, Russia.
- Indian delegation to this meeting was led by Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences.

National Affairs

Today is 140th birth anniversary of first Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
- Important Note : Nation celebrates this day as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

Science & Technology

ISRO's communication satellite GSAT-15 is all set to be launched on 10th of next month from French Guiana on board Ariane 5.
- The Indian space agency for augmenting telecommunication services, had previously launched communication satellites GSAT 14 and GSAT 6.
- GSAT 14 was launched in January 2014 while GSAT 6 on GSLV in August 2015. GSAT-15, developed by ISRO, would provide C- and Ku-band telecommunications and navigation services to India.

Business & Economy

To enable Indians living abroad to access old age income security, Reserve Bank allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to subscribe to the National Pension System (NPS).
- NRIs may subscribe to the NPS governed and administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), provided such subscriptions are made through normal banking channels and the person is eligible to invest as per the provisions of the PFRDA Act.
- The subscription amounts shall be paid by the NRIs either by inward remittance through normal banking channels or out of funds held in their NRE/FCNR/NRO account.
- Note : NPS was launched on January, 1 2004 with the objective of providing retirement income to all the citizens. NPS aims to institute pension reforms and to inculcate the habit of saving for retirement amongst the citizens.

New Appointments

Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das has been nominated to the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank.

Sports

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis have secured the 2015 WTA Year-End No.1 doubles ranking.
- The Indo-Swiss pair has won eight titles this year, including Grand Slam crowns at Wimbledon and the US Open.