Daily Current Affairs Updates–16th October 2016:
Daily Current affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this.
World Food Day: Oct 16
i. World Food Day represents a time for people to take action against hunger. Sunday marks the day where people are encouraged to come together and pledge their commitment to put an end to world hunger. First established in 1979, World Food day celebrates the creation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and is observed by millions of people around the world.
ii. This year’s theme is “Climate is Changing. Food and Agriculture must too.” There are several ways to observe this day whether you attend an event or find your own way to give back, the key is to bring attention to the issue.
Union Government has launched Mining Surveillance System
i. The mines ministry on 15 oct came out with mining surveillance system (MSS), a pan-India surveillance network using latest satellite technology, to check illegal mining.
ii. MSS is a satellite-based monitoring system, which aims to check illegal mining activity through automatic remote-sensing detection technology. The Indian Bureau of Mines, on behalf of the mines ministry, has developed MSS, in co-ordination with the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar, and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).
Govt constituted expert committee finds Saraswatiriver did exist
i. Government constituted expert committee has said that the Saraswatiriver was not mythical and it existed. The seven-member committee, headed by Professor K.S. Valdiya yesterday, submitted the report to the government.
Professor Valdiya, an eminent geologist, said this report is based on the study of the land texture of states of North-West India including- Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said, the report is an assertion of the assumption that River Saraswati originated from Adibadri in Himalaya to culminate in the Arabian Sea through the Runn of Kutch.
Modi to distribute 500 charkhas to women spinners in Ludhiana
i.Prime Minister NarendraModi will distribute 500 traditional wooden charkhas (spinning wheel) to women spinners belonging to the five Khadi local institutions in Ludhiana on Tuesday. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Chairman V K Saxena said that the women spinners have been selected from different areas of Punjab.
ii. In a statement, MrSaxena said 500 charkhas will create 500 direct employment at the doorstep of these villagers. In Tamil Nadu in 1945, freedom fighter K Kamaraj donated 500 traditional charkhas to the local women spinners on the occasion of a spinning mela, he said.
Govt grants BP Plclicence to set up petrol pumps in India
i. Government has formally granted a licence to BP, Europe's third-biggest oil company, to set up 3,500 petrol pumps in India. The UK-based firm, as also Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd, was given approval by the Oil Ministry to retail petrol and diesel.
ii. Our correspondent reports, BP has been granted licence to market Motor Spirit (petrol) and High Speed Diesel (diesel).The company had in January this year won in-principle approval to retail aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to airlines in India.
iii. State-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC) owns 25,363 petrol pumps, Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) 13,802 stations and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) 13,439 outlets.Kolkata-based Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) was the latest company to get licence to set up upto 100 petrol pumps,mostly in West Bengal.
MP district makes toilets mandatory to obtain passports
i. Madhya Pradesh's Katni district has made it mandatory for passport applicants to have toilets in their homes, if they wish to obtain No Objection Certificates from the police.
ii. This forms part of efforts to meet Swachh Bharat Mission targets. The MP rural development department has set a target to make the state Open Defecation Free by the end of 2019.
Kashmiri Red Stag to be declared as 'Critically Endangered'
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) would be declaring the Kashmiri Red Stag or Hangul as a 'critically endangered species'. Hangul has been hunted over centuries and its habitat destroyed, leading to its wild population shrinking to 150. The IUCN had earlier categorised it as of 'Least Concern' by clubbing it with European and other 'red deer' species.
43rd India International Knit Fair to be held in TN
The 43rd edition of India's biggest exposition on knitted garments, 'India International Knit Fair', will be held from October 19-21 in Tirupur city of Tamil Nadu. The three-day expo will showcase Autumn/Winter and Mid Summer collection 2017, with a display of the latest fashion wear. Reportedly, buyers from several countries including Japan, SA and Singapore have already confirmed their visit.
INTERNATIONAL
India, Russia to explore building $25bn gas pipeline
India and Russia have agreed to explore building the world's most expensive pipeline costing about $25 billion (around ₹1.66 lakh crore) to transport natural gas from Siberia to India, officials said.
The 4,500 km to 6,000 km pipeline will connect Russian gas grid to India, the world's third-biggest energy consuming nation. ONGC, GAIL will be roped in for the study.
Brazil Opens 1st Elephant Refuge
The first elephant sanctuary in Latin America has opened in Brazil to provide a home for an estimated 50 circus animals from across the region.Guida and Maia, both over 40 years old, are the first residents.
They will be provided with veterinary care and live out their lives in forested areas with pastures.The first phase of the project will host up to six animals.
World Economic Forum (WEF) Says Finland is the safest country in the world
A recent report carried out by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on ‘Safety and Security,’ has revealed that the Finland is the safest place in the world with Qatar and UAE ranked second and third respectively.
Further down the list was the UK, which was ranked at 63, while the US was in 73 place. At the bottom of the survey ranked Nigeria, followed by Colombia, Yemen, Pakistan and Venezuela, as the least safest countries to live.India ranked 13th as the least safe countries in the world.
BANKING NEWS
ICICI Executes Transaction on Blockchain
ICICI Bank has executed international trade finance transactions & overseas remittances using blockchain technology.
This puts ICICI Bank the first bank in India to carry out overseas transactions in a few minutes via blockchain.
The usage of blockchain tech simplifies the process & makes it almost instant.This is in contrast to the current process which involves a complex & lengthy paper trail.
HDFC Bank Raises Rs 500 crore
HDFC has raised another Rs 500 crore by issuing rupee-denominated masala bonds to overseas investors.
This is the fourth issue of rupee-denominated bonds to overseas investors.The bonds will mature on January 9, 2020.
The masala bonds are instruments through which Indian entities can raise funds by accessing overseas capital markets while bond investors hold the currency risk.
BUSINESS NEWS
'India to be among top 4 markets for Cisco by 2020'
With revenue worth over $1 billion, technology major Cisco's India President Dinesh Malkani said that India can become one of the top four markets for the company by 2020. “India is already among our top five markets, absolutely," CEO Chuck Robbins stated. Notably, Cisco's India operations have reported nine straight quarters of growth, including 20% growth last year.
AGREEMENTS & MoUs
Uber inks pact with Electronics and IT Min to train drivers
Ride-hailing app Uber on Saturday inked a pact with the Ministry of Electronics and IT's CSCs (Common Services Centres) to train drivers on its platform.
A part of company's UberSHAAN initiative, the agreement will help individuals receive driver training, facilitate license procurement and vehicle financing. Through the initiative, Uber aims to create 10 lakh job opportunities in India by 2018.
Hamid Ansari to have bilateral discussions with Hungary's PM
Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari will have bilateral discussions with Hungary's Prime Minister Victor Orban and other leaders in Budapest today during his ongoing visit to the European country.
First agreement will be for cooperation in the field of water resources, including innovations in irrigation technology while another agreement will promote cooperation between Indian Council Of World Affairs and its Hungarian counterpart.
India-Russia sign agreement to produce Ka-226T helicopters jointly
On the birthday of India's Misssile men A. P. J. Abdul Kalam , India and Russia formally inked the agreement for five S-400 Triumf air defence systems and four stealth frigates and a joint venture to manufacture Kamov-226T helicopters in India.The S-400 is considered one of the most advanced long range missile system in the world and can tackle all incoming airborne targets at ranges of up to 400 km.
Under the agreement, the joint Russian-Indian enterprise created by Russian Helicopters, JSC Rosoboronexport and India's HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) must arrange for the localization of production and supply of 200 light multi role Ka-226T helicopters for nine years.
Russia, India sign defence deals worth 60,000 crore
India and Russia on Saturday announced defence deals worth about 60,000 crores. The deals include the purchase of Russian air defence systems, collaboration in making stealth warships and setting up a production facility for Kamov helicopters. Reportedly, the most critical deal is the purchase of five S-400 air defence systems which will be deployed along the Chinese and Pakistani border.
APPOINTMENTS
ICICI Bank Appoints AnupBagchi
ICICI Bank Board has approved the appointment of Mr. AnupBagchi as Executive Director to head retail business.
He will take over as the Head of Retail Banking effective November 1, 2016.Mr. Bagchi joined ICICI Limited in 1992.
Over the last 24 years, he has worked in key positions in the ICICI Group in the areas of retail banking, corporate and investment banking and treasury.
Mangaluru International Airport rated best in Southern region
Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) has been rated the best in Southern region and third among all the 52 airports in the country.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) conducts survey of all the airports once in six months through an external agency. The performances of all the airports are rated on the basis of overall customer satisfaction.
Chandigarh airport has taken the top slot in the survey, followed by Raipur, with the third position being shared by Mangaluru and Udaipur airports. The survey covers areas like achievement of the airport, performance of staff, facilities, customs and immigration facilities and safety.
Aishwarya named Most Glamorous Female Star by Filmfare
Actress AishwaryaRaiBachchan has been named the Most Glamorous Star (Female) at the Absolut ElyxFilmfare Glamour & Style Awards. Actor VarunDhawan received the award for the Most Glamorous Star (Male). Other awardees include actress Katrina Kaif who was named the Most Stylish Star (Female) and Priyanka Chopra who received the Global Icon of the Year (Female) award.
SonamKapoor awarded ET Panache Trendsetter Award 2016
Actress SonamKapoor has been honoured with the Trendsetter Award 2016 by ET Panache, a supplement of The Economic Times on Friday. The award recognises the efforts of entrepreneurs, innovators, newsmakers and athletes whose stories "inspire millions and whose services transform lives". She attended the event wearing a black attire by luxury fashion brand 'Delpozo'.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
American school launches Any Time School in India
In an otherwise unregulated market, The American School (TAS) was on Saturday launched as the first American-accredited Preschool brand in India. The school introduced, reportedly for the first time in the world, the concept of 'Any Time School'. Under this, working parents will have the flexibility of sending their children to school at a time of their convenience.
SPORTS NEWS
Chinese Taipei Open: SourabhVerma wins men's singles title
Indian shuttlerSourabhVerma today clinched the men's singles title at the Chinese Taipei Open badminton, defeating Malaysia's Daren Liew in the summit clash of the Grand Prix tournament in Taipei City.
Sourbah, aged 23, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, was on a comeback trail after spending almost a year on the sidelines due to elbow and knee injuries last year.
Sourabh rallied to grab the first two games 12-10 and 12-10 and emerged victorious after his opponent Liew retired at 3-3 owing to a problematic shoulder.
NeerajGoyat retains WBC Asia welterweight title
Indian boxer NeerajGoyat outpunched Australia's Ben Kite to retain the WBC welterweight Asia title in New Delhi yesterday.
The 24-year-old prevailed 120-110, 119-109, 115-113 in an unanimous decision for the gruelling 12-round contest against his 26-year-old rival.
Goyat, who came into the contest with 7 wins in 11 fights, is now expected to break into the WBC world rankings, which will be a step towards getting him a shot at the world title.
Govt to set up five dedicated centres for divyang athletes
The central government will set up five national-level sophisticated sports centres for differently-abled sports persons, with an objective of catering to their special needs like training and diet.
Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said in Vadodara that the government has started work on establishing these five centres and land has been acquired for three such centres. He said, these centres will come up in central, west, north, south and east India.
India becomes first team to play 900 ODIs
India's ODI against New Zealand at Dharamshala on 16th oct 2016 is the team's 900th making it the world first side to achieve a milestone.
900th One Day International (ODI) match between India and New Zealand was held at the HPCA stadium in Dharamshala. Out of the 899 ODI's, India has won 454, lost 399 tied seven, while 39 have abandoned.
Country wise ODIs
1. India - 899
2. Australia - 888
3. Pakistan – 866
Brazil lifted Inaugural BRICS U – 17 Football Tournament Championship
Brazil has lifted the 1st BRICS U-17 Football Tournament 2016 held at Goa after defeating the South Africa in the title clash with 5-1.
For the 3rd place between Russia and China, Russia defeated China 2-1. This type of tournament inspired millions of youth of the country and spur India’s impetus towards ‘Khelo India’ and ‘Mission 11 Million’.
Mishra fastest Indian spinner to take 50 ODI wickets
Amit Mishra has become the fastest Indian spinner to claim 50 ODI wickets, picking up three in the first ODI against NZ at Dharamshala on Sunday.
Mishra achieved the feat in his 32nd ODI, making him the fourth-fastest Indian bowler overall to take 50 ODI wickets. Former pacer AjitAgarkar is the quickest Indian bowler to take 50 ODI wickets.
Canadian biker wins Red Bull’s mountain biking event
Canadian mountain biker Brandon Semenuk won the Rampage 2016, the 11th edition of Red Bull's annual mountain biking event, in Utah on Friday. The event saw participation from 21 invited athletes who were judged on the basis of skill by former competitors. Semenuk's stunts included backflips and flatspins across an uneven mountain terrain.
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