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Important Current Affairs 10th October 2017

Important Current Affairs 10th October 2017

Current Affairs 10th October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

President of India inaugurates India water Week-2017 

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated India Water Week-2017 today (October 10, 2017) in New Delhi.
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that water is essential to life. 
●    It is fundamental to the economy and to ecology – and to human equity. 
●    The issue of water is becoming still more critical in view of climate change and related environmental concerns. 
●    Better and more efficient use of water is a challenge for Indian agriculture and industry alike. 
●    It requires us to set new benchmarks in both our villages and in the cities we build.
●    The President said that currently, 80 per cent of water in India is used by agriculture and only 15 per cent by industry. 
●    In the coming years, this ratio will change. The total demand for water will also rise. 
●    Efficiency of water use and reuse, therefore, has to be built into the blueprint of industrial projects. 
●    Business and industry need to be a part of the solution.


Historic wage agreement by Coal India Limited 

The 10th Wage Agreement of Coal Workers was finalised on the 10th meeting on 10th day of 10th month of this year. 
●    Wage Agreement of the employees has been due from 1 July 2016. 
●    The negotiation for wage agreement that has been on the negotiation table for more than one year has been concluded today. 
●    Trade Union representatives were insistent for 50% of wage increase. 
●    Their demand was there should be 50% wage increase for the employees. 
●    But considering the country’s position, CIL’s benefit and financial position, a new record has been created by agreeing 20% increase on wages. 
●    The special accomplishment of this agreement is that every employee shall get one day’s rest in a week, as per rule, so that the employee shall have relaxation and shall get an opportunity to spend time with their family paving way for improvement in quality of life through Work-Life-Balance. 
●    The representatives of Trade Union and CIL Management have taken a decision to work together in the spirit of team work and increase productivity to unprecedented level.


Health Ministry discontinues Paper Greetings, switches to eGreetings 

With the aim to reduce use of paper and give a boost to digital initiatives of the Government and to promote a contemporary and eco-friendly method of sending greetings, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to go forward with eGreetings instead of paper-based greetings starting this festive season. 
●    In a circular issued today, the Health Ministry has advised its staff to send festival greetings in the form of eGreetings. 
●    Further, the Ministry has also said that it will not entertain any request for printing of season’s greeting card. 
●    The eGreetings can be sent through the eGreetings portal of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology developed as part of the “Digital India” initiative.
●    The eGreeting portal created by DeitY and NIC allows users to select and send greetings from multiple occasion-specific templates. 
●    Government Departments can also customize the greetings by adding tag-lines and messages related to their programmes and schemes. 
●    The portal includes greetings for various occasions, including days of national importance. 


Union Home Minister inaugurates NIA Hqrs new Office Complex 

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has played a key role in making the country a safer place and shielded India from the onslaught of global terrorism. 
●    Inaugurating the new Headquarters Office Complex of the NIA here today, Shri Rajnath Singh said the NIA is on course to check the threat posed by terrorism.
●    The Union Home Minister said the NIA recently launched a crackdown on terrorism funding in the Kashmir Valley sponsored from a hostile neighbouring country and their accomplices in third countries abroad. 
●    He commended the NIA, other Security Agencies, the Army, CAPFs and ATS of State Police Forces for coordinated efforts resulting in the elimination of a good number of terrorists.
●    Shri Rajnath Singh said the Government initiated steps to grant full autonomy to the NIA in investigations. 
●    Earlier the NIA sought the MHA’s nod to proceed for action, but I’ve directed that there is no need for MHA’s approval and NIA is free to act discreetly. 

Indian Railways and German Railways sign Joint Declaration of intent 

A Joint Declaration of Intent was signed between Ministry of Railways and Germany on 10th October,2017 in Rail Bhavan in the presence of Shri Ashwani Lohani, Chairman, Railway Board regarding carrying out of feasibility study on existing Chennai-Kazipet corridor of Indian Railways by German Railways for increasing the speed of passenger trains to 200 kmph on 50.50 percent cost sharing basis.
●    The current Joint Declaration of Intent is intended to deepen the cooperation, more specifically towards the achievement in the priority area of Semi High Speed Rail: the upgrading of current passenger services to SHS (Semi High Speed) upto 200 kmph on the Chennai-Kazipet corridor (643 km).
●    The Project is envisaged to consist of three phases to be carried out over a 22 month period with the objectives to provide .
●    Phase 1: Definition of three demand-based Upgrade scenarios for the corridor
●    Phase 2: Selection of the preferred Upgrade scenario for SHS on the corridor, based on analysis of respective operations and economic-financial impact.
●    Phase 3: For preferred scenario, Reference design and technical Tender document:
●    Development of Reference design for technical solution on preferred  Upgrade scenario.
●    Procurement concept for Construction works and Railway Systems.
●    Concept and Requirements for construction Phasing under railway  Operations.
●    Preparation of technical tender documents for preferred Scenario usable for Design & Build tendering.


Conference on NPS for Central Public Sector Enterprises organised in the national capital by PFRDA 

Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) organised a conference on National Pension System (NPS) for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) at the India Habitat Centre (IHC), New Delhi with the objective of informing CPSEs benefits and features of NPS and of addressing their queries on NPS. 
●    Based on the recommendation of the 3rd Pay Revision Committee, the Department of PSE notified dispensing with the condition of minimum 15 years of service and superannuation from CPSEs to avail the pension benefit implemented by CPSEs.
●    Separately, the Government has also amended the Income Tax Act providing for tax free migration of superannuation funds to NPS. 
●    This provision will facilitate the CPSEs to implement NPS for their employees. 
●    The total employee strength in CPSEs stood at 12.91 lakh (excluding contract workers) in 2014-15. 
●    The Conference saw an active participation of more than 55 CPSEs with around 150 participants.
●    In his Inaugural Address, Dr. Badri S. Bhandari, Whole Time Member, PFRDA welcomed the participants and expressed the endeavor of PFRDA to expand NPS across all the sectors in the country in affordable and sustainable manner. 
●    He explained the benefits of NPS and communicated the returns generated by Pension Funds since inception, which has been over 10% since inception. 

Reconstituting National Panel of Experts to resolve technical issues regarding use of new technology/ materials/equipment 

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, has decided to implement a “Value Engineering Program” to promote the use of new technologies, materials, and equipment in highways projects executed either under PPP mode or public funding mode. 
●    The objective of the programme is to use innovative technology, materials and equipment to reduce the cost of projects and make them more environment friendly, while simultaneously ensuring that the roads or bridges and other assets get constructed much faster, are structurally stronger and more durable.  
●    The Ministry had constituted a National Panel of Experts (NPE) last year, for approving  proposals pertaining to deployment of (a) new/innovative/alternative materials, (b) new/innovative/alternative technologies and (c) new/innovative/alternative equipment in the highway sector. 
●    The NPE will examine all technical matters involving the new technologies, materials and equipment referred to it by the concerned Engineers or concessionaires/ contractors. 
●    The NPE will also resolve the technical issues which arise as a result of difference in view between engineers and concessionaires/contractors regarding implementation of the new and innovative technologies, materials and equipment. 
●    In addition, it  will also decide about the need for field trials of any new or innovative technology/materials/ equipment before its adoption, and  finalize associated design approaches, construction methodologies/sequences as well as the relevant specifications/codes/ guidelines so that the contractor may use the proposed new/alternative materials/technologies/ equipment in project highway.


$11 billion deal to sell Indus Towers to Bharti Infratel


A consortium led by US buyout fund KKR and comprising Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and GIC Singapore is in discussions to acquire Indus Towers, the world’s largest wireless infrastructure company, and telecom tower company Bharti Infratel for $11billion, multiple people in the know told ET. 
●    Once completed, this will arguably be the largest such transaction globally. 
●    As the first step, Bharti Infratel will buy out either all or almost the entire 58% shareholding of other partners — Vodafone, Idea Cellular and Providence Equity Partners — in Indus Towers. 
●    Bharti Infratel currently owns 42% in Indus Towers, which has a portfolio of 1,23,000 towers. 
●    Vodafone is likely to retain 8-10% stake to enjoy any future upside. Infratel has the right of first refusal on Vodafone and Idea’s stakes in Indus Towers. 
●    “Bharti Infratel is likely to buy 45-50% stake for $5.5-6.5 billion as a leveraged buyout that will largely be funded out of the reserves and cash flow of Indus Towers,” said one of the sources mentioned above. 
●    Investment banking sources put the enterprise value of privately held Indus at around $11billion, inclusive of $1-billion debt. 
●    Spokespersons for Bharti, Vodafone Plc, KKR, Aditya Birla Group, CPPIB and ADIA declined to comment. GIC had not responded to ET’s questionnaire till press time. 

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Important Current Affairs 9th October 2017

Important Current Affairs 9th October 2017

Current Affairs 9th October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Vice President to inaugurate tomorrow the third International Conference on Yoga 

Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will inaugurate the two-day ‘International Conference on Yoga for Wellness’ tomorrow at Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. 
●    The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik will preside over the inaugural function.
●    The conference is being organized by Ministry of AYUSH as a part of commemorating the celebration of 21st June as International Day of Yoga declared by the United Nations. 
●    Secretary (AYUSH), Shri C.K. Mishra, Special Secretary, Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha and Yoga Gurus of International repute will also be present. 
●    About 500 delegates including 69 from 44 overseas countries are registered to attend the conference.
●    Yoga focused deliberations of the conference will be organized in six technical sessions followed by Panel Discussion among 16 interdisciplinary experts from prominent scientific institutions.
●    The thematic areas of deliberations include Yoga research in non-communicable diseases and scope of Yoga in Integrated Medicine, Control of Cancer, Depression, Gynecological disorders and Pain Management. 


Union Home Minister to inaugurate First BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise tomorrow 

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the four-day First ‘BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017’ (BIMSTEC DMEx-2017) here tomorrow. 
●    The Exercise will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the lead agency from October 10-13, 2017 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). 
●    At the 17th BIMSTEC Senior Officials Meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal on February 7, 2017, it was decided that India would organize the first annual Disaster Management Exercise for the region.
●    The BIMSTEC DMEx-2017 is being conducted in two phases in Delhi and NCR. 
●    The main exercise will comprise of Table Top Exercise (TTX), Field Training Exercise (FTX) and After Action Review (AAR) which is scheduled for October 10-13, 2017.
●    Earlier, the first phase comprising a Preparatory Meeting and field visit of site selected for FTX during the main exercise, was held in Delhi NCR on August 8-9, 2017.

NMCG Approves Eight Projects worth over Rs 700 Crore Under Namami Gange Programme 

National Mission for Clean Ganga has approved eight projects worth Rs. 700 crore, out of which four pertain to sewage management in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, three are related to treatment of drains through bio-remediation and one of inventorization and surveillance of river Ganga. 
●    On sewage management front, a project for pollution abatement in river Ganga at Bally in West Bengal has been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 200.07 crore that would include construction of a 40 MLD STP under Hybrid Annuity based PPP model among other works. 
●    Similarly, construction of a 65 MLD STP under Hybrid Annuity model has been approved for Bhagalpur in Bihar at an estimated reject cost of Rs 268.49 crore. 
●    In Uttar Pradesh, sewage treatment related works at an estimated cost of Rs 213.62 crore have also been approved that includes construction of two STPs (28 MLD + 05 MLD) in Farrukabad and one 2 MLD STP at Bargadiya drain in Fatehpur. 
●    Pollution abatement works for river Ganga like interception, diversion and treatment of sewage in Bithoor have also been approved at an estimated cost of Rs 13.40 crore. 


First ever Conference of Partner NGOs of WCD Ministry held in New Delhi today 

The first ever conference of Partner NGOs of WCD Ministry was held in New Delhi today. 
●    The Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated the conference titled “Implementation of Policies, Schemes and Programmes for Women and Children: Challenges and Way Forward”. 
●    More than 130 participants from various NGOs across the country attended today’s conference aimed at sensitizing them about the various schemes of WCD Ministry and to give them an opportunity to share their experiences and insights.
●    Addressing the participants, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that NGOs play a very vital role since a large numbers of schemes, programmes and policies of the government, which are being implemented at the ground level with the help of NGOs. 
●    The Ministry of Women and Child Development has taken up several new initiatives like One Stop Centres, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Women Helpline, National Policy for Women, Bill against Trafficking, National Alliance against Child Abuse amongst many such others, the Minister explained. 

Territorial Army Celebrates 68th Raising Day 

Territorial Army (TA) celebrated its 68th Raising Day here today. 
●    As per tradition, the TA fraternity led by ADG TA Major General DA Chaturvedi, called on the President Shri Ram Nath Kovind and paid their respect to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
●    In the run-up to the Raising Day several events were organised across the country. 
●    In Delhi the TA organised a half marathon on October 02, 2017 in the true spirit of Citizens’ Army and also to promote healthy lifestyle. 
●    The event comprised 5 Km, 10 Km and 21 Km run and was flagged off from Army Parade Ground, Delhi Cantt by DGMO Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, and Lt Col (Hony) Kapil Dev. 


India Inc is preparing plans for mega investments in charging infrastructure

India Inc is preparing plans for mega investments for the electric vehicle mission including charging infrastructure worth thousands of crores in cities, batteries and purchase of three-wheelers and cars. 
●    Government officials said they have held extensive discussions with more than 50 companies, domestic and foreign, for setting up charging infrastructure – a vital requirement of the country’s ambitious e-vehicle plan. 
●    Ola and several local taxi aggregators are also considering bulk purchases of electric three-wheelers and e-rickshaws and lease them, industry executives and officials said. 
●    A top official involved in the government’s e-vehicle’s programme said Tata Power, ABB, Acme Industries, and few Dutch firms are actively considering setting up vehicle charging stations, while Exide Industries, Amaron Batteries and Microtek have held discussions with officials about supplying batteries and setting up bulk shops for motorists to swap drained out batteries with charged ones.

Union Home Minister attends Passing Out Parade at CISF Regional Training Centre Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu 

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh has said the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) needs to upgrade and technologically advance itself to face and counter any incident of cyber terrorism. 
●    Addressing the Passing Out Parade of Assistant Commandants (Executive), Sub Inspectors (Executive) and Assistant Sub Inspectors (Executive) at the CISF Regional Training Centre (RTC) Arakkonam, in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu today, Shri Rajnath Singh said a specialised Wing in the CISF should be created to conduct regular cyber security audits and build capacities to deal with cyber-terrorism.
●    Pointing out that cyber-terrorism has emerged as a major terror threat facing several countries in the world, the Union Home Minister said the cyber terrorists use digital tracks to attack important institutions, buildings and installation.
●    Shri Rajnath Singh also called upon the CISF to conduct regular security audits of all important buildings and installations. 
●    The CISF should strengthen its security mechanism based on these audit reports and also by adopting new technological solutions, he added. 
●    The Union Home Minister said the CISF needs to maintain its core competence against terrorism so that our strategic installations are not hit by any terrorist group. 
●    Shri Rajnath Singh said India is one of the fastest emerging economies of the world. 

Current Affairs 9th October 2017: AWARDS

Richard Thaler awarded with Nobel of economics


Richard Thaler has been awarded the Nobel prize in economics for his work on how psychology influences decision making.
●    The award – officially known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in memory of Alfred Nobel, which was first awarded in 1969 – was given to Mr Thaler for his work in “understanding the psychology of economics”, said the prize committee.
●    Richard Thaler is an American economist who is currently professor of behavioural science and economics at the University of Chicago. 
●    He is the 79th recipient of the Nobel, which was announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm today. He will receive a prize of 9m Swedish krona ($1.1m).
●    The prize committee said that Mr Thaler’s work on incorporating insights from psychology into economics had inspired many other researchers and transformed behavioural economics from being “a fringe and controversial” field to a “mainstream area”.
●    The insights from this area of economics were summarised in Mr Thaler’s popular book “Nudge”, co-authored with Cass Sunstein, and have been increasingly influential in shaping economic policies.

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Important Current Affairs 8th October 2017

Important Current Affairs 8th October 2017

Current Affairs 8th October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Prime Minister launches Intensified Mission Indradhanush 

"Let no child suffer from any vaccine-preventable disease". This was stated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi as he launched the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) at Vadnagar in Gujarat, today. 
●    Through this programme, Government of India aims to reach each and every child under two years of age and all those pregnant women who have been left uncovered under the routine immunisation programme. 
●    The special drive will focus on improving immunization coverage in select districts and cities to ensure full immunization to more than 90% by December 2018. 
●    The achievement of full immunisation under Mission Indradhanush to at least 90% coverage was to be achieved by 2020 earlier. 
●    With the launch of IMI, achievement of the target has now been advanced. 
●    Shri Vijaybhai Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri J P Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Smt. Anandiben Patel, Ex-Chief Minister of Gujarat, Nitin Bhai Patel, Dy Chief Minister of Gujarat and Shankarbhai Chaudhary, Minister of State, Gujarat Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education, Environment and Urban Development were also present at the launch function along with other dignitaries. 


Union Home Minister to inaugurate NIA Hqrs Office Complex on 10th October 

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the new Headquarters Office Complex of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) here on October 10, 2017. 
●    The Ministers of State for Home Affairs, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Shri Kiren Rijiju will also be present at the inauguration ceremony. 
●    The foundation stone of the NIA Headquarters was laid by Shri Rajnath Singh on September 10, 2015 and the work has been completed within the stipulated period of 24 months. 
●    The NIA, which came into existence on December 31, 2008, initially began operations in Hotel Centaur, New Delhi and thereafter shifted its Headquarters to the NDCC-II Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi in June, 2013. 
●    In addition to the Headquarters, the agency has expanded its geographical outreach through a network of branch offices located at Lucknow, Hyderabad, Kochi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, Raipur & Jammu. 
●    Apart from these, the NIA is having its camp offices at Chandigarh, Srinagar, Chennai, Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam, Ahmedabad, Bharuch, Jagdalpur, Patna, Siliguri, Malda, Ranchi, Vijaywada and Imphal.


Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurates Saudi Aramco India Office 

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, today inaugurated Saudi Aramco’s ARAMCO ASIA INDIA office in Gurugram jointly with Mr Amin H Al-Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco. 
●    The office is located at Two Horizon Tower, Gurugram. 
●    Saudi Aramco through its subsidiary ARAMCO Asia India (AAI) established its formal business presence in India in 2016. 
●    AAI would now formally engage in crude oil and LPG marketing, engineering & technical services, and other business development activities. 
●    Speaking on the occasion Shri Pradhan mentioned that India is one of the biggest markets for Saudi oil and LPG. 
●    He said that he was delighted to jointly inaugurate the Saudi Aramco's Office in India which will help in strengthening the existing buyer - supplier relationship between the two sides to a strategic partnership in the hydrocarbon sector. 
●    ARAMCO India is planning to expand its operation by introducing hydrocarbon sector services functions, including engineering services, IT operations & security and also R&D centre in near future.  

Haj Committee presents report on New Haj policy 2018-22 to Shri Mukhrar Abbas Naqvi 

Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India had constituted a Committee to review the existing Haj Policy of the Government for 2013-17 and to suggest framework for new Haj policy 2018-22. 
●    The Committee presented its Report to the Union Minister of Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in the presence of Secretary (Minority Affairs), Shri Ameising Luikham, Chairman of Haj Committee of India, Shri Chaudhary Mehboob Ali Kaiser, Ambassador of India in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Shri Ahmed Javed, other Members of HCoI and senior officials of the Ministry of Minority Affairs in Mumbai today.
●    Haj is one of the most complex organizational tasks undertaken by Government of India outside its borders. 
●    Although a five day religious congregation, it is virtually a year-long managerial exercise. 
●    Indian Haj pilgrims who constitute one of the largest national group perform Haj through two streams - (i) the Haj Committee of India (HCOI), and (ii) registered Private Tour Operators (PTOs). 
●    HCOI established under the Haj Committee Act 2002 is responsible for making the arrangements for pilgrims performing Haj through them. 
●    All arrangements for the HCoI pilgrims in Saudi Arabia are coordinated by the Consulate General of India, Jeddah. 
●    The Haj quota for India fixed by the Saudi Arabian Government was fixed at 1,36,020 after Haj 2013. 


Dr. Mahesh Sharma to inaugurate ‘Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2017’ to be held in Ahmadabad From 7th To 9th October, 2017 

The “Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM)-2017” will be held from 7th to 9th October, 2017  in India’s 1st World Heritage City i.e Ahmadabad, Gujarat. 
●    Ms. Sujata Prasad, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Culture addressing the media persons Ahmadabad, Gujarat today said that Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav was conceived by the Ministry of Culture in the year 2015 and after the grand success of the First Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav in November-2015, the Ministry of Culture decided to organize it with an intent to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Country in all its rich and varied dimensions, viz Handicrafts, Cuisine, Painting, Sculpture, Photography, Documentation and Performing Arts-Folk, Tribal, Classical and Contemporary- all in one place. 
●    So far, this Ministry has organised 5 RSM’s i.e 2 in Delhi, 1 each in Varanasi, Bengaluru and RSM North East in all NE State capitals. 
●    Additional Secretary informed that The Minister of State for Culture (I/C) and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma will inaugurate the 6th edition of Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav on 7th October 2017 at 7.00 pm at Sabarmati Riverfront Event Centre, A Block in Ahmedabad.


MoU signed between V.V. Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati 

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between V.V. Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati was signed today by Dr. H. Srinivas, Director General of VVGNLI and Dr. D.K. Srivastava, Deputy Director of TISS, Guwahati in the august presence of Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, the Union Minister of State (IC) for Labour & Employment in Guwahati. 
●    Shri Pallav Lochan Das, Minister of State (IC) for Labour Welfare, Govt. of Assam and Smt. M. Sathiyavathy, Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Govt. of India were also present during the occasion.
●    Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar in his message advised that the good collaborative work proposed to be done in the North Eastern states could also be replicated in the entire country so that all get benefited. 
●    Shri Pallav Lochan Das stated that labour laws applicable in other states may not be applicable in Assam due to different local conditions. 
●    Hence, there is necessity to devise customized laws. 
●    He welcomed the MoU initiated by the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment.
●    Smt. M. Sathiyavathy in her message outlined the activities of VVGNLI and the MoU’s it has with the International Training Center of International Labour Organisation, Turin; IIM Lucknow etc. 
●    She complemented VVGNLI for its various activities and Director General, VVGNLI and Director, TISS, Guwahati for the present collaboration.


CRZ nod to ONGC's Rs 266 crore desalination plant in Maharashtra


State-run ONGC has received the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) clearance for setting up a seawater desalination plant at its Uran unit in Raigad, Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 266.40 crore, according to an official letter issued to the company.
●    The proposal is to set up a seawater desalination plant with a capacity to process 20 million litres per day (MLD). 
●    The proposed site is about 380 meters away from the high tide line (HTL) of Arabian Sea, along the western coast of India.
●    Desalination is a process to remove dissolved minerals from feed water sources such as seawater and brackish water. 
●    Desalination of seawater is being increasingly adopted worldwide to cope with the deficit in availability of potable water.
●    In the letter, the environment ministry said it has given the CRZ clearance for establishing a desalination plant in Maharashtra after taking into account the recommendation of its expert panel.
●    The approval is subject to compliance of certain conditions such as obtaining of 'no objection certificate' from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for discharge of brine water into the sea after necessary safeguards, it said.

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Important Current Affairs 7th October 2017

Important Current Affairs 7th October 2017

Current Affairs 5th October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

PM lays foundation stone for greenfield airport for Rajkot

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today addressed a public meeting at Chotila, in Surendranagar district. 
●    He laid the Foundation Stones for a greenfield airport for Rajkot; six-laning of Ahmedabad-Rajkot National Highway; and four-laning of Rajkot-Morbi State Highway. 
●    He also dedicated to the nation, a fully automatic milk processing and packaging plant; and a drinking water distribution pipeline for Joravarnagar and Ratanpur area of Surendranagar. 
●    The Prime Minister said that it was hard to imagine an airport in Surendranagar district.
●    He said such development works empower citizens. 
●    He said aviation cannot be about rich people. 
●    We have made aviation affordable and within reach of the lesser privileged, he added. 
●    The Prime Minister said that the definition of development has changed. 
●    From the days when handpumps were seen to be a sign of development, today the waters of the Narmada River have been brought for the benefit of citizens. 


PM to address Digital Saksharata Abhinandan Samaroh tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the 'Digital Saksharata Abhinanadan Samaroh' tomorrow at IIT Gandhinagar.
●    The event will highlight significance of e-literacy in addressing the issue of digital divide and promoting digital financial transactions to digitally empower the society, a statement said.
●    The government runs Pradhanmantri Grameen Digital Saksharata Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) aims to make six crore citizens digitally literate in rural India.
●    The programme also envisages equal opportunity to rural citizens, enabling them to actively participate in nation building and access livelihood through digital technology, devices and services, according to the release.
●    Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijaibhai Rupani will also be present at the event, among others.
●    So far, more than 55 lakh citizens have been registered on the PMGDISHA portal for digital literacy training, out of which more than 22 lakh citizens have been certified after successfully completing the assessment.
●    Around 7,000 training centre operators -- Common Service Centre Village Level Entrepreneurs (CSC-VLEs) from various states will also participate in the event.


Dr Jitendra Singh to inaugurate a Workshop on "Application of GIS technology in Governance" in Surat next week 

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, in association with the Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA) is organizing a Workshop in Surat, Gujarat next week on the role of Application of GIS technology in Governance.
●    The day-long Workshop will be inaugurated by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh on October 10, 2017.
●    The inaugural session will be followed by a presentation on the awarded initiative of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) regarding the use of GIS technology at SMC, for the purpose of replication by other urban bodies. 
●    It will also deliberate upon Local Area Planning for cities to be implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India as a pilot scheme and coordinated by Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad.

Union Home Secretary chairs special meeting of National Executive Committee (NEC) on PM’s 10 Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction 

The Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba chaired a special meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to sensitize all the stakeholders about the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction and to discuss implementation of the same, here today. 
●    The meeting was attended by Members of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Members of NEC, Relief Commissioners/Secretaries (Disaster Management) & representatives of the States and Union Territories. 
●    The 10 point agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction was announced by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi during the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held in November last year in New Delhi. 
●    Addressing the participants, the Union Home Secretary, Shri Rajiv Gauba, said that 10 point Agenda announced by the Prime Minister is a vision document based on three important global frameworks on disaster and sustainable development, namely Sustainable Development Goal, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Paris Agreement on Climate Change. 
●    He emphasized that interconnectedness and cooperation among different stakeholders including Central Government, State/UT Governments and other stakeholders could help achieving the targets announced by the Prime Minister. 
●    Shri Gauba said that India is one of the most disaster- prone countries. He further added that due to climatic and topographical divergence, different disasters affect different parts of the country.
●    The NDMA can play a role to set up a mechanism for regular monitoring, he added. He also stressed upon the time bound and specific deliverables for disaster risk reduction on implementation of 10 Point Agenda. 


Ministry of Women and Child Development to celebrate the BBBP Week from 09th to 14th October 

The Ministry of Women and Child Development will be celebrating the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week from 09th to 14th October, 2017. 
●    The week is being celebrated in view of the International Girl Child Day on 11th October, 2017. 
●    The theme of the program will be "Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Week- The Daughters of New India".
●    Briefing the media in New Delhi today, Secretary WCD, Shri Rakesh Srivastava said that the International Girl Child Day is celebrated every year to promote empowerment of girls and reinforce gender equality. 
●    It also provides a platform to raise issues, concerns and challenges faced by girls. 
●    In order to influence national and mainstream discourse in favour of girls and women and visibility to BBBP, which is one of the flagship programmes of Government of India, Ministry of WCD will be celebrating the BBBP Week, he explained.
●    BBBP Scheme (Celebrate Girl Child, Enable her Education) was launched by the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 22nd January, 2015 at Panipat, Haryana as a comprehensive programme to address the declining CSR and related issues of disempowerment of women over a life-cycle continuum. 
●    The Scheme is being implemented in 161 districts of the Country and has completed two and half years of its implementation on ground. 

Thousands protest across Australia against giant Adani coal mine


Large protests were held across Australia on Saturday against Indian mining giant Adani Enterprises' proposed Carmichael coal mine, which would be the country's largest coal mine but has been delayed for years over environmental and financing issues.
●    Environment groups say the mine in Queensland state would contribute to global warming and damage the Great Barrier Reef.
●    The "Stop Adani" movement organised 45 protests.
●    On the sands of Sydney's Bondi Beach more than 1,000 people formed a human sign saying '#STOP ADANI', said organiser Blair Palese from activist group 350.
●    The national rallies come as new polling shows more than half of Australians oppose the mine, reported local media.
●    Analysts have raised doubts about whether Adani can fund the mine, at an initial cost of $4 billion, given a global backlash to investment in fossil fuels.
●    Adani says the project would pay billions of dollars in royalties and taxes, create jobs and export coal to India help bring electricity to rural regions.


Rajan among probables for Nobel Prize for economics


Former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan features in the list of probables for this year’s Nobel Prize in Economics, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
●    He is one of the six economists on the list of probable winners compiled by Clarivate Analytics, a company that does academic and scientific research and maintains a list of dozens of possible Nobel Prize winners based on research citations.
●    The entry to the list does not guarantee that Rajan is a front-runner but he is a probable who stands a chance to win.
●    Rajan, whose three year term as Reserve Bank Governor ended on September 4, 2016, is considered a candidate for his “contributions illuminating the dimensions of decisions in corporate finance”, Clarivate said.
●    The Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced on Monday.
●    Rajan, who at 40 was the first non-western and the youngest to become the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, shot to big fame three years after he predicted a financial crisis at an annual gathering of economists and bankers in the US in 2005.
 

Current Affairs 5th October 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

Twenty Years of Science & Technology Cooperation Between India And South Africa 

Union Minister for Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences and Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, is leading the Indian delegation to South Africa to participate in the celebration of twenty years of Science & Technology cooperation between India and South Africa.
●    Indian delegation is visiting South Africa to strengthen the strong scientific bonds between the two countries and explore further avenues of cooperation between the two nations in areas ranging from Space Research to Biotechnology. 
●    The delegation will interact with scientists in South Africa where scientists will share experiences and insights on multiple subjects with the Ministerial delegation.
●    The Minister made a visit to the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), which is a large multi radio telescope project under development in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. 
●    It utilizes radio astronomy and has receiving stations at a minimum distance of 3,000 kilometers (1,900 mi) from a concentrated central core, enabling it to provide the highest resolution images compared to other sub-disciplines of astronomy. 
●    It is being developed in the Southern Hemisphere with cores in South Africa and Australia, where there is least radio interference to observe the Milky Way Galaxy. 

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Important Current Affairs 6th October 2017

Important Current Affairs 6th October 2017

Current Affairs 4th October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Dr Jitendra Singh to inaugurate a Workshop on "Application of GIS technology in Governance" in Surat next week 


The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, in association with the Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA) is organizing a Workshop in Surat, Gujarat next week on the role of Application of GIS technology in Governance.
●    The day-long Workshop will be inaugurated by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh on October 10, 2017.
●    The inaugural session will be followed by a presentation on the awarded initiative of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) regarding the use of GIS technology at SMC, for the purpose of replication by other urban bodies. 
●    It will also deliberate upon Local Area Planning for cities to be implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India as a pilot scheme and coordinated by Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT), Ahmedabad.
●    Chief Secretaries and Secretaries, Urban Development of various States/UTs will participate in the Workshop. 
●    Senior Officers from DARPG and line Ministries/Departments of the Government of India and various State/Union Territory Governments will also be present. 
●    The workshop is expected to be attended by more than 100 delegates from Government of India, State Governments and local bodies.


PM Shri Narendra Modi to lay the foundation stone for four National Highways projects worth Rs 5825 Crore in Gujarat tomorrow 

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for four National Highways projects worth Rs 5825 Crore at Dwarka  in Gujarat tomorrow. 
●    Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari and MoS Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Chemicals & Fertilizer Shri Mansukh L Mandavia will accompany the Prime Minister.
●    PM will lay the foundation for construction of Cable Stayed Signature Bridge between Beyt Dwarka and Okha on NH-51. 
●    The project cost of the bridge is Rs 962 crore. 
●    The other projects for which foundation will be laid  include 4 laning of 116.24 km of Porbandar-Dwarka section of NH-51 at a cost of Rs 1600 crore, 2/4 laning of 93.56 km  of Gadu-Porbandar section of NH-51 at a cost of Rs 370 crore and 6 laning of 201.31 km Ahmedabad-Rajkot section of NH-47 and NH-27 at a cost of Rs 2893 crore.


First Meeting of India-Australia Joint Steering Committee held 

The First Meeting of India-Australia Joint Steering Committee was held here today. 
●    Shri TVSN Prasad, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Mr. Stephen Bouwhuis, First Assistant Secretary, International and Auscheck Division, Criminal Justice Group, Attorney-General's Department led the respective delegations. 
●    Today’s meeting is a follow-up to the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime exchanged between the two sides during the visit of Australian Prime Minister Mr. Malcolm Turnbull to New Delhi in April this year and his talks with the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. 
●    During the Joint Steering Committee meeting the two sides discussed scope for cooperation in counter-terrorism and checking extremism and radicalization besides steps to check illegal financial transactions and counterfeiting and cybercrimes. Issues related to human trafficking and people smuggling, combating illegal drug trafficking and sharing information between law enforcement agencies were also discussed.

President to Inaugurate India Water Week 2017 


President Shri Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate India Water Week – 2017 on October 10, 2017 in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari and Union Ministers of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Shri Dr. Satya Pal Singh.  
●    About 1500 delegates from India and 13 other countries will attend the five day international event. 
●    The theme of India Water Week – 2017 is “Water and Energy for Inclusive Growth”.
●    The 5th edition of India Water Week (IWW) will be celebrated with a multi disciplinary conference and a concurrently running exhibition enriching the theme and showcasing the technologies and solutions available for the areas under deliberation of the meet.
●    A large group of international and national persons of eminence are being invited for sharing their experiences in the field of Water and Power Management, Technical and Sociological interventions for achieving water and energy security in their individual areas and manage the assets created on a participatory basis.

First ever conference of Partner NGOs to be inaugurated by Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in New Delhi on 09th October 

The first ever Conference of Partners NGOs is being organized by the Ministry of Women and Child Development on 9th October, 2017 in New Delhi. 
●    The subject of the conference is “Implementation of Policies, Schemes and Programmes for Women and Children: Challenges and Way Forward”.
●    The conference will be inaugurated by the Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi. MoS WCD, Dr. Virendra Kumar will also remain present. 
●    The aim of the daylong conference is to sensitize partner NGOs across the country for the implementation of various WCD schemes and to give them an opportunity to share their experiences and insights. 
●    The challenges confronted at the grassroots level for the welfare of women and children will also be deliberated upon.
●    Two hundred and fifty NGOs across the country, Line Ministries and experts have been invited to participate in the conference.

Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar inaugurates disabled friendly building of National Career Service Centre for Differently Abled (NCSC-DA) in Guwahati 

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment, Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar inaugurated the disabled friendly building of National Career Service Centre for Differently Abled (NCSC-DA) in Guwahati today.
●    The Union Minister expressed his desire to expand the Ministry’s footprints in the North East Region with the motive of Labour Welfare at various levels.
●    Shri Gangwar reiterated that the NCSC-DA building would be an inspiration for others to emulate the model apart from bringing positive changes in the lives of Persons with Disabilities. 
●    He also applauded the contribution of the State Government not only for their support in the construction of building but also to have synergy in other areas too.
●    The Guwahati building has been constructed at cost of Rs. 10.40 Cr.  
●    The land for the building was provided by Government of Assam. 
●    The state-of-the-Art building is unique in nature of its kind in the State of Assam and is one among 8 buildings constructed so far for National Career Service Centres for Differently Abled (erstwhile VRCs).

Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar lays foundation stone for renovation and upgradation of ESIC Model Hospital in Guwahati 

Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour & Employment, laid the foundation stone for renovation and ugradation of ESIC Model Hospital in Beltola, Guwahati today. 
●    While addressing the gathering, Shri Gangwar said that, this hospital will prove a boon for the beneficiaries of ESI Scheme in North Eastern Region in general and beneficiaries of Guwahati in particular. 
●    Shri Gangwar also stated that centre is giving special focus on labour welfare and development of North –Eastern States. 
●    The Ministry of Labour & Employment is all geared up to for the betterment of the life of the working class of this region. 
●    Shri Gangwar informed that with the upgradation and renovation of ESIC Model Hospital, Beltola, Guwahti, all the indoor and outdoor facilities viz. OPDs, 24x7 Emergency Service, ICU, Operation theatres, Pathology Rooms, Radiology, Physiotherapy, Wards, etc. will be made available. 

Union Home Minister and Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways inaugurated sea route to Baratang

Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated an alternate sea route to Baratang Island and laid the foundation stone for extension of dry dock in Port Blair, extension of wharf in Hope Town and construction of an additional jetty along with extension of Berthing Jetty in Neil Island at an event in Port Blair in A&N Islands yesterday. 
●    Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Lt. Governor of A & N Islands Prof. Jagdish Mukhi were also present on the occasion.
●    In his address, the Home Minister said that it is his second visit to A & N Islands within six months. 
●    He said the Home Ministry’s Advisory Committee on A & N Islands had held a meeting to discuss and sort out various problems and issues of the Islands recently. 
●    Shri Singh lauded the efforts of Shipping Minister Shi Nitin Gadkari and said that development projects like the ones inaugurated on the occasion contribute towards development of the country’s economy. 
●    He stated that under PM Shri Narendra Modi’s dynamic leadership, India which now figures in the top ten economies of the world, will emerge as one of the top three economies by 2025-30.

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Important Current Affairs 5th October 2017

Important Current Affairs 5th October 2017

Current Affairs 5th October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

IBBI notifies the IBBI (Information Utilities) (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 

IBBI had notified the IBBI (Information Utilities) Regulations, 2017 on 31st March, 2017. 
●    These regulations provided that ordinarily a person should not hold more than 10% of paid up equity share capital or voting power of an information utility, while allowing certain specified persons to hold up to 25%. 
●    These further provided that a person may hold up to 51% of paid-up equity share capital or total voting power of an information utility till the expiry of three years from its registration.
●    IBBI has amended the IBBI (Information Utilities) Regulations, 2017 on 29th September, 2017. 
●    According to the amended regulations, a person may, directly or indirectly, either by itself or together with persons acting in concert, hold up to fifty-one percent of the paid-up equity share capital or total voting power of an information utility up to three years from the date of its registration. 
●    Further, an Indian company, (i) which is listed on a Stock Exchange in India, or (ii) where no individual, directly or indirectly, either by himself or together with persons acting in concert, holds more than ten percent of the paid-up equity share capital, may hold up to hundred percent of the paid-up equity share capital or total voting power of an information utility up to three years from the date of its registration. 
●    However, these amended provisions are be available in respect of information utilities registered before 30th September, 2018.


“Pradhanmantri Mudra Yojna” promotion camp in Hyderabad 

Union Minority Affairs Minister Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said here that under the “Mudra Yojna”, launched on 08th April 2015, the Centre has approved about 9.13 crore loans. 
●    Addressing the common people, traders, industries’ representatives and people from social sector in Hyderabad during “Pradhanmantri Mudra Yojna” promotion camp, Shri Naqvi said that there are about 76 percent women in these beneficiaries of “Mudra Yojna”. 
●    More than 55 percent of the beneficiaries are SC/ST/OBCs and Minorities.
●    Shri Naqvi said that today each and every country of the world has recognising India as an emerging economic power. 
●    Today, India has become one of the safest and strongest destination for investment. 
●    Shri Naqvi said that during the last three years, the NDA Government has moved forward towards strengthening the Indian economy. 
●    Growth rate has been above 7 percent during the last three years.
●    Shri Naqvi said that “Demonetisation” has started giving results. 
●    Direct Benefit Transfer has ensured transparency, as money has been given directly into the bank accounts of needy.


Plantation drive along National Highways 

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has so far planted about 10 lakh plants along national highways in this monsoon season. 
●    This includes about 4 lakh avenue plants and about 6 lakh plants on the highway medians. 
●    The plantation drive is part of NHAI’s activity towards ensuring and upholding the cause of Swachh Bharat Mission in providing clean, green and pollution free National Highways. 
●    The drive is taken up as a regular activity during monsoons and continues even afterwards with watering and maintenance of the plants. 
●    Plantation work has been mainstreamed as an integral part of highway development projects, thereby ensuring that our highways remain clean, green and pollution free.


 Paryatan Parv started

Ministry of Tourism has launched the ParyatanParv ”  celebrations country wide today.
●    ‘Paryatan Parv’ activities began with the flagging of the cycle rally by Smt. Rashmi Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism from India Gate, New Delhi to Qutab Minar. 
●    Approximately 80 cyclists from across Delhi including members of tourism Industry Stakeholders, officials from central Ministries, doctors, teachers, students participated this rally.
●    The other activities in the capital included a Guided Heritage Walk at  Humayun’s Tomb & painting competition for children etc.
●    Tourism awareness Walk & Run were organised in Shillong , Bhubaneswar , Kovalam (Kerala), Hajipur (Bihar), Gurudaspur, Chennai, Guwahati, Mumbai, Ahmedabad , Jaipur, Imphal, Lucknow, Agra, Hyderabad , Gwalior, Bhopal, Panaji(Goa), Delhi.
●    100’s of student from Institute of Hotel Management in the said cities & local stakeholders enthusiastically participated in the Tourism walk & Run.  
●    The various State Tourism Departments also joined the celebrations by organising various events like trekking programme, photography contest, essay competitions, sensitization program etc.
●    In Guwahati, the students took to rowing in the Brahmaputra river   spreading the message of Paryatan Parv.

Apple and Reliance entering into deep local partnership


Apple and Reliance Industries, the most valuable companies in the US and India, are entering into a “deep” local partnership that will harness the conglomerate’s telecom and retailing networks to help the iconic American phone maker "discover Bharat" and take the brand to 900 cities and towns. 
●    The exercise also seeks to establish Reliance as the largest seller of iPhones in the country. 
●    As part of the arrangement that may eventually help iPhones reach more than 2,000 points of sale through Reliance Digital and Reliance Jio, Reliance is now undertaking the distribution itself.
●    Earlier, distributors would reach out to Reliance Digital stores. “Apple wants to expand rapidly in the smaller cities and towns to sell iPhones where Reliance has a ready infrastructure through its retail and telecom businesses. 
●    Apple’s retail presence will immediately double to over 4,000 outlets through this.
●    Reliance, too, wants to sell phones from Rs 999 to $999.


Mukesh Ambani is richest Indian for the 10th consecutive year


Mukesh Ambani for the tenth consecutive year. 
●    The elder Ambani brother, Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, has seen a very successful year. 
●    One factor contributing to his recent earnings is the massive success of Reliance Jio since its launch in 2016. 
●    Mukesh Ambani tops the list with a staggering Rs 2.47 lakh crore or $38 billion in net worth, a  nd is also one of the top five richest people in Asia. 
●    However, his younger brother, Anil Ambani , is way down the list on the 45th spot with $3.15 billion. 
●    The magazine mentioned that Mukesh Ambani saw his wealth increase by 67 per cent from last year. 
●    In fact there was an increase of 26 per cent in the aggregate wealth of the top 100 richest people. 
●    Forbes also mentions that all of the rank holders in the list are billionaires this year. 
●    The minimum worth to make to the list last year was $1.25 billion, which shot up by 17 per cent this year.

Mastercard, AP sign pact to create digital ecosystem in state

Global payments technology major Mastercard and the Andhra Pradesh government today signed a pact to create a "digital ecosystem" in the state.
●    It focuses on implementing a 4-pronged agenda for the state.
●    Signed by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Mastercard President & CEO Ajay Banga, the pact will see implementation of innovative payment technologies that will help the state move towards a cashless society as also to elevate its foothold as a smart city.
●    Mastercard, through a mobile app, will help create a marketplace solution for farmers to buy and sell crops in a safer and simpler way besides being able to get access to credit and transparent pricing.
●    "The first one is to really work hard in enabling farmers to find access to the new ways to be able to get their produce to markets and connect to buyers and get paid for it in the form that does not allow middleman to get between them and take away what is theirs," Banga told reporters at the MoU signing.

Current Affairs 5th October 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

India signs €300 million Finance Contract with European Investment Bank (EIB) for financing Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase II- Line R6. 

Government of India and European Investment Bank (EIB) today signed the Finance Contract for lending of € 300 million for Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase II Line R6. 
●    The agreement was signed by Shri S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary (BC), Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Andrew McDowell, Vice President, EIB, on behalf of the EIB.
●    Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase II is to be jointly financed by the European Investment Bank (€500 million) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (€300 million). 
●    The first tranche of Euro 300mn was signed today. 
●    The project envisages extension of East-West & North-South lines for Bangalore Metro Rail which includes a total length of 72.095 km (13.79 km underground) and 61 stations with 12 underground stations. 
●    The project implementation period is 5 years from date of commencement of the Project.
●    The objective of the project is to bring in a quantum improvement in the transportation sector in the city in tandem with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and other modes of urban transport. 
●    The project aims to ensure modern transport facility for the commuters. 

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Important Current Affairs 4th October 2017

Important Current Affairs 4th October 2017

Current Affairs 4th October 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

Cabinet approves the Extradition Treaty between India and Lithuania 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for the signing and ratification of the Extradition Treaty between India and Lithuania.
●    The Treaty would provide a legal framework for seeking extradition of terrorists, economic offenders and other criminals from and to Lithuania.
●    The Treaty would help in extradition of fugitive criminals including terrorists for criminal prosecutions from Lithuania who may have committed crimes against India. 
●    It will bring the criminals to justice, with a view to ensure peace and tranquility to public at large.


Cabinet apprised of the MoU between India and Switzerland on Technical Cooperation in Rail Sector 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Railways, Government of India and the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications of Swiss Confederation on Technical Cooperation in Rail Sector.  
●    The MoU was signed on on 31st August, 2017.
●    The   MoU   will   enable technical cooperation in the following areas:-
●    Traction Rolling stock               
●    EMU and train sets
●    Traction Propulsion Equipments
●    Freight and Passenger Cars
●    Tilting Trains             
●    Railway Electrification Equipments
●    Train scheduling and operation improvement      
●    Railway Station modernization
●    Multimodal transport                        
●    Tunneling technology      
●    Ministry of Railways have signed MoUs for technical cooperation in the Rail sector with various foreign Governments and National Railways. 
●    The identified areas of cooperation include high-speed corridors, speed raising of existing routes, development of world-class stations, heavy haul operations and modernization of rail infrastructure, etc. 

Current Affairs 4th October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Cabinet approves renaming of Kandla Port as Deendayal Port 

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ex-post facto approval to the renaming of Kandla Port as Deendayal Port.
●    Ports in India are generally named after the city or town in which these are situated.  
●    However, the Government, in special cases, after due consideration, have renamed the Ports after great leaders in the past.
●    By renaming Kandla Port as "Deendayal Port, Kandla", a grateful nation would be remembering the invaluable contributions made by one of the greatest sons of India, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. 
●    This will inspire the People of Gujarat, particularly the Youth, who may not be fully aware of the contributions made by the great leader.
●    There have been public demands from various quarters in Gujarat, especially from Kachhh district, to rename 'Kandla Port' as 'Deendayal Port, Kandla'. 
●    Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay (25.9.1916 - 1.2.1968) was a prominent leader, who pledged his life to the service of the nation.


Government constitutes a High Level Committee for proper management of water resources in North Eastern Region 

The Government has constituted a high-level committee for proper management of the water resources in the North Eastern Region (NER) under the Chairmanship of Vice-Chairman, Niti Aayog. 
●    This is a sequel to the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Guwahati in August this year to review the flood situation and relief work in the North Eastern States.
●    The Committee would facilitate optimising benefits of appropriate water management in the form of hydro-electric power, agriculture, bio-diversity conservation, reduced flood damage erosion, inland water transport, forestry, fishery and eco-tourism. 
●    Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) will serve as the coordinating point. 
●    The Committee will submit its report, including Plan of Action, by June, 2018.
●    During the review of the flood situation with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister had announced constitution of a High-Level Committee for holistic management of water resources in the NER.  

DRDO Transfers Technology for Bullet Proof Jacket 

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has transferred the technology of Bullet Proof Jacket (BPJ) to M/S MKU Limited, Kanpur for manufacturing these for the Indian Army and Para-Military Forces personnel.
●    Chairman DRDO and Secretary Department of Defence R&D Dr S Christopher handed over the technology at a function held in New Delhi, where documents and related licence agreement between DRDO and M/S MKU Limited, Kanpur were exchanged. 
●    The Indian Army General Staff Qualitative Requirement (GSQR) No. - 1438 BPJ technology has been developed by Defence Materials & Stores Research & Development Establishment (DMSRDE), a Kanpur based premier laboratory of DRDO. 
●    This technology is challenging and one of the most significant matured personal protection systems developed by DRDO among the various GSQRs of Indian Army meeting NIJ III+ Standard.

Turtle Sanctuary to be set up in Allahabad 

In order to protect the rich aquatic biodiversity of river Ganga from escalating anthropogenic pressures, development of a Turtle sanctuary in Allahabad along with a River Biodiversity Park at Sangam have been approved under Namami Gange programme. 
●    The project at an estimated cost of Rs 1.34 crore would include development of River Biodiversity Park at Sangam (confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Sarasvati), establishment of a Turtle Rearing Centre (Permanent nursery at Triveni Pushp and makeshift annual hatcheries) and awareness about the importance of river Ganga and imperativeness of its conservation has been approved. 
●    This project will provide much needed platform to make the visitors aware of their place in the ecosystem, their roles and responsibilities, improve their understanding of the complexity of co-existence with the environment and help generate awareness for reducing the impact of human activities on critical natural resources. 
●    The task of dissipating knowledge about river Ganga will be taken up ardently in this project, which is 100% centrally funded.
●    The sustenance of more than 2000 aquatic species including threatened gharials, dolphins and turtles in river Ganga exemplifies the rich biodiversity of this lifeline to over 40 per cent of the country’s population.
●    Rivers Ganga and Yamuna at Allahabad are home to some of the most endangered fauna like turtles (Batagur kachuga, Batagur dhongoka, Nilssonia gangetica, Chitra indica, Hardella thurjii etc.), the National Aquatic Animal - Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica), the Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) and numerous migratory and resident birds.

Union HRD Minister launches Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) 

A quality programme of National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) for in-service untrained teachers training Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) was launched by Union Human Resource Developement Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi today. 
●    The Teacher Training Programme is designed for all Untrained Govt. /Govt. aided /Private unaided recognized in- service Untrained teachers of Elementary Schools & 15 lakh (approx) teachers have been enrolled so far. 
●    It is an initiative in Online and Distance Learning (ODL) mode of National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) for upgrading the professional competence and Information and Communication based capacity building for teachers. 
●    With an objective of enhancing quality, NIOS has been focusing its attention on the quality and excellence in the training aspects of the in service teachers of Govt. /Govt. aided /Private unaided recognized schools across the country. 
●    It is important that trainings are put in place to help develop skills through their job & to retain knowledge, skills need to be refreshed on regular basis. 


PM visits Himachal Pradesh, lays foundation stone for AIIMS at Bilaspur

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh today. 
●    The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), at Bilaspur. 
●    This 750 bed hospital will be built at a cost of approximately Rs. 1350 crore. 
●    In addition to healthcare, it will also provide medical education at the undergraduate and post-graduate level, besides nursing. 
●    The Prime Minister also unveiled a plaque to mark the launch of Digital Nerve Centres for primary health care. 
●    The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), at Una. 
●    Shri Narendra Modi also inaugurated a Steel Processing Unit of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), at Kandrori, Kangra. 

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Important Current Affairs 3rd October 2017

Important Current Affairs 3rd October 2017

Current Affairs 3rd October 2017: INTERNATIONAL RELATION

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff visits Vietnam 

Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff is visiting Vietnam on a bilateral visit from 04 to 07 October 2017. 
●    The visit aims to consolidate cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Vietnam and also to explore new avenues of defence cooperation.
●    During his visit, the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee and Chief of the Naval Staff will hold bilateral discussions with His Excellency, Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Hon’ble Prime Minister of Vietnam, His Excellency, General Ngo Xuan Lich, Hon’ble Defence Minister of Vietnam, Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang, Chief of General Staff and Vice Minister of National Defence, Vietnamese Armed Forces, and Rear Admiral Pham Hoai Nam, Commander-in-Chief of the Vietnam People’s Navy. 
●    In-addition to holding important bilateral discussions, the Admiral will also be visiting the National Defence Academy of Vietnam, where he will interact with student officers and faculty members and deliver a talk on the ‘Importance of Maritime Power’. 
●    He will also visit Vietnam People’s Navy ‘Naval Region 4’, Vietnam Naval Academy and lay a wreath at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. 
●    India has historical linkages with Vietnam that dates back many centuries, though the countries established formal diplomatic relations in 1972. 
●    Defence cooperation between India and Vietnam has been robust with the primary focus being Maritime Cooperation. India signed a Protocol on Defence Cooperation Agreement in 1994. 
●    The partnership was thereafter elevated to Strategic Partnership in 2007 and a MoU on Defence Cooperation between the countries was signed on 05 November 2009.  

Current Affairs 3rd October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Ministry of Health adjudged best for ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’, receives award

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been adjudged as the best department for its contribution during Swachhta Pakhwada, an inter-Ministry initiative of Swachh Bharat Mission of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. 
●    The Health Ministry observed the Swachhta Pakhwada from 1st February, 2017 to 15th February, 2017. 
●    The award was presented to the Ministry on 2nd October, 2017, the third anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission. 
●    Shri C K Mishra, Secretary (HFW) received the award on behalf of the Ministry.
●    Swachhta Pakhwada activities were organized and observed within the Ministry offices, in Central Government Hospitals and in public health facilities of the states across 36 States/UTs. 
●    More pertinently, in addition to the envisaged activities, some of the key contributions include mass awareness generation initiatives through rallies, street plays, painting competitions etc., leveraging the participation and support of public representatives, NGOs, school children and the community. 
●    These activities are considered critical for sustaining the swachhta movement.
●    During the Swacchta fortnight, all hospital/clinics were also directed to install waste bins for segregating waste and massive cleaning drives were undertaken in all the hospital wards and hospital premises. 
●    Doctors, nurses and medical staff along with patients and visitors carried out sensitization drives on the importance of safe sanitation and hygiene.
●    The Swachhta Pakhwada culminated with inspection and special sanitation drive undertaken by the Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri J P Nadda on 15th February 2017. 

Rajnath Singh distributes scholarship cheques 

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh distributed eleven scholarship cheques at a function here today to the school going children of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) personnel who sacrificed their lives in the service of the nation. 
●    Remaining 172 scholarship funds were digitally transferred to the beneficiaries by the sponsors, Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF).
●    The SDF initiated the provision of scholarship to children of CAPFs personnel in the year 2016. 
●    MHA carried out an exercise and identified 295 children from different CAPFs and AR families and decided about scholarship in consultation with SDF of Rs.6000/- per child. 
●    This year 183 children have been identified from different CAPFs and MHA and SDF decided to provide scholarship to these children for subsequent years.
●    In his brief address, the Union Home Minister complimented Shri S.D. Shibulal, Managing Trustee, Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF) for undertaking a noble task and his contribution to nation-building. 
●    Shri Rajnath Singh said the SDF has been engaged in several philanthropic activities including care for the elderly and the weaker sections of society.


Chairman NHAI launches new website and PMIS Mobile App 

The Chairman of National Highways Authority of India Shri Deepak Kumar launched a world class, new multilingual website of the organization today. 
●    He said that within two months it will be possible for the general public to rate National Highways through this website. 
●    He also launched a Project Monitoring Information System (PMIS) Moblie App that will facilitate close, in-house monitoring of NHAI projects on a mobile phone. 
●    Shri Deepak Kumar said that the NHAI also plans to soon launch a public interface of the PMIS desktop and App versions, so that the general public will be able to view the real-time status of any project across the Highway network. 
●    The NHAI website has been developed using state-of-art technologies and provides a centralized platform wherein NHAI’s different software and applications are stitched together and available for browsing in a user friendly manner. 
●    Complete information about the organization, HR, projects, policies, videos and project photographs are available on the website. 
●    To maintain transparency, the information is in the public domain. 
●    Apart from this, as a single point repository of all relevant information, the enterprise applications are mapped to the website, which are for internal use of NHAI. 


Vice President Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu launches development of Muktyala – Vijaywada stretch of National Waterways-4 along with Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari 

Vice-President Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated /laid the foundation stones  for several National Highways projects and a project for development of Muktyala to Vijayawada stretch of Krishna River (National Waterways – 4), along with Shri Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation at a function in Vijaywada today.   
●    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu was also present on the occasion.  
●    Seven NH projects were dedicated to the nation and foundation stones were laid for six NH projects in Andhra Pradesh, the total cost of all the projects being Rs. 4,193 crore. 
●    Foundation stone for the Phase-I for development of   Krishna River (National Waterway -4) was also laid. 
●    In the first phase of the project, the stretch between Muktayala to Vijayawada will be developed for transportation. 
●    The total project cost is Rs. 7,015 crore and the length of the waterway 315 km.
●    Speaking on the occasion Shri Gadkari said  that the Union Government would spend more than Rs. 1 lakh crore on improving National Highways in Andhra Pradesh and it would give a tremendous boost to the development of the state.
●    He said a six lane access controlled greenfield Amaravathi Expressway will be built to connect the new capital city Amaravathi with Anantapur and also provide connectivity to Kurnool and Kadapa. 

Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017 to be Held in Hyderabad, November 28-30 

A high-level delegation from the Government of India and the United States met today, at NITI Aayog to plan the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which will be held November 28-30 at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre in Hyderabad, India.
●    The Summit will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Advisor to the President, Ivanka Trump, who leads the U.S. delegation. 
●    The GES is the preeminent annual gathering of emerging entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders from around the world.  
●    Through networking, mentoring, and workshops, the GES empowers entrepreneurs to pitch their ideas, build partnerships, secure funding, and create innovative goods and services that will transform societies.  
●    This year, the focus will be on women entrepreneurs and the tremendous potential women bring to entrepreneurship.
●    GES 2017 will create an environment that empowers innovators, particularly women, to take their ideas to the next level. 
●    Women represent tremendous promise for economic growth and prosperity -- but in both developing and developed countries, also face tremendous barriers to building businesses. 
●    This year’s theme is “Women First, Prosperity for All” to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit in all its strengths and diversity. 


CWC sign MoU with IIT Roorkee and MNNIT Allahabad to support capacity building in dam safety areas under dam rehabilitation and improvement project 

Central Water Commission (CWC) has signed MoUs with IIT Roorkee and MNNIT Allahabad to support dam rehabilitation efforts of various implementing agencies and CWC.
●    Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has taken on board selected premier academic and research institutes, for capacity building in the areas of dam safety through World Bank assisted Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).
●    The scope includes strengthening the testing laboratories, enhancing analytical capabilities, exposure visits to best global institutions and on ground exposure to dam safety concerns to the faculty of these institutions.
●    CWC has already signed MoUs with IIT Madras, IISc Bangaluru, NIT Calicut and NIT Raurkela for supporting these institutes for the procurement of specified equipment and software for enhancing their testing and modeling capabilities. 
●    Last month, CWC facilitated the signing of MoUs by Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Department (MPWRD) and UJVN Limited (UJVNL), Uttarakhand with the Earthquake Engineering Department of IIT Roorkee for assisting MPWRD and UJVNL in the activities related to establishment of seismic instruments, certification of these installations, generation of post seismic event report having an intensity greater than 4.0 on Richter Scale and sharing of these reports with State and Central Agencies, data collection, processing, monitoring, analysis, interpretation, integration of the State Dam Seismological Network (SDSN) with Indian Dam Seismological Network (IDSN) being maintained by National Agencies to exchange the information and help to strengthen the existing seismological network for a strong national perspective plan, and conducting training programmes for the dam owning personnel.
●    DRIP is assisting rehabilitation of 225 dams in seven States which are experiencing different levels of distress. 


President Appoints Commission to Examine Sub Categorization of other Backward Classes under Article 340 of the Constitution 

The President today i.e. on 02.10.2017, in exercise of the powers conferred by article 340 of the Constitution appointed a Commission to examine the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes. 
●    This decision, taken on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, reinforces, in the spirit of his teachings, the Government's efforts to achieve greater social justice and inclusion for all, and specifically members of the Other Backward Classes. 
●    Sub categorization of the OBCs will ensure that the more backward among the OBC communities can also access the benefits of reservation for educational institutions and government jobs. 
●    The composition of the Commission is as follows: 
●    Chairperson -Justice (Retd.) G. Rohini, 
●    Member -Dr. J.K. Bajaj 
●    Member(Ex-officio)-Director, Anthropological Survey of India, 
●    Member (Ex-officio)-Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India 
●    Secretary of the Commission-Joint Secretary, Department of SJ&E, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment 

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Important Current Affairs 2nd October 2017

Important Current Affairs 2nd October 2017

Current Affairs 2nd October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

Thaawarchand Gehlot Flags off “WALKATHON” for Older Persons at India Gate to mark ‘International Day of Older Persons’ 

To mark the ‘International day of Older Persons’ on 2nd October, more than 5000 participants gathered at India Gate for a noble cause to spread the message of caring and giving respect to older persons and senior citizens. 
●    This year’s theme was “Stepping into the Future: Tapping the Talents, Contributions and Participation of Older Persons in Society
●    Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment along with the Minister of State Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar, took the pledge with other dignitaries and 5000 participants. 
●    Then the “Walkathon” was flagged off by Shri Thawarchand Gehlot & MOS Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar and they also took part in 1 km Walkathon with all the dignitaries.
●    In his address, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot said that the Government is committed to the welfare of Older Persons and the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is running two important schemes namely “Vriddh Jan Grah Yojana and Day Care Centres” for Older Persons all over India and Non Government Organizations and Voluntary Organizations are also participating in these schemes.
●    He urged the people especially the young generation to accord due respect to older persons in their families.
●    On the International Day of Older Persons, every year since 2005 the mass awareness event “Walkathon” is being held at India Gate. National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) and Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.


Vice President to lay foundation stone for the development of Muktyala to Vijaywada stretch of Krishna River 

The Vice President Shri Venkaiah Naidu will lay the foundation stone for the development of Muktyala to Vijayawada stretch of Krishna River (National Waterways – 4) tomorrow in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.  
●    He will also inaugurate approximately 415 km of National Highways projects worth Rs 1928.46 crores and lay the foundation stone  for another 250 km NH projects worth Rs 2539.08 crores.  
●    The Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri N Chandrababu Naidu will also be present on this occasion.
●    As per MoU signed with Govt. of Andhra Pradesh on 14th April,2016, NW-4 in Andhra Pradesh is proposed to be developed in three phases
●    Phase-I: -Muktyala to Vijayawada (Krishna River) (82 Km)
●    Phase-II: -Vijayawada to Kakinada (Eluru canal & Kakinada canal) and Rajahmundry to Polavaram stretch of Godavari (233 Km)
●    Phase-III: -Commamur Canal, Buckingham canal and balance stretches of Krishna & Godavari Rivers (573km)


Vice-President Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu unveils the 1.80 metre bronze statue

Rajghat, the Samadhi of the Father of the Nation in the national capital , has for the first time acquired a new feature that could appeal to the large number of visitors. 
●    Vice-President of India Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu today unveiled a 1.80 metre tall bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of the 148 Birth Anniversary of the champion of country’s independence. 
●    The statue, sculpted by the renowned Shri Ram Sutar is installed in the Parking Area of Rajghat Samadhi Complex at a cost of Rs.8.73 lakhs. 
●    It is mounted on a two feet high pedestal clad with granite. The famous message of Gandhi ji “Be the Change You Wish to See” is inscribed on the front side of the pedestal.
●    Installation of the Statue is a part of a large number of improvement works at Rajghat undertaken during the last three years. 
●    Over 10,000 people visiting Rajghat daily and foreign dignitaries pay homage to the Father of the Nation at the simple black stone platform marking the place where Gandhi ji was cremated. 
●    The new statute would offer another spot for them to pay their respect to the great soul. 


President announces Rural Gujarat ODF


The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, visited Kirti Mandir, Porbandar, the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi today (October 2, 2017), and paid his tributes to Bapu on Gandhi Jayanti.  
●    Later, the President addressed a function organised to declare ODF status for Rural Gujarat at Kirti Mandir.
●    Speaking on the occasion, the President said that it was a privilege for him to visit the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi on this auspicious day.  
●    By achieving the goal of Rural ODF status, Gujarat has paid true homage to Gandhiji. 
●    He congratulated the Chief Minister of Gujarat and his entire team for the achievement.
●    The President said that cleanliness is not the responsibility of only sanitation personnel and government departments; it is a multi-stakeholder national movement. 
●    About 100 years ago, Gandhiji had tried to inculcate this by cleaning toilets himself. 
●    Achieving the goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission by October 2, 2019, will be an appropriate tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, on his 150th birth anniversary. 
●    Today's achievement by Gujarat is a big step towards Clean India or Swachh Bharat.


Government will sell strategic stake in 5 companies before March


The government is pushing for strategic stake sale in five companies in this financial year.
●    For this, it has accelerated valuation of these companies and final approval process.
●    Some of these companies will be offered a package as a package for expansion in the future, to increase the interest of investors.
●    Advisors have been made to sell strategic stake in Scooters India, Bharat Earth Movers Limited and Pawan Hans Limited.
●    Apart from these, there is a plan to sell strategic stake in Central Electronics Limited, Bharat Pumps & Compressors Limited, Bridge and Roof Company.
●    At the same time, the government has started the process of strategic cell in Air India.

HPCL wins Rs 806 crore in arbitration award against M3nergy


Hindustan Petroleum Corporation has won an arbitration award of Rs 806 crore against Malaysia’s M3nergy Berhad. 
●    The state-run oil marketing company had initiated arbitration proceeding against M3nergy in 2009 over termination of an exploration contract ONGC had awarded to a consortium of HPCL, M3nergy and Prize Petroleum for development of some offshore fields off Mumbai. 
●    In an order passed last week, two of three arbitrators found the Malaysian oil field equipment maker’s delay in supplying to HPCL resulted in a loss of profit of $91.3 million, and awarded interest of 9 per cent per year on that amount since 2009. 
●    The award fixed the exchange rate at Rs 48.68 to a dollar. 
●    At the moment the rupee is at 65 to a dollar. 
●    Hence, HPCL plans to file a request with arbitrators for conversion of the award value into current exchange rate, which would increase the amount to Rs 1,046 crore, a person familiar with the company’s plans said.
 

Current Affairs 2nd October 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

Las Vegas shooting: 59 dead, 500+ hurt in Mandalay Bay shooting

A gunman perched high on the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas Strip casino unleashed a shower of bullets down on an outdoor country music festival below, killing 59 people and leaving 527 injured as thousands of frantic concert-goers screamed and ran for their lives, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said Monday. 
●    It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
●    President Trump called the attack "an act of pure evil" and said the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are working with local authorities in the investigation. 
●    Mr. Trump spoke with Nevada's governor and the mayor and sheriff of Las Vegas, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. 
●    Mr. Trump held a moment of silence for the victims Monday afternoon and will travel Wednesday to Las Vegas.

Current Affairs 2nd October 2017: PERSONS

Jagmeet Singh elected leader of Canada's NDP


Jagmeet Singh has been elected the new leader of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP), a result the leftist party hopes will reinvigorate its support after a disappointing showing in the last federal election.
●    Singh was elected with 53.6 percent of the vote, the NDP announced on Sunday afternoon.
●    "I don't have the words to capture this journey and how this feels right now," Singh, surrounded by his family and campaign team, told a crowd of NDP members in downtown Toronto.
●    "It's an incredibly profound honour. Thank you," Singh said.
●    A total of 65,782 votes were cast in the leadership contest, as NDP members filed ranked ballots between September 18 and early afternoon on Sunday.
●    Singh, who is Sikh and wears a turban, beat three other NDP leadership hopefuls to become the first person of colour to lead a federal political party in Canadian history.
●    The second-place finisher, Ontario MP Charlie Angus, garnered 19.3 percent of the vote.

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Important Current Affairs 1st October 2017

Important Current Affairs 1st October 2017

Current Affairs 1st October 2017: DAYS AND DATES

Military Nursing Service celebrates its 92nd Raising Day 

Military Nursing Service (MNS) of the Armed Forces celebrated its 92nd Raising Day today. 
●    New Addl. Director General Military Nursing Service Maj Gen Elizabeth John led the celebrations at MNS Officers Mess of Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi Cantt. 
●    In order to pay homage to the Nursing Officers who did supreme sacrifice for the nation, 30 MNS Veterans team, led by Maj Gen Usha Sikhdhar and Maj Gen Sushila Shahi, laid wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate. 
●    Names of three nursing officers Matron Fransis Mary F M, Miss Ethel E and Miss Letetia Gladys L G are engraved on India Gate War Memorial who lost their lives in the line of duty during 1st World War. 
●    On October 1, 1926 MNS was formally established as permanent nursing service in the Indian Army, which has come a long way in serving the three Services round-the-clock.
●    Since the time of its inception the MNS has been a part and parcel of the war efforts of the country. 
●    During the 1st World War, dire need of nursing care of Indian soldiers was recognised; the Army nurses served in Flanders, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, West Asia and on board hospital ships. 
●    More than 200 nurses died in active service and many of whom were Indian. 

Current Affairs 1st October 2017: DEFENSE

Headquarters Integrated Defense staff celebrates its 17th Raising Day 

Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) celebrated its 17th Raising Day today. 
●    To commemorate the momentous occasion, Chief of the IDS to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) Lt General Satish Dua paid homage to the valiant martyrs of the Armed Forces by laying a wreath at ‘Amar Jawan Jyoti’, India Gate in New Delhi.
●    Senior officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force of the IDS were present on the occasion. 
●    A Tri Services guard was in accompaniment. 
●    Conveying his best wishes on the occasion, Lt General Dua complimented all ranks of the

IDS for their commitment and selfless service and exhorted them to maintain the highest standards of professional integrity and excellence in the years to come. 


●    It may be noted that the Government had taken a decision in October 2001 to create the HQ IDS in the aftermath of ‘Operation Vijay’ (Kargil Operations). 
●    The main objective was to promote synergy among the three Services and to integrate these with the Ministry of Defence. 
●    The overarching aim of IDS is to achieve ‘Victory through Jointness’. 
●    The IDS has taken significant strides towards achieving this objective.

Current Affairs 1st October 2017: NATIONAL NEWS

FB Group ‘My Delhi Keep It Clean’ gets Swacchata Award for voluntary citizen action 

Fertilizer Cooperative, KRIBHCO will be conferred the Swacchata Award tomorrow by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs on the occasion of the third anniversary of the launch of Swacch Bharat Mission(Urban) for leading in marketing of compost made from Municipal Solid Waste. 
●    The Ministry will felicitate 20 individuals and agencies in 7 categories for significant contribution towards furthering the Clean India objective in urban areas.
●    KRIBHCO has been chosen among the Companies category for marketing the highest quantity of 22,768 tons of compost during 2016-17.
●    Delhi based citizen group ‘My Delhi Keep It Clean’ gets the award for promoting voluntary efforts to clean public places effectively using Face Book, in the Self-Help Group category.
●    Richmond Park, Gurugram, located in DLF Phase-IV and completed in 2002 has been chosen for the award for exemplary decentralized waste management initiative through waste segregation at source, in the RWAs category. 
●    RWA Federation of Mysuru has shown the way in Zero-waste effluent management system. Roseland Housing Society, Pune also gets the award for waste segregation initiative.

Wardha Dry Port will be constructed over an area of 350 Acres with an investment of Rs.500 Crore 

The Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways and Water Resource, River Interlinking and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari will perform the Bhoomi Poojan ceremony of the Wardha dry port at Sindi (Railway) in Wardha, Maharashtra on 2nd October, 2017.  
●    The Dry Port is being developed by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in a bid to cater effective logistics services to the industries in Vidarbha region and improve cargo throughput at the Port.
●    The proposed Wardha Dry Port is to be constructed over an area of 350 acres in phased development with a total estimated investment of Rs 500 Crore. 
●    The Phase-I would involve development of around 25 Ha of the total area, with an estimated cost of Rs.180 Crores (including private investment of Rs. 79 Crore).
●    The proposed dry port is estimated to generate traffic of almost 7,000-9,000 TEUs in next 5-7 years. 
●    The traffic is expected to ramp up gradually to around 30,000 TEUs in medium term (by 2030) considering the geographical location advantage, upcoming road and railway connectivity, increased focus on warehousing and other ancillary industries in the region. 
●    The project is expected to attract a direct employment of at least 1000 persons. 
●    The project would have the necessary facilities as one-stop shop for the EXIM based industries such as customs clearance facilities, Container Freight Station, Warehousing Space, Cold Storage, Liquid Storage, truck terminals etc.


Shripad Naik graces the Curtain Raiser event of AYUSH Festival of Stamps 

The Curtain Raiser of AYUSH Festival of Stamps, scheduled to be held on 17th and 18th October 2017 was organised at Kala Academy, panaji in Goa on 29th Sept. 2017. 
●    Minister of State for Ayush (I.C.) Shri Shripad Naik graced the occasion. P. N. Ranjeet Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Dr. N. Vinod Kumar, Postmaster General, Goa region, Dr. K. Satyalakshmi, Director NIN Pune, Smt. Archana Gopinath, Sr. Supdt. of Post offices , Goa Division, school principals and representatives of Philatelist society of Goa were also present. 
●    The AYUSH Festival of Stamps is a joint venture of AYUSH Ministry and Department of Posts. 
●    The main objective of the event is to spread the message of Ayurveda and Philately as a hobby to the young generation. 
●    A facebook page, 'Philately for Ayush' was launched on the occasion by the Minister. The page contains various activities / programmes online and offline organised for the festival. 
●    Viz. Poster making competition, blog writing, quize, elocution, paint and post, design a stamp competition etc. 

RCOM and Aircel's merger plan canceled


Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom) has called off the merger of its wireless services business with Aircel Ltd, citing regulatory delays and opposition from some creditors, in a development that will further impede its efforts to pare its huge debt.
●    RCom said it is now looking at alternative ways to reduce its debt, including sale of real estate assets and “optimization of spectrum”, the company said in a filing to stock exchanges on Sunday.
●    The merger of the wireless business with Aircel and a separate deal to sell RCom’s telecom tower assets was the cornerstone of the Anil Ambani-controlled firm’s plan to pare its Rs45,000 crore debt, amid pressure on earnings because of aggressive tariffs offered by Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, controlled by his elder brother Mukesh Ambani.
●    The company said that the merger agreement with Aircel was allowed to “lapse by mutual consent” as the deal had been facing regulatory delays and opposition from operational creditors.
●    RCom’s lenders had invoked strategic debt restructuring (SDR) for the telecom company in June. 
●    SDR allows creditors to convert a firm’s debt into equity and take over the management of defaulting companies.
●    The banks, however, allowed the company to postpone debt-servicing payments till December after it presented a restructuring plan involving the sale of its telecom tower business and the spin-off and merger of its wireless assets.
 

Current Affairs 1st October 2017: GLOBAL NEWS

China’s Fosun eye stake in Symbiotec Pharmalab

Global private equity (PE) fund Advent International and Chinese strategic investor Fosun International Ltd are in separate talks to acquire a controlling equity stake in Indore-based Symbiotec Pharmalab Pvt. Ltd from existing investor Actis Capital, according to two people privy to the development.
●    “The firm has given a mandate to the investment bank Rothschild to conclude the transaction and is seeking a valuation of $160 million for the 70% equity stake held by the PE fund,” said one of the persons cited above on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
●    London-based Actis had picked up the stake in the bulk-drug maker for about $48 million in 2013. 
●    Anil Satwani, managing director of Symbiotic, and his family own the remaining 30% stake in the company.
●    Separate emails sent to Fosun International, Anil Satwani and Rothschild seeking confirmation and further details had not elicited a response at the time of going to press. 
●    A spokesperson for Advent International declined to comment.
●    Mint was the first to report on Actis’s stake sale plans last September.
●    That Symbiotec has been able to elicit interest from potential PE investors was reported by VCCircle earlier this month.
●    If concluded, the transaction will be Actis’s second major exit after it sold its 63% stake in Paras Pharmaceuticals Ltd to Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc in 2010, in a deal that valued the company at $726 million.

Current Affairs 1st October 2017: ECONOMY

GREENKO estimates Reliance Infra's Mumbai Electricity Business as 14000 crore


Reliance Infrastructure (R-Infra) has received interest from at least four players for its Mumbai power business, comprising generation, transmission and distribution with estimates suggesting that the sale will help the Anil Ambani group repay around 70% of the Rs 20,000-crore debt with the company.
●    R-Infra intends to focus on defence and EPC business after exiting what was once a prime business with road projects -also proposed to be monetised. 
●    Given the high debt levels, the focus is on businesses that require less capital and the sale is targeted to clear around 14,000 crore of loans on the company's books.
●    Sources said that Hyderabad-based Greenko, CLP of Hong Kong, Tata Power and Enel of Italy had evinced interest in the assets that are now on the block. 
●    Tata Power, however, denied it. In a statement, Tata Power said, "We are not aware of anyone from Tata power having been approached." The others could not be reached for comment.
●    When contacted, an R-Infra spokesperson said, "As Reliance Group chairman Anil D Ambani announced at the recent AGM of the company , `We continue to explore and examine various opportunities for the asset monetisation of Reliance Infrastructure and unlocking shareholder value, which is part of the ongoing transformation strategy at Reliance Group.'" 
●    R-Infra's Mumbai generation assets included a 500MW facility, which was commissioned in 1995 with the trans mission sy stem having a capacity 3,000MVA.

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