GK and Current Affairs Updates

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that November 26, the day Constitution was adopted, will be observed as 'Samvidhan Divas' as a step towards spreading awareness about the life of its chief architect BR Ambedkar."Our government has decided to declare November 26 as 'Samvidhan Divas'. On this day, every year, school children will be taught about constitution and Dr Ambedkar," he said after laying the foundation stone of Dr Ambedkar Memorial at Indu Mills Compound in Mumbai.He said that five landmarks associated with Ambedkar's life including one in Madhya Pradesh, Alipur House in Delhi, the Indu Mill memorial, Dr Ambedkar's residence in Mumbai and the newly purchased house in London will be developed as 'Panch-Tirth' (quintet pilgrimage) including one in London.

World Post Day is celebrated annually on 9 October to mark the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in Berne, capital city of Switzerland. In 1969, it was declared as World Post Day by the Universal Postal Union in Tokyo, Japan.
The motive behind celebrating the World Post Day is to create awareness of the role played by postal sector in people's everyday lives. The celebration encourages member countries to participate in activities aimed at spreading a broader awareness of their postal service's role among the citizens and how it helps them have a better life.More than 150 countries celebrate World Post Day every year in various ways. In certain countries, it is observed as a working holiday, while a number of countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services. Some postal services also reward their employees for good service on this day.As the world celebrates World Post Day, here is a list of 10 of the rarest and most valuable stamps ever printed in the history of posts.

Veteran music director Ravindra Jain, who had been admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai following ill health, passed away on Friday (October 9).Ravindra Jain had composed music for hit films like Chor Machaye Shor, Geet Gaata Chal, Chitchor and Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se in the 70s. He was given a big break by Raj Kapoor, for whom he had composed many super hit songs in movies such as Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Do Jasoos, and Heena, which was directed by Randhir Kapoor. During the 1980s and 1990s, Jain widely composed music for many mythological movies and television serials. Apart from composing music for Bollywood films, Jain is also known for his work on bhajans.

Indian and Chinese armies today kicked off a 10-day joint anti-terrorism exercise in China's Yunnan province which officials said will help enhance mutual understanding,communication and cooperation. India for the first time fielded a contingent of 175 troops from 2nd Battalion of Naga Regiment from Eastern Command which looks after the border with China. 
 

Kashmiri writer and poet Ghulam Nabi Khayal has joined the bandwagon of authors returning their Sahitya Akademi awards, saying the minorities in the country today feel "unsafe and threatened". Khayal, who won the prestigious honour for his book 'Gashik Minaar' (Luminaries) in 1975, said he would soon return the cash prize and copper plaque to the Akademi. 

Himani Savarkar a leader of the Hindu Mahasabha Party and President of the Abhinav Bharat whose members have been linked to a number of blasts in the country passed away on Sunday. She was 68. According to family members Himani was bedridden for the last six months and she passed away on Sunday. Himani was the niece of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, (she was the daughter of Nathuram's brother Gopal Godse), and was the daughter in law of Narayan Savarkar brother of Vinayak Savarkar.

Renowned scientist Shekhar Basu was today appointed as Atomic Energy Secretary and Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission.He will have tenure till he attains the age of 64 years, i.e. September 19, 2016, 
Basu, who is presently Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and chief executive of the Nuclear Recycle Board (NRB), will replace R K Sinha who superannuates on October 23.Basu, who was instrumental in setting up reprocessing and waste management facilities at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam, is a recipient of Padma Shri.
 

This day marks the sufferings of the victims of mental disorders and the efforts put by several psychologists and the well-wishers who stood by the victims. Even in today's modern society, mental illness is not taken as seriously as physical ailments. In many cases, they are frowned upon and neglected.
Here are five essential facts about mental illness everyone needs to know: 
1. About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14.
2. Around 20 percent children and adolescents experience mental disorders.
3. War and social trauma have been the most common reasons behind mental illness.
4. Mental illness can increase the risk of getting affected by other diseases such as cardiac problems, diabetes and gastric issues.
5. In most cases of mental disorder, it is the family members of the victim who neglect the situation.
Let us look at five common mental disorders of the modern world:
1. Anti-social disorder: People experiencing this disease are often seen overreacting to a particular situation with anger. They often behave in a way that is harmful to others.
 2. Amnesia: This is a common phenomenon and a sign of brain damage where the victim experiences persistent loss of memory. The major factors leading up to this disease are overdose of sedatives and psychological trauma.
3. Asperger's Syndrome: Signs of this disease involve difficulty and reluctance towards social interaction, verbal communication, physical clumsiness and repetitive pattern of behaviour. This is one of the most common mental disorders of the modern era.
4. Major depressive disorder: The term 'depression' has lost its value due to inappropriate use. The medical explanation of the term reveals that major depressive illness is a serious mental disorder that includes low self-esteem, reluctance towards enjoyable activities, high pessimism, avoiding social gatherings and morbid thoughts. This illness is perhaps the most underrated medical situation as it can often lead to suicidal tendencies, if not cured properly.
5. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is a mental disorder where the victim feels a constant need to check things right and do a particular chore repeatedly. Most common instances have been washing hands, counting things, taking shower, cleaning household and checking if the doors are locked. The illness is a kind of anxiety disorder that may lead to suicidal tendencies.

India’s first community reserve to protect the endangered Gangetic river dolphins will come up in West Bengal. This decision was taken at the recently held State Wildlife Board meeting in WB.
- The reserve will be set up in the Hooghly river.
- The methodology to develop the community reserve is being chalked out by a separate committee. The committee will take a decision based on inputs from all stakeholders since it’s a community reserve.

Tunisian mediators win Nobel Peace Prize
The 2015 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Tunisia’s National Dialogue Quartet. It has been selected for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.
The quartet comprises four organisations: 
1.    the Tunisian General Labour Union.
2.    the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts.
3.    the Tunisian Human Rights League.
4.    and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers.
But the Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasized that the prize is awarded to this quartet, not to the four individual organizations as such.