Introduction
The article CA October 2018 One Liners includes One Liners with an explanation, analysis and issues of current events, including political or industrial controversy or public policy issues in the month of October.
Oct 2018
1. Important Days:
- National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was introduced by Government of India in 2014. The day is celebrated on October 31 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- Japan investors will invest around $2.5 US dollars in India. The two sides agreed for a 2+2 dialogue between our foreign ministers and Defence ministers to further work towards world peace.
- The Republic of Seychelles has launched the world’s first sovereign blue bond a financial instrument designed to support sustainable marine and fisheries projects.
- China will build the country's first permanent airport in the South Pole which will provide logistical support to scientists and enhance airspace management in the resource-rich Antarctic.
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3. National News:
- Seychelles Capital: Victoria
- Currency: Seychellois rupee
- The Statue of Unity, a 182-metre giant structure built in honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, has been inaugrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- International Solar Alliance (ISA), Japan announced joining the group submitting the instrument of ratification.
- Netherlands will be the Partner Country 25th DST – CII Technology Summit to be organized in 2019, announced Dr. Harsh Vardhan
- Indonesia to witness the inauguration of ‘Little India Gate’, the first-of-its-kind structure in the country which recognises the contribution of Indian community in the development of Medan city.
- Veteran actor Anupam Kher has resigned from his position as chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) because of his acting commitments.
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4. Business and Economy:
- Indonesia Capital: Jakarta
- Currency: Indonesian rupiah
- South korea Capital: Seoul
- Currency: South Korean won
- India has jumped 23 places in ease of doing business ranking. It was at 100th place last year and now it is at 77th rank. India is now recognised as among top ten improvers for the 2nd consecutive year.
- Ace cueist Pankaj Advani won the Asian Snooker Tour by defeating Ju Reti of China in Jinan. The 33-year-old registered a domination 6-1 victory over his Chinese opponent to finish on top.
- Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai is being honoured by Harvard University for her work promoting girls’ education. Harvard’s Kennedy School says she will be awarded the 2018 Gleitsman Award.
- world champion Mary Kom has been named as the brand ambassador of the upcoming 10th edition of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) Women World Championship.
1. International News:
- Japan announced joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA) submitting the instrument of ratification.
- Germany’s Angela Merkel has announced that she will step down as Chancellor in 2021, following recent election setbacks.
- The world's largest airport terminal "under one roof" with a capacity to serve 90 million passengers has been officially opened on October 29 in Istanbul
- A Bangladeshi court has upheld the sentence of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia from 5 years to 10 years in a case related to the Zia Charitable Trust scam.
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of children who die every year from air pollution, which are under five years old 6,00,000
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2. National News:
- Germany Capital: Berlin
- Currency: Euro
- Present Chancellor: Angela Merkel.
- The 5th National Summit on Good and Replicable Practices and Innovations in Public Health Care Systems in India has begun at Kaziranga in Assam.
- The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan laid the foundation for India’s largest Dry Dock at Cochin Shipyard in Kerala.
- Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte arrived in New Delhi on a day-long official visit to India. During the visit, the Italian Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- India Mobile Congress is one of the biggest marquee Mobile, Internet, and Technology event for South-East Asia organized by COAI and DoT.
- The 5th National Summit on Good and Replicable Practices and Innovations in Public Health Care Systems in India began at Kaziranga in Assam today.
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3. Banking and Finance:
- Italy Capital: Rome
- Currency: Euro.
- America's IBM has acquired software company Red Hat in a $34 billion cash and debt deal, marking its biggest ever acquisition till date. Founded 25 years ago.
- Country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) and payments solution provider Hitachi Payment Services India.
- WhatsApp has partnered with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to train small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs.
- Roger Federer won his 99th career ATP Tour title in the Swiss Indoors final in Basel, Switzerland.
- Divij Sharan on Monday became India's new number one doubles player, overtaking veteran Rohan Bopanna by moving to 38 in the latest ATP rankings.
- Ten members of the Indian team, who were part of the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) hockey tournament in Muscat.
- Grandmaster B Adhiban finished tied third at the Isle of Man International tournament after beating highly-regarded Michael Adams of England.
- Padma Shri Professor Qazi Abdussattar, a noted Urdu writer and former head of Aligarh Muslim University's Urdu department.
1. International News:
- Angela Merkel has announced she will quit as German chancellor when her mandate ends in 2021, as she sought to draw a line under a series of political crises that have rocked her fragile coalition.
- Every day, around 93 per cent of the children globally under the age of 15 years (1.8 billion children) breathe air that is so polluted it puts their health and development at serious risk, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.
- United Nations (UN) will soon launch a project on creating an “inventory” of art forms, craftsmanship and other intangible cultural heritage of the country.
- India and Japan decided to cooperate for the first time in the areas of Indian traditional medicinal systems such as Yoga and Ayurveda to provide holistic healthcare and wellness in both the countries.
- India and Japan concluded a USD 75 billion bilateral currency swap agreement, a move that will help in bringing greater stability in foreign exchange and capital markets in the country.
- The country’s first engine-less train, widely regarded as the success to the Shatabdi Express will hit the tracks on October 29.
- The Vigilance Awareness Week will be observed across the country from 29 October to promote probity in public life and achieve a corruption-free society.
- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched India’s first automatic Early Warning Dissemination System (EDWS). The inauguration coincided with Odisha Government observing Disaster Preparedness Day.
- Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated the state’s first ‘Food Agro Infrastructure Mega Food Park’, jointly built by Central and Gujarat Governments at a cost of Rs.120-crore on 70-acre plot,
- Microsoft overtook Amazon to become the second most valuable tech company in the United States. The change in rankings was the result of a drop in Amazon’s stock value after a weaker-than-expected quarterly report.
- Tech major IBM has announced to acquire Open Source Solutions leader Red Hat for a massive $34 billion. The acquisition, IBM’s biggest so far.
- Country’s largest lender State Bank of India(SBI) and payments solution provider Hitachi Payment Services India entered into an agreement to form a joint venture for establishing a card acceptance and digital payment platform.
- Roger Federer defeated Romanian qualifier Marius Copil at the Swiss Indoors in Basel to win the 99th ATP Tour title of his career.
- In Men’s Hockey, India and Pakistan were declared joint winners of the Asian Champions Trophy at Muscat in Oman. The tournament director declared both teams as winners after the summit clash was called off due to heavy rain.
- Vishal Rajveer Shah won the mini cadet boys singles’ title at the Egypt Junior and Cadet Open table tennis tournament after he outclassed local boy Badr Mostafa in straight games.
- India’s highest ranked archer Atanu Das won the men’s recurve title while Asian Games silver medallist Rajat Chauhan emerged on top in the men’s compound section in the first invitational Indian Open Indoor Archery tournament.
- Indian Golfer Khalin Joshi> clinched his maiden Asian Tour title, claiming the Panasonic Open India at the Delhi Golf Club.
- Clara Sosa was crowned as the winner of Miss Grand International 2018. She represented Paraguay at the contest.
- Far-right politician Jair Bolsonaro has won a sweeping victory in Brazil’s presidential election. The former army captain won 55.2% of the vote against 44.8% for Fernando Haddad of the left-wing Workers’ Party.
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7. Obituary:
- Brazil Capital: Brasilia
- Currency: Brazilian real
- A founding member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Pankaj Bandyopadhyay passed away at a hospital in Kolkata after a prolonged illness.
1. Important Days:
- International Animation Day is celebrated on October 28, commemorating the day in 1892 when Charles-Emile Reynaud’s Theatre Optique made its first public appearance in Paris.
- Michael D Higgins has been re-elected Irish president after winning a landslide victory with 822,566 votes.
- Indo-Canadian expatriates have donated more than $7 million dollars to a Toronto-based non-profit organisation which builds and runs education hostels in rural India.
- The Arunachal Pradesh government signed a MoU with The British Council in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh to strengthen educational and cultural cooperation.
- The Meghalaya government is all set to launch a new scheme Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries.
- Kerala tops the TAG index which compares the performance of each State based on the status of their teenage girls, as a part of the survey findings of The Teen Age Girls (TAG) Report, conducted by Project Nanhi Kali.
- Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched a new web portal of ‘Odia Virtual Academy’ to promote the Odia language and literature at the Secretariat in Bhubaneshwar.
- Maverick Vinales ended his and Yamaha’s lengthy droughts when he won the Australian MotoGP as newly-crowned world champion Marc Marquez failed to finish after starting from pole for the fifth straight year.
- The United Nations has hailed the “inspiring” work of four individuals and organisations as it announced the winners of its Prize in the Field of Human Rights for 2018.
- Wipro said it had appointed former State Bank of India chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya as an independent director beginning January 1, 2019. Bhattacharya’s appointment is for a period of five years.
- Noted African American playwright Ntozake Shange, known for her works addressing sensitive issues related to racism, passed away at the age of 70.
- Former chief minister of Delhi Madan Lal Khurana passed away at the age of 82. He was bedridden for over two years due to multiple illnesses and was undergoing treatment at his Kirti Nagar residence in the city.
1. Important Days:
- World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is celebrated all over the world on 27th of October. The theme for World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2018 is “Your Story is Moving”.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a three-day visit to Japan. During his stay, Mr Modi will attend the 13th India-Japan Annual summit.
- NATO’s biggest military maneuvers since the Cold War began in Norway in a hypothetical scenario that involves restoring the Scandinavian country’s sovereignty after an attack by a fictitious aggressor.
- The 20th Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) 2018 was held at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Former President Mahinda Rajapakse was sworn in as the new Prime minister of Sri Lanka. He has replaced Ranil Wickremesinghe.
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3. National News:
- Japan Capital: Tokyo.
- Currency: Japanese yen
- PM: Shinzo Abe
- India and the United Kingdom will collaborate on research on different aspects of the Ganga delta region and the Bay of Bengal.
- India has donated $300,000 to a programme to train commanders for UN peacekeeping. Known as the “Pipeline to Peacekeeping Command Programme,”
- The second edition of the Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF 2018) began in Assam. The week-long festival will witness the screening of more than 100 films from 50 countries.
- Indian railways plans to connect New Delhi with Ladakh region through the world’s highest railway line that will run along the India-China border.
- The 11 Base Repair Depot (BRD) of the Indian Air Force in Maharashtra’s Nashik district handed over its first indigenously overhauled Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet.
- Microsoft has closed its $7.5 billion Acquisition of GitHub, a leading software development platform which brings more than 31 million developers to create, collaborate, share and build on each other’s work.
- India’s Sourav Kothari defeated Peter Gilchrist of Singapore 1134-944 to clinch the 2018 WBL World Billiards Championship title.
- World number one Simona Halep has become the first recipient of the Chris Evert Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World No.1 Trophy.
- Roopam Sharma, a 23-year old Indian scientist, won the World Health Summit Startup award, 2018 for his invention, Manovue.
- The government appointed IRS officer Sanjay Kumar Mishra as the Interim Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for three months as incumbent Karnal Singh will retire on October 28.
1. International News:
- The world’s largest airport terminal “under one roof” with a capacity to serve 90 million passengers will be officially opened on October 29 in Istanbul, Turkey.
- J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare addressed the ‘Second Plenary Session of ‘2nd International Conference on Primary Health Care (PHC) towards UHC & SDGs’, at Astana, Kazakhstan.
- In a dramatic political development in Sri Lanka, former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as the new prime minister by President Maithripala Sirisena after his party abruptly quit the ruling coalition.
- India will become the world’s third largest aviation market around 2024 surpassing the United Kingdom, global airlines’ body International Air Transport Association (IATA) said as it projected total air passenger numbers to touch 8.2 billion in 2037.
- Kerala will need about Rs 31,000 crore for recovery and reconstruction following the century’s worst floods, according to a UN report presented to the Chief Minister by UN Resident Coordinator in India Yuri Afanasiev.
- Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot announced that the Centre would set up a sports stadium of international standard for persons with disability in Meghalaya.
- Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi inaugurated the 5th edition of Women of India National Organic Fest 2018 in New Delhi.
- Mumbai’s iconic heritage cinema METRO INOX is India’s First Rooftop Solar Powered Cinema and South Mumbai’s Largest Multiplex.
- IDFC Bank has proposed to change its name to ‘IDFC First Bank Ltd’ as it is in the process of amalgamating non-banking financial company Capital First with itself.
- The Reserve Bank of India will inject Rs 40,000 crore in the banking system next month, a move that will help ease cash shortage in the system and stabilize debt market rates.
- Dropped for Para Asian Games, wheelchair badminton player Sanjeev Kumar returned with two gold medals and a bronze from the first Victor Denmark Championship recently in Odense, Denmark.
- Olympic and world championship Silver Medallist PV Sindhu has once again regained her World No. 2 status in the latest BWF rankings.
- The Indian men’s football ranking is unfazed, as it continues to be placed at the 97th spot in the latest rankings released by Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
- India has won the prestigious 2018 Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management Award.
- Late Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir was announced as one of the four winners of the 2018 UN Human Rights Prize.
- The European Parliament has awarded Oleh Sentsov, a Ukrainian film director imprisoned in Russia after opposing Moscow’s takeover of his native Crimea.
- Prof Ashis Mukherjee, a senior faculty member of the prestigious Tezpur University was awarded the prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Teachers Award (2018).
1. International News:
- A Chinese company has tested the 'world's largest' cargo drone Feihong-98 (FH-98) which can carry a payload of 1.5 tonnes (1,500kg).
- Enforcement Directorate on Nirav Modi, accused in the Punjab National Bank scam, has taken action, seized his property worth 255 crore rupees in this country Singapore
- The country with whom India has recently signed an agreement to purchase defense system for $ 77.7 million Israel
- The International Conference on Status and Protection of Coral Reefs (STAPCOR – 2018) was inaugurated by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
- The Global Agriculture Leadership Summit 2018 opened in New Delhi. The theme of the 2-day summit is, ‘Connecting Farmers to Market’.
- The Union Government constituted a four-member Group of Ministers (GoM) to examine and strengthen the existing legal and institutional frameworks for dealing with matters of sexual harassment of women at the workplace.
- The Supreme Court ruled that no Bharat Stage-IV vehicle shall be sold across the country with effect from April 1, 2020.
- Thirty-eight pacts worth $5 billion were signed among 20 technology providers, capital goods manufacturers and steel producers, which will give impetus to the manufacturing of capital goods for the iron and steel industry.
- UNESCO MGIEP(Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education) in association with Government of Andhra Pradesh announces TECH 2018,
- The Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar launched the web portal of the Scheme “Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC)” in New Delhi.
- Life insurer PNB Metlife has unveiled an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered customer service app ‘Khushi’.
- The Overseeing Committee (OC) that is formed up under the inter-creditor agreement (ICA) for resolution of stressed assets will have 6 members.
- All-rounder Dwayne Bravo announced his retirement from international cricket. The 35-year-old, who last represented the Windies in September 2016.
- The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the years 2014, 2015 & 2016 is being conferred on the doyen of Manipuri dance Sh. Rajkumar Singhajit Singh (For 2014)
- Paytm Payments Bank has appointed veteran banker Satish Kumar Gupta as its new Managing Director and CEO.
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- Paytm Founder: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
1. Important Days:
- 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948. United Nations Day is devoted to making known to people of the world the aims and achievements of the United Nations Organization.
- Information plays a crucial role in shaping people’s minds. Hence, the United Nations celebrates World Development Information Day every year on 24 October.
- The 2018 UN Day Concert will be held in the General Assembly Hall at United Nations Headquarters in New York. Soulful music from the strings of the sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan will reverberate in the iconic Assembly hall.
- Hurricane Willa swept onto Mexico’s Pacific mainland with 195 kph winds, hitting an area of beach towns, fishing villages and farms after roaring over an offshore penal colony.
- The first trilateral meeting among India, Afghanistan and Iran of the Coordination Council of the Chabahar Agreement took place in Tehran, Iran.
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Afghanistan Capital: Kabul
Currency: Afghan afghani
Iran Capital: Tehran
Currency: Iranian rial
3. National News:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined the importance of the people’s involvement and their social responsibilities for the success of any government initiative.
- Most of the International Migrants in 2017 were from India, followed by China and Bangladesh, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report titled ‘Asian Economic Integration Report 2018’ said.
- The Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government constituted a four member Group of Ministers headed by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
- The Union Cabinet approved an agreement signed among BRICS nations for cooperation in the social and labour sphere.
- The Global Agriculture Leadership Summit 2018 opened in New Delhi. The theme of the 2-day summit is, ‘Connecting Farmers to Market’.
- Haryana Government has decided to introduce “Pashu Sanjeevni Sewa” in the state under which free of cost quality veterinary services and health care facilities for the livestock would be made available at the doorstep of livestock farmers through mobile veterinary clinics.
- Anil Ambani-led shipbuilder Reliance Naval and Engineering (RNEL) launched a 3,000-tonne training ship for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
- Public sector Syndicate Bank said it has received capital infusion of Rs 728 crore from the government in lieu of preferential allotment of shares.
- After almost five months of being barred from adding new customers, Fino Payments Bank, one of India’s first payments banks has been allowed to open new accounts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
- Virat Kohli is now the fastest man in the history of ODI cricket to reach 10,000 runs. The Indian skipper reached the landmark on his way to his 37th ODI ton in the Vizag ODI against the West Indies.
- Seventh seed Indian Prajnesh Gunneswaran of India defeated Johan Tatlot of France in closely contested straight sets 6-4, 7-5 in the men’s singles of the 50,000 dollar in Liuzhou International Challenger in Guangyuan city, China.
- Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh declared open the first edition of North East Olympic Games 2018 at Main Stadium Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, Imphal.
- Invest India, the country’s investment promotion body, has won the UN Award for excellence in promoting investments in sustainable development.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred with the Seoul Peace Prize for 2018 for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth.
- Agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan will receive the first World Agriculture Prize instituted by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) in New Delhi.
- Tezpur University professor Ashis Mukherjee has been awarded the prestigious “Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Teachers Award (2018)”
- Benyamin, the author of ‘Jasmine Days’, translated from Malayalam into English by Shahnaz Habib, is the winner of the first edition of the Rs 25 lakh JCB Prize for Literature, India’s richest literary prize.
- The Centre has intervened to stabilise the Central Bureau of Investigation by appointing M Nageswar Rao as the interim Director, CBI.
- Hockey India congratulated Rohini Bopanna on being promoted as FIH International Technical Official by the FIH Officials Committee.
1. International News:
- China has opened the longest sea-crossing bridge ever built, nine years after construction began. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge connects Hong Kong and Macau to the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai.
- A contingent of the Russian Army arrived in Pakistan to participate in joint training exercise ‘Druzhba-III’.
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2. National News:
- Russia Capital: Moscow
- Currency: Russian ruble.
- Pakistan Capital: Islamabad
- Currency: Pakistani rupee.
- The 27th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2018) has started in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fosters the exchange of scientific and technical results in nuclear fusion research and development through its series of Fusion Energy Conferences.
- Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Nitin Gadkari said that the work for cleaning and rejuvenation of River Ganga is ongoing and 70-80 per cent.
- Environment Ministry has launched Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign. This campaign was initiated in 2017-18 wherein large number of school children participated and took pledge to minimize bursting of crackers.
- India and Myanmar signed an important MoU for the appointment of a private Port Operator for the Operation and Maintenance of Sittwe Port, Paletwa Inland Water Terminal and associated facilities included in the Kaladan Multi Model Transit Transport Project.
- UNESCO MGIEP in association with Government of Andhra Pradesh announces TECH 2018, an international conference which aims to showcase the role of games and digital learning to create peaceful and sustainable societies.
- Uzbekistan Ambassador to India Farhod Arziev inaugurated a four-day international dance festival titled “Udbhav Utsav” in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
- India has the second largest insurance gap in the world of $27 billion after China, where the under insurance or insurance gap is over $76 billion.
- Life insurer PNB Metlife has unveiled an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered customer service app ‘Khushi’.
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the only Indian company among top 10 firms to get foreign labour certification for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2018, according to data from the US Department of Labour.
- Paytm has launched a QR-based smartphone payment settlement service in Japan in collaboration with Soft Bank and Yahoo Japan Corporation.
- Wrestler Bajrang Punia had to settle for a silver medal after he went down against Japan’s Takuto Otoguro in the 65kg final of the wrestling World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said a national award in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose will be given every year to police personnel who do “exemplary work” in rescue and relief operations during any kind of disasters.
- The Karnataka government decided to confer the Sri Maharshi Valmiki award for the year 2018-19 to former prime minister H D Deve Gowda. Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy will be presenting the award to H D Deve Gowda.
- Invest India has received the top UN Investment Promotion Award in recognition of its efforts to boost investments in the renewable energy sector in India.
- Eminent jurist Fali S. Nariman was awarded 19th Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration. He was presented the award by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu at a function held in New Delhi.
- Japanese-born Marine biologist Osamu Shimomura, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry, has passed away. He was 90.
1. International News:
- Donald Trump has confirmed the US will leave an arms control treaty with Russia dating from the cold war that has kept nuclear missiles out of Europe for three decades.
- China's space industry is preparing to launch the world's first artificial moon to help with urban illumination at night, a leading scientist said.
- India, Japan and the U.S. are set to elevate the bilateral ‘Cope India’ air exercise to a trilateral format. The three countries already conduct naval war games under the expanded Malabar naval exercise.
- President Ram Nath Kovind arrived at Nashik to inaugurate the three-day “Vishwa Shanti Ahimsa Sammelan” at Mangi Tungi in Satana taluka, about 125 kilometres from Nashik.
- The National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Internet City (DIC) to facilitate expansion of Indian businesses in the Middle East.
- India will be the global host of UNICEF’s Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health stakeholders meeting, including participation from nearly hundred countries, this December.
- The 36th edition of India Carpet Expo, organised by Carpet Export Promotion Council at Trade facilitation Center and Craft Museum, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) was inaugurated by Narandra Modi.
- The nation’s largest bank, State Bank of India launched its wealth business services by opening “SBI Wealth Hub” at the Lalbagh branch in Mangaluru. The wealth hub was inaugurated by SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar.
- In Badminton, a valiant Saina Nehwal went down fighting to world number one Tai Tzu Ying in the 2018 Denmark Open final match.
- Kimi Raikkonen won the United States Grand Prix, his first Formula One victory since 2013, from Ferrari put on hold Lewis Hamilton’s bid for a fifth career championship.
- Marc Marquez won the hard-fought battle with Andrea Dovizioso at Motegi to win Japanese Grand Prix. With this win, Repsol Honda rider Marquez clinched his seventh World Title and fifth Premier Class Title equaling the record of Mike Dohan.
- Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu clarified that the club has no plans of signing the Paris Saint Germain striker Neymar again.
- Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath, the most successful left-arm spinner in test history, will retire after the series opener against England in Galle next month.
- A New York subway conductor’s story of growing up in a Dalit community in India won the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2018.
- Haryana girl Nishtha Dudeja has proved that disability cannot come in the way of success. She has won the 18th Miss Deaf Asia 2018 title at an international pageant held in Prague recently.
- The Board of Directors of The Hindu Publishing Group unanimously appointed Suresh Nambath as Editor of The Hindu with effect from March 1, 2019.
- Veteran commentator and cricket statistican Vijayan Bala has come up with his new book “Indian Sports Conversations and Reflections”, a compilation of interviews of eminent sports person he has conducted since 1971.
1. International:
- The seventh meeting of education ministers of member states of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was held in Astana, capital city of Kazakhstan.
- The world’s longest sea bridge Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will be thrown open for traffic on October 24. The 55-kilometer-long bridge, situated in the Lingdingyang waters of the Pearl River Estuary, will be the world’s longest sea bridge.
- Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa To Form New Government in Bhutan. The party has won 30 seats in 47 member National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament.
- PM Narendra Modi dedicated the National Police Memorial (NPM) to the nation. Oct 21 is observed as the ‘Police Commemoration Day’
- The National Commission for Women has come out with a dedicated e-mail address to report instances of sexual harassment at workplace after several such complaints were made to the body by women who have narrated their ordeal under the ‘MeToo’M
- Marc Marquez wrapped his fifth MotoGP world championship in just six years thanks to another stunning victory in the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.
- Pacer Praveen Kumar announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect after 13 years of competitive cricket.
- Grammy-winning Hindustani classical music instrumentalist Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt will be honoured with the annual Ustad Chand Khan Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Telugu senior actor Vizag Prasad, who is popular for his character artist and villainous roles passed away. The actor suffered from a chronic health condition from a long time. Vizag Prasad was 75.
1. Important Days:
- World Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on 20 October , and launches a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.
- The Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) will form new government in Bhutan. The party has won 30 seats in 47 member National Assembly.
- China‘s home-grown amphibious aircraft AG600, claimed by Beijing as the world’s largest, carried out its first take-off and landing on waters.
- For the first time in India, a railway station will be built inside a tunnel at a height of 3,000 metres, on the strategic Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line close to the Sino-India border.
- The North Central Railways (NCR) launched two mobile apps, ‘NCR RASTA’ and ‘Yatri RASTA’, for its employees and passengers, respectively, for locating assets and stations.
- India will host the fourth edition of Global Partners’ Forum on 12th and 13th December 2018 in New Delhi. The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH).
- Kerala is now set to become the first smoke-free State in the country with public sector oil companies eyeing 100% LPG penetration here.
- Actor-turned-politician Kamal Hassan inaugurated a mobile app called Roudram created by a student named Sudha to empower women. Roudram app aims at giving women assistance in times of emergency.
- The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has formed a panel to examine the feasibility of payment of general and health insurance claims in instalments.
- A parliamentary panel will examine the functioning of retirement fund body Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), its coverage and recovery of arrears.
- Kuligod in Karnataka’s Belagavi district is the country’s best developed village, but more than a third of the gram panchayats ranked in the top 10 are in Andhra Pradesh.
- World Wrestling Championship has begun in Budapest, Hungary. Asian Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia will be India’s best bet for a medal as a 30-member team seeks a strong performance in the flagship event.
- Union Minister for Railways, Coal and Corporate Affairs Piyush Goyal will receive the prestigious Carnot prize for his contribution towards sustainable energy solutions.
- Minal Patel Davis won the US’ Presidential Medal for her work against sex slavery and labour exploitation at a White House ceremony attended by President Donald Trump.
- Global body World Steel Association (worldsteel) on Thursday said it has elected JSW Steel CMD Sajjan Jindal as its treasurer. The new officers are elected for a one-year period.
- Senior BJP leader and sitting Member of Parliament (MP) from Bihar Bhola Singh passed away at a Delhi hospital. He was 79.
- Karnataka’s popular Lingayat seer Siddalinga Swami passed away at Gadag in the state’s northwest region. He was 69. He was one of the most revered Lingayat seers in Karnataka and known for his oratory.
1. National News:
- Indian and Japanese armies are going to hold their first-ever joint military exercise between November 1 and 14, which will include conducting tactical drills against likely urban threats, the Ministry of Defence said.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated government’s aim to ensure that all the homeless get shelter by 2022, when India celebrates 75 years of Independence.
- The Reserve Bank of India increased lenders’ single borrower exposure limit for Non-Banking Finance Companies which do not finance infrastructure, from 10% to 15% of capital funds, until December 31, 2018.
- Dutch photographer Marsel van Oosten won the grand title with his photo of critically endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys in China.
- Jalandhar’s Arshdeep Singh,10 has won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Asia) Award for his photograph ‘Pipe Owls’. The award ceremony was held at the Natural History Museum, London.
- Yemen’s newly appointed Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik was sworn in to lead the internationally-backed government in the war-torn Arab country.
1. National News:
- Despite the government and Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) crackdown on cryptocurrency in India, virtual currency exchange Unocoin has installed a currency deposit and dispensing ATM at Kemp Fort Mall in Bengaluru.
- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is arriving in New Delhi this evening on a three-day visit to India. He will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his stay.
- After Katrani rice, Jardalu mango and Magahi paan (betel vine), Bihar’s Shahi litchi has got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag and has become an exclusive brand in the national and international market.
- Haryana will organise its first-ever Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) summit in Gurugram on November 12 and it will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. During the summit, 16 state CSR Awards would be conferred.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released operational guidelines to facilitate payments among prepaid instruments (PPI) such as mobile wallets.
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Ltd’s quarterly earnings from the financial sector have edged past that of Accenture Plc, which is nearly double its size, making the Mumbai-based company the world’s largest pure-play Information Technology (IT)
- Driven by increased Cloud adoption, worldwide IT spending is projected to total $3.8 trillion in 2019, an increase of 3.2 per cent from expected spending of $3.7 trillion in 2018.
- The Asian Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy begins in Muscat, Oman. In their first round-robin match, defending champions India will face hosts Oman.
- Akash Malik, became the first Indian to win a silver medal in archery at the Youth Olympic Games. The 16-year-old suffered a defeat in the final to USA’s Trenton Cowles 0-6 in the men’s recurve event.
- Bengaluru FC clinched their second Puttaiah Memorial Cup after a 2-1 win over Madras Engineering Group (MEG) in the final of the 2018 edition of the competition at the Bangalore Football Stadium in Bengaluru.
- The Breakthrough Prize Foundation announced nine recipients of the 2019 Breakthrough Prize in recognition of their important achievements in the fields of fundamental physics, life sciences and mathematics.
- A new book on Maharana Pratap named “Maharana Pratap: The Invincible Warrior” authored by historian Rima Hooja has been released.
- “There is no God” that’s the conclusion of the celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking, whose final book is published recently.
- Former Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari passed away in a private hospital in Delhi. He was 93 years old.
1. Important Days:
- The United Nations’ (UN) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed on October 17 each year since 1993.
- Canada has become the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis. Canadian provinces and municipalities have been preparing for months for the end of cannabis prohibition.
- Sri Lanka has set up a committee to formulate a strategy to help Sri Lankan businesses invest more into the Indian market.
- The World Economic Forum announced its new Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in India, which would aim to bring together the government and business leaders to pilot emerging technology policies.
- The government launched a national campaign ‘Swasth Bharat Yatra’ on the World Food Day under which a pan-India cycle rally is being organised to sensitise people about eating safe food and be healthy.
- Hyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar inaugurated the Bharosa Centre at the Kondapur Area Hospital in Telangana.
- A big Indian Tricolor measuring 20×30 feet and 350 feet above the ground was unfurled at the majestic Haj House in Mumbai by Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
- MJ Akbar, who faces multiple charges of sexual harassment, resigned as Union minister of state for external affairs.
- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will be on a three-day visit to Belgium later this week to attend the 12th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit, the first multilateral dialogue that he will attend after taking office.
- World Health Organization report, India is the world’s most depressed country, closely followed by China and the US. According to the 2015-16 National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), every sixth person in India needs mental health help of some sort.
- Suraj Panwar won India’s first medal in athletics at the Youth Olympic Games 2018 after claiming the silver medal in the men’s 5000m race walk event.
- Author Anna Burns has won the Man Booker Prize for her novel ‘Milkman’, becoming the first author from Northern Ireland to win the most prestigious English-language literary award.
- Social Entrepreneur Suheil F. Tandon has won the International Olympic Committee’s Sport and Active Society Commission’s Grant Award for his contribution to sports for development.
- ‘Beeg Ani Beegath’, a collection of short stories in Konkani authored by well-known Konkani writer, journalist and critic H M Pernal has bagged the prestigious Vimala V Pai Vishwa Konkani Best Konkani Book Award for the year 2018.
- HMD Global, which designs and sells phones under the Nokia brand has appointed Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt as the ‘face of Nokia phones’ in India.
- Stephen Hawking’s final work, which tackles issues from the existence of God to the potential for time travel, was launched by his children, who helped complete the book after the British astrophysics giant’s death.
1. Important days:
- World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
- North Korea and the country which has agreed to launch its new project from November or December 2018 to connect rail and road between its borders South Korea
- Union Minister Smriti Irani will inaugurate India International Silk Fair (IISF), a three-day event where over 108 exhibitors of silk and blended silk will display their produce in New Delhi.
- A Korean War memorial will be built in New Delhi to commemorate India’s role in the war that ended in an armistice in 1953.
- The move was announced by Minister Siddharth Nath Singh. He said that all departments like Railways would be asked to change the name to Prayagraj from Allahabad.
- Government has announced 100 crore rupee award for states that would complete the household electrification early under the Saubhagaya scheme.
- ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Managing Director and Chief Executive Nimesh Shah has been elected as the chairperson of industry body AMFI.
- The government has increased the rate of interest for General Provident Fund (GPF) and other related schemes by 0.4 percentage points to 8 per cent for the October-December quarter.
- The Indian blind cricket team has won the triangular series after beating Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in the final in Goa.
- Prema Gopalan, founder of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), was awarded the 8th Social Entrepreneur of the Year award, 2018.
- Nimesh Shah, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, has been elected as Chairman of trade body, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).
- Priyank Kanoongo appointed to the post of Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).
- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu released a biography of late Anumolu Ramakrishna, a pioneer in the application of innovative systems and construction techniques in the Indian construction sector.
- Paul G. Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Bill Gates before becoming a billionaire philanthropist who invested in conservation, space travel, arts and culture and professional sports, passed away.
- Environmentalist G.D. Agarwal, who was on a fast for the last 111 days demanding a clean Ganga, died after a heart attack in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.
1. Important days:
- On October 15, the United Nations commemorates the International Day of Rural Women. UN Women calls upon the international community to work with rural women and girls.
- Stanford University takes first place on Reuters’ list of the World’s Most Innovative Universities for the third consecutive year.
- British Deputy High Commissioner Hyderabad Andrew Fleming launched the SRiX Agri-Business Academy, India’s first agri and food business online learning platform, at SR Innovation Exchange (SRiX) Campus, Warangal.
- India and China have launched their first joint programme for Afghanistan to train its diplomats. Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Vinay Kumar hosted 10 Afghan Diplomats who will be travelling to India for the 1st India-China joint training programme.
- Chartered accountants’ apex body The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has constituted a nine-member panel to study the systemic issues in the IL&FS crisis.
- The Election Commission of India is introducing the unique internet based mobile app C-vigil in the upcoming assembly polls.
- The Indian Under-18 men’s and women's Hockey team, finished their 2018 Youth Olympic Games campaign with silver medals at Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Novak Djokovic won a record fourth Shanghai Masters title over 13th-seeded Borna Coric. The second-seeded Djokovic has won all four Shanghai finals he’s contested in his career.
- Leander Paes won his second Challenger level title of the season, lifting the Santo Domingo Open trophy with partner Miguel Angel Reyyes-Varela.
- National Award winning music director Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, famous as ‘Khayyam’, has been named for this year’s Hridaynath Award for Lifetime Achievement.
- A book titled ‘Lalu Leela’, penned by deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, was released in Patna. The book highlights how RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family allegedly amassed properties through illegal means when they were in power.
1. Important days:
- The World Migratory Bird Day is now celebrated twice a year, on the second Saturday of May and in October. The day is observed in order to raise awareness and highlight the need for protecting migratory birds and their habitats.
- Malaysia’s cabinet has agreed to abolish the death penalty and halt pending executions, a move that has been hailed by International Human Rights groups and foreign diplomats.
- The World Bank launched a new $150 million fund intended to help insure vulnerable countries against natural disasters and the increasing risk of climate change-linked crises.
- India and Australia held the second ‘2+2’ secretary-level dialogue in Canberra during which key issues related to their strategic and defence ties were discussed and the two countries underlined the need for a free.
- India has slipped four positions in the last seven years, to settle at the sixth rank in the latest global index on Right to Information.
- Former India captain Anil Kumble’s technology start-up Spektacom Technologies launched the “Power Bat” – a unique tool powered by Microsoft’s Azure Cloud platform and its Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) services.
- Turtle ‘Olly’ has been declared as the official mascot for the Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup, scheduled to be held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar from November 28 to December 16, 2018.
- Teenager Prithvi Shaw became the youngest Indian to make a century on his Test debut on day one of the first Test against West Indies in Rajkot.
- The “100 per cent organic state” Sikkim, the first in the world, will get the “Oscar for best policies” at a UN ceremony in Rome and it bolsters efforts to attain the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Guadeloupean novelist Maryse Conde has been announced as the winner of the New Academy prize in literature, a one-off award intended to fill the void left by the cancellation of this year’s scandal-dogged Nobel prize for literature.
1. Important days:
- India has been elected to the United Nations' Human Rights Council with the highest vote among all candidates.
- The International Day for Disaster Reduction is observed across the world on October 13 to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction.
- The 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI) indicates that the level of hunger and under nutrition worldwide falls into the serious category, at a value of 20.9, down from 29.2 in 2000. As per the index, India was ranked 103rd out of 119 qualifying countries.
- The International Day for Disaster Reduction is observed across the world on October 13 to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Human Rights Commission's (NHRC) 25th anniversary
- India and Azerbaijan have agreed to take measures to enhance bilateral trade relations. The two countries signed a protocol on trade and economic, science and technology cooperation
- India and Sri Lanka signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for construction of 1200 houses through 50 model villages, using Indian grant assistance of 60 crore Srilankan rupees.
- The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is set to launch a Roll on-Roll off (Ro-Ro) service in Assam from Neamati to Manjuli island, the Ministry of Shipping said.
Static GK:
4. Banking and Finance :
- Azerbaijan Capital: Baku
- Currency: Azerbaijani manat
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in tenure of Bank of Baroda’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer P S Jayakumar given one-year extension, i.e. till October 12, 2019.
- India recorded its best-ever showing in the Asian Para Games by bagging 72 medals, including 15 gold, with the shuttlers adding two gold on the concluding day of the competitions in Jakarta.
- Congress leader Shashi Tharoor ‘unveiled’ the word to the public in a tweet that also introduced his new book, “The Paradoxical Prime Minister”.
- Hindustani classical musician Annapurna Devi passed away at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. She was 89. The Indian ‘surbahar’ player was the daughter and disciple of sarod exponent Allauddin Khan.
1. Important Days:
- World Arthritis Day 2018 is observed on October 12. This day is exclusively meant to raise awareness about arthritis, a condition which affects millions of people across the world.
- World Sight Day 2018 is celebrated every year all over the world on October 11, to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of your eyesight.
- In Malaysia, the cabinet decided to abolish the death penalty. Malaysia’s Lawyers for Liberty rights group said death penalty is barbarous, and unimaginably cruel.
Static GK:
3. National News :
- Malaysia Capital:Kuala Lumpur, Currency: Malaysian ringgit.
- India suffered a whopping USD 79.5 billion economic loss due to climate-related disasters in the last 20 years, according to a UN report which highlights the impact of extreme weather events on the global economy
- India has a target of 100 gigawatt (GW) installed capacity of solar energy by 2022, of which 40 GW is projected to come from rooftop solar systems.
- First India-Israel Innovation Centre opens in Bengaluru .The country’s first India-Israel Innovation Centre (IIIC), an entrepreneurial technology hub, was launched in Bengaluru.
- The women and child development ministry plans to set up a panel of legal experts to look into the allegations of sexual harassment that have surfaced in the #MeToo campaign.
- The Uttar Pradesh government has approved the setting up of a political training institute in Ghaziabad. The institute will give political training to public representatives and political workers
- The Reserve Bank announced it will inject Rs 12,000 crore liquidity into the system through purchase of government bonds on October 11 to meet the festival season demand for funds.
- State Bank of India has signed an MoU with Kathmandu-based National Banking Institute (NBI) for the development of human resources of the latter.
- The World Bank released the Human Capital Index (HCI) as part of the World Development Report 2019.
- Japan is all set to host the 2019 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Relays, beginning May 11. The development came after IAAF council voted to award the prestigious event to Yokohama city of the country.
- India are placed fifth while three-time champions Australia lead the 46-team table as the International Cricket Council (ICC) launched global Women’s T20I Team Rankings.
- India took over the podium in men’s high jump T42/63 category, claiming all the medals up for grabs with defending champion Sharad Kumar smashing two records to snare a second successive gold in the Asian Para Games in Jakarta
- Asian Games gold medalist Bajrang Punia is the only Indian wrestler from a strong 30-member squad to get a seeding at the upcoming World Championships as he has been seeded third in the 65kg category in men’s freestyle competition.
- Sikkim has won the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Future Policy Gold Award for its achievement in becoming the world’s first totally organic agriculture state.
- The largest home grown private equity firm ChrysCapital Advisors LLP has hired former SBI chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya as an advisor.
1. Important Days:
- International Day of Girls is an international observance day declared by the United Nations; it is also called the Day of Girls and the International Day of Girls.
- Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has left for Paris on a three-day visit to France. Ms. Sitharaman will hold wide-ranging talks with her French counterpart Florence Parly on ways to deepen strategic cooperation between the two countries.
- External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj participated in the 17th Council of Heads of Government, CHG, meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Static GK:
3. National News :
- Tajikistan Capital: Dushanbe
- Currency: Tajikistani somoni
- SCO Headquarters: Beijing, China.
- The 17th edition of Old World Theatre festival will bring to stage productions that mirror the continuities in Indian theatre from the earliest to the most contemporary with a special focus on the next generation of theatre artistes and directors.
- The Union Cabinet has approved the payment of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 78 days ‘wages for the financial year 2017-18 for all eligible non-gazette Railway employees.
- The Central government has sent an advisory to the Chandigarh Administration to follow the notification issued by the Delhi Government giving exemption to Sikh women from wearing protective headgear (helmet) while riding two-wheelers in the city.
- India ranked 147th in Oxfam world inequality index India has been ranked among the bottom 10 countries
- Marking the World Post Day, Department of Posts is celebrating National Postal Week from 9-15 October, 2018 in Maharashtra.
- Me Too movement, the Producers Guild of India announced the formation of a special committee to look into matters of sexual harassment at the workplace within the industry.
- Domestic mobile wallet player, MobiKwik announced its foray into India’s wealth management market with the acquisition of Clearfunds, an online mutual fund investment platform based out of Mumbai, for an undisclosed amount
- The Centre has notified a higher interest rate of 8% for the non-government provident, superannuation, and gratuity funds, effective from October 1.
- Pistol shooter Saurabh Chaudhary has bagged the Gold Medal in the 10-metre air pistol event in the ongoing Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.
- Manu Bhaker became the first shooter from India to claim a gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games taking place in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Indus Towers becomes the first Indian company in the service sector and fifth globally to achieve this feat Indus Towers, world’s largest telecom tower company (outside China), won the Deming Prize for 2018
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has appointed Pravin Srivastava, Additional Director General, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, as Chief Statistician of India (CSI), and Secretary of the Statistics Ministry.
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has picked its first African host of any Olympics, formally awarding the2022 Youth Games to Senegal.
Static GK:
8. Obituary:
- Senegal Capital: Dakar
- Senegal President: Macky Sall
- Currency: Franc
- International Olympic Committee Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Malayalam poet M N Paloor passed away in Kozhikode. Paloor, one of the early poets to have modern views, is the author of some of the finest Malayalam poems of the latter half of the 20th century.
- Environmentalist G.D. Agarwal, who was on a fast for the last 111 days demanding a clean Ganga, passed away.
1. Important Days:
- World Mental Health Day is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It is celebrated every year on 10 October.
- Ukraine has opened a series of large-scale air-force exercises with the United States and seven other NATO countries. The 12-day-long Clear Sky 2018 war games are being held in western Ukraine.
- US President Donald Trump has expressed concern over the disappearance of this senior Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashojji
- Nikki Haley has resigned as the US ambassador to the United Nations and will leave her post in January
- Japan’s passport has been named the most powerful in the world, overtaking Singapore, according to the Henley Passport Index.
- Recently they have been appointed Chief of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI General Asim Munir.
Static GK:
3. National News:
- Ukraine Capital: Kiev
- Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia
- NATO HQ: Brussels, Belgium
- UNICEF and NASSCOM Foundation signed an agreement to strengthen child rights through meaningful business interventions.
- A 10-member panel set up by the corporate affairs ministry will examine the trends in digital economy, including steep discounts in online retailing, and whether the e-tailers are subject to any restrictions in their access to dealerships from manufacturers.
- The Centre has reconstituted Supreme Court-empowered Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority or the EPCA.
- The Union Cabinet approved the merger of two regulatory institutions into the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET).
- The Union Cabinet approved the closure of the loss incurring Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), National Jute Manufactures Corporation Limited (NJMC) and its subsidiary Birds Jute and Exports Limited (BJEL).
Static GK:
4. Business and Economy:
- NASSCOM Headquarters: Noida.
- UNICEF Headquarters: New York, United States.
- Tech major IBM India and NITI Aayog announced an internship programme for the top performing under-18 students selected by the ATAL Innovation Mission.
- Archer Harvinder Singh extended India’s gold tally to seven as he finished first in the Men’s Individual Recurve Open – W2/ST event at the Para Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry has decided to call time on his playing career after 23 years in the game.
- Pakistan spinner Abdur Rehman has announced his retirement from international cricket. Declaring the same, the 38-year-old said that it is a “tough call” but it is no longer possible for him to continue playing the game.
- Senior Advocate Tushar Mehta has been appointed as the new Solicitor General of India. He is currently serving as the Additional Solicitor General.
- Singer Nitin Bali passed away after succumbing to his injuries in a road accident. He was 47. He was known for lending his voice to revamped versions of songs like “Neele Neele Ambar Par” , “Chukar Mere Man Ko", “Ek Ajanbee Haseena Se” and “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas".
- Indian film trade expert Santosh Singh Jain passed away in Mumbai at the age of 97. He was also addressed as ‘The Iron Man’.
1. Important Days:
- World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern.
- President Ram Nath Kovind had a meeting with his Tajikistan counterpart Mr. Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe
- Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, C. R. Chaudhary led the Indian delegation to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) EXIM Bank.
- India’s Squash player, Vikram Malhotra triumphed in the Texas Open Squash Championship, Houston, the U.S. This is his eighth Professional Squash Association (PSA) title of Vikram Malhotra’s career.
Static GK:
3. National News:
- Nigeria Capital:Nigerian naira.
- Tajikistan Capital: Dushanbe
- Currencies:Tajikistani somoni, Ruble.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 64-foot-tall statue of peasant leader Sir Chhotu Ram at his native village Sampla in Haryana’s Rohtak district.
- The Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Auditorium built with Indian grant assistance of Rs. 300 million at the University of Ruhuna, Matara in the Southern Province, was dedicated to the people of Sri Lanka.
- Arunachal Pradesh Government launched the Chief Minister’s Sashakt Kisan Yojana and Chief Minister’s Krishi Samuh Yojana in Itanagar.
- The Maharashtra government launched a website and a mobile application which will use modern technology to analyse the drought situation in the state by collecting data on rainfall, crop situation and underground water.
- As per the IMF's latest report, India is projected to grow at 7.3% in 2018 and 7.4% in 2019. The report predicted India to regain the tag of the world's fastest-growing major economy this year
- Google will shut down Google+ for consumer use over the next 10 months after a bug exposed the personal data of up to 5 lakh users.
- The Centre in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds 2018-19.
- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has retained its India growth forecast for the current year and marginally pared it for next fiscal, citing the drag from higher crude prices and tightening of the global financial situation.
- Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has acquired Glint, a California-based employee engagement company that helps organisations get feedback from employees.
- Google’s social network, Google +, was announced by the tech giant to be shutting down over a reported failure to reveal a security issue that affected hundreds of thousands of accounts.
- Caroline Wozniacki won her 30th WTA singles title with victory over Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova in the China Open final in Beijing.
- India bagged three more gold with two coming from athletics in a rich haul of 11 medals to maintain its eighth spot on the third day of competitions at the Para Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had announced that the fourth edition of the Youth Olympic Games will be held in Dakar, Senegal.
- India won their first gold medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina with Jeremy Lalrinnunga lifting 150kg in Men’s 62kg weightlifting on his last attempt for a combined 274kg.
- Thangjam Tababi Devi became India’s first judo medallist at the Olympic level, claiming a silver at the ongoing Youth Games after losing to Venezuela’s Maria Giminez in the finals of the women’s 44kg category.
- World Number one Simona Halep and Japan’s Naomi Osaka are among the players nominated for the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Player of the Year award.
- Pakistan has successfully test-fired Ghauri ballistic missile capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads up to a distance of 1,300 kilometres.
- Well-known Malayalam poet M N Paloor passed away at his residence at Kovoor in Kozhikode. Paloor received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his autobiography ‘Kathayillathavante Katha’ in 2013.
1. International News:
- Interpol chief resigns amid detention in China. The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) received the resignation of its Chinese president Meng Hongwei.
- The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report said the planet will reach the crucial threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2030,
- People cast their votes for the Brazilian Presidential election. People cast their votes for the Brazilian Presidential election.
- Iran’s Parliament approved a Bill to counter terrorist financing. It was strongly opposed by conservatives but seen as vital to salvaging the nuclear deal with European and Asian partners.
- Over a dozen women achievers from different walks of life participated in a day-long festival at a UN forum in Bengaluru.
- The Karnataka Department of Social Welfare has launched Unnati, a scheme to foster entrepreneurs working on rural and social impact technologies. As part of the scheme, the department will invest up to Rs 20 crore
- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said an anti-terrorist force ‘Kavach‘ — will be set up to further strengthen the security arrangements in the state.
- Nirman Kusuma programme launched by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The main objective is to provide financial assistance for technical education to children of construction workers.
- Growth in India is firming up and projected to accelerate to 7.3 per cent in the 2018-19 fiscal and 7.5 per cent in the next two years, the World Bank said.
- The Reserve Bank issued guidelines for operating Electronic Trading Platforms (ETPs) to transact in eligible instruments.
- The Reserve Bank of India’s September round of the Consumer Confidence Survey reflecting households’ perceptions and expectations on the general economic situation, the employment scenario.
- The share of private investments in the infrastructure sector has fallen to a decadal low of around 25 per cent in FY18 steeply down from a high of 37 per cent in FY08, says a report.
- The National Housing Bank (NHB) increased its refinance limit to Rs 30,000 crore to make more funds available to eligible housing finance companies.
- Javelin thrower Sandeep Chaudhary ended India’s wait for a gold medal at the 2018 Para Asian Games in Indonesia.
- Indian troika of para shooters comprising Harshit Tiwari, Rajveer Singh Sekhon and Balendu Singh scripted history as they clinched India’s first medal, a silver, in 2018 World Shooting Para Sports Trap Championships being held in Lonato, Italy.
- Goa is gearing up to witness the blind cricket triangular series between India, England and Srilanka, slated to commence on 8 October at the Goa Cricket Association Alto Porvorim.
- The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm has given the 50th Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences to William D. Nordhaus and Paul M. Romer, both from the US, for “integrating climate change and technological innovations into long-run macroeconomic analysis.”
- Eminent surgical oncologist of Mumbai Sultan A. Pradhan was conferred the prestigious Dhanvantari Award at a function held in Mumbai.
- The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation has won the ‘ISSA Good Practice Award’ for Administrative Solution for Coverage Extension at the ”Regional Social Security Forum for Asia and the Pacific” held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently.
- Brett Kavanaugh has been sworn in as the 114th US Supreme Court justice after the Senate narrowly voted to confirm him.
1. International News:
- Uber is planning to ramp up the human resources at its R&D Centres in Bengaluru and Hyderabad in order for the growth of its service in India. Because of this India would have the largest tech presence for the company outside of the U.S., its home market.
- The country’s biggest skill competition, ‘India Skills 2018′ has concluded in New Delhi. The 164 winners were awarded by Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anant Kumar Hegde.
- RBI approved the proposal of Kerala government for the formation of Kerala Bank. RBI approved formation of ‘Kerala Bank’ having Rs 650 bn in deposits.
- E-commerce major Flipkart has partnered Bajaj Allianz General Insurance to offer customized insurance solutions to power its mobile phone protection programme for all leading mobile phone brands that are sold on its platform.
- India clinched the Under-19 Asia Cup, beating Sri Lanka by 144 runs in the final. This is India’s sixth title in seven editions of the U-19 continental tournament.
- India’s Keerthana Pandian has won the girls’ title in the IBSF World Under-16 Snooker Championships, her maiden international crown.
- Deborah Herold won the gold medal in the elite women’s 40 kilometre competition at Saksham Pedal Delhi, India’s Premier Cyclothon.
- The Indian pair of Meghana Reddy and Tasnim Mir has won the Under-15 girls doubles title in the Badminton Asia Junior Under-17 and Under-15 championships.
- Srinivasan Swamy, chairman of marketing communications firm RK Swamy Hansa Group, has been unanimously elected as the chairman and world president of International Advertising Association, for a period of two years.
- The government appointed former Canara Bank managing director Rakesh Sharma as head of IDBI Bank for a period of six months.
- The book “Feisty At Fifty” authored by Sudha Menon, was released at the Pune International Literary Festival recently. It has been published by Pan Macmillan India.
- Eminent Gandhian Natwar Thakkar, popularly known as ‘Nagaland’s Gandhi’, passed away in a private hospital in Guwahati after a brief illness.
- Well-known Human Rights activist Girish Patel passed away in Ahmedabad. He was 86. He suffered from multiple age-related ailments.
1. Important Days:
- World Space Week is an annual holiday observed from 4–10 October in various parts of the world, including Europe and Asia. World Space Week is officially defined as “an international celebration of science and technology.
- IORA member nations will undertake the expansion of the Global Renewable Energy Atlas with the collaboration with International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
- Geological Survey of India (GSI) recommended these places for candidates for UNESCO Global Geopark Network status - Lonar Lake(Maharashtra) and St. Mary’s Island and Malpe beach (Karnataka).
- According to ‘The Cigarette Package Health Warnings International Status Report’ by the Canadian Cancer Society, India has ranked on the size of their health warnings on cigarette packages at – 5th.
- Pakistan's Cabinet Thursday gave nod to the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia to set up a state-of-the-art oil refinery in the southwestern province of Balochistan.
- A Vietnam Coast Guard ship, on its maiden visit to Chennai, undertook joint exercises with the Indian Coast Guard 'Sahyog HOP TAC-2018'
- Alphonso from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts of Maharashtra, is registered as Geographical Indication (GI) Maharashtra
- The Southern Railway has said it has become Unmanned Level Crossing (UMLC) Free Zone, eliminating over 1,000 such level crossings Tamilnadu
- Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Police have decided to conduct joint operations and share information to effectively combat the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in the border areas of the two states.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed new norms for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to attract long-term and stable FPI investments into debt markets while allowing them operational flexibility.
- Drug firm Zydus Cadila has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market Exemestane tablets, used for treatment of breast cancer.
- India won the first test against West Indies by an innings and 272 runs. West Indies were all out for 196 in their second innings.
- Indian men took the sixth spot and the women finished eighth in the Chess Olympiad that concluded in Batumi.
- Formula One leader Lewis Hamilton seized a record-extending 80th pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday, timing his sole flying lap to perfection while Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel managed only ninth.
- The Indian postal services honoured the Narayan Seva Sansthan, the Udaipur-based non-profit organisation, by launching their postal stamps.
- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave awards to top Ranked State, District and State with maximum citizen participation based on the National Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018.
- Nadia Murad and Dr Denis Mukwege, who were earlier in the day declared as the Nobel Peace Prize winners for 2018, have been nominated for this year’s “Mother Teresa Memorial Award”
- Justice Surya Kant of Punjab and Haryana high court has been appointed as chief justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court.
- Pankaj Sharma has been appointed as the ambassador and India’s permanent representative to the United Nations Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.
- NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mankind’s first mission to ‘touch’ the Sun successfully completed a flyby of Venus at a distance of about 2,415 kilometres
- The Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference of Indian Region will begin in Guwahati. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan will attend the event along with Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal.
- The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed an International Conference on Women’s Health, Wellness and Empowerment organised by the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India
- Montserrat Caballe, the feted Spanish soprano who won a new generation of fans after singing Barcelona with Freddie Mercury, has passed away at the age of 85.
1. Important Days:
- World Teachers’ Day, also known as International Teachers’ Day, is observed on October 5 every year. World Teachers’ Day focuses on “appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world”.
- World Smile Day is celebrated on the first Friday in the month of October every year. The idea of was coined and initiated by Harvey Ball, a commercial artist from Worcester, Massachusetts.
- The world’s first full-sized Hyperloop passenger capsule has been unveiled in Spain giving those in attendance a glimpse of the future.
- Pakistan’s Cabinet gave nod to the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia to set up a oil refinery in the southwestern province of Balochistan.
- S. President Donald Trump has nominated prominent Indian-American nuclear expert Rita Baranwal to head the Nuclear Energy Division at the Department of Energy.
- Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi became the first person to be stripped of the honorary Canadian Citizenship for her role in gross human rights violations against the Rohingya people.
- The government has approved a Rs 469.41 Crore package for the revival of closed NEPA mill in Madhya Pradesh, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
- Travellers will soon be able to enter airports in the country with facial recognition Biometric under the government’s Digi Yatra initiative.
- India and Russia signed a document for cooperation on a new nuclear power project in India with the latest VVER-1200 type reactors powered by advanced fuel.
- India Chem 2018, the 10th Biennial International Exhibition & Conference began in Mumbai. The largest event of Chemicals and Petrochemical Industry in India
- Ghaziabad has topped in Uttar Pradesh and secured 11th position across India in a cleanliness survey conducted by an independent agency appointed under the Centre’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
- Alphonso Mango from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and other adjoining areas in Maharashtra, finally gets a Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.
- Reserve Bank has maintained status quo on all key policy rates in the fourth bi-monthly monetary policy review. The six member monetary policy committee, MPC headed by Governor Urjit Patel decided to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 6.5 percent.
- India‘s overall ranking on the government’s adoption of e-payments has moved up to 28th in 2018, from 36th in 2011. Norway leads the pack in the 73-country ranking, followed by France and Denmark.
- The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in its Trade and Development Report predicted the GDP growth of India for 2018 to be at 7%. Previously in 2017, it was 6.2%.
- Developing countries of the East Asia and Pacific region will grow at 6.3 per cent in 2018, the World Bank has said.The outlook for the region remained positive despite a lower growth prospect than in 2017 owing to a moderation in China’s growth.
- Reliance Capital Ltd. said its wholly owned Reliance Health Insurance has got the R3 approval from Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDAI).
- India captain Virat Kohli became the quickest batsman to reach 24 Test centuries after the great Donald Bradman early on day two against the West Indies.
- Mohit Jangra and Siddharth Desai grabbed three wickets apiece as India eked out a narrow two-run win over Bangladesh to enter the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dhaka.
- Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) Executive Director VM Prabhudesai made the announcement after a meeting with visiting officials of the Indian Olympic Association.
- Nobel Peace Prize Congolese Dr. Denis Mukwege, Yazidi rights activist Nadia Murad For their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.
- Badminton star and chief national coach Pullela Gopichand will be presented ‘Visishta Puraskaram’ for the year 2018 by the Dr. Ramineni Foundation, on its 19th anniversary.
- Ruhaan Rajput, a multi-talented young actor bagged an award at the recently concluded Mid-day Young Achiever Icons Award 2018. The event took place at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.
- Reliance Industries’ Chairman Mukesh Ambani has emerged as the richest Indian for the 11th consecutive year with a net worth of $47.3 billion , according to Forbes magazine.
- Ramon Laguarta assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of global beverage giant PepsiCo, succeeding India-born Indra Nooyi who had helmed the American company for 12 years.
- A four-day Indian International Science Festival (IISF) 2018 will start in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. IISF-2018 with its focal theme “Science for Transformation” will have 23 special events.
- Oscar-winning animator Will Vinton passed away at the age of 70. He was battling with multiple myeloma for 12 years. Having worked in more than a hundred films, Vinton won an Oscar for the 1975 short animated film “Closed Mondays”.
1. Important Days:
- World Animal Day is celebrated at various parts of the world on 4th October to raise the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe.
- Bangladesh abolished a controversial quota system for Civil Service Jobs that had been the target of major street protests that paralyzed parts of the country earlier this year.
- Apple displaced Google to become the top brand in the world in 2018 while Facebook, mired in data breach controversies, fell to ninth place in the top 100 brands globally.
- National Khadi Festival 2018 to promote Khadi products has been inaugurated on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti 2018, by Union Minister for Micro Small & Medium Enterprises, Shri Giriraj Singh.
- Indian Railways have plans to develop 640 Utkrisht rakes under its project of upgrading the mail/express trains in the next two years at a cost of Rs 400 crore.
- The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the establishment of National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR) in Sehore district instead of earlier approved Bhopal location.
- The Indore project will run along the Ring Line (Bengali Square – Vijay Nagar – Bhawarsala – Airport – Patasia – Bengali Square). The total number of stations on the line are 30.
- Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the world’s largest dome at the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT)’s World Peace University (MIT-WPU) campus at Loni Kalbhor on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
- The Indian and Vietnamese Coast Guards will take part in joint exercise Sahyog-Hop Tac 2018 off Chennai to promote interoperability between the two maritime forces.
- IIT-Kharagpur has been named the national coordinating institute of the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
- The Assam Assembly has passed an amendment in the GST Act by exempting GST registration for companies having up to 20 lakh rupees turnover per annum.
- Punjab Cabinet approved a policy for regularization of unauthorized colonies developed before March 19, 2018.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin reached New Delhi on a two-day visit to India. He will attend the 19th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit in New Delhi.
Static GK:
4. Banking and Finance:
- Russian Capital: Moscow.
- Currency: Ruble.
- President: Vladimir Putin.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed state-owned oil companies to borrow long term working capital from overseas.
- RBI imposes Rs 5 crore penalty on Federal Bank. It was also found to have not paid compensation for delay in resolution of ATM (automated teller machine)-related customer complaints.
- India and The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sign $ 100 Million Loan Agreement to expand Sewerage and Drainage Coverage in Kolkata.
- India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) sign $ 150 Million Loan Agreement to support India’s First Global Skills Park in State of Madhya Pradesh.
Static GK:
5. Business and Economy:
- Headquarters ADB: Manila, Philippines.
- Present President: Takehiko Nakao
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed state-owned Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to raise external commercial borrowings (ECBs) from lenders under the automatic route.
- Gross direct tax collection in the first six months of the financial year grew 16.7 percent to Rs 5.47 lakh crore.
- MobiKwik announced the launch of its breakthrough product called ‘Boost’, that offers instant loan approval and disbursal to MobiKwik users.
- Moody‘s Investors Service assigned an A3 local currency issuer rating to Infosys based on the IT major’s “Internationally Diverse Revenue Base and Strong Financial Profile”. The rating outlook is stable.
- PRITHVI Shaw has become the youngest Indian to score a century on Test debut, after bringing up his ton after lunch on Day 1 against the West Indies at Rajkot.
- Manipur claimed victory in the final of the 24th Senior Women’s National Football Championships, defeating hosts Odisha in the summit clash by a 2-1 margin in Cuttack.
- Rio Paralympic Gold Medallist Thangvellu Mariyappan was named as flag-bearer of the Indian contingent for the 3rd Para Asian Games to be held in Jakarta from October 6-13.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave awards to top Ranked State, District and State with maximum citizen participation based on the National Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018 commissioned by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
- Evan Atar Adaha, a surgeon who runs a remote hospital in South Sudan, received the prestigious 2018 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award.
- Hockey player Lilima Minz, who hails from Odisha, has been selected for the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar, 2018. The annual award, comprising a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh along with a citation.
- World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), has appointed NSE’s Managing Director and CEO Vikram Limaye as the chairman of its working group committee.
- Arkady Dvorkovich, former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, was crowned as the new King of FIDE, the world body governing chess at the 89th FIDE Congress held at Batumi in Georgia.
- Chanda Kochhar has quit as CEO of ICICI Bank with immediate effect. The private lender has appointed Sandeep Bakhshi as managing director and chief executive officer for five years.
- First moon outside our solar system discovered. “It's big and weird by solar system standards,” Columbia University astronomy professor David Kipping said of the moon.
- A Japanese probe launched a new observation Robot towards an asteroid as it pursues a mission to shed light on the origins of the solar system.
1. International News:
- The United Nations’ highest court ordered the United States to lift sanctions on Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods and products and services linked to the safety of civil aviation.
- SYDNEY: After almost two decades of political wrangling Australia finally agreed to scrap its so-called "tampon tax".
- Amazon raises minimum wage to $15 for all US employees. Amazon and CEO Jeff Bezos have been facing criticism for its pay disparity.
- Veteran Kurdish leader Barham Salih has been elected as the President of Iraq. Iraq’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) selected Salih to take over from Fuad Masum.
- Stressing that India would generate 40 per cent of power from non-fossil fuels by 2030, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for connecting solar energy supply across borders giving the mantra of ‘One World One Sun One Grid’.
- India ranks fifth , jointly with Hong Kong and Thailand, in terms of the largest pictorial warning on cigarette packs with 85 per cent of both sides of the packets covered, a Canadian Cancer Society report said.
- India has launched a massive operation to provide assistance to the Earthquake and Tsunami victims in Indonesia, dispatching two aircraft and three naval ships carrying relief material to the country.
- With the population of the endangered Gangetic river dolphin decreasing and its habitat changing, the much-awaited National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC), India’s and Asia’s first, would be a reality in Patna on October 5.
- SIDBI has launched a national level entrepreneurship awareness campaign ‘Udyam Abhilasha’, in 115 aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog in 28 States reaching to around 15,000 youth.
- Haryana’s Maharshi Dayanand University has been declared the cleanest government varsity by the HRD Ministry, followed by Guru Nanak Dev University in Punjab’s Amritsar.
- Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurated the city’s ‘Dravyavati River Rejuvenation Project’ executed by Tata Projects Ltd. spread over 47.5 km rain-fed riverfront.
- More than 150 tribals from the states affected by Maoist insurgency began a Shanti Padyatra or peace march from a village in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district to appeal to all sides to give peace a chance.
- The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization collectively sought liberalization of the global service Sector.
- The Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has announced the closure of 51 branches across the country as part of cost-cutting measures being implemented in the banking industry.
- India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $240 million loan agreement to provide safe drinking water to about 1.65 million people in three districts of West Bengal.
- Tata Communications, a leading global digital infrastructure provider, is acquiring Teleena, a Netherlands-based Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity specialist and mobile virtual network enabler (MVNE).
- Bharti Airtel has acquired technology of artificial intelligence (AI) service provider AuthMe ID Services. The latest move will augment Airtel’s initiatives to serve customers with new digital products.
- Australian midfielder Mile Jedinak announced his retirement from international football. The Aston Villa player led his country at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and this year’s tournament in Russia.
- Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev is retiring from international soccer after leading the national side as captain to this year’s World Cup quarter-finals on home soil.
- Teenage shooting star Manu Bhaker was named as the flag-bearer of the Indian contingent for the 3rd Youth Olympic Games to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 6-18.
- Bangladesh and India will aim to seal U19 Asia Cup final spot when they go up against each other in the first semifinal of the U19 Asia Cup 2018
- UNEP Champions of the Earth award – Narendra Modi [In New Delhi presented by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres]
- James P Allison and Tasuku Honjo win Nobel prize for medicine. Two scientists who discovered how to harness the body’s immune system to fight cancer have won the 2018.
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry – Frances H. Arnold [USA], George P. Smith [USA] and Sir Gregory P.Winter [UK] Three scientists have won the Nobel prize in chemistry for their work in harnessing evolution to produce new Enzymes and Antibodies.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on Tuesday presented Mata Amritanandamayi Devi with an award for the largest contribution to the Swacch Bharat Kosh.
- Justice Ranjan Gogoi was sworn-in as the 46th Chief Justice of India. He was administered the oath by President Ram Nath Kovind.
- The UNICEF has appointed Ravi Venkatesan has its special representative of young people. His new role will provide strategic guidance and support UNICEF globally with high-level outreach, partnerships and scaling innovations.
- Telugu Desam Party leader , educationist and member of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council M V V S Murthy died in a road accident in the USA.
1. Important Days:
- On 2nd October 2018, Gandhi Jayanti was observed all over India, commemorating Mahatma Gandhi’s 149th birth anniversary.
- On 2nd October 2018, International Day of Non-Violence was observed throughout the world. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 2 as International Day of Non-Violence.
- The sixth edition of IBSAMAR, a joint Multi-National Maritime Exercise between the Indian, Brazilian and South African Navies, is being held at Simons Town, South Africa.
- The Indian and Vietnamese Coast Guards will take part in joint exercises off Chennai to promote interOperability between the two maritime forces.
- The Indian embassy in the Netherlands released commemorative stamps in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
- Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will kick off an innovative initiative in New Delhi with PSU Oil Marketing Companies.
- Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the 23rd meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council in Kolkata. Government of India has issued advisory to all state governments on the Rohinga issue.
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is covered under the RTI Act and answerable to the people of the country under its mechanism.
Static GK:
4. Banking and Fiances:
- BCCI President: Vinod Rai,
- Headquarters: Mumbai.
- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it has approved a USD 150 million loan to finance road infrastructure and international trade corridor in West Bengal and north-eastern states.
- The State Bank of India (SBI) halved the daily ATM withdrawal limit from Rs 40,000 to Rs 20,000. The limit will be effective from October 31, the Economic Times reported.
- The 56th annual convention of the World Boxing Council (WBC) kicked off in Kiev, Ukraine. The meeting, which is hosted by Ukraine for the first time, will last until October 5.
- Australian football captain Mile Jedinak has announced his retirement from International Football after a stellar career that saw him reach three World Cups.
- American scientist Arthur Ashkin, French engineer Gerard Mourou and Canadian professor Donna Strickland have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in the field of laser physics.
- Facebook has appointed Adam Mosseri , Vice President of Product, as new head of its photo-sharing app Instagram. Mosseri replaces Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger who abruptly announced their departure in September.
- Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad was named as the new President of Hockey India (HI) following the 8th Hockey India Congress and Elections in New Delhi.
- The Centre has appointed former IAS officer Rangachari Sridharan as chairperson of the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) , an entity which will function as an independent regulator for the auditing profession.
- India-born Harvard University professor Gita Gopinath has been appointed as the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by IMF's Managing Director Christine Lagarde.
- US space agency NASA has completed 60 years of human space exploration, discovering the world beyond Earth and developing new technologies.
- Kerala musician and violinist Balabhaskar, who was seriously injured along with his wife in a road accident last week, passed away in Thiruvananthapuram.
- Veteran Malayalam film personality Thampi Kannanthanam passed away at a private hospital in Kochi after several days of illness.
1. Important Days:
- On 1st October 2018, World Habitat Day was observed all over the world. In 1985 United Nations General Assembly declared the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day. It was first celebrated in 1986.
- On 1st October 2018, International Day of Older Persons was observed throughout the world. In 1990, The United Nations General Assembly declared 1st October as the International Day of Older Persons. It was first observed in 1991.
- On 1st October 2018, World Vegetarian Day was Celebrated all over the world. In 1977, World Vegetarian Day was founded by the North American Vegetarian Society (NAVS). In 1978, it was endorsed by the International Vegetarian Union.
- China has tested three vehicles expected to be capable of hypersonic flightin a single airdrop, China's national television station reported.
- The United States and Canada have agreed to a deal replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement, according to a senior U.S. administration official.
- India and Russia have already concluded an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for 200 helicopters estimated to cost over $1 billion.
- Tropical Storm Rosa is nearing northwest Mexico where its heavy rains were expected to cause flooding and landslides before drenching parts of the U.S. Southwest.
- United States and Mexico reached last month, meeting negotiators’ self-imposed midnight deadline designed to allow the current Mexican president to sign the accord on his final day in office and giving President Trump a big win on trade.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurated a String of Development projects in Gujarat, including a 5 million tonne per annum (mtpa) capacity liquefied natural gas (LNG).
- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu addressing the International Human Rights Conclave in its Silver Jubilee celebration in New Delhi.
- Health Minister J P Nadda inaugurated the First Swachhata Mela organised by All India Institute of Medical Sciences, in New Delhi.
- Plastic ban implementation in Maharashtra is expected to be more strict from today on wards as the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has instructed its officials to initiate action against plastic.
- Assam government launches Wage Compensation Scheme for pregnant women in tea garden districts. An amount of more than Rs 55 crore has been allotted in the State Health Budget for the financial year 2018-19.
- The state where Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Modern Food Processing Facilities with an investment of 190 crores Gujarat.
- Reserve Bank of India announced injection of Rs.36,000 crore into the system through purchase of government bonds.
- Punjab National Bank (PNB) increased its benchmark lending rates or MCLR for the short-term loans by up to 0.2 per cent.
- SBI halved the withdrawal limit from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 20,000 per day. This was targeted for debit cards of the ‘Classic’ and ‘ Maestro’ plat forms.
- In the World Cup finals held in Turkey, Indian Archery Deepika Kumari has won the bronze medal by defeating Lisa Naduru in women's recurve event - Bronze medal
- Albuquerque Raegan claimed the junior boys crown and Ishita Gupta won the junior girls’ title in the East Zone National-ranking table tennis tournament at the R.G. Baruah Sports Complex’s Indoor Stadium.
- Yuvraj Wadhwani Lifts Asian Junior Squash Title. He defeated Anas Ali Shah of Pakistan by 13-11, 11-5, 6-11, 12-10 in the final in Chennai. He is the second Indian to win the Under-13 title after Veer Chotrani.
- Hockey player Lilima Minz, who hails from Odisha, has been selected for the prestigious Ekalabya Puraskar for the year 2018.
- Premier health institute AIIMS, New Delhi, has won the first prize, and a cash reward of Rs 5 crore, for maintaining high standards of sanitation and hygiene under the Government’s Kayakalp awards.
- The Bangladesh Army yesterday got its first female major general, Dr Susane Giti. She becomes the first woman to get the rank promotion in the history of Bangladesh Army.
- The Managing Director of Max Life Insurance, Rajesh Sud resigned from the company. He will be replaced by CFO Prashant Tripathy with effect from January 1, 2019.
- Shri Rajesh Agrawal has taken over charge as the new Member (Rolling Stock), Railway Board and Ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India.
- External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj on behalf of India co-hosted a meeting with the United States and other selected countries over the issue of how to combat the drug menace.
- External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended the Nelson Madela Peace Summit in New York. It was held to commemorate the birth anniversary of Nelson Mandela.
- Smt. Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister of India attended the customary BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on UNGA margins in New York.
- External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended the 9th Trilateral Ministerial Commission in New York. It was convened by Minister of Foreign Affairs Aloysio Nunes Ferreira Filho.
- On the sidelines of G-4 Nations viz. India, Brazil, Germany and Japan reviewed lack of substantive progress in long-pending United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms.
- EAM Sushma Swaraj attended the Informal Meeting of the SAARC Council of Ministers held here on the margins of the 73rd UN General Assembly.
- India and Uzbekistan have signed 17 MoUs in various fields including agriculture, Tourism, combating illicit trafficking, health and medical science and pharmaceuticals.
- The country whose scientists have searched for two new species of lizards in the Western Ghats 'Montana Forest' and 'Spin-Heded Forrest' India.
- The technical company with which the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has initiated the LooReview campaign Google.
- China launched its Centispace-1-s1 satellite on a Kuaizhou-1A low-cost solid-fuel carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China.
- The country where success in the birth of lion cubs was achieved through Test Tube Technology South Africa.
- Former Uttar Pradesh minister and parliamentarian Malti Sharma passed away following a short term illness. In 1994, she was elected to Rajya Sabha. She was a former junior minister in Uttar Pradesh.