We are here for you to provide the important current affairs October 15 2017 which have unique updates of all daily events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, India Today, Indian Express, Business Standard, all Government official websites. Our complete current affairs helps you to get more marks in Banking, insurance, UPSC, SSC, CLAT, Railway and all other competitive Exams.
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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Haryana’s Amin village renamed Abhimanyupur
On October 13, 2017, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave approval to rename Amin village in Kurukshetra district to Abhimanyupur.
i. Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, was a warrior prince in Mahabharata. Amin village is believed by the locals as the site on which Kauravas had resorted to ‘Chakravyuh’ formation as a part of war strategy. Abhimanyu was trapped in this ‘Chakravyuh’, but fought bravely till his last breath.
ii. Abhimanyupur would be included in the second phase of Krishna Circuit under Central Government’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme.
iii. Mr. Khattar also instructed Kurukshetra Development Board to install a grand statue of Abhimanyu fighting in the battle.
iv. These measures were announced as a part of Haryana Government’s efforts to promote an organised tourism circuit in the ancient region of Kurukshetra comprising Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Karnal and Panipat districts
Parliamentary panel under BJP MP B C Khanduri to examine operational preparedness of armed forces
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, headed by BJP MP B C Khanduri will examine the operational preparedness of the armed forces. Next meeting of this committee is scheduled to be held in November 2017.
Issues which will be examined by Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence:
i. Procurement policy relating to defence equipment.
ii. Critically review accidents involving strategic defence assets. It is to be noted that recently several accidents have been reported involving Indian Navy ships and Indian Air Force helicopters.
iii. To look into the quality of ration given to the forces especially in border areas.
iv. Major research and development initiatives, including private sector participation will also be assessed.
v. The committee will also discuss measures to revamp training for defence personnel in the light of latest technological advancements.
Hyderabad High Court makes Gram Sabha nod mandatory for liquor shops
On 12th October 2017, The Hyderabad High Court directed the Telengana government not to grant licence, to establish liquor retail outlets in the scheduled areas without the resolution of the gramsabha.
Gram Sabha approval mandatory for liquor shops in scheduled areas:
i. A division bench consisting of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice M. Ganga Rao gave the direction when disposing an appeal by Podem Ratnam challenging an order of a single judge.
ii. Ratnam had filed a writ petition against the government notification, to grant licence to sell liquor in 17 villages in the scheduled areas of Jayashankar Bhupalapally district.
iii. A single judge on 21st September 2017, had issued an order, granting licences to sell liquor in villages in the scheduled areas of Jayashankar Bhupalapally district.
About High Court of Hyderabad:
♦ Common High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
♦ Chief Justice – Ramesh Ranganathan
Rajasthan Assembly becomes first in India to call motions online
Rajasthan State assembly has become the first in India to call attention and adjournment motions and proposals online from legislators.
i. The new online system was inaugurated by Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Speaker Kailash Meghwal by sending a call for an attention motion to the state government with a click of mouse.
ii. Besides saving time, labour and use of paper in the functioning of the assembly, the online system will also help legislators in bringing attention to urgent public issues.
iii. The new online system will facilitate smooth exchange of information and reports among respective departments.
iv. National Informatics Centre has set up a help desk at the secretariat to provide assistance to state government staff in getting used to the new system.
Quick Facts about Rajasthan:
♦ Capital – Jaipur
♦ Current Chief Minister – Vasundhra Raje
♦ Current Governor – Kalyan Singh
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Egypt extends state of emergency for three months
On October 12, 2017, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi extended the countrywide state of emergency for an additional three months.
i. State of Emergency was first imposed in Egypt in April 2017 after bomb blasts in two churches which killed 45 people.
ii. Emergency imposed in April 2017 was then extended in July 2017 for another three months.
iii. State of emergency will authorise Egyptian armed forces and police to carry out stringent security measures such as referral of terrorism suspects to state security courts, imposition of curfews and strict control over newspapers.
iv. There have been several terrorists attacks in Egypt since past four years especially in the northern part of Sinai peninsula.
Quick Facts about Egypt:
♦ Capital – Cairo
♦ Currency – Egyptian pound
♦ Current President – Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi
World’s first ‘negative emissions’ power plant in Iceland
On October 11, 2017, world’s first ‘negative emissions’ power plant started operating in Iceland.
More Details about world’s first ‘negative emissions’ power plant:
i. The term negative emission in this context indicates that the power plant eliminates more carbon dioxide (CO2) than it produces.
ii. This feat has been accomplished by a climate-startup named Climeworks by refitting a geothermal plant in Iceland.
iii. In this power plant, Climeworks’ patented air filter captures the carbon dioxide (CO2) from ambient air. Thereafter the low-grade heat from geothermal power plant heats up the filter which results in the extraction of pure CO2.
iv. Extracted CO2 is then bound to water and is sent 700 meters deep into the ground, where it reacts with basaltic bedrock and forms a permanent solid mineral.
v. The CO2 which has thus been embedded in the rock stays there for at least one million years.
Pakistan gets its first Metro Train
i. The first metro train to Pakistan has arrived from China as a gift to the country and rolled into Lahore and it is set to be launched in December 2017.
ii.This metro train service is Called as “The Orange Line Metro Train service”, and this is the Pakistan’s first mass transit system. It’s fully automated and driverless system.
iii. The metro train comes with 20 years installment plan with grace period of seven years. Pakistan need not pay anything for this grace period, seven years. This all happened due to the growing cooperation with China under CPEC, the controversial project of China’s Belt and Road initiative.
iv. Each train’s capacity is to carry 1,000 passengers. Together all, the Orange Line trains would facilitate the transport for up to 250,000 passengers daily which will be raised upto 500,000 in coming years.
v. One of the best features in the train is its energy-saving Air-Conditioning system and the facility to handle the unstable voltage in Lahore.
CPEC
♦ Abbreviation- China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
♦ CPEC will be a strategic game changer in the region, which would go a long way in making Pakistan a richer and stronger entity than ever before.
BANKING & FINANCE
Union Bank launches Union Sahyog app
On 13th October 2017, Union Bank of India launched an Android app named, ‘Union Sahyog’, as a part of its efforts to digitise customer-facing banking services.
Union Sahyog app:
i. The Union Sahyog app was launched by RajKiran Rai G, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Union Bank of India. This App is bilingual, offered in both English and Hindi.
ii. The Union Sahyog App consists of: all mobile-based banking applications, missed call/SMS-based services, Internet banking login and self-user creation, deposit and loan product information, online account opening, online loan application, online complaints, RTI (Right To Information), branch locator, EMI calculator, social media links and digital banking information.
iii. Union Sahyog is currently available for download on the Google Play Store. An iOS version is in development process.
About Union Bank of India:
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai
♦ Managing Director & CEO – Rajkiran Rai G
Yes Bank partners with Abu Dhabi Global Markets for collaboration on fintech
On 11th October 2017, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, and Yes Bank have signed a MoU, to further encourage cross-border exchange between the fintech ecosystems of the United Arab Emirates and India.
Yes Bank partners with Abhu Dhabi Global Markets:
i. The collaboration will enable fintech innovators from the Middle East region and India to apply into Yes FinTech programmes and the ADGM’s Regulatory Laboratory, and will get the opportunity to expand into each other’s markets.
ii. Yes Bank is India’s fifth largest private sector bank. It has an in-house fintech accelerator named Yes FinTech.
iii. Yes FinTech is a platform for Yes Bank and fintech startups to co-create innovative solutions and participate in taking the solution to the bank’s customers.
About Yes Bank:
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai
♦ MD & CEO – Rana Kapoor
♦ Tagline – Experience Our Expertise
Vanuatu becomes first nation to accept Bitcoin in Exchange for citizenship
South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has become the first country in the world to accept Bitcoin in exchange for citizenship.
i. Currently, the citizenship programme of Vanuatu costs USD 200000. With Bitcoin price hovering around USD 6000, Vanuatu citizenship can be availed at a price of nearly 35 Bitcoins.
ii. However, in addition to the payment in Bitcoin, the grant of citizenship will be subject to routine due diligence and probity checks.
iii. Christian Nesheim, an investment migration specialist stated that this decision will give Bitcoin investors an opportunity to convert their cryptocurrency into tangible asset and the Vanuatu Government will gain a competitive edge in the citizenship market.
iv.The investment immigration/citizenship industry is estimated to be worth more than $2 billion USD annually.
Quick Facts about Vanuatu:
♦ Capital – Port Vila
♦ Currency – Vanuatu vatu
♦ Current Prime Minister – Charlot Salwai
BUSINESS
Airports need $45 billion investment to improve capacity by 2030
India must invest around $45 billion to generate an additional capacity of handling 500- 600 million passengers at its airports by 2030
i. By the next five years the passenger capacity is possible to increase as per a study by an aviation think-tank.
ii. As per the estimation of Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) the country’s top 17 airports current capacity is 298-316.5 million passengers per annum approximately.
iii. It might be possible to increase 431-463 million when the existing airport sites are completely built. Its need to be allocate 1,50,000 to 2,00,000 acres of land for 55 new airports by 2030.
vi. The ten airports namely Pune, Jaipur, Srinagar, Lucknow, Dehradun, Agartala, Guwahati, Kozhikode, Mangalore, and Trichy are managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), are already operating “beyond their design capacity”.
Indian Accent features in Asia’s top 10 restaurants
On 13th October 2017, Indian Accent restaurant in New Delhi featured among the top 10 best restaurants in Asia Travellers’ Choice in TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards 2017.
Indian Accent in Asia’s top 10 restaurants:
i. Indian Accent has secured the second position among the top 10 restaurants in Asia in TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards 2017. Indian Accent is known for introducing innovative cuisine by involving Indian flavours with global ingredients and techniques.
ii. This year’s awards recognise nearly 400 fine dining restaurants, including the top 25 in the world. It also had a dedicated lists for Asia, Europe, India, Canada, Mexico, Australia, South America, South Pacific, the UK and the US.
iii. Award winners were determined by the quantity and quality of reviews for restaurants around the world, gathered over a 12-month period. Globally, The Black Swan at Oldstead, UK was ranked number 1.
About TripAdvisor:
♦ Headquarters – Needham, Massachusetts, U.S.
♦ CEO & Co-founder – Stephen Kaufer
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Singer T M Krishna wins Indira Gandhi National Integration
Singer T M Krishna has won 30th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for the year 2015 and 2016.
i. T M Krishna has been awarded for promoting and preserving national integration in the country.
ii. He will be conferred the award on October 31, 2017 (Indira Gandhi’s Death Anniversary) by Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
iii. Krishna is a pre-eminent vocalist in the Carnatic tradition of Indian classical music and has been an activist who has worked to break down caste-barriers in the society.
iv. He is also a columnist who has written and talked on a wide range of socio-political issues.
About Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration:
♦ Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration was instituted in year 1985 by Congress party.
♦ The award is conferred for promoting national integration and strengthening nation’s sense of solidarity.
♦ It carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh.
12-year-old girl from city bags sub-title at ‘Little Miss World’ pageant
12-year old Indian girl Poorvi G B has been awarded the ‘best performer’ subtitle at the ‘Little Miss World 2017’ pageant held in Greece.
i. With this award, Poorvi G B has become the first Indian kid to win the title in the international beauty pageant and talent competition.
ii. At the event, Poorvi G B gave a Kathak dance performance and also showcased the rich culture of Karnataka in the national costume round by dressing up as a Hoyasala sculpture.
iii. Over 65 participants from 30 countries took part in the ‘Little Miss World 2017’ event, wherein the contestants were judged on various aspects including confidence, intelligence, physical features and involvement for social causes.
iv. Several rounds of competition were held to judge the above mentioned qualities of contestants.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS
Government appoints MK Gupta, DK Gayen as new Railway Board members
On 11th October 2017, the Government of India appointed MK Gupta and DK Gayen as new members in the Railway Board.
New Railway Board members:
i. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Mahesh Kumar Gupta and DK Gayen.
ii. D.K.Gayen is presently the General Manager of East Central Railway. He has been appointed as new Member (Staff) in the Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India.
iii. M.K.Gupta is presently the General Manager of Modern Coach Factory Raibareli. He has been appointed as new Member (Engineering) in the Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India.
About Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC):
Purpose – decides appointments to various top posts under the Government of India
Chairman – Mr.Narendra Modi
Two more Top Executives resign from Infosys
A top executive at Infosys Ltd’s products,Abdul Razack, senior vice-president, and Pervinder Johar, CEO of Edge Verve, the wholly owned products and platforms subsidiary, have resigned from Infosys. This is the fourth senior-level exit in last 40 days.
i. Abdul Razack was among the executives who had quit SAP to join Infosys.
ii. Sources from TOI says that Razack put has put his papers of resignation, a month ago.
iii. Johar has resigned less than eight months of joining the company . He came to EdgeVerve from Steelwedge Software, where he served as the president and CEO.
iv. The leadership at Edge Verve has been facing an uphill task in monetizing its business. It contributes just 5.5% to Infosys’ revenues.
Infosys
♦ India’s second-largest software services exporter.
♦ Founded – 7th july 1981
♦ CEO- U.B.Pravin Rao
♦ Headquarters- Bangalore
SPORTS
Shakib Al Hasan becomes first Bangladeshi to be inducted in MCC World Cricket Committee
On 13th October 2017, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan became the first cricketer from Bangladesh to be inducted in the MCC World Cricket Committee.
First Bangladeshi cricketer in MCC World Cricket Committee:
i. Shakib Al Hasan is regarded as one of Bangladesh’s finest players. He has played 51 Test matches and 177 one-day internationals.
ii. He is 30 years old. He also has vast global experience of domestic cricket, particularly in the T20 format. The committee has also included Suzie Bates, Ian Bishop and Kumar Dharmasena.
iii. Also, former England and Middlesex captain, Mike Gatting has become the new chairman of the MCC World Cricket Committee. He succeeds Mike Brearley, former England captain, as the chairman.
About MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) Committee:
♦ President – Lord MacLaurin
♦ Consists of following committees – Arts & Library, Cricket, Estates, Finance, Membership & General Purposes, World Cricket
Maria Sharapova wins Tianjin Open
On October 15, 2017, Maria Sharapova of Russia beat Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus by 7-5 7-6 (10-8) in the final match of Tianjin Open tennis tournament.
i. The match against Aryna Sabalenka was hotly contested. Sharapova broke Sabalenka’s serve six times, and the extra break in the first set proved to be decisive.
ii. This was Sharpova’s first title victory since May 2015 and seventh event since she returned in April 2017 from a 15-month drug ban.
iii. For Grand Slam tournaments of 2017, Sharapova was denied a wildcard for the French Open, missed Wimbledon through injury and lost in fourth round to Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova in the US Open.
Federer beats Nadal to win Shanghai Masters
On October 15, 2017, Roger Federer of Switzerland beat Rafael Nadal of Spain by 6-4 6-3 to win the final match of Shanghai Masters tennis tournament.
i. This is Roger Federer’s 94th career title and has equalled Ivan Lendl’s record in terms of Open era titles. Top spot is held by American player Jimmy Connors with 109 career titles.
ii. Earlier, Federer had defeated Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the semi final.
iii. It is to be noted that Rafael Nadal recently won China Open and US Open and currently hold No.1 rank in men’s tennis.
iv. This victory is Federer’s fourth win of the year against Nadal.
v. Shanghai Masters, also known as Shanghai Rolex Masters is played on outdoor hard courts. It is held annually in early October Shanghai, China.
Indian paddler Selena Selvakumar wins gold in Egypt
India’s young paddler Selena Selvakumar,17 won gold medal in the Junior Girls Team event to annex the 2017 Egypt Junior and Cadet Table-Tennis Open.
i. She is from Chennai city. She beat Sarah Abousetta 3-1 in the opening encounter and Marwa Alhodaby 3-1 in the fourth match to set up the victory.
OBITUARY
Historian Satish Chandra passes away at 95
On 13th October 2017, Veteran historian of medieval India and noted educational administrator, Satish Chandra passed away, in New Delhi.
Death of Satish Chandra:
i. Satish Chandra was 95 years old. His body was cremated at the Lodhi Road crematorium, New Delhi.
ii. Professor Satish Chandra was the author of the NCERT’s Medieval India textbook that was in circulation in the 1970s till the early 2000s. It was considered as the most comprehensive textbook of that period. It was a two volume book loaded with information.
iii. His Medieval India book was a highly appreciated reference book on history. His specialty was his comprehensive writing.
iv. He was Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) from 1976 to 1981, and Vice-Chairman of UGC from 1973 to 1976.
About Satish Chandra:
♦ Born on – 20 November 1922
♦ Known for – writing books about medieval Indian history
BOOKS & AUTHORS
The Coalition Years 1996-2012: Pranab Mukherjee’s political autobiography
On October 14, 2017, former president Pranab Mukherjee released ‘The Coalition Years: 1996-2012’, the third part of his memoir in New Delhi.
i. While releasing the memoir, Pranab Mukherjee stated that he is a party activist and has tried to not bring his personal, family life into the narrative.
ii. The event was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.
iii. In this latest part of his memoir, Pranab Mukherjee has revealed that he was under the impression that Congress may project Manmohan Singh as its presidential candidate, leaving him to be the party’s prime ministerial nominee for the 2014 general election.
iv .First part of Pranab Mukherjee’s memoir is ‘The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years’. The title of the second part is ‘The Turbulent Years: 1980-1996’.
IMPORTANT DAYS
International Day of Rural Women – October 15, 2017
On 15th October 2017, International Day of Rural Women is celebrated all over the world.
International Day of Rural Women:
i. The theme for 2017 International Day of Rural Women is “Challenges and opportunities in climate-resilient agriculture for gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls”.
ii. The 1st International Day of Rural Women was observed on 15th October 2008. This day was established by the UN General Assembly in its resolution on 18th December 2007.
iii. This day recognizes the critical role and contribution of rural women in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty.
iv.To mark the International Day of Rural Women, Indian government celebrated the first ever ‘Mahila Kisan Divas’. It was organised by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. It highlighted the silent and invisible contribution of women farmers.
Similar International Days:
♦ March 8 – International Women’s Day
♦ October 11 – International Day of the Girl Child
World Students Day – October 15, 2017
On 15th October 2017, World Students Day was celebrated all over the world.
World Students Day:
i. The United Nations declared former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam’s birthday (October 15) as ‘World Student’s Day’ in 2010.
ii. APJ Abdul Kalam was an aerospace scientist. He has made India proud with his missile defence programme.
iii. His favourite job was teaching. His sudden death on 27th July, 2015 was a shock. But Kalam died while teaching, which he loved the most.
iv. He was delivering a lecture to the students of IIM Shillong, when he fell down the stage, suffering a stroke and passed away. His birth anniversary is marked as World Students Day.
v. Also, Switzerland declared May 26 as ‘Science Day’ after Abdul Kalam visited Switzerland, as a mark of respect and honour of his visit.
About APJ Abdul Kalam:
♦ Profession – Professor, Author, Aerospace scientist
♦ Awards – Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan
