Current Affairs October 5 2018

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 INDIAN AFFAIRS

Policy on Biometric based Digital processing of passengers at airport released by Civil aviation Ministry
On October 5, 2018, he Union Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, Shri Suresh Prabhu released “Digi Yatra”, a policy on biometric based digital processing of passengers at airports.

i. DigiYatra Central Platform will be operational by end of February, 2019.
ii. Bangalore & Hyderabad International Airports are the first 2 to implement it by the end of February 2019.
iii. Airport Authority of India (AAI) will roll out the programme initially at Kolkata, Varanasi, Pune & Vijayawada by April, 2019.
About Digi Yatra:
i. DigiYatra will have a centralised registration system for passengers.
ii. Passengers will get an ID by sharing minimum details like Name, e-mail ID, Mobile number and details of one approved Identity proof where Aadhar ID is not mandatory.
iii. Facial biometric will be captured and stored in the Digi Yatra ID profile of the passenger.
Ministry of Civil Aviation:
♦  Union Minister: Shri Suresh Prabhu .
♦  Minister of State: Shri Jayant Sinha.
♦  Secretary: Shri Rajiv Nayan Choubey .

Alphonso Mango from Konkan, Maharashtra got GI tagged
On October 5, 2018, Alphonso from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar, Thane and Raigad districts of Maharashtra, got registered as Geographical Indication (GI).
i. The king of mangoes, Alphonso, better known as ‘Hapus’ in Maharashtra.
ii. It is one of the world’s most popular fruit and is exported to various countries including Japan, Korea and Europe.
iii. Other similar GI tagged products include: Darjeeling Tea, Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi Sarees and Tirupati Laddus.
About GI :
i.  A Geographical Indication or a GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
ii. The first GI tagged product of India was the Darjeeling tea in 2004.
iii. Presently, there are a total of 325 products from India that carry this indication.
Maharashtra:
♦  Capital: Mumbai.
♦  Chief Minister: Devendra Fadnavis.
♦  Governor:  C. Vidyasagar Rao.
♦  National Parks: Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve, Chandoli National Park, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Navegaon National Park.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s 3-day visit to Kazakhstan
On October 5, 2018, Defence Minister Nirmala  Sitharaman completed her 3-day visit to Astana, Kazakhstan.
She visited Kazakhstan at the invitation of Minister of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Nurlan Yermekbayev.

Highlights:
i. She held bilateral talks with her Kazakh counterpart and Minister of Defence and Aerospace Industry Mr. Beibut Atamkulov.
ii. She inspected a Tri-Services Guard of Honour at the Ministry of Defence.
iii. She visited the National Defence University to witness the Indian Military Art Room (IMAR) made with Indian assistance.
iv. She invited the Minister of Defence, Mr. Nurlan Yermekbayev and Minister of Defence and Aerospace Industry, Mr Beibut Atamkulov to visit India and to attend Aero India 2019 to be held in Bengaluru in February 2019.
MOUs and bilateral talks:
i. Defence Minister Nirmala  Sitharaman signed agreement on defence cooperation Including  military-technical cooperation, military education and training, joint military exercises, bilateral exchange of visits and cadet youth exchange programs.
ii. Kazakhstan contingent will join the Indian contingent at United Nations International Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon.
iii. She also discussed regional developments with the Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Mr. Kairat Abdrakhmanov.
Other News:
i. India and Kazakhstan jointly completed a company level joint military exercise ‘KAZIND-2018’ in South Kazakhstan in September 2018.
ii. The two countries had renewed the Memorandum of Cooperation on defence in January 2017. Both countries are ‘strategic partners’ since 2009.
Kazakhstan:
♦  Capital: Astana.
♦  Currency: Kazakhstani tenge.

Apple world’s top brand, Facebook slips to 9th spot: Report
On October 5, 2018, according to a report called – “Best 100 Global Brands 2018” by global brand consultancy Interbrand, Apple topped the chart as the best brand of 2018.

i. Apple is valued at $1 trillion  and is followed by Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Coca Cola.
ii. Samsung ranked 6^th and Facebook was ranked 9^th.
iii. Spotify and Subaru made it to the global top 100 brand list for the first time.
iv. Tesla couldn’t get a spot despite being there in top 100 in the previous list of 2017.
Interbrand:
♦ Headquarters: USA.
♦ Global CEO: Charles Trevail.

BANKING & FINANCE

Fourth Bi-monthly Monetary Policy announced; RBI keeps policy rates unchanged
On October 5, 2018, Reserve Bank of India, the central bank of India, released its 4^th bi-monthly monetary policy.
The next meeting of the MPC is scheduled from December 3 to 5, 2018.
Key Points:
i.The Repo rate has been kept unchanged at 6.5%.
ii.The Reverse Repo rate is 6.25% , Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) and Bank rate is 6.75% also remaining unchanged.
iii.CRR remains at 4% and SLR at 19.5%…………………………Click here to Read more
Overview of the policy rates and reserve ratios:

India and ADB signed $110 Million Loan to Improve Rural Connectivity in Madhya Pradesh
On  October 5, 2018, Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $110 million loan for development projects in Madhya Pradesh.
i. It aims to upgrade 2,800 kilometers all-weather rural roads in the State of Madhya Pradesh under the Prime Minister’s Rural Roads Program (PMGSY).
ii. It is the 2^nd tranche loan and is a part of the $500 million Second Rural Connectivity investment Program for India. It was approved in 2017.
Background:
i. Under the Second Rural Connectivity investment Program for India, improvements of 12,000 kilometers rural roads across the states of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal will take place.
ii. Tranche 1 loan of $250 million is currently under implementation in the 5 project states, upgrading over 6,000 km of rural roads.
ADB:
♦  Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
♦  President: Takehiko Nakao.
♦  Established in 1966.
♦  Members: 67 (48 regional members).
Madhya Pradesh:
♦  Capital: Bhopal.
♦  Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
♦  Governor: Anandiben Patel.
National Parks in Madhya Pradesh:
♦  Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhav National Park, Panna National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park.

CRISIL Upgrades AU Bank’s Long Term Debt Instruments Rating to AA- With Stable Outlook
On October 5, 2018, CRISIL upgraded AU Small Finance Bank’s Long Term Debt Instruments Rating to CRISIL AA– with Stable Outlook from previousCRISIL A+.
i. Thus, AU Bank’s long-term instruments have got a rating of AA- from all four rating agencies including CARE Ratings, India Ratings and ICRA Ratings.
ii. The short term ratings on its deposits programme were reaffirmed at CRISIL A1+.
iii. It was due to the recent capital infusion by Temasek Holdings that has supported the bank’s scale of operations and the sustainable above average asset quality over the past few years.
Background:
AA- rating means high degree of safety regarding timely servicing of financial obligations.
About AU Small Finance Bank:
♦  It is a Fortune India 500 Company.
♦  It became a bank in April 2017.
♦  Headquarters: Jaipur.
♦  MD & CEO: Mr. Sanjay Agarwal.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

IRDAI gave final approval to Reliance Health Insurance to start operations
On October 5, 2018, IRDAI approved Reliance Health Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Capital, to begin operations.
i. It will commence operations by December 2018.
ii. Ravi Viswanath has been designated as the CEO of the firm.
Background:
Health insurance in India has been amongst the fastest-growing insurance sectors, rising at 20 per cent annually and is expected to double to over Rs 1,00,000 crore by 2021.

PayPal launched merchant App for business in India; targeting SMEs
On October 5, 2018, PayPal announced launch of its first merchant-focused App in India called PayPal for Business.
i. This will help small/medium merchants and freelancers conduct their domestic and cross border business.
ii. It will allow merchants to track sales insights, invoicing, multi -currency balance and will also allow them to issue instant refunds.
iii. PayPal aims to tackle the entire backend of small businesses through technology.
Paypal:
♦ Headquarters: California, USA.
♦  President and CEO: Dan Schulman.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Winners of 2018 Nobel Peace Prize: Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad
On October 5, 2018, Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Yazidi campaigner Nadia Murad won the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize.

i. Dr Mukwege, a 63 year-old gynaecologist has been associated with treatment of various sexual assault victims in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
ii. In 2008, he also won the UN Human Rights prize.
iii. Ms Murad, 25, became a victim of war crimes herself and became the first UN goodwill ambassador for survivors of human trafficking.

Swachh Survekshan Grameen Awards 2018
Swachh Survekshan Grameen Awards 2018 (SSG 2018) were awarded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Uma Bharti, in New Delhi.
Key Points:
i. Awards were presented to top ranked states, districts and states & districts with maximum citizen participation based on the National Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018 commissioned by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
ii. An independent survey agency developed ranking of all districts in India based on quantitative and qualitative sanitation (Swachhata) parameters.
iii. 6786 villages in 685 Districts were covered and 182,531 citizens were interviewed for the survey.
iv. Top ranked States and Districts which received awards:
Overall Ranking:
Top 3 States:
1) Haryana,
2) Gujarat
3) Maharashtra
Top 3 Districts:
1) Satara, Maharashtra
2) Rewari, Haryana
3) Pedapalli, Telangana
States with maximum citizen participation:
1) Uttar Pradesh
2) Gujarat
3) Maharashtra
Districts with maximum citizens’ participation:
1) Nashik, Maharashtra
2) Solapur, Maharashtra
3) Chittorgarh, Rajasthan

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Sanjay Verma appointed India’s Ambassador to Spain
On 5^th October 2018, Sanjay Verma was appointed as India’s Ambassador to Spain. 

Key Points:
i. Sanjay Verma is a 1990 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer. He is currently the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs.
ii. He has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to Spain. He will take up this assignment soon.
About Spain:
♦  Capital – Madrid
♦  Currency – Euro
♦  Official language – Spanish
♦  Prime Minister – Pedro Sánchez

Vikram Limaye appointed Chairman of Working Committee and Director on the Board of WFE
On 3^rd October 2018, Vikram Limaye was appointed as Chairman of the Working Committee (WoCo) and Director on the Board of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE).

Key Points:
i. Vikram Limaye is the Managing Director and CEO of National Stock Exchange of India (NSE). His appointment was made at the 58th General Assembly and Annual Meeting of WEF in Athens, Greece.
ii. WFE also admitted 6 new members. They are: Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), London Stock Exchange Group, Boursa Kuwait, Tunis Stock Exchange, China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation and Nairobi Securities Exchange.
iii. WFE represents more than 200 market infrastructure providers, including standalone CCPs (Central Counterparties) that are included in exchange groups.
About World Federation of Exchanges (WFE):
♦  Type – global industry association for exchanges and clearing houses
♦  Established – 1961
♦  CEO – Nandini Sukumar
♦  Headquarters – London

IL&FS appoints Vineet Nayyar as Vice-chairman and Managing Director
On 4^th October 2018, Vineet Nayyar has been appointed as the Vice-chairman and Managing Director (MD) of the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS).
Key Points:
i. Nand Kishore was appointed as the chairman of the audit committee and GC Chaturvedi as the chairperson of the Remuneration Committee.
ii. The appointments were made by the new board of IL&FS that was formed on 1st October 2018, following allegations on the IL&FS group regarding defaults in loan payment and corporate governance issues.
iii. The control of IL&FS was given to the six-member board headed by Uday Kotak as non-executive chairman of IL&FS
About Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS):
♦  Type – infrastructure development and finance company
♦  Headquarters – Mumbai

Government’s Naga talks interlocutor R N Ravi appointed Deputy National Security Advisor (internal affairs)
On 4^th October 2018, government redesignated RN Ravi as Deputy National Security Advisor (internal affairs) from his post as the chief of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC).
Key Points:
i. R N Ravi will also continue to be the central government’s interlocutor for Nagaland.
ii. He is a 1976-batch Indian Police Service officer (retired) of the Kerala cadre. In August 2018, he was given an extension as the government’s representative for the talks with National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM).
iii. In 2012, he retired as the Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau. In September 2014, he was appointed as the chairman of the JIC which functions under the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).
Some wildlife sanctuaries in Nagaland:
♦  Puliebadze Wildlife Sanctuary
♦  Rangapahar Wildlife Sanctuary

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Development trials of Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVR-AAM) Completed Successfully
Flight trials of Astra Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVR-AAM) were conducted successfully by the Indian Air Force (IAF) between September 26 and October 3, 2018, at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Balasore, Odisha.
Key Points:
i. The trials included complex tests for engagement of pilotless target in various modes of manoeuvring, off-boresight, medium and long ranges.
ii. Astra has been tested 6 times under various launch conditions and ranges as part of the final development trial.
iii. It had active participation from IAF. Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed the missile and integrated the weapon on Su-30 and other air platforms.
v. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Nasik, played a major role in modifying Su-30 aircrafts for Astra weapon integration and support during trials.
vi. Over 50 private and public sector industries are involved in the development of sub-systems of the missile. The missile would be inducted into IAF in 2019.
About Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL):
♦  Chairman and Managing Director – R Madhavan
♦  Headquarters – Bengaluru

SPORTS

Nick Compton, former England batsman, retires from cricket
On October 5, 2018, 35-year-old Former England batsman Compton announced his retirement from cricket.

i. He made his first-class debut for Middlesex in 2004.
ii. He was a part of the series win in 2012 against India which made England win for the first time in 28 years.
iii. He has played 16 Tests for England, scoring two hundred.
iv. He is the grandson of cricket player Denis Compton.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Animal Day 2018 – October 4
On 4^th October 2018, World Animal Day was celebrated throughout the world.
World Animal Day:
i. When: World Animal Day is observed every year on October 4, which is the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.
ii. In 1925, Heinrich Zimmermann organized the first World Animal Day. In 1931, World Animal Day (October 4) was declared as a universal observation, at a congress of the International Animal Protection Congress in Florence, Italy.
ii. Why: This day focuses on animal rights and welfare. It aims to raise the status of animals, improve welfare standards and protect endangered species and natural habitat.

25^th International teachers day commences on October 5
October 5 is celebrated as International Teachers Day or World Teacher’s Day.

i. This year’s theme is: “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher ”
ii. 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
iii. To reach the 2030 Education Goals of universal primary and secondary education, the world needs to recruit almost 69 million new teachers.
iv. It was established in 1994 and commemorates the signing of 1966 UNESCO/ILO recommendation concerning status of teachers.
v. It is co-convened in partnership with UNICEF, UNDP, the International Labour Organization, and Education International.