Current Affairs Today October 22 2017

We are here for you to provide the important current affairs October 22 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

Kandla Port gets green nod to develop Rs 1,176 crore smart city
Government-owned Kandla Port Trust has received environment clearance for setting up a smart industrial port city in Kutch, Gujarat 
About Smart Port Cities to be developed by Kandla Port Trust:
i. As per the proposal, smart industrial port cities will be set up at two separate sites in Gandhidham city, (in Kutch district of Gujarat).
ii. These industrial port cities would house about 35,700 residential flats, schools and parks, and would generate jobs for more than 60,000 people.
iii. Cost for setting up these industrial port cities is estimated at Rs. 1176 crore.
iv. One smart port city will be set up on 580 acres of land whereas the other will be spread across an area of  850 acres.
v. It is to be noted that Kandla Port Trust has been recently renamed as Deendayal Port by the Union Ministry of Shipping.

PM launches development initiatives in Vadodara
On October 22, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a visit to Vadodara, Gujarat. During the course of this visit, he launched following development initiatives:i. PM dedicated to the nation, the Vadodara City Command Control Centre; New Head Office Building of the Bank of Baroda and Waghodiya Regional Water Supply Scheme.
ii. He laid the foundation stones of an integrated transport hub, regional water supply schemes, housing projects, and a flyover. 
iii. He also laid foundation stone for the capacity expansion of the Mundra-Delhi petroleum product pipeline, and a greenfield marketing terminal project of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), at Vadodara. 
iv. Beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban, as well as Rural) were handed over the keys to the houses by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Hirasar Greenfield Airport Project in Gujarat gets Green Clearance
Union Environment Ministry has given green clearance for a greenfield airport project at Hirasar, located about 28 km from Rajkot in Gujarat.
About Hirasar Greenfield Airport Project:
i. Gujarat State Government had proposed to build the Hirasar Greenfield Airport, as the existing airport in Rajkot is small and the earlier plan to extend the current runway could not be carried out as it involved high land cost.
ii. Hirasar Greenfield Airport Project will be developed by Gujarat State Aviation Infrastructure Company Ltd (GSAICL).
iii. Estimated project cost is over Rs 1400 crore
iv. The airport will be built on an area of 1025.54 hectare. 96.48 per cent of the land for this project is government land.
v. On completion, this airport will not only boost trade and tourism but will also generate around 1000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

Modi inaugurates ferry services between Ghogha and Dahej in Gujarat
On 22^nd October 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of the ‘roll-on-roll-off’ (ro-ro) ferry service between Ghogha in Saurashtra and Dahej in south Gujarat.
Ro-ro ferry service in Gujarat:
i. Chief Minister Mr.Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Mr.Nitin Patel were also present during the launch. Mr.Modi said that, this is the first of its kind project not only in India but also in South-East Asia.
ii. Gujarat Maritime Board has executed the ro-ro project. This project has been carried out with funds of Rs.615 crore.
iii. This ferry service reduces the distance between the two towns from 310 km by road to 30 km, which can be covered in one hour.
iv. The first phase of the service is meant for passengers. In the second phase, cars can also be carried between the two towns. The second phase will be ready in two months.
About Gujarat Maritime Board:
♦ CEO & Vice Chairman – Ajay Bhadoo
♦ Chairman – Dr.J.N.Singh

Hyderabad to host CFSI’s International Children’s Film Festival
The 20^th International Children’s Film Festival (ICFFI) is to be held in Hyderabad between 8 and 14 November 2017.International Children’s Film Festival (ICFFI):
i. The International Children’s Film Festival (ICFFI) festival is also called ‘The Golden Elephant’. It is being organised by Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI).
ii. It will be hosted by the Telangana government jointly with CFSI and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
iii. The theme for this year’s festival is ‘New India’. This festival would screen features, shorts, live action and animation films.
iv. Workshops and open forums on various aspects related to filmmaking and storytelling would be organised in the festival. Also Q&A session, would be conducted to help children to grasp various aspects of film-making and related fields.
About Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI):
♦ Purpose – Children entertainment, production and distribution
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai
♦ CEO – Dr.Shravan Kumar

Odisha government approves Bijepur lift irrigation project
On 23^rd October 2017, Odisha government approved the Bijepur lift irrigation project and construction of sewerage system for Bhubaneswar.
Bijepur lift irrigation project:
i. The Bijepur lift irrigation project was approved in the cabinet meeting chaired by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The Bijepur lift irrigation project is named after renowned poet Gangadhar Meher.
ii. The project is estimated for Rs.1246 crore. It will be completed by March 2018.
iii .Water will be drawn from Hirakud dam through Baragarh main canal into Barihapalli secondary storage structure. From secondary structure, water will be delivered to the command area.
iv. The cabinet also approved a sewerage project for Bhubaneswar’s sewerage district-II. The project would cost Rs.173 crore. The project would be completed in July 2020.
Highlights of Odisha:
♦ 9^th largest state of India by area
♦ 11^th largest state of India by population
♦ 3^rd most populous state of India in terms of tribal population

Indian tourism industry holds potential to grow by 2.5%: Study by ASSOCHAM and Yes Bank
The Indian travel and tourism industry is expected to grow by 2.5 %, according to a study by the ASSOCHAM and Yes Bank.
Indian tourism to grow by 2.5%:
i. A study conducted by ASSOCHAM and Yes Bank has predicted the growth for Indian tourism industry as 2.5 %.It has also proposed developmental suggestions for the tourism industry.
ii. The travel and tourism industry has supported over 25,400,000 jobs in 2016, which is 5.8 % of the total employment. This has tremendous potential to rise by 2.5 % if the budget is increased from the current 0.9 % to at least 0.15 % in 2018-19.
iii. The total contribution of travel and tourism to the Indian GDP was 9.6 % of total GDP in 2016. It is forecast to rise by 6.7 % in 2017.
About ASSOCHAM:
♦ Full form – Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
♦ President – Sandeep Jajodia

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Sushma Swaraj’s two days visit to Bangladesh
Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was on an official visit to Bangladesh on 22^nd and 23^rd October 2017.This visit of Ms. Swaraj was on invitation by Bangladeshi counterpart, AH Mahmood Ali.i. Ms. Sushma Swaraj co-chaired the fourth Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali in Dhaka
ii. On October 23, 2017, Ms. Sushma Swaraj opened the new chancery complex of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Swaraj had lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the opening of this complex……………..Click here to Read more

BUSINESS

Centre de-affiliates 400 ITIs for failing quality norms
400 out of the 13,000-odd industrial training institutes (ITIs) have been being de-affiliated by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
i. The 400 ITIs have been de-affiliated on basis of quality inspection which revealed that these institutes did not have requisite infrastructure and trainers for imparting vocational training to students.
ii. Mr. Rajesh Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship stated that in order to be affiliated as an ITI at the NCVT (National Council for Vocational Training) level, the institutes have to meet certain minimum conditions.
iii. ITIs play an instrumental role in administering Government’s vocational training programmes.
iv. Currently 36% of the 7 million people enrolled in various training programmes in India, are undergoing training at different ITIs across India.

Maruti becomes No.1 exporter of passenger vehicles from India, Hyundai 4^th
According to the latest data by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Maruti Suzuki India has emerged as the largest passenger cars exporter from India for the April –September 2017 period. i .As per the latest data by SIAM, Maruti exported 57300 units of passenger cars in the first half of the ongoing fiscal, which marks a 6% growth as compared to 54008 units exported in the same period of previous fiscal year.
ii. Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) lost its position of No. 1 exporter of passenger vehicles as it shipped only 44,585 units in April –September 2017 period.
iii. In terms of export of passenger cars from India, HMIL now ranks at 4^th position behind Volkswagen and General Motors. 
iv. During April –September 2017 period, Volkswagen exported 50410 units, whereas General Motors India exported 45222 units.
Quick Facts about Maruti Suzuki India:
♦ Founded in – 1981
♦ Headquarters – New Delhi
♦ Current Chairman – R C Bhargava

‘US in UP’: Big American firms meet Yogi Adityanath
On October 23, 2017, 26 major American companies headed by Aircraft Manufacturer Boeing interacted with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adtiyanath to explore investment opportunities in the state. This interaction has been given the tagline ‘US in UP’.
About ‘US in UP’:
i. The delegation comprising representative from 26 US firms visited Uttar Pradesh under the aegis of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).
ii. USISPF focuses on creating strong strategic partnership between the US and India and promotes bilateral trade.
iii. Rajive Kumar, UP Chief Secretary briefed the delegation on investment opportunities in the state chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, cement, gems, textiles and engineering sectors. The delegation also made a courtesy call on UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who explained the investment incentives offered by the state since he assumed power.
iv. ’US in UP’ tagline has been inspired from ‘Vibrant Gujarat’, a similar event which is held to attract investments in Gujarat State.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

HSBC appoints Jayant Rikhye as India CEO
On 22^nd October 2017, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) appointed Jayant Rikhye as the Chief Executive Officer for India operations.Jayant Rikhye – HSBC India CEO:
i. Jayant Rikhye will take charge as CEO on 1^st December 2017. He will succeed Stuart Milne, who held the CEO position for five years.
ii. Jayant Rikhye joined the HSBC in 1989. He is currently the head of international markets, Asia Pacific.
iii. Rikhye has worked across various divisions in HSBC, including corporate banking in Taiwan, institutional fund services in Hong Kong and head of securities services for the Middle East and North Africa, based in the United Arab Emirates.
iv. Stuart Milne will take a three-month sabbatical leave from January 2018. His next role at HSBC would be announced soon.
About HSBC India:
♦ Headquarters – Mumbai
♦ Country head – Hitendra Dave

Former AC Milan football star Kakha Kaladze is the new mayor of Tbilisi
On 22^nd October 2017, Georgia announced that, former AC Milan football star Kakha Kaladze had been elected as the mayor of its capital Tbilisi.
Kakha Kaladze – mayor of Tbilisi:
i. Georgia’s election administration said that, Kakha Kaladze won 51% of the vote in municipal election of its capital Tbilisi. Hence, Kaladze has been made as the mayor of Tbilisi.
ii. Kakha Kaladze is 39 years old. He has played for AC Milan football team between 2001 and 2010. He has played for Dynamo Kiev and Dinamo Tbilisi teams and has also captained Georgia’s national team.
iii. He quit football in 2012. He became energy minister in October 2012. In July 2017, he resigned from his energy minister position to contest as mayor of Tbilisi.
About Georgia:
♦ Capital – Tbilisi
♦ Currency – Georgian lari
♦ President – Giorgi Margvelashvili
♦ Prime Minister – Giorgi Kvirikashvili

WHO withdraws Mugabe’s goodwill ambassador title
On October 22, 2017, World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that it has withdrawn the appointment of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as the goodwill ambassador for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa. i. On October 20, 2017, WHO bestowed the honour of goodwill ambassador on Mugabe in recognition of his government’s efforts in fighting NCDs.
ii. However after concerns were raised against this decision of WHO and consequential consultations with Zimbabwean Government, WHO revoked its decision.
iii. Robert Mugabe has been criticized for corruption and abuse of power. Since early 2000s, European Union and United States have imposed sanctions on Robert Mugabe and his allies for human rights abuses and for causing the erosion of democratic institutions.
iv. From time to time, Director-General of WHO appoints prominent public figures as Goodwill Ambassadors for a term of two years. During their term, the goodwill ambassadors, work closely with UN officials and leverage their popularity to raise awareness of global health issues.

SPORTS

Lewis Hamilton wins the United States Grand Prix
On 22^nd October 2017, Lewis Hamilton won the 2017 United States Grand Prix at Austin, Texas, United States.
Lewis Hamilton wins US Grand Prix:
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton started from 72^nd pole position. He finished in the 1^st position in the race. This is his ninth win in 2017 and fifth win in Texas and the 62^nd win of his career.
i. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel came 2^nd in the race. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen finished in the 3^rd position. The United States Grand Prix was the seventeenth round of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship.
ii. Mercedes has won the Formula One constructors’ title for the fourth year. Lewis Hamilton was presented with the winner’s trophy by former U.S. president Bill Clinton.
About 2017 United States Grand Prix:
♦ Date – 22 October 2017
♦ Location – Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, United States

Virat Kohli Top Run Scorer at 200 ODIs
On October 22, 2017, during the one day international (ODI) match between India and New Zealand at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai, Virat Kohli became the highest run-scorer after 200 ODIs.i. During his innings in this match against New Zealand, Virat’s total runs scored in ODIs reached 8888 mark and thereby overtook South Africa captain AB de Villiers, who has 8621 runs after 200 ODIs.
iii. In this match, Virat also accomplished another feat of becoming the second batsman (after AB de Villiers) to score a hundred in his 200th ODI. 
iii. 8888 runs scored by Virat include 31 centuries and 45 fifties.

Marc Marquez wins Australian MotoGP
Marc Márquez Alentà who was born on 17 February 1993 is a Spanish Grand Prixmotorcycle road racer and three-time MotoGP world champion.
i. Márquez races for Honda’s factory teamsince his MotoGP debut in 2013. Nicknamed the “Ant of Cervera” He is one of four riders to have won world championship titles in three different categories, after Mike Hailwood, Phil Readand Valentino Rossi.
ii. Marquez is a five-time World Champion (1 each in the 125cc and Moto2 classes, plus 3 in MotoGP), and was the youngest rider ever to be crowned king of the premier class.
iii. The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix is a motorcycling event that is part of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing
iv. From 1997 to the present day, it is run at the scenic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuitsouth of Melbourne, Victoria.
v. Prior to 1997 the event was held at a number of different venues, most notably Eastern Creekwest of Sydney New South Wales and Bathurstin central western New South Wales.
vi. In 2017, Marc secured the title with 3 rounds remaining and, at the same time, he won more races than anyone else in the season, scoring a total of 5 MotoGP victories.
vii. The Spanish Honda rider took the lead with six laps left before claiming his sixth win of the season to close in on the title with two races to go.
viii. Movistar Yamaha pair Valentino Rossi and Msverick Vinales finished second and third respectively.
ix. For the past five years in MotoGP, Marc Marquez has been the Phillip Island benchmark

India beat Malaysia to win its 3rd Hockey Asia Cup title
On 22^nd October 2017, India beat Malaysia by 2-1 in the finals and won the Asia Cup hockey championship for the third time, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.India wins Asia Cup hockey championship:
i. India has won the 2017 Men’s Hockey Asia Cup. India’s previous Hockey Asia Cup titles were won in 2003 at Kuala Lumpur and 2007 at Chennai.
ii. At the finals against Malaysia India scored goals through Ramandeep Singh (third minute) and Lalit Upadhyay (29th). Malaysia fought back and scored a goal in the 50th minute through Shahril Saabah.
iii. Malaysia has finished as the runner-up and won the silver. Pakistan has won the bronze, which finished in the 3^rd position, after defeating South Korea by 6-3.
About 2017 Men’s Hockey Asia Cup:
♦ Host country         – Bangladesh
♦ Teams – 8
♦ Date – 11 to 22 October 2017
♦ Venue – Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Indian boxers win 8 medals, including 4 Gold at Youth International Championships Balkan Open 2017 at Sofia, Bulgaria
On 18^th – 22^nd October 2017, India’s junior women boxers won eight medals, including four gold, in the third Youth International Championships Balkan Open 2017 at Sofia, Bulgaria.
Indian boxers win 8 medals at Balkan Open 2017:
i. The Indian junior women boxers have won 4 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals in the third Youth International Championships Balkan Open 2017. Also, the Indian youth team was honoured as the best team in the championship.
ii. India’s Nitu (48kg) defeated Emi-Mari Todorova of Bulgaria by 5-0. Nitu (48kg) won a gold medal. India’s Shashi (57kg) defeated Italy’s Giordana Sorrentino and won a gold medal.
iii. Sakshi (54kg) defeated Biancamaria Tessari of Italy and won a gold medal. Neha Yadav (+81 kg) beat Adrienne Juhasz of Hungary by 3-2 and won a gold medal.
iv. India’s Ankushita (64 kg) won a silver medal. The bronze medals were won by Joy Kumari (51kg), Sapna (75kg) and Anupama (+81kg).
About Youth International Championships Balkan Open 2017:
♦ Date – 18 – 22 October 2017
♦ Location – Sofia, Bulgaria
♦ Countries participated – 13

OBITUARY

Shankaracharya Madhavashram Maharaj passes away at 76
On 20^th October 2017, Badrikashram Jyotirpeeth Shankaracharya Swami Madhavashram ji Maharaj passed away in Chandigarh.
Death of Shankaracharya Madhavashram Maharaj:
i. Shankaracharya Madhavashram Maharaj passed away in Chandigarh. He was staying in Chandigarh after suffering a paralytic attack about two years ago. He was 76 years old.
ii. He was a Sanskrit scholar. His body was brought to Uttarakhand on 21^st October 2017 and was given a ceremonious burial (bhoo- samadhi) at an ashram in Rishikesh.
iii. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat also paid his last respects to the Shankaracharya.
About Shankaracharya Madhavashram Maharaj:
♦ Position – Spiritual leader
♦ Meaning of Shankaracharya – title given to heads of monasteries called mathas

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Stuttering Awareness Day – October 22
On 22^nd October 2017, International Stuttering Awareness Day was observed all over the world.International Stuttering Awareness Day:
i. The theme for International Stuttering Awareness Day 2017 is ‘A World That Understands Stuttering’.
ii. Since 1998, every year on October 22 International Stuttering Awareness Day is celebrated. This day is intended to raise public awareness of the millions of people (one percent of the world’s population), who have the speech disorder of stuttering, also known as stammering.
iii. The International Stuttering Association has been conducting online conference since 2013.This year’s online conference was conducted from 1^st October to 22^nd October 2017.
iv. International Stuttering Awareness Day is an excellent model for further future cooperation of the stuttering community together with the professionals.
About International Stuttering Association:
♦ Headquarters – New Ulm, Minnesota, United States
♦ Chairperson – Annie Bradberry