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INDIAN AFFAIRS
- Four new crab species are located in Kerala
- Himachal’s unexplored peak named as “Mt. Kalam”
- Review Committee appointed by HRD Ministry to evaluate Fellowships
Haryana to commission 215 additional power sub-stations
Haryana government has planned to commission 215 additional sub-stations of various capacities in the next three years to strengthen the power transmission and distribution system in the state.
- 418 existing sub-stations would be augmented and 3,171-km transmission and distribution lines would be laid in the next three years
- State government has also decided in-principle to phase out the old and inefficient units number 1 to 4 of the Panipat thermal power station and replace them with a new 800-MW Supercritical Unit.
Haryana government had launched the “Mhara Gaon – Jagmag Gaon” scheme on July 1, 2015 for improving power supply in rural areas.
(Haryana CM – Manohar Lal Khattar)
(Haryana Capital – Chandigarh)
Indian Railways develops warning system for unmanned level crossings
Indian Railway has developed a vandal-proof warning system for unmanned level crossings which is working satisfactorily for the last three months on Coimbatore-Metupallayam section. The system has been developed with a Mumbai-based vendor and RDSO.
- The system consists of two sensor modules and a control module in which train movements are detected and siren and blinker alerts are produced when the train is within one km of the level crossing.
- Theft protection system – the system for sending SMS alerts about trains crossing to pre-programmed mobile numbers.
- Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) has finalised the specifications of the system and recommended to all zonal railways to initiate steps for installation of the warning system in their respective areas as a step towards prevention of accidents.
Indian study on treating diabetics with heart ailments gets global recognition
The trial, carried out by the Academics and Research department of Fortis Escorts Heart Institute led by Professor Dr Upendra Kaul on 1,830 patients in 46 Indian hospitals which demonstrates the superiority of Everolimus eluting stents over Paclitaxel eluting stents
- It will help improve outcomes in treatment of diabetic patients with coronary blocks.
The study was presented at the “Trans catheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics” (TCT) conference in San Francisco. It has also made it to the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.
- The use of Everolimus eluting stents may be equally or more useful in treating coronary blockages in diabetic patients than bypass surgery.
- With over 40 million diabetics, India is known as diabetes capital of the world and the findings of the research will come in handy in treating those who have developed heart ailments.
President Promulgates Two Ordinances
The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee has promulgated two ordinances – one for constitution of commercial courts and another to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996.
- One of the ordinances provides for the constitution of Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division in the High Courts for adjudicating commercial disputes of specified value and for matters connected there with or incidental thereto.
- The other ordinance is for amending the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996.
Sushma Swaraj inaugurates India-Africa Friendship Rose garden
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the India Africa Friendship Rose garden in New Delhi ahead of the third India Africa Summit which begins on 26 Oct 2015.
- The 3 acre park dedicated to the friendship of India and Africa has been planted with over 6,000 rose saplings of 65 varieties collected from all parts of the country.
The summit will address the key challenges faced by Africa, which includes food, health and environmental security. India hopes to create conditions that stimulate trade and investment flows between India and African countries.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Hurricane Patricia – the strongest hurricane in Mexico’s Pacific coast
Hurricane Patricia is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere. The maximum sustained winds reached an unprecedented 200 mph (320 kph). The eye of Hurricane Patricia made landfall near Cuixmala in Jalisco state of southwest Mexico.
- Hurricane Patricia broke the record for lowest pressure in any hurricane on record. With a minimum central pressure of 880 millibars (25.99 inches of mercury)
- Patricia broke the record of 882 millibars set by Wilma in the Atlantic Basin almost exactly 10 years earlier.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Indian maid wins award in Singapore
An Indian national Easwari Shellaiah (47) working in Singapore as maid has been awarded by Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA) for her dedicated service to bed-ridden employer.
- Easwari helped her employer Madam Kalaiselvi (53), who suffered a stroke in 2011, cheering her up, carrying her from bed to wheelchair helping her to the toilet and taking her thrice a week to AWWA Readycare Centre.
- Easwari, whose father died when she was 12, started helping at one of Mother Teresa’s charities in Chennai at the age of 14.
- She moved to Singapore in 1986 working with a voluntary welfare organisation, Swami Home.
- Easwari is paid 400 dollar a month.
APPOINTMENTS
Obama names Brett McGurk as envoy to coalition fighting Islamic State
U.S. President Barack Obama appointed Brett McGurk as his new envoy to the coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq.
- McGurk, a long-time White House adviser on Iraq, has been the deputy to General John Allen, who led the global coalition’s campaign against Islamic State since its inception last year. Allen, who served in the U.S. Marines for more than 37 years, is retiring from public service next month
- McGurk will work with the national security team to improve relations with Iraq, and with America’s partners in the region to help end the civil war in Syria, which has fueled the Islamic State group’s rise.
SPORTS
Abhijeet Gupta wins Hoogeveen International Chess Tournament 2015
Indian Chess player and Arjuna Award winner Abhijeet Gupta has clinched the 19th Hoogeveen Chess Tournament 2015 by defeating Neelotpal Das in the ninth and final round in Hoogeveen, The Netherlands.
- In 2008 he won the World Junior Chess Championship at Gaziantep, Turkey which carries with it the FIDE Grandmaster title.
About Hoogeveen International Chess Tournament
The tournament consists of the Hoogeveen Matches, the Hoogeveen Open and two amateur tournaments.
- In the Hoogeveen Open, 9 rounds will be played. There is space for approximately 84 players with a minimal rating of 2000.
- The Hoogeveen Open is an international tournament, and consequently (grand-) master norms can be achieved.
- There is a total prize fund of € 7,500 with a 1st prize of € 3,000.
Guwahati & Shillong to host South Asian Games
The South Asian Games will be held in Guwahati and Shillong from February 6 to 16 in 2016.
Participants: 8 countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and India.
Sports events: There will be 25 disciplines consists of – archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, cycling, football, handball, hockey, judo, kabaddi, kho kho, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.
- 17 events are scheduled to be held in Guwahati and 8 in Meghalaya’s capital city Shillong.
- The participating countries are Nearly 4,000 athletes and officials are expected to take part in various sports disciplines.
Virat Kohli became the fourth player to register hundred in ODIs
Virat Kohli became the fourth player to register hundred against all the Test countries in ODIs, joining Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Herschelle Gibbs and Hashim Amla.
- Kohli has posted 16 tons as No. 3 batsman and seven as No.4. Only two batsmen have registered more centuries at No.3 in ODIs — Ponting (29) and Kumar Sangakkara (18).
- Kohli’s tally of 21 centuries in a winning cause is bettered only by three batsmen in ODIs — Tendulkar (33), Ponting (25) and Sanath Jayasuriya (24).
- Kohli has recorded 23 centuries in ODI.
YAI Senior National Championship-2015 Conclude at Mumbai
The Yachting Association of India (YAI) Senior National Championship – 2015 was organised by the Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre from 19 Oct 2015 to 24 Oct 2015 in Mumbai.
- Chief Guest – Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of Naval Staff and President YAI
Winners
Nethra Kumanan from Tamil Nadu – Gold medal in Laser Radial Class of boat
Upamanyu Dutta – Gold medal in Laser (Standard)
Nethra Kumanan – Gold medal in Laser (Radial)
Pair of P Muttu and Narender Rajput – Gold medal in 470 Class
Samal Pradhan and Rahul Rai – Gold medal in Hobie 16 catamaran
OBITUARY
Telugu Actor Mada Venkateswara Rao passes away
Veteran Telugu actor Mada Venkateswara Rao has passed away due to brief illness. He was 65.The actor was known for his comedy roles.
- The noted comedian has acted in over 300 films, including some films of other regional languages. He was popular for his roles in films like “Muthyala Muggu”, “Lambadolla Ram Das” and “Mayadari Malligadu”.
- Before venturing into films, Mada worked as an engineer in the State electricity Department.
Popular actor Pijush Ganguly passes away
Bengali film, television and stage actor Pijush Ganguly passed away due to multi-organ failure.
- Ganguly started his career as a stage actor and later worked in television and films.
- He acted in acclaimed films like Gaynar Baksha by Aparna Sen, Laptop by Kaushik Ganguly, Byomkesh Bakshi by Anjan Dutta, Iti Srikanta by Anjan Das and Mahulbanir Sereng by Sekhar Das.
Hollywood legend Maureen O’ Hara dies at 95
“The Queen of Technicolour” Irish actress Maureen O’ Hara died at the age of 95 during her sleep.
- The Irish-American actress was best known for her leading roles in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1939), “How Green Was My Valley” (1941), “Miracle on 34th Street” (1947), “The Quiet Man” (1952) and the original “The Parent Trap” (1961).
- In 2014, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences presented her with an Honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards.
