Current Affairs Study PDF - October 2016 by AffairsCloud

Current Affairs October 2016
PDF Capsule
Current Affairs PDF: October 2016
Contents
Current Affairs for Competitive Exam
INDIAN AFFAIRS............................................................................................................................................. 3
PLACES IN NEWS.......................................................................................................................................... 20
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ....................................................................................................................... 25
FOREIGN VISITS ........................................................................................................................................... 31
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... 37
RANKING & REPORTS ................................................................................................................................ 49
BANKING & FINANCE ................................................................................................................................. 62
BUSINESS ........................................................................................................................................................ 72
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS ..................................................................................................................... 78
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS .................................................................................................................... 93
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS .................................................................................................................. 105
SCHEMES ...................................................................................................................................................... 107
MoUs ............................................................................................................................................................... 111
COMMITTEES.............................................................................................................................................. 119
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 122
DEFENCE ...................................................................................................................................................... 128
ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 132
SPORTS .......................................................................................................................................................... 139
OBITUARY .................................................................................................................................................... 153
BOOKS & AUTHORS .................................................................................................................................. 160
IMPORTANT DAYS ..................................................................................................................................... 162
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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Haryana to launch portal for paddy procurement
i. The state government was launching its e-kharid portal for procurement of paddy in the
upcoming procurement season starting this month.
ii. Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan and Chief
Minister Manohar Lal Khattar would launch the e-procurement portal in Karnal.
iii. Chief Administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, J Ganesan announced that a
mobile application would also be launched at the same function which would provide all necessary
information to farmers, arthiyas and traders.
International Day of Older Persons October 1, 2016
i. The International Day of Older Persons is observed on October 1 each year. The theme for
2016 is Take A Stand Against Ageism
ii. The President of India Shri Pranab Mukharjee presented the National Awards for Senior
CitizensVayoshreshtha Samman-2016to eminent senior citizens and institutions in
recognition of their service towards the cause of elderly persons, especially indigent senior citizens
at a function organized by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
iii. Delhi Police launched a mobile application for senior citizens to enable them to reach
out to the police quickly in emergency situations.
Guj CM Vijay Rupani inaugurated Lamp of Humanity
i. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani inaugurated a 34-ft long Lamp of Humanity inAhmedabad, as
part of the Vibrant Navratri celebrations.
ii. The lamp is made up of stainless steel34-feet long and has a diameter of 15.8 feet, with the
authorities claiming that the initiative has already entered the Guinness Book of World Records,
as the worlds biggest lamp.
iii. The Navratri 2016 celebrations would last till few days of this month and the tourism
department is expecting that more than eight lakh people would take part in the event, out of
which over three lakh would be foreigners.
Arunachal CM flagged off all-women Mt Gorichen expedition
i. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu flagged off an all-women Mt Gorichen
expedition.This would be the first all women team attempting to summit the second highest peak
of the state, which is considered as a technical peak and only seasoned climbers can make it to
the top (6,488 m).
ii. Anshu Jansempa, who climbed Mt Everest twice, would lead the team of 10 members from
states like Jammu and Kashmir (Ladakh), Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkimand Arunachal
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Pradesh with four support staff.
iii. Department of Sports and Youth Affairs and Indian Mountaineering Foundation(IMF
jointly took the stepabout the expedition.
147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi October 2 2016
The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on October 2, the birthday of Mahatma
Gandhi. This day is referred as Gandhi Jayanti in India.
Gandhi Jayanthi Celebration :
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra in New Delhi. He
launched a booklet on Yoga Protocol for Diabetes control, and distributed prizes to winners of the
Know India Quiz at the exhibition on Gandhi Ek Pravasi.
The President of India Pranab Mukherjee flagged-off a march for Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi as a symbol of the commitment of
Rashtrapati Bhavan to the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Department of Posts releases two Commemorative Stamps on Gandhi Jayanti

Department of Posts organised a nation-wide competition inviting entries for designing the
commemorative postage stamps of denominations of Rs 25 and Rs 5 and a miniature sheet.
Winners : Ms. Binita Biswajeeta, Ms. Sanjula S. and Ms. Arushi Aggarwal
2nd anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission :

Swachh Bharat Mission was launched throughout length and breadth of the country as a national
movement on 2nd October , 2014.
Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh first States to become Open Defecation Free in urban areas
The birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi Porbandar, Gujarat declared as ODF to commemorate the
147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this October 2.
Gujarat gave ODF status to each of its 180 cities and towns at a function in Porbandar
attended by Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Narendra Singh Tomar and
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.
All 110 cities and towns in Andhra Pradesh were given the ODF tag by CM N
Chandrababu Naidu at an event in Tirupati.
India has created a sort of World Record for Construction of toilets or Solid and Liquid
Waste Management.
Union Home Minister inaugurates several Swachh Bharat Mission programmes

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh attended the Swachhta Rally and felicitated those
who made contribution to the Cleanliness Drive. He also administered Swachhta Shapath
(Cleanliness pledge)
He also inaugurated Roll Call Shelters, Jan Aushadhi Kendra and Smart Class Rooms for NDMC
area.
By 2019, the dream of Swachh Bharat, Swasth Bharat (Clean India, Healthy India) will be
realised said by Rajnath Singh.
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Swachh Bharat short film awards 2016
Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu awarded Katyayan with a certificate and a
cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh to Katyayan Shivpuri.
Winner List :
First : filmmaker Katyayan Shivpuri, from Maharashtra for Murga
The second prize Sudanshu Sharma, KVK Kumar and Akshay Danavale for their films Nahna
Doot, Chembuku Moodindi (The Dying Vessel) and Sarkarmi Rati Wadho!,respectively.
Gangtok awarded Cleanest Tourist Destination
Union Ministry of Tourism has conferred the Cleanest Tourist Destination on Sikkim
capital, Gangtok and Clean Cities in million plus population category award to two cities
Chandigarh and Mysore
Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the award to Commissioner, GMC in Delhi on
September 30.
The Sikkim delegation participated in a workshop organised by the Urban Development

and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation for implementing the flagship
programme, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban and Gramin) at Vigyan Bhawanin New Delhi.
Other observations :
In Indian many places , people also paid tributes to mark the birth anniversary of former
Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shashtri.
Former Chief Minister Of Tamil Nadu Mr. K. Kamarajs Death Anniversary also observed on
October 2, 2016.He was populalry acknowledged as Kingmaker .
Abu Dhabi Crowned Prince to be Chief Guest on 2017 Republic Day

i. This is the first time that a leader of the United Arab Emirates crown prince of Abu
Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan would be honored with the invitation of being
the Chief Guest at Indias Republic Day parade.
ii. The announcement was made the by Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesman Vikas
Swarup in New Delhi after the crown prince accepted invitation.
Supreme Court imposed Rs 25,000 cost on Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain
i. The Supreme Court charged a cost of Rs.25,000 on Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jainfor
failing to file an affidavit naming the officials allegedly not cooperating in checking the menace of
dengue and chikungunya in the national capital.
ii .Apparently unhappy over the plea by the Delhi governments lawyer seeking time to file the
affidavit, a bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice DY Chandrachudobserved that People
were dying you didnt need 24 hours to file an affidavit.
New prohibition law in force in Bihar from October 2, 2016
i. Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 has come into force from October 2 in the state.
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ii. This new Act has strict provisions. This Act has also provision for setting up special courts to
deal with the prohibition law.
Naveen inaugurates several new projects in Ganjam district
i. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a number of new projects in Ganjam
district, Odisha.
ii. He opened an OPD centre in Sheragada hospital and a panchyat building.He also inaugurated
the new urban water supply project for the Hinjili Notified Area Council(NAC) area readied at an
estimated cost of Rs 6.14-crore.
iii. He laid foundation stone for six children parks which would cost around Rs 1.50 crore and
inaugurated the newly constructed building of the district education office (DEO) in Berhampur
iv. He also inaugurated six new buildings including four hostels, academic block and laboratory
complex at MKCG Medical College here at an investment of over Rs 70-crore.
v. Similarly at Markandi, he inaugurated a fish landing centre which costs Rs five crore.
Centre approves a grant of Rs. 515 Crores for the development of Sagar Port Project in
West Bengal
i. The Central Government has given in principle approval to a grant of Rs. 515 crores to make
the development of the proposed Sagar Port project in West Bengal on September 4 , 2016.
ii. A Special Purpose Vehicle, Bhor Sagar Port Limited (BSPL) has been incorporated for the
implementation of the project, with Kolkata Port Trust holding 74% equity and the Government of
West Bengal holding 26% equity
iii. IIT, Madras has been engaged to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the port.
iv. A road-cum-rail bridge is proposed over the river Muriganga to connect the Sagar island to
the mainland. The estimated cost of the bridge is Rs.1822 crores.
Cabinet approves amendement bill related to HIV/AIDS
The Cabinet approved amendments to the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014
in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The bill makes antiretroviral
treatment a legal right of HIV/AIDS patients.
The HIV and AIDS Bill, 2014 has been drafted to safeguard the rights of people living
with HIV and affected by HIV.
The Bill seeks to prevent and control the spread of HIV and AIDS, prohibits
discrimination against persons with HIV and AIDS, provides for informed consent
and confidentiality with regard to their treatment, places obligations on establishments to
safeguard rights of persons living with HIV arid create mechanisms for redressing
complaints.
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Aadhaar card must for LPG subsidy after November 2016
i. The government has made Aadhaar mandatory for availing cooking gas (LPG) subsidies but
has given two months grace period for citizens to get the unique identification number.
ii. For those not yet having Aadhaar, it gave time till November 30, 2016 to make application for
enrollment for the unique identification number.
Election Commission of India collaborates with Facebook to register young voters
i. Social networking site Facebook is collaborating with the Election Commission of India in five
states going to polls next year to run a voter registration drive aimed at encouraging youth to
participate in the democratic exercise.
ii. The five states are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand for the first
time in the country to run a voter registration drive.
iii. With over 155 million people in India on Facebook, the Register to vote button is designed to
encourage citizens across these five states to exercise their vote in the upcoming elections.
6 Centre accepted pay panel recommendation on promotion
i. The Union government has accepted the recommendation of the 7th Pay Commission on
Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) for Central employees which would ensure one
minimum promotion for every 10 years till 30 years of service.
ii. An office memorandum by the Department of Personnel said here that there should bethree
financial upgradations under the assured promotion scheme counted from thedirect entry
grade on completion of 10, 20 and 30 years services respectively or 10 years of continuous
service in the same level in Pay Matrix, whichever is earlier.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated 100 urban piped drinking water supply
projects
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated 100 urban piped drinking water supply projects,
with an objective to provide safe drinking water to every family in Odisha.
Drinking Water Projects :
The projects dedicated will cater to the needs of around 2 lakh people, the 100 proposed
schemes will ensure safe water for lakhs of people in urban areas in the coming days.
The chief minister also laid the foundation stones for 100 more driking water projects at the
secretariat here through video conferencing.
He also launched two new systems-Online Smart Water Information Management

(OSWIM) and e-Building Pass for ensuring better management of supply of drinking water
to the urban households and smoothen the permission process for construction of buildings
respectively.
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Indian mountaineer Arjun Vajpai scaled worlds sixth highest mountain
i. ArjunVajpai, the professional Indian mountaineer, scaled the worlds sixth highest
mountain Cho Oyu. The mountain is located on the China-Nepal border at an altitude of 8188
meters above the sea level.
ii. The 23-year-old reached the summit before dawn along with his sherpas and another expedition
member after leaving from Camp 3 post midnight.
iii. He is the third youngest Indian to scale the Mount Everest at the age of 16 years and 11
months in 2010.
Prakash Javadekar inaugurated Shatabdi Krishi Bhawan, Green Building in BHU
i. The Union Minister of Human Resource and Development, Prakash Javadekarinaugurated
the Green building and Shatabdi Krishi Bhawan at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in the
wake of holding a review meeting VCs of Central Universities.
ii. The Shatabdi Krishi Bhawan under the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, BHU had been so
named to commemorate the Centenary year of University.
New Solar Powered Guard Van of Goods Train flagged off
i. Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu flagging-off the first freight train which featured a
newly-developed guard van, which uses solar power to run fans and lights at Delhi Safdarjung
Railway Station.
ii. The Guards toilet has also been modified to a zero discharge bio toilet and also features
GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) -aided monitoring system.
iii. The Guard vans also called as 8 wheeled Brake Vans Z- frame Improved BVZI. It is
modified by IROAF with the assistance of Amritsar Workshop of Northern Railway .
EC barred parties from using public space for propagating symbol
i. The Election Commission issued directions barring political parties from using or allowing
the use of public funds, public space or government machinery for carrying out activities
that amount to advertisement for the parties or propagating their election symbols.
ii. EC ordered that It was clarified that any violation of the above directions would be treated
as violation of a lawful direction of the Commission within the meaning of paragraph 16A of
the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order.
Women could also be prosecuted under domestic violence law: SC
i. Not only men, but women can also be prosecuted under the Protection
of Womenagainst Domestic Violence (DV) Act. The Supreme Court had struck down
the words adult male from the pertinent provision in the DV Act to lay down that a woman
could also file a complaint against another woman, accusing her of domestic violence.
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ii. Under Section 2(q) of the 2005 Act, a complaint could be made only against an adult male
person, thereby insulating women from being accused of offences mentioned under the law.
iii .But a bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton F Nariman ruled that this provision
frustrated the objective of the legislation since perpetrators and abettors of domestic violence
could be women too.
Maharashtra Government allocates land to LIGO India Project
i. Maharashtra government has allocated 40.68 hectare land in Hingloi to Department of
Atomic Energy(DAE) for LIGO India Project.
ii. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) project that was given
the in-principle approval by the Cabinet planned to construct in Hingoli district, Maharshtra
Heritage Infrastructure projected worth Rs 350 cr under HRIDAY.
The Centre had approved projects worth Rs.350 crore for developing infrastructure at heritage
sites Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of Urban Development inaugurated a two day conference
on Heritage Cities. The conference was being jointly organised by Ministry of Urban Development
and Indian Heritage Cities Network (IHCN).
Assam CM inaugurated the first Model Skill Development Centre in Guwahati
i. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated first Model Skill Development
Centre Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra at Panjabari, Guwahati.
ii. It is an initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and National
Skill Development Corporation.
Indo-Pak. border would be sealed by 2018: Home Minister
i. The government would completely seal the India-Pakistan border by December 2018,
was announced by Union home minister Rajnath Singh as part of an extensive plan to monitor the
countrys frontier security.
ii. The Home Minister was on a two-day visit to the border areas of Rajasthan, where he
interacted with the Border Security Force (BSF) officers and civil administration to review
defence preparedness following the attack in the Army camp in Uri on September 18 and the
subsequent surgical strikes on terror launch pads
Union Power Minister assured electricity for all by May 2017
i. India would have 100 % electrification for all by May 1, 2017 was the announcement made
by the Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal.
ii. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar
Pradesh, Telangana and West Bengal are considered LWE or Maoist affected states.
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India to light up IEAs global LED programme
i. India, through its company Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has performed
exceedingly well in terms of vastly improving access to LED lighting while reducing their cost
drastically.
ii. The LED programme by EESL has been so successful that IEA is partnering with it to take the
programme global was reported by Paul Simons, Deputy Executive Director at the IEA.
iii. The price at which EESL has been purchasing LED lights to distribute under the
governments Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDsfor All (Ujala) scheme has been consistently
falling over the last couple of years.
SC widens scope of Domestic Violence Act, makes it gender-neutral
i. Supreme Court has widened the scope of the Domestic Violence Act by ordering deletion of the
words adult male from it, paving the way for prosecution of women and even non-adults for
subjecting a woman relative to violence and harassment.
ii. The apex court has ordered striking down of the two words from section 2(q) of the Protection of
Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, which deals with respondents who can be sued and
prosecuted under the Act for harassing a married woman in her matrimonial home.
India donated Rs. 9.3 million to Mandela Foundation
i. India donated Rs.9.3 million (ZAR 2 million) to the Nelson Mandela Foundation to help it in
its welfare work for the people of South Africa.
ii. At the offices of the Foundation in Johannesburg, Indian High Commissioner Ruchi
Ghanashyam announced that the donation was a direct result of the recent visit by Prime
Minister Nar endra Modi.
Union Government to commemorate birth centenary of Nanaji Deshmukh
The Union Government is going to commemorate the birth centenary of social activist and former
RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh from October 11, 2016 to October 11, 2017. It was announced
by the Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma during inaugural programmeorganised on the eve
of the birth centenary celebrations.
Government approves Rs 1,955-crore road link project
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has
approved the construction of a new link between Sahibganj bypass in Jharkhand to Manihari bypass
in Bihar, including a four-lane bridge on river Ganga.
A highway project worth Rs 1,955 crore for construction of a road link between Sahibganj
in Jharkhand to Manihari in Bihar, including a bridge on the Ganges, received Cabinet
clearance.
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CM Khattar raised Haryana ek Haryanvi ek slogan to eradicate casteism
i. Raising the slogan Haryana ek Haryanvi ek, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattarurged
people of the state to help eradicate casteism from the society for the development of the state.
ii. He addressed a gathering during the Dussehra festival in Panchkulas HUDA ground that It
was a social evil. We needed to eradicate it, so that our society develops and people can get
opportunities on the basis of their qualification and not on the basis of their caste.
Draft Water Bill suggested basin-level management
i. The Centre has brought final draft of the National Water Framework Bill, 2016, that stresses
managing water at basin-level and right measurement of States contribution to river system to
resolve conflicts.
ii. The draft Bill combined for establishing River Basin Authority for each inter-State basin to
ensure optimum and sustainable development of rivers and valleys.
iii. The comprehensive draft Bill proposed model law for all states. However, water being a State
subject under VII Schedule of constitution the law would be not binding on States for adoption.
Govt. to use post offices to distribute pulses
i. The Centre government decided to utilise the vast network of post offices across the country to
sell subsidised pulses to ensure that there is no shortage of the item during this festival season.
ii. A decision to this effect was taken by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on prices of essential
commodities, headed by Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande.
iii. The postal networks will fill the gap of absence of government outlets in the States for the
distribution of pulses, mainly, tur, urad and chana. .
BJP joined Khandu govt. in Arunachal Pradesh
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Arunachal Pradesh officially became a part of the Peoples Party of
Arunachal government with the induction of senior BJP MLA TamiyoTaga in the council of
ministers.
Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) -2016 begin in New Delhi
i. Home Minister Rajnath Singh would inaugurate the 10-day Rashtriya Sanskriti
Mahotsav (RSM) at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi.
ii. The seven zonal cultural centres have been given slots to present their arts during the festival
which would showcase an amalgamation of Ek Bharat, Srestha Bharat, Hamaari Sanskriti,
Hamaari Pahchaan and Swachh India.
Number Of Deaths Due To Encephalitis Rises To 54 In Odisha
i. The Japanese Encephalitis has killed over 150 children and taken epidemic proportions
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in Malkangiri district due to negligence.
ii. At present, 29 children, afflicted with the disease are undergoing treatment at the district
headquarters hospital and four of them are in the ICU in a serious condition.
New standards for fortifying foods released
i. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released new standards on
fortification on food. The guidelines are meant to regulate the fortification of food,
especially packaged food, with essential micronutrients to counter risingmal nutrition in
the country.
ii. Changing food patterns are seen as one of the leading causes of micronutrient deficiency in the
country.Ashish Bahuguna, the Chairman of FSSAI reported that the Fortification of food was seen
as an efficient and economical way of reducing deficiency and counter rising malnutrition in the
country.
Swacch Bharat Swacch Vidyalaya campaign launched
i. The City Corporation has launched the Swacch Bharat Swacch Vidyalaya campaign in60
elementary and middle schools.
ii. The initiative Swacch Bharat Swacch Vidyalaya-Smart School-Healthy Child was the continuation
of world hand washing day event being held every year and will focus on personal hygiene among
children, segregaton of waste maintenance of toilets and also awareness on sanitation.
Modi inaugurates three hydro projects in Himachal Pradesh
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated three state-run mega hydro power of 1,752 MW capacity
in Himachal Pradesh during his day-long maiden visit to the state.He dedicated the 520
Megawatt generation capacity third phase of Parbati hydro power project, 412 Megawatt Rampur
project and 800 Megawatt Kol Dam power project to the nation.
PM Modi launched National SC/ST hub
After visiting Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Punjab Agricultural
University in Ludhiana and he launched two schemes-National SC/ST Huband Zero Defect Zero
Effect scheme.
With an initial outlay of Rs 490 crore, the hub will work towards strengthening market
access/linkage, monitoring, capacity building, leveraging financial support schemes and
sharing industry-best practices.
Modi to distribute 500 charkhas to women spinners in Ludhiana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed 500 traditional wooden chark has to women spinners
belonging to the five local Khadi institutions.
The chark has have been given by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).The
women spinners have been selected from different areas of Punjab.
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Himachal CM gives 13 point memorandum to PM
Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh submitted a 13-point memorandum to Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on October 18, 2016 at Mandi, Himachal Pradesh
He also seeking among other things a special compensation grant of Rs 1000 crore for
preserving forests.
SCs poser on misuse of religion in elections

i. The practice of using the mass appeal of religious leaders to canvas votes for candidates is
questioned by the Supreme Court asked whether it amounts to a corrupt electoral practice to rope
in clerics or priests to flex their religious sway over their flock to swing votes
ii. SC hearing on the practice of using the mass appeal of religious leaders to canvas votes for
candidates. Case is being heard by a seven-judge Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice T.S.
Thakur.The Bench is re-considering its 1995 verdict which held that canvassing votes in the
name of Hindutva/Hinduism did not prejudicially affect any candidate as Hindutva is a way of
life of the people in the sub-continent and a state of mind.
Indias second eco-friendly airport in Vadodara is all set to open its doors to passengers.
i. A new terminal is equipped with facilities of international standard in Vadodara.The facility has
also been rated by Green Ratings of International Habitat Assessment, the highest national
rating for green buildings considered by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
ii. Constructed for a whopping Rs.160 crores, the new facility is spread over an area of 17,500
square metres. With 18 check-in counters, it has a capacity to manage as many as 700
passengers, including 200 international passengers, during peak hours.
Krishna water tribunal refuses to relook into allocation
i. In a major set back to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh States, the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal on
sharing of Krishna waters (Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II) has made it clear that it
would not take a relook into allocation of water among the riparian States but would take up
distribution of water allocation to combined AP to Telangana and residuary AP States.
ii. The tribunal headed by Justice BrijeshKumar explained that it would take up the issue of
distribution of water allocated to erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh between the residuary state
of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Irom Sharmila announces formation of political party named Peoples Resurgence and
Justice Alliance
i. Activist Irom Sharmila formed a new political party named Peoples Resurgence and Justice
Alliance (PRJA) ahead of the Assembly polls in Manipur in 2017.
ii. She would contest from two constituencies Thoubal and Khurai.
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Supreme Court freezes BCCIs financial powers, appoints independent auditor
i. Supreme Court has appointed an independent auditor to monitor the financial transactions of
BCCI and set a threshold beyond which the board will have to take permission from the Lodha
Panel.
ii. The auditor and Lodha panel to work together oversee the contracts entered into by the BCCI.
iii. This may impact the Indian Premier League and other major advertising agreements.
iv. The apex court also directed the BCCI to file an affidavit within two weeks on how will the Lodha
recommendations be completed.
Centre moots 4 Goods & Services Tax (GST) slabs
The Central Government has proposed a four-slab rate structure for the Goods & Services Tax,
ranging from zero to 26 per cent, at a meeting of the GST Council.
About the Slabs :
On consumption of ultra-luxury items and demerit goods, such as big cars and tobacco products, it
proposes imposition of cess over and above a 26 per cent GST rate. The GST is proposed to be
levied at 6 per cent, 12 per cent or 18 per cent on the remaining goods and services.
This proposal singles out gold, for which it proposes a GST rate of 4 per cent.
In the 26 per cent slab, for instance, currently most goods are being taxed at about 27 to
31 per cent.
The proposal retains only the Clean Environment Cess from the multitude currently in
place, with the GST subsuming all the others, including the Swachh Bharat Cess, the
Krishi Kalayan Cess and the Education Cess.
The proposal envisages 10 per cent of the current tax revenue collections base to fall in
the 6 per cent GST slab and about 70 per cent in the 12 per cent and 18 per cent
slabs.
Sagarmala funded flagship project of Ro Pax Ferry Service in Gulf of Cambay, Gujarat
i. The Ministry of Shipping ratified the Capital Dredging Project for Ro Pax Ferry
Services between Gogha & Dahej, in Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat. The Ministry released Rs.58.50
Crore as first installment of grant-inaid to Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB). The total project cost
is estimated to be Rs.234 Crore and of which 50% would be funded byCentre
Government under the Sagarmala programme.
ii. The project would result in reduction in motorable distance of 231 kms between
Gogha&Dahej to mere 31 kms and reduce the travel time from 7 hours to 1 hour only by crossing
the Gulf in Cambay in 17 Nautical Miles
Nirmala unveils logo for IPR cell in patent push
i. Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a logo of a Cell for the IPR
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Promotion and Management(CIPAM).
ii. She termed this as an ambitious task as Indias intellectual property related activities need
great traction
iii. The logo has been designed by the National Institute of Design, while keeping in mind the
countrys slogan for its national IPR policy focsuing on innovation and creativity.
Mahesh Varma chaired the first meeting of reconstituted CABC
i. Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture and Tourism chaired
the First Meeting of the Re-constituted Central Advisory Board on Culture (CABC).
ii. When addressing on the occasion, he stressed on the need to evolve a participative process of
decision making in the field of Culture, and invited suggestions from the eminent members on the
way forward.
iii. The members of the CABC were requested to highlight priority areas in the fields of art, music,
dance and literature.
PM Modi inaugurates international terminal at Harni airport
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Vadodara to inaugurate the international terminal at Harni
airport on October 22 016.Harni is only the second green building airport in country.
ii. He would also attend a programme to distribute man-made limbs and other implements to more
than 8000 Divyangs (disabled persons) in the city.
iii .The state-of-the-art terminal, built at the cost of Rs.160 crore, is spread over 18,120 sqmt
and can handle 700 passengers (domestic plus international) per hour. It will have 18 check-in
counters. The airport is located in Harni area on the outskirts of Vadodara.
Triple talaq a highly misused custom: NCW
i. The triple talaq was a highly misused custom and it should be scrapped to protect the rights of
Muslim women said by Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Chairperson of National Commission of
Women (NCW).
ii. Triple talaq is an effort to protect the rights of Muslim women. It cannot be linked to the
Uniform Civil Code.It is a highly misused custom that has to be done away with. Several Islamic
countries have banned it
Centre forms committee to keep vigil on bird flu situation
i. The Centre formed a three-member committee to keep a close watch on the bird flu
situation which has so far killed 24 birds in New Delhi on October 22, 2016.It was announced
by Union Environment minister Anil Madhav Dave
ii. Constant vigil being observed by Government agencies in & around National Zoological Park to
monitor & contain H5 Avian Influenza in co ordination with State level Agencies.
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PM Modi launched #Sandesh2Soldiers campaign.
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a campaign through which people can send their Diwali
greetings and messages to soldiers guarding the nations frontiers to boost their morale.
ii. People can send messages to soldiers on the Narendra Modi App through MyGov.in, and also
through All India Radio. Doordarshan is also going to mount a programme to share peoples
emotions with the armed forces.
Government to fast-track Indus basin irrigation projects
i. Central government is planning to fast-track four projects in Indus river basin to increase
irrigation area in Jammu and Kashmir by nearly 2.05 lakh acres.
ii. PM Modi had chaired a meeting to review the 56-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) last
month.
Govt to invest Rs.1 Lakh Crore to boost road, Inland,Water Transport in Assam
i. Road and inland water communication in Assam is prepared to improve by the Centre. It decided
to invest nearly Rs.1 lakh crore to improve connectivity.
ii. Gadkari announced plans to increase the Central Roads Fund to Rs.800 crore from earlier
sanctioned limit of Rs 450 crore. He has also asked the state government to identify1200kilomters of new stretch of road for converting the same into national highways
Election Commission of India (ECI) unveiled three IT based Systems Samadhan,
Suvidha, and Sugam
i. The assembly elections of Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, the
Election Commission of India (ECI) has augmented the use of IT applications to make the election
process smooth, effective and transparent.
ii. The applications such as Samadhan, Suvidha, Sugam are formulated in the electiongoing
State sfor facilitation and better election management.
iv. Samadhan is a Public Grievance Redressal System which has been conceptualized as a
Comprehensive system with multiple modes for receiving complaints
v. Suvidha is a single window system for Candidates and Political Parties to apply for permissions
(Meetings, Rallies, vehicles, temporary election office, loudspeakers, helicopters and helipads etc)
vi. Sugam is a Vehicle Management System with the facility of Issuance of requisition letters for
vehicles, Capturing of vehicle details with address, mobile number and bank details of Owner &
Driver, Transfer of vehicles from one district to another district etc
Centre amended election rules, armed forces to now get e- Postal ballots
i. The armed forces service voters would receive their ballots through the internet from the
Election Commission (EC) in the upcoming assembly elections.
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ii. The Centre has changed the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961 enabling service voters,
including armed forces personnel, to cast their vote in elections through e-postal ballot.
Supreme Court announced that it would not re-examine 1995 Verdict on Hindutva
i. The Supreme Court gave the final decision that it wouldnot re-examine its1995 verdict on
Hindutva at this stage as it is not the reference for hearing electoral malpractice issues
ii. The 1995 judgment defined Hindutva as a way of life and not a religion. SC mentioned it
that it wasnt keen to revisit the debate about philosophy of Hinduism but made it clear religion
shouldnt be used in elections.
iii. The court, to which the issue has been referred by a five-judge bench, is examining the
scope and width of section 123(3) of the Representation of the People (RP) Actwhich
deals with electoral malpractices amounting to corrupt practices, among other things.
FM Arun Jaitley launches SMS Alert Service for TDS deductions
i. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched the SMS alert service for quarterly Tax Deducted at
Source (TDS) for salaried class and also be sent to deductors who have either failed to deposit
taxes deducted ot to e-file their TDS returns by the due date.
ii. Tax payers will benefit if they receive information through use of technology. So they can match
the office salary slip and the SMS and at the end of the fiscal he will be clear about any possible tax
dues.
DPS student takes up Bagit challenge for a clean India
i. Akshat Prakash, student of Delhi Public School(DPS) has launched an initiative Bagit
challenge to involve schools in the national mission towards cleanliness. Prakash
from Indirapuram, Ghaziabad.
ii. Aim: To mobilise a chain of participating schools, all driven by a common objective of making
our communities cleaner, healthier and safer.
Cabinet approves 2% DA hike for central Govt. employees
i.The Union Cabinet has cleared 2 percent hike in dearness allowance (DA). The hike will be
effective from July 2016.
ii.Ahead of Diwali, this move is likely to bring some cheers to around 50 lakh employees working
with the central government as well as 58 lakh more pensioners.
Cabinet approves establishment of National Academic Depository
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the
establishment and operationalisation of a National Academic Depository (NAD), which is
aimed at bringing another dimension and enhancement of the vision of Digital India.
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NAD would be established and operationalised within the next three months and would be
rolled out throughout the country in 2017-18.
The NAD would be operationalised by NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML)

and CDSL Ventures, Limited (CVL) two of the wholly owned subsidiaries of the
Depositories registered under Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Act, 1992.
Cabinet gives in-principle nod for strategic sale of PSUs

The cabinet gave in-principle approval to strategic stake sales in some state-owned companies
on the recommendations of the government think tank NITI Aayog.
The recommendations of the NITI Aayog with regard to both disinvestment and strategic
sale came up for consideration. In principle the Cabinet has approved the
recommendations with regard to some of the units.
The strategic sale will involve a management control transfer as the shareholding of the
government would come down to below 50 per cent.
Retired government employees identity cards to have national emblem

i. The pensioners identity cards given to retired employees would have national emblem as
the Home Ministry has cleared a proposal in this regard.
ii. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has been considering a proposal
of issuing identity cards to all the pensioners. It was decided that it would not be necessary to have
the State emblem on the identity cards given to retired employees.
UP removes age limit for widows, divorced women in govt jobs
i. Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav announced to remove upper age limit for widows and
divorced women who are all applying for government jobs.
ii. In general the maximum age limit for Non-Gazetted Posts is 28 years and for Gazetted Posts
upper age limit is 26 years
Union Home Minister lays the foundation stone of Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Institute of
Archaeology at Greater Noida
i. The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has laid the foundation stone of National Institute of
Archaeology at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh
ii. The Union government named the National Archaeology Institute in the name of Pandit Deen
Dayal Upadhyay is a tribute to the social reformer as the nation celebrates his 100th Birth
Anniversary .
Union Cabinet gives ex-post facto approval to IISER in Odisha
i. Union Cabinet given its ex-post facto approval on October 27, 2016 to formation of the Indian
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Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) at Berhampur in Odisha under the
Societies Registration Act, 1860.
ii. The cabinet approved setting up and operationalisation of the institute in a transit/temporary
campus from academic year 2016-17 for initial three years (2016-19), involving a cost of Rs
152.79 crore.
Government launches International Household Survey Network Toolkit
First Workshop on the use of IHSN Toolkit was inagurated by D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Minister for
Statistics and Programme Implementation in New Delhi.He also launched the new Website of the
Ministry.
International Household Survey Network (IHSN) toolkit :
i. IHSN Micro data Management Toolkit developed by the World Bank Data, Asian Development
Bank, ADP (Accelerated Data Program), OECD (Organisation of Economic Corporation and
Development & PARIS21
ii. It is consists of 3 components.
1.Metadata Editor Allows the user to add survey metadata and create the ddi.xml and as
Nesstar study document.
2.CD-ROM Builder Allows the user to generate HTML output from the study that can be
published on a CD or the Internet for dissemination.
3.NADA Search engine that allows the user to import the ddi.xml and search for variables and
view metadata.
Delhi Govt. to set up air treatment system to deal with air pollution in city
i. The Delhi government has announced a three-tier air treatment system to deal with rising air
pollution in city. It includes setting up of wind purification units, mist fountains and virtual chimney
at five major traffic intersections on trial basis. It was announced by Delhi Health Minister
Satyender Jain .
ii. Delhi government in collaboration with National Environmental Engineering Research
Institute and IIT (Bombay) would set up the entire system.
Centre sanctioned Rs.100 Cr fund for road development works in Vijayapura District
i. The Union Government has ratified a fund of Rs.100crore for various road development works
in Vijayapura District under Central Road Fund was announced by Union Minister for Drinking Water
and SanitationRamesh Jigajng.
ii. Mr.Jigajingi stated that the amount would be utilised for developingroads including long
pending Sindagi-Almol-Karadi 32 km MDR roadat a cost of Rs 35 crore,
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Arun Jaitley releases Rs 1,093 cr for restoration of infra in J&K
i. Finance minister Arun Jaitley released first instalment of special assistance of Rs 1,093.34
crore out of Rs.2000 crore to Jammu & Kashmir for repair and permanent restoration of
damaged public buildings such as such as schools, colleges, hospitals, bus stations under Prime
Minister Reconstruction Plan which was announced on November 7, 2015
ii. On October 27, 2016, union government approved one-time relaxation of Mission for
Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) cost norms for restoration of damaged
horticulture areas and development of horticulture in J & K
PLACES IN NEWS
Abhaneri Festival Began In Dausa
i. Abhaneri festival would be held at the Abhaneri village in Dausa district, Rajsthan to
promote rural tourism in the area for two days.
ii.The festival would witness artistes performing ShehnaiVaadan, puppet show, Behrupia,
Raavanhatha, among others at Chand Baori and Harshat Mata temple.
Shri Gadkari Launched Indian Bridge Management System
i. A major step was taken towards ensuring safety of bridges in the country, when the Minister
of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari formally launched the Indian
Bridge Management System (IBMS) in New Delhi.
ii. IBMS was developed to create an inventory of all bridges in the country and rate
theirstructural condition so that timely repair and rehabilitation work could be carried out
based on the criticality of the structure.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis declares Nagpur first digital district of India
i. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis declared Nagpur as the first digital district of India in
Mumbai. All 776 gram panchayats in Nagpur district have been digitally transformed.
ii. 29,000 gram panchayats across Maharashtra would be digitally transformed by December 2018.
iii. He also announced a campaign against illicit liquor.
iv. The state has added 169 new online services under the Right to Information Act, taking the total
number of services to 369.
Velrampet lake of Puducherry declared Open Defecation Free
i. Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi in the presence of Chief Minister V
Narayansamy declared Velrampet lake and surrounding area as open defecation free.
ii. According to an official statement, the lake was, tar roads laid in the area and fenced by the
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PWD(irrigation wing) earlier and was declared open defecation free under the Swatch Bharath
programme
Cabinet approved setting up of countrys first Medipark in TN
i. The Union Cabinet here approved mini Ratna public sector undertaking HLL Lifecare to sublease its land for setting up the countrys first medical devices manufacturing park.
ii. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval to M/s HLL
Lifecare Ltd, to sublease 330.10acres of government land at Chengalpattu,Tamil Nadu, to
setup a medical devices manufacturing park (Medipark) through a Special Purpose Vehicle.
Indias first diamond mineral block auctioned in MP
i. Madhya Pradeshs diamond mineral block had been auctioned. The block was believed to
have a precious stone deposit worth Rs 106 crore .This is the first diamond mineral block of the
country which has gone under the hammer.
ii. Hatupur Diamond mineral block was successfully auctioned at Panna district in the Madhya
Pradesh.
iii. Bansal Construction Works emerged as the preferred bidder by submitting the highest final price
offer after two rounds of competitive bidding. Three other companies- Rungta Mines Ltd,
Thriveni Earthmovers Ltd and Pushpanjali Tradevin Pvt Ltd were also in competition for the
block.
Five-day long Durga Puja festival began in Nagaland
i. The five-day long Durga Puja was celebrated by the Hindu community throughout the state
of Nagaland
ii. The Puja celebration began with Sasthi Puja, followed by Mahasaptami, Mahaashtami,
Mahanavami, and the Bijaya Dashami, when the celebration would culminate.
iii. It was followed by some rituals including unveiling the face of the deity. Durga Puja the
ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, is one of the most important festivals of India.
Fadnavis Launched International Arbitration Centre In Mumbai
i. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the Mumbai Centre
for International Arbitration (MCIA), spread over 7,000 square feet at Nariman Point in south
Mumbai.
ii. The Mumbai Centre is an integral part of the proposed International Financial Services
Centre (IFSC). It would have seven arbitration hearing rooms for the resolution of commercial
disputes.
iii. It is Indias first international arbitration centre, Khatriya.
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Indias youngest state Telangana gets 21 new districts
i. Telangana, carved out of Andhra Pradesh, came into existence on June 2, 2014 as the 29th
state of India with 10 districts.The state government carried out the biggest administrative
reform, creating 21 new districts.
ii. The total number of districts in the state went up to 31 from 10.
iii. The new districts are Siddipet, Jangaon, Jayashankar, Jagtial, Warangal (Rural), Yadadri,
Peddapally, Kamareddy, Sangareddy, Mancheriyal, Vikarabad, Rajanna, Asifabad, Suryapet,
Kothagudem, Nirmal, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool, Mahabubabad, Jogulamba and
Medchal/Malkajgiri.
iv. The other 10 districts are Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Mahabubnagar, Medak, Karimnagar,
Adilabad, Nizamabad, Warangal, Khammam and Nalgonda
Cabinet approves establishment of an Indian Institute of Management at Jammu
i.The Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of an Indian Institute of Management
school in Jammu among other approvals that were cleared. The announcement of the
establishment of an IIM in Jammu comes as part of PM Narendra Modis development package for
Jammu and Kashmir.
ii.The project will involve a cost of Rs.61.90 crore in temporary campus for the initial four years
from 2016 to 2020. The student strength intake for this year in the Post Graduate Diploma
Programme (PGDP) in Management is 54 which will progressively go up to accumulative student
strength of 120 in the 4th year.
National Seismic Programme(NSP) inaugurated in Odisha
i. Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the National Seismic
Programme(NSP) at Taranga in Baleswar district of Odisha.
ii. The NSP aimed to undertake a fresh appraisal in all sedimentary basins across India, especially
where no/scanty data is available, to have a better understanding of the hydrocarbon potential
of India.
Odisha celebrated Kumar Purnima festival
i. Celebrated on the last day of the Ashwin month, the Kumar Purnima festival is the occasion
to observe the birthday of Lord Kartikeswara, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
ii. It is a festival of rejoicing for the girls. All of them sing and dance. The songs are of special
nature. They also play a kind of game known as Puchi. They also indulge in other varieties of
country-games.
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Suresh Prabhu inaugurated and dedicated the Okha-Kanalus and Porbandar-Wansjaliya
Sections in Gujarat of Western Railways as Green Corridor Sections.
Suresh Prabhu inaugurated and dedicated to the nation the Okha-Kanalus and PorbandarWansjaliya Sections in Gujarat of Western Railways as Green Corridor Sections (Free from human
waste discharge from trains).
Tawang festival celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh.
i. Arunachal Pradesh is one of the land of tribes. The festivals here are abound with zest and life
based on aspects related to nature and agriculture. Dance is the soul of all the festivals here;
performed with pride and belief.
ii. Losar or The New Year festivalis the most important festival of Tawang District in
Arunachal Pradesh. The MonpaTribe celebrated this as the coming of a new year. The Monpas are
the major portion of the population in the Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh.
Sonpur becomes Indias first Happiness Junction
i. First Happiness Junction of India was inaugurated in Bihars Sonepur railway station of
the East Central Railway (ECR) by Sonepur Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Manoj Kumar
Aggarwal.
ii. Sonepur junction will have the several books and several entertainment tools for waiting
passengers.Besides with TV, journals and a kids zone are also will available.
iii. This facility would be extended in other stations of the division soon.
High Court banned sale of Whitener in Uttarakhand
i. The Uttarakhand High Court ordered a complete ban on the sale of whitener in the state
following the death of a teenager from sniffing an excess of it for a kick in the district.
ii. Taking on its own motion awareness of the death of the 14-year-old boy at Bhowali, about 10
km from Nainitaldue to sniffing excess whitener for a kick, the single bench of Justice Rajeev
Sharma directed the state government to put a complete ban on its sale.
iii. The high court also ordered that items such as Iodex and Feviquick should not be sold to
children below 18 years of age in view of prevalent abuse of these among teenagers.
Haryana to observe 2017 as Garib Kalyan Varsh
i. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced that the state government has decided to
observe 2017 as the GaribKalyanVarsh, with schemes to be spread next year for the poor.
ii. During the era of GaribKalyanVarsh, the government would lay confirm on welfare of poor
people and generating employment opportunities for the youth
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Himachal Pradesh declared Indias Second Open Defecation Free State
i. After Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh became Open Defecation Free (ODF) state said by Chief
minister Virbhadra Singh on October 29, 2016
ii. The hill state of Himachal has become the first large state has successfully achieved a total
rural sanitation coverage of 100 per cent in the state in its all 12 districts.
iii. Virbhadra Singh also wished to launch a joint programme with the state to mitigate water borne
diseases in near future.
Haryana to implement 7th pay commission from January 1
i. Haryana become the first state to give the benefit of 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) to its
employees with effect from January 1, 2017 said by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
ii. After Haryana, Odisha Government announces to implement recommendations of 7th Pay
Commission for its employees from January next year
Railway Minister launches a new train service between Anand Vihar to Ballia in Uttar
Pradesh
i. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched a new weekly superfast train services
between Ballia and Anand Vihar through through video-conferencing in New Delhi
ii. It will cover 887 km in about 16 hours.The train will leave from Anand Vihar every Saturday,
and from Ballia every Sunday.
Indias first Design Yatra launched by the Institute of Indian Interior Designer(IIID) in
Kerala
i. Aim: To spread awareness and take designs to the masses, Indias first Design Yatra,launched
by the Institute of Indian Interior Designers(IIID)
ii. This yatra Launched on February 20 this year, the yatra will travel to 29 cities across the
country by February 2017, covering 15,000 kms in three cars.
iii. It will be in Kozhikode for three days. Competitions, heritage walk, talks and interaction with
students have been organised between October 29 and 31.
50th Anniversary of Establishment of High Court of Delhi
i. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the function to mark the 50th anniversary of the
establishment of the High Court of Delhi. The theme of the Golden Jubilee Celeberations has
been fixed as Justice for all
ii. Narendra Modi appealed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels birth anniversary by stating Sardar gave the
direction to a huge movement. He added that the country bows in front him for his contributions.
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Pakistan postponed Saarc summit, new dates to be announced soon
i. Pakistan postponed the SAARC Summit to be held here next month after India along with
four other member states of the regional grouping decided against attending the meet.
ii. In the wake of September 18 terrorist attack in Uri town of Jammu and Kahsmir, India
decided not to participate in the Summit, which was followed by the boycott of Afghanistan,
Bhutan, Bangaladesh and Sri Lanka too expressed its reservations.
India formally joined the Paris Climate Change Agreement
India formally joined the Paris Climate Change Agreement. It is been done by submitting
its instrument of ratification at UN headquarters in New York on the birth anniversary
of Mahatma Gandhi.
EU ministers approve ratification of Paris climate Agreement :
European Union ministers approved the ratification of the Paris Agreement at a historic meeting of
the Environment Council in Brussels .
The 28 EU member nations together account for close to 12 per cent of global
greenhouse gas emissions
Indias Desire :
India accounts for about 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.The Paris agreement will come
into force when 55 countries contributing to at least 55% of total global emissions ratify
the deal. So far, 61 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance
or approval, accounting for 47.8% of global emissions, an Indian government statement said.
The Paris agreement was adopted by 185 nations in December. It asks both rich and poor
countries to take action to curb the rise in global temperatures that is melting
glaciers, raising sea levels and shifting rainfall patterns. It requires governments to present
national plans to reduce emissions to limit global temperature rise to well below 2C (3.6F).
India has committed that by 2030, at least 40% of its electricity will be generated from
non-fossil sources. This includes 175GW renewable energy capacity by 2022.
It is noted tat earlier this month, the US and China had formally joined the Paris agreement,
which was adopted by 195 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
last December in Paris.
Colombian voters rejected FARC peace plan in a referendum
i. Colombian voters appeared to have shocked their government by blasting away its hopes for
a historic peace deal with communist FARC rebels near-complete referendum results showed.
ii. With votes more than 99 per cent of vote polling stations counted, 50.2 per cent opposed the
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accord while 49.8 per cent supported it a difference of less than 63000 votes out of 13 million
ballots.
Chinas Yuan Just Joined An Elite Club Of International Monetary Fund Reserve
Currencies
i. Chinas yuan joined the International Monetary Funds basket of reserve currencies in a
significant event for the governments campaign for recognition as a global economic power.
ii. The yuan joined the dollar, euro, yen and pound in the IMFs special drawing rights(SDR)
basket, which determined currencies that countries could receive as part of IMF loans.
France became first country to ban plastic cups and plates
i. With the passage of a new law, which was aimed at combating climate change, Francehas
become the first country in the world to completely ban disposable plastic cups,
plates and other utensils.
ii. By 2020, all single-use cutleries would have to be made out of biologically-sourced materials
that could be composted, under a recently enacted French law. This plastic ban was reportedly
hidden away in a bill that passed in summer 2015 but came into effect last month.
India is a long way away from Jaish chief Azhar being designated a terrorist
i. India protested against the blocking of its latest bid to have Jaish-i-Muhammad chief Masood
Azhar put on a United Nations terror blacklist following a deadly attack on an Indian air force
base.
ii. New Delhi wanted to get Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)chief Mohamad Masood Azhar Alvi designated
a terrorist under the United Nations Sanctions Committee but has a long path of persuasion ahead
to get the support of veto-wielding Beijing, Pakistans all-weather ally.
US lifted economic sanctions on Myanmar
i. President Barack Obama had lifted US economic sanctions on Myanmar, terminating
an emergency order that deemed the policies of the former military government a threat to US
national security.
ii. The official declaration followed the announcement made after US President Barack Obama met
the former isolated countrys leader Aung San Suu Kyiduringher visit to Washington. Restrictions
on Myanmars military visas continue to remain in force as Washington is still suspicious of
the military juntas involvement in politics
Moroccos Islamic PJD party won parliamentary polls
i. The moderate Islamist Party of Justice and Development had won Moroccos national
elections, despite frustration with its handling of the economy in its five years leading the
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government and a challenge from a party close to the royal palace.
ii. PJD, which had been running a coalition government since 2011, won 125 seats, while the
opposition Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) came second, with 102 seats.
Russia & Turkey agreed to intensify military, intelligence contacts
i. The Russian and Turkish leaders had agreed to intensify military and intelligence
contacts after a meeting in Istanbul.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian
President Vladimir Putin assented on the need for aid to get to the northern Syrian city of
Aleppo.
ii. The two countries also had signed a deal to construct two Turk Stream gas pipelines to
send Russian gas under the Black Sea to Turkey.This project was announced by Putin during a
December 2014 visit to Turkey.
The word Aiyoh is now in the Oxford English Dictionary
i. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has now included Aiyoh and Aiyah in its latest
addition this September.
ii. The OED does four updates every year.
iii. Like many Indian words, this one is loaded and can mean many things depending on context
and tone irritation, disgust, surprise, dismay, pain, lament, disappointment, with aiyah
and aiyoh being interchangeable.
China rapped US interventions in Asia at regional forum
i. Beijing rapped Washington for its interventions in Asia, as tensions grow between the two
powers over territorial disputes in the South China Sea and to handle increasingly erraticNorth
Korea.
ii. Speaking at the 7th annual Xiangshan regional defence forum in Beijing, Chang Wanguan,
Chinas defence minister, levied thinly veiled criticism at recent US involvement in Asias trouble
spots.
iii. Theme: building a new type of international relations
Israel Suspends UNESCO Cooperation Over Jerusalem Draft
i. Israel suspended cooperation with the UNESCO, a day after the U.N. cultural agency adopted a
draft resolution on the Temple Mount and Western Wall.
ii. As per the document posted on UNESCOs website, the holy sites will be referred to by their
Arabic name, Haram esh-Sharif, while the Hebrew terms will only appear in quotation marks in
UN references.
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Maldives exit from Commonwealth Weeks After Democracy Warning
i. The Maldives announced that it would leave the Commonwealth, weeks after the organisation
warned it could be suspended because of its lack of progress in promoting therule of law and
democracy.
ii .The Indian Ocean archipelago has been involved in political unrest since Mohamed Nasheed,
its first democratically elected leader, was removed in disputed circumstances in 2012.
Brazil opens Latin Americas 1st elephant sanctuary
i. Brazil has opened the first sanctuary with Guida and Maia in in the central Brazilian state
of Mato Grosso for elephants to provide a home for an estimated 50 circus animals from across
the region.The first phase of the project will host up to six animals.
ii. Guida and Maia elephants are thought to have come from Thailand, where they were illegally
taken to be used in circus.
iii. The sanctuary was founded by the US-based non-profit organization Global Sanctuary for
Elephants.It bought the land of 2,800 acres, for $1m (820,000) to be paid over five years.
BIMSTEC Leaders Retreated 2016 Outcome commitment to combat terrorism in all its
forms
The BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation) countries have expressed commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations.
In this regard, seven nations of BIMSTEC countries have issues Leaders Retreat Outcome
Document emphasising that there can be no justification for acts of terror.
Emir of Kuwait dissolved parliament
i. Kuwaits Emir Sabah bin Ahmed al-Sabah announced the dissolution of parliament and early
elections on Nov. 26. This came hours after an appearance on Al-Rai Television by parliament
speaker Marzouk al-Ghanim calling for such elections to take place
ii. The moves follow disputes between MPs and the government over fuel price increases in the oilrich country.As oil prices around the world stay low, Kuwaits government has cut some
benefits including fuel subsidies, hiking the cost of petrol by up to 80%. This led to growing
dissent.
India, Algeria reiterated their resolve to fight against terrorism
i. India and Algeria have reiterated their resolve to fight against the terrorism which has become a
serious threat to global peace and security.
ii. During the separate meetings with President of the National Peoples Assembly MohamedLarbi
Ould Khalifa and President of Council of Nation Abdelkader Bensalah in Algiers.
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iii. The two countries discussed wide ranging issues to promote cooperation in several sectors
including Hydro-carbon, Phosphates, automobile parts, agricultural and industrial
machinery, pharmaceuticals.
Saudi Prince executed for murdering a compatriot
i. A Saudi Arabian Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabir was executed in October 2016 for shooting a
man, Adel al-Mohaimeed, dead. He Prince shot the man during a noisy fight three years ago in
the capital Riyadh.
ii. As per a report, he became the 134th person to be put to death in 2016. This incident is a rare
example where a royal family member was executed after being subjected to the death penalty
Pakistan to enforce complete ban on Indian TV, radio contents from 21 October
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) decided to enforce a complete ban on
Indian TV and radio contents from October 21, 2016.The ban extends to all Indian content on
cable and radio being aired in Pakistan.
Pakistan warned India against breaching Indus Water Treaty
i. Pakistan warned appropriate action if India violated the Indus Water Treaty and it was closely
monitoring the situation, amid reports that New Delhi might revisit the key water sharing accord.
ii. Appropriate action would be taken in line with the Treaty in case of any violation by India was
announced by Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria the weekly briefing.
Bangladesh, China agreed to elevate their ties to strategic partnership
i. Chinese President Xi Jinping talked with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during his
visit to the nation and the two leaders agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic partnership of
cooperation.
ii. China highly values its friendly cooperative ties with Bangladesh and will continue to offer
support within its capacity for the economic and social development of the South Asian country,
Xinhua news agency quoted Xi as saying.
iii.They have agreed to enhance the alignment of the development strategies of the two countries,
fully tap the potentials of cooperation in various areas, work on the Belt and Road Initiative so
as to realize sustainable development and common prosperity of the two countries
Iraqs parliament passes law banning alcohol
i. Iraqs Parliament passes law to ban the sale, import and production of alcohol in the
country under Article 14. It was also passed by MPs in Baghdad. It was announced by a veteran
Christian MP, Yonadam Kanna .
ii. The law is justified by the Constitution, which prohibits any law contradicting Islam.
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iii. Every violation of this law incurs a fine of 10 million to 25 million dinars [roughly $8,000 to
$20,000].
Kyrgyzstan govt resigned after coalition collapse
i. The government of Kyrgyzstan resigned after the presidents party quit the ruling coalition,
inducing fears the Central Asian country could plunge into instability.
ii. President Almazbek Atambayev signed an order on his governments resignation, the
presidents website announced. The governments resignation was due to the collapse of the
coalition of the parliamentary majority.
Gambia is latest African nation to quit international criminal court
i. Gambia has announced that it will withdraw from the International Criminal Court, the third
African country to declare its departure
ii. The announcement came after similar decisions this month by South Africa and Burundi.
Tagore Memorial Library Resource Centre inaugurated in Horana Sri Palee College, Sri
Lanka
i. Mr. Y.K. Sinha, High Commissioner of India inaugurated the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial
Library and Resource Centre in Sri Palee College at Horana in Sri Lanka on October 28, 2016.
ii. It is renovated by the Government of India at a total cost of SLR 38 million. It has also built an
audio-visual lab, improved the external landscape and built approach roads inside the school
premises.
UN voted to launch talks on nuclear weapons ban
i. A UN General Assembly committee voted to launch negotiations on a new treaty banning
nuclear weapons despite strong opposition from the worlds nuclear powers.
ii. A declaration presented by Austria, Ireland, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa and Brazilwas
adopted by a vote of 123 to 38, with 16 abstentions following weeks of lobbying by the nuclear
powers for no votes.
iii. Four of the five UN Security Council nuclear powers Britain, France, Russia and the United
States voted against the declaration while China abstained, as did India and Pakistan.
iv. Japan, which has long campaigned against the use of nuclear weapons, voted against it, as did
South Korea, which is facing a nuclear threat from North Korea.
United Nations commemorated Diwali for the first time
i. Diwali was respected for the first time at the United Nations, with the world bodys imposing
headquarters here lit up especially on the occasion of the Indian festival of lights.
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ii. Indias Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted and thanked General Assembly
President Peter Thomson for the initiative.
FOREIGN VISITS
Vice President Hamid Ansaris five-day tour of Nigeria and Mali
Vice President Hamid Ansari had a five-day tour of Nigeria and Mali in order to further strengthen
Indias bilateral engagements with these two West African nations.
Aim of the visit :
To boosting the relationship between the two countries and explore new areas of cooperation to
expand and diversify bilateral relationship.
Nigeria Visit 26-29, 2016 :
Vice President Hamid Ansari arrived in this Nigerian capital on the first leg of his five-day, twonation tour which will also take him to the another West African country Mali.
India is Nigerias biggest partner in trade in Africa. It is also a major supplier of energy.
New areas of cooperation were identified renewable energy, solar alliance,

agriculture, manufacturing, health and science and technology with particular
interest shown in our space programme.
In capital Abuja, he held talks with President Muhammadu Buhari and his counterpart
Yemi Osinbajo, addressed members of the Nigerian and Indian industry and also the
Indian community besides delivering a speech at the National College of Defence.
Ansari lauded the role of Indians, particularly teachers and doctors, saying they
have been contributing immensely to the national developmental work.
Over 100 Indian companies have made Nigeria their base to operate inWest Africa,
employing the largest number of Nigerians after the Federal Government, and covering
diverse sectors of the economy.
It is estimated that the Indian investments have exceeded USD 10 billion so far, and
another USD 5 billion are committed. Indian investments are in diverse sectors such as
communications, power, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, automotive sector and oil, among
others.
Mali Visit 29-30 September 2016 :

After Nigeria, Mr. Ansari then went to Mali, the first high-level visit by any Indian leader.
In Malian capital Bamako, he addressed the National Assembly, Parliament of Mali, and met
President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Prime Minister Modibo Keita, CEOs of Indian origin and Indian
companies and also Indians posted in the West African country under United Nations Mission.
The two leaders also witnessed the signing of agreements in the field of standards and
for expanding cultural exchanges and cooperation.
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He also participated in the Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque with the prime minister
and hundreds of other devout. Two MoUs were also signed between India and Mali, one on
standards and the other on cultural exchange.
Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong visit to India An Overview

Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong arrived in India for a five day visit(October 3 to
October 7) aimed at deepening bilateral ties in a range of areas including trade and investment.
His Visit to India :
The Singaporean Prime Minister was accompanied by his wife Ho Ching, a number of key Ministers
and senior officials.
During the visit, he was hosted for lunch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two
leaders hold bilateral talks to explore ways to bolster ties between the two countries.
Both leaders witnessed the exchange of an MOU on cooperation in industrial

property between the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and
Singapores Intellectual Property Office.
Besides that, two more MOUs will be exchanged on cooperation on

1. Establishment of a North East Skills Centre in Assam between the Assam Government and
the Institute of Technical Education Education Services, and
2. Cooperation in skills development between the National Skill Development Corporation
and Singapores Institute of Technical Education Education Services.
Both shared their know-how with them as goodwill and it is a base from which we can talk about
other things, other areas of cooperation in tourism, projects, investments, hotels.
Investors in Singapore may also be hit if India amends its 2006 tax treaty with
the Republic so investors will no longer be able to avoid capital gains tax.
Indias review of its tax treaty with Mauritius to end round-tripping of black money
(illegally undeclared income) from India in May this year spurred worries that it would be
making similar changes to its agreement with Singapore.
MoUs were signed in the field of industrial property cooperation and skill development
India and Singapore signed three agreements, including two in the area of skill development,
following delegation-level talks headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore PM Lee
Hsien Loong.
One memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Singapores Institute of

Technical Education (ITE) Education Services (ITEES) and Indias National Skill
Development Corporation on collaboration in technical and vocational education and
training.
Another MoU was signed between the Assam government and ITEES Singapore also on
collaboration in technical and vocational education and training.
A third MoU was signed in the field of industrial property cooperation.
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Aung San Suu Kyi to embark on three day-visit to India
In her first visit after becoming State Counsellor, Myanmarese leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
arrived in India on October 16 on a four-day trip during which she attended BRICS-BIMSTEC
Outreach Summit in Goa and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra on key bilateral and regional
issues.
About her Visit,
India and Myanmar have agreed for close security coordination in border areas keeping in view the
sensitivity of each others strategic interests.
The two countries also agreed to enhance engagement in several areas including
agriculture, power, and renewable energy and the two sides will also work to develop
a mutually beneficial arrangement for trade in pulses.
As a part of efforts to improve ties between India and Myanmar, the two countries signed
3 MoUs in the presence of Narendra Modi and Aung San Suu Kyi.
India and Myanmar signed three MoUs for cooperation in insurance, power and
banking sectors
The MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Myanmar
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi after the delegation-level talks.
MoU between Financial Regulatory Department of Myanmar and Insurance Institute of India
for designing an academic and professional building programme for insurance industry of
Myanmar.
MoU on Cooperation in the field of Power Sector.
MoU on Banking Supervision between RBI and Central Bank of Myanmar.
Vice President Hamid Ansari five-day visit to Hungary, Algeria

Vice President Hamid Ansari was on a five-day visit to Hungary and Algeria, where he raised the
matter of cross-border terrorism and a host of other bilateral issues.
About the Visit :
The Vice-President had wide-ranging interaction sessions with government leaders and others in
both Budapest and Algiers.
During his discussions with Hungarys President Janos Ader, Prime Minister Viktor Orban
and other top leadership, both the countries sought a strong global legal framework
and sustained global action to deal with the threat.
India and Hungary also signed two MoUs, including one on water management, during
the three-day trip to the central European country.
Ansari will hold discussions with Presidents of Hungary and Algeria, Prime Minister of
Hungary and Speakers of national assembly.
During his two-day visit to Algeria, Ansari had wide ranging discussions with Algerias President
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal and Foreign Minister Ramtane
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Lamamra and stressed on taking the India-Algeria ties to a new level and how to rejuvenate the
bilateral relations.
Ansari also met President of Algerian National Peoples Assembly Mohamed Larbi Ould
Khelifa and President of Council of Nations Abdelkader Bensalah and discussed with
them various issues concerning both the countries.
Other issues like anti-terror cooperation between India and Algeria also figured in the
meetings the Vice President had with the Algerian leadership.
India is keen to join hands with Algeria to explore the possibility of setting up a multibillion dollar fertiliser project, bearing in mind the phosphatic reserve available in this
North African country which is estimated to be more than 5 billion tones.
The Vice-President and the accompanying delegation, including Minister of State for
Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh L Mandavia, have a busy agenda during the threeday visit.
More substantive business, including meetings with Algerian President (since 1999)
Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, awaited Mr. Ansari.
Given Algerias substantial oil and gas and also phosphate deposits, India expects to work with the
country to add significant fertilizer capacity.
New Zealand PM John Key visit to India An Overview
At the invitation of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, John Key, Prime Minister of New
Zealand, undertook a state visit to India from 25-27 October, 2016.
New Zealand PM to hold talks with PM Modi; NSG issue likely to figure in discussion
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New
Delhi and both leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen the bilateral relations.
Indias entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is among the gamut of issues that are
expected to figure during the meeting.
John Key, accompanied by a high-level business and education delegation, arrived in the
national capital The visit was delayed after his plane broke down en route in the north of
Australia.
India, New Zealand ink three agreements including avoidance of double taxation
India and New Zealand have signed three agreements in the areas of double taxation avoidance,
food security and sports.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
his New Zealand counterpart John Key after the delegation-level talks.
Terrorism remains one of the greatest challenges to global peace and security and nations
who believe in humanity need to coordinate actions. The two sides agreed to strengthen
the security and intelligence cooperation against terrorism and radicalization.
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An MoU was signed between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
of India andSport New Zealand on cooperation in the field of youth affairs and
sports.
India, New Zealand agree to strengthen security, intelligence cooperation against terror
India and New Zealand agreed to strengthen ties in key areas of trade, defence and security
during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Before raising the issue of terrorism, Modi and Key discussed investment and trade ties
between the two countries. They recognised the need for greater economic engagement
in order to effectively respond to the growing uncertainties in global economy.
The two Prime Ministers agreed to enhance cooperation, bilaterally as well as in the
framework of UN and especially in 1267 Committee, to combat the full spectrum of
terrorist threats in all their forms and manifestations.
Rajanath Singh 3 days visit to Bahrain

i. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has announced that India and Bahrain, both the
countries, are vulnerable to the sufferings of terrorism during his bilateral meeting with Interior
Minister of Bahrain Lt. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa in capital Manama.
ii. On the first day of his visit, he met with the Indian community at Indian School Bahrain, Isa
Town.
iii. During the visit, he met King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, HRH Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman
Al Khalifa and Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa and
discussed with them various bilateral issues.
Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe 3 Day visit to India
i. Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would arrive in New Delhi for a three-day
visit to India.During his stay, he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss issues of
mutual interest. The visiting dignitary would also call on President Pranab Mukherjee.
ii. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lanka Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe haddecided
to conclude an enhanced bilateral economic partnership by the end of this year to allow
the free flow of services, investments and technology, in addition to the existing Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) between the two nations.
iv. Sri Lanka and the five southern States, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and TamilNadu,
together have a population of 272 million people and a combined gross domestic product of over
$500 billion.
FM Arun Jaitley embarks on 7-day official visit to Canada,US
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley embark a 7-day official(October 3 to October 10) visit to Canada and
the US to attend the annual meetings of World Bank and IMF and hold talks with global investors.
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He is accompanied by Dr. Urijit Patel, Governor RBI, Mr. Shaktikanta Das, Secretary Economic
Affairs, Dr. Arvind Subramanian, Chief Economic Advisor and other officials
FM Arun Jaitley arrived in Canada on three-day official visit
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley arrived here on a three-day visit during which he reviewed progress
made in trade ties with Canada, including in the proposed comprehensive economic
partnership agreement. Mr.Jaitley arrived in Toronto on the first leg of his 7-day official
visit that would also take him to the United States.
In Canada, he met top official and review progress made in the

proposedComprehensive Economic partnership agreement (CEPA) and Foreign
Investment and Protection Agreement (FIPA).
Mr.Jaitley would also hold meeting with foreign investors.During his US visit, Jaitley would
attend the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Commerce and Trade Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was in Canada last week and had
announced that the both countries were committed to deepen bilateral economic ties
FM Arun Jaitley arrived in USA on four-day official visit

The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley arrived in Washington, D.C., USA after a successful
visit to Canada.
2016 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings
Arun Jaitley along with Shri Shaktikanta Das, Secretary (EA) participated in the 2016 IMF-World
Bank Annual Meetings Plenary on October 7, 2016 at the historic DAR Constitution Hall, Washington
DC.
Jaitley highlighted the various steps like leveraging digital IDs (Aadhar), expanding access
networks (PM Jan-DhanYojana) and digitizing financial benefit transfers (including
Insurance and Pension schemes), taken by the Government of India
He also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Sri Lanka, China,and
Iran.The discussions focused on the areas of mutual co-operation and commonality of
positions in various multilateral fora.
He held a meeting with the World Bank Group President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, where he
acknowledged the long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship between the World
Bank Group and India
He has said that 80% of the 240 million new accounts opened under the Pradhan
Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana are now functional with cash balances.
Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley chaired the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting
Jaitley, who is on an official visit to the US, chaired the Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting
at the IMF headquarters.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley discussed international taxation issues in the backdrop of
the Panama papers leak with Commonwealth Finance Ministers to devise acommon
strategy.
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During this meeting the Standard Chartered Bank and Bank of Baroda signed an MoU on
Commonwealth Small States Trade Finance Facility. The Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley also
chaired the Governing Council Meeting of the BRICS Contingent Reserve
Arrangement (CRA). While addressing the gathering, the FM announced that the CRA was
now operational.
BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement operational

BRICS contingent reserve arrangement (CRA) is now operational in India to deal with anyshortterm balance of payments pressures the groupings member nations face.
About Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA):
CRA was established in 2015 by BRICS member nations Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa .
It is a framework for the provision of support through liquidity and precautionary

instruments in response to actual or potential short-term balance of payments pressures.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES

8th BRICS Summit held in Goa
The 2016 BRICS summit is the eighth annual BRICS summit, an international relations
conference attended by the heads of country or heads of government of the five member
countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The summit held from 15 to 16 October 2016 at the Taj Exotica hotel
in Benaulim, Goa, India. India will hold the chair of the BRICS from February 2016 to
December 2016.
PM Modi to inaugurate war memorial in Bhopal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bhopal , where he inaugurated the newly built war
memorial- Shaurya Samarakand address a meeting of ex-servicemen at Lal Pared ground.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the Army would never forgive the country if it
was found sleeping when it should be awake, in comments that come against
the backdrop of the recent surgical strikes.
He asserted that the Army did not believe in speaking but in displaying its valour.The Shaurya
Samarak is an imaginative and colourful presentation of valour of Indian forces and a
tribute to the martyrs.
Samarak covers 13 acres of ground and cost Rs.41 crore. It symbolises the various stages
of life, war, death and victory. The bravery and glory of soldiers is celebrated in the Shaurya
gallery display and Indias gratitude is represented by the Shaurya Stambh.
Click Here to Download 2016 BRICS Summit & Its Various Meeting PDF
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BRICS nations adopted the Goa declaration :
The BRICS Summit 2016 adopted the Goa Declaration which unanimously hit out at the growing
threat of terrorism, among other issues. India was the host nation of the 8th Summit and the 9th
will be organised by China
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed that they had adopted the Goa Declaration that
laid down a comprehensive vision for our cooperation. Combating terrorism, including
cross border terrorism, and its supportersw ould be a BRICS priority. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi added that the most serious direct threat to regional security was
terrorism, whose mothership was a country in Indias neighbourhood
We agreed that those who nurture, shelter, support and sponsor forces of violence and
terror are as much a threat to us as terrorists themselves. We were unanimous in
recognising the threat that terrorism, extremism and radicalisation presents
We welcome the early entry into force of the Paris Climate agreement, India was proud
to sign it on 2nd October this year. India and Russia signed a total of 17
agreements/MoUs during the meeting.
In order to further bridge the gap in the global financial architecture, we agreed to fast
track the setting up of a BRICS Rating Agency.
BRICS-BIMSTEC Summit :
The first ever BRICS-BIMSTEC outreach summit held in Goa under the chairmanship of Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
BRICS Education Summit held in New Delhi
The 4th Meeting of BRICS Education Ministers Conference held in New Delhi to promote
education cooperation and people to people exchanges among the BRICS countries.
New Delhi Declaration on Education :
i. New Delhi Declaration on Education adopted by the BRICS in the BRICS Education Summit
to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning
opportunities for all and the Education 2030 Framework for Action.
ii. It would initiate actions to formulate country-specific targets within the broader scope of
the SDG4 and corresponding targets.
4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting held at Jaipur
i. 4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was held atJaipur,
Rajasthan on 8 October, 2016 to strengthen the collaboration amongst the BRICS countries in the
areas of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
ii. Theme Building, Responsive Inclusive and Collective Solutions
iii. The meeting was chaired by the Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr.
Harsh Vardhan. The Vice Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation of Brazil, Mr. lvaro
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Toubes Prata, Deputy Minister of Federation of Russia, Mr. Alexey Lopatia, Vice Minister of S&T of
Peoples Republic of China, H.E.Mr. Jiang Hua, Minister of Science and Technology of South Africa
H.E. Madam Naledi Pandor led their respective country delegations.
iv. The Jaipur Declaration was adopted by all the BRICS countries. The member countries
resolved to intensify, diversify and institutionalize STI cooperation through the BRICS research &
innovation initiative.
Other related events :
India hosted the 1st BRICS Young Scientists Conclave at Bengaluru and Hampi last week.
First BRICS Trade Fair & Exhibition began in New Delhi
The first BRICS Trade Fair and Exhibition began in New Delhi, ahead of the BRICS
About Trade Fair :
The three-day fair was held at Pragati Maidan. According to organisers, the fair has attracted
more than 600 exhibitors. While there are several sectors of interest to BRICS countries that will be
represented at the trade fair, the focus will be to showcase some of the best technologies available
across BRICS nations to address BRICS countries main development challenges.
The trade fair will also focus on Start-ups, to bring together young entrepreneurs from
across BRICS nations on this platform. It is showcasing about 20 key sectors. These
include aerospace, agro-processing, auto and auto components,healthcare and
pharmaceuticals, railways, infrastructure, tourism, gems and jewellery and skill
development.
2nd Meeting of Heads of Export Credit Agencies(ECAs) of BRICS held in New Delhi
The 2nd Meeting of Heads of Export Credit Agencies of BRICS (BRICS ECAs) was held at New
Delhi , as part of a series of events being organised under the chairmanship of India
of BRICS Forum.
BRICS ECAs Meet :
The meeting was part of series of events being organised under the Chairmanship of India of BRICS
Forum. It was organized parallel with meetings of BRICS Trade Ministers. The meeting was
hosted by ECGC Limited, a premier Export Credit Agency of India.
Members of the BRICS ECAs Forum are also the members of the International Union of
Export Credit and Investment Insurers, London (U.K.) which is also known as Berne
Union. BRICS ECAs are actively involved in facilitating cross-border trade by
supporting export credits and foreign investments.
BRICS countries had a share of around 22 percentage of World Trade with a Total Exports
of about USD 3.5 trillion in 2015. BRICS ECAs supported more than USD 473 billion of
exports from the Member countries.Members exchanged notes about various credit
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insurance products, business sectors and major destinations covered by the
group. Members also discussed business trends and the rising defaults and claims in the
light of heightened political and economic risk.
The highlight of the meeting was an interactive session with Mr Xian Zhu, Vice President
and COO, New Development Bank (NDB). BRICS ECAs initiated discussion on
working in close co-operation with NDB to promote intra-BRICS trade and to
support projects by BRICS exporters. ECGC updated members about the upcoming
Technical Workshop which is being organized under Indias BRICS Chairmanship.
The Terms of Reference for co-operation finalized in the last BRICS heads of ECAs
meeting held at Russia were signed by the CEOs of BRICS ECAS.
It is noted that the next BRICS Heads of ECAs meeting will be hosted by SINOSURE,
China under the chairmanship of China.
Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the 5th International Buddhist Conclave in Varanasi-Sarnath

Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma inaugurated the 5th International Buddhist
Conclave in Varanasi-Sarnath.
About International Buddhist Conclave :
With a view to showcase and project the Buddhist heritage and pilgrim sites of India, the Ministry of
Tourism is organising the 5th International Buddhist Conclave (from October 2 to 6) in
collaboration with the State Governments of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Tourism Ministry is organizing the fifth edition of the conclave with a view to showcase
Buddhist heritage and pilgrimage sites in the country to attract tourists from
overseas country.
Over 285 participants from 39 counties are participating in the fifth edition of the event.
2016 International Buddhist Conclave is very special as ASEAN is a Guest of Honor

partner and a large participation is expected from ASEAN Countries which are also
major source markets for India in general and the Buddhist Heritage sites in particular.
It is noted that India, the birthplace of Buddhism, has a very rich Buddhist Heritage
with several important sites associated with the life ofBuddha which are
essential pilgrimage centres for followers of the religion the world over.
International conference on voter education Held in New Delhi

The Election Commission of India hold the first ever International Conference on Voter Education in
New Delhi. The topic of the Conference is Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed and Ethical
Participation.
About the International Conference,
The Conference was organized with an aim to share best practices, policies and initiatives of voter
education by election management bodies. 27 countries and 5 international organizations are
participating in the three day event which begin from October 19, 2016.
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The Conference also aims at achieving a resolution to strengthen inclusive, informed and
ethical electoral participation among member countries with the help of voter education
and outreach.
This conference represents nearly 40% of the worlds population under a single
roof, bears the testimony to the importance of the conference on the world stage.
Giving the motto of No Voter to be Left Behind, the focus of the two-day conference
will be on people. Deliberations would be held in great detail so as to adopt best practices
across the world to ensure Voter Education and maximum Electoral Participation of the
People.
It is noted that Dr. Zaidi was delivering the keynote address after inaugurating the first
Global Conference on Voter Education titledVoter Education for Inclusive, Informed
and Ethical Participation.
Electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail(VVPAT)were
demonstrated for the delegates at their request. Voter education material developed by ECI and
other reports, including Braille brochures, are also on display at the exhibition.
Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first edition of World Sustainable Development
Summit (WSDS) in New Delhi
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the first edition of World Sustainable Development
Summit (WSDS) in New Delhi on October 6, 2016. It is organised by TERI with emphasis on the
need to limit the rise of climate change.
Theme: Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress
WSDS was earlier called as Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS),The first DSDS
was organised in 2005.
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling was conferred with the Sustainable
Development Leadership Award by President Pranab Mukherjee in recognition of his leadership
in making the northeastern state the first and only organic state in the country.
India to host first AMCDRR after Sendai Framework
i. In order to minimise the risk of loss of life and damage to property during natural calamity
like earthquake, tsunami and floods, India would be hosting going to host the Asian
Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) next month in collaboration with
the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
ii. This is the first AMCDRR after the advent of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction (SFDRRR), adopted at the third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan in March, 2015.
It would set the direction of Sendai Framework implementation in the region.
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2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) India Economic Summit held in New Delhi
The India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF) was held in partnership with the
Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi, will provide a strategic platform for the WEFs global
multi-stakeholder community to discuss and debate the theme Fostering an Inclusive India through
Digital Transformation.
About India Economic Summit :
The summit will address key issues of national and regional importance under three thematic
pillars: Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Driving Sustainable and Equitable
Growth and, Improving the Ease of Doing Business.
The world economy is a matrix of divergent growth patterns, where different economies
are growing at different paces. The two-speed economic growth theory that was followed
for at least two decades before the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008-09 has, over
the last five years, given way to divergent growth paths in both the advanced
and emerging economies.
The opening plenary session is aptly titled Indias Inflection Point. With a strong
demographic dividend, a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and a large domestic
market, the time is right for Indias economy to soar.
The closing plenary session is called Indias Take-Off and will examine how India can
translate its potential into action and impact, and take off from here.
More than 600 participants from business, public sector, science, arts, civil
society, media and international organizations spanning 30 countries are
participating.
India will be represented by key public figures including Union ministers Jayant Sinha,
Nirmala Sitharaman, Nitin Gadkari, Smriti Irani and Suresh Prabhu.
20th ASEAN Regional Forum Heads of Defence Universities / Colleges / Institutions

Meet held in New Delhi
i. The 20th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Heads of Defence Universities / Colleges /
Institutions Meet (HDUCIM) held in New Delhi.The meeting was hosted by the National Defence
College (NDC), New Delhi under the aegis of Ministry of Defence.
ii. The meeting was end with a clear commitment to contribute towards promotion and
maintenance of peace and prosperity in the region and the world at large through collective efforts
to counter non-conventional threats and violent terrorism in the South East Asia Region.
iii. The next ARF meet to be held in Manila in 2017.
Fourth meeting of Indo-Czech joint working group at Brno
i. A high level delegation of Indian officials and industry leaders led by Secretary in the Department
of Heavy Industry, Mr Girish Shankar with Czech Republic officials attended the 4th meeting
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of Indo-Czech joint working group at Brno, Czech Republic
ii. Objective : To encourage foreign investors, particularly in the areas of high technology,
including Capital goods & Engineering, under the governments flagship, Make in India
programme.
iii. This meeting to coincide with MSV Brno Fair between October 3-6, 2016 wherein a review of
the progress in bilateral ties was taken up and a roadmap for future cooperation was finalised.
iv. This is evident from the trade figures. Of the total Indian exports to Czech Republic of USD 523
million, the engineering accounted for USD 413 million.
In a first, Indian addressed Organisation of Islamic Countries global youth meet
i. Haji Syed Salman Chishty of Dargah Ajmer Sharif is addressed at the ICYF-DCs Third
Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers opening in Istanbul on October 4, 2016.It
is the first time, indian addressed at the conference of the Organisation of Islamic Countries
Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation (ICYF-DC).
ii. Theme : Empowering Youth for Peace, Solidarity and Development
iii. The global conference to be attended by representatives from 52 countries.
iv. The recommendations of the conference included in The OIC 2025 Action Plan, encompassing
the adoption of the OIC Youth Strategy.
Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated Women of India Festival 2016 in New Delhi
i. The Minister of Women & Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi inaugurated
Women of India Festival 2016 of organic products by women at Dilli Haat at INA, New Delhi..
ii. It promotes women entrepreneurs from across India. Participants from the remotest areas of
the country will travel to Delhi for the entire duration of the festival and sell their unique products
in the capital.
iii. This initiative is a move to benefit women entrepreneurs, and also actively promote organic food
and products.The Festival will offer on sale the biggest selection of organic products ranging from
food, fabrics and furniture to wellness, personal care and solar products
iv. Smt Maneka Gandhi had highlighted the importance of making a shift to organic that Organic
foods had been proven to containmore vitamins, minerals and nutrients than similar foods
produced with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and preservatives.
Smriti Irani inaugurates India International Silk Fair in New Delhi
i. Textiles Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated the India International Silk Fair in New Delhi to
promote production and marketing silk across the country.
ii. India International Silk Fair showcasing wide range of silk & silk blended products will give an
insight on Indias silk industry to overseas buyers.
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iii. The Indian Silk Export Promotion Council is organising the Silk fair in which 100 buyersfrom
various countries are participating.
17th India-Russia Annual Summit held in Goa
India and Russia will review strategies to boost bilateral trade and investment, while committing
to improve ease of doing business, including liberalising travel regime, in their countries.
It was issued after the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian
President Vladimir Putin at the ongoing summit of the BRICS group,
comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The year 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations
between the two countries, a number of commemorative celebrations marking the
important milestone is planned.India and Russia have finalised a general framework
agreement for unit 5 and 6 of Kudankulam nuclear plant.
India and Russia announced plans to set up a joint venture to build helicopters in
India, which will also buy surface-to-air missile systems from its former Cold War ally, as
the two tighten their military relationship.
The pacts were signed after summit talks between Russian President Vladimir
Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Indias western resort state
ofGoa, where leaders from the BRICS group of emerging nations are meeting.
Indian military officials have the plan is for the joint venture to build at least 200 Kamov
helicopters required by the countrys defence forces, and is part of Modis drive to build a
defence industrial base in the south Asian nation.
India and Russia on October 15 signed 16 agreements across multiple sectors following
delegation-level talks co-chairedd by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir
Putin in Goa.
Among the agreements signed were,
Procurement of the S-400 air defence system and construction of four Admiral Grigorovich-class
(Project 11356) guided-missile stealth frigate in India.
Another agreement was signed to set up a joint venture to manufacture 200 Kamov 226T
helicopters.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed for setting up an investment fund of $1

billion.
Agreements were also signed for developing smart cities in Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, and
for developing transport logistics systems for such cities.
Another important agreement was signed for the joint study of a gas pipeline to India from
Russia.
2016 SAARC Sufi festival held in Jaipur

i. The Jaipur Sufi festiva held at the Diggi palace in Jaipur from October 14-16, 2016.
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It is organised annually by the Foundation of SAARC Writers And Literature (FOSWAL), in
association with the Rajasthan government.
ii. Nearly 400 participants participated from SAARC nations
iii. After Indias decision to skip the SAARC Summit in Islamabad, Pakistani artists and
authors have backed out of the SAARC Sufi Music Festival
5th India International Silk Fair held in New Delhi
i. The Indian Silk Export Promotion Council organized 5th India International Silk Fair at
Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The Fair showcased the world renowned Indian silk products like
scarves, shawls, carpets, home furnishings, etc. in different patterns of designs and colours.
ii. India is the only country which produces all commercial varieties of silk like Tassar, Muga,
Eri and Mulberry.
iii. The promotional effort of 5th India International Silk Fair,2016 would get active support and
cooperation from Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. The 5th
India International Silk Fair,2016 is recognised as a well-established global fair.
Three day conference of Indian Air Force held in New Delhi
i. The three-day Air Force Commanders Conference held at Air force Headquarters, New
Delhi. The Air Force Commanders briefed the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup
Raha on various issues relating to operational capability, maintenance and HR. Future plans for
enhancing IAFs capability were also discussed.
ii. The Commanders the Governments appreciation of the professionalism displayed by the IAF
in execution of airlift of Indians from Yemen.
iv. On the last day,the OFB, BDL and HAL teams put on table the constraints on their side and
both parties agreed to take the programmes forward through discussions and by working out
mutually acceptable solutions.
President of India Inaugurates the 28th Accountants General Conference
i. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the 28th Accountants General
Conference in New Delhi.The founding drafters of our Constitution had envisaged a prominent
role for public audit in our countrys governance and accountability framework.
ii. Public expenditure has increased manifold and the scope and range of governmental activities
have multiplied exponentially. At the time of independence, in 1946-47, the receipts of
Government of India amounted only toRs.3,706crore and its expenditure to Rs.3,443 crore.
Nearly seven decades later, in 2014-15, government receipts and expenditure had both increased
to about Rs. 17 lakh crore
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Indian Railways organizes Conference on Heritage Rail Tourism jointly with Asia Pacific
Heritage & Rail Tourism Organisation
i. Heritage Rail Tourism Conference was organized by Indian Railways at National Rail Museum,
New Delhi jointly with Asia Pacific Heritage&Rail Tourism Organization(APHRTO).
ii. Participants from many countries including Japan, UK, Germany, Australia, Taiwan, senior
officers of Indian Railways and other stakeholders of Heritage Rail Tourism were present in the
Conference.
iii. The Annual General Meetings of APHTRO and WATTRAIN (World Association of Tourist Trams
and Trains) had been held as a side event.
Three day long Global Conference to Make India the Centre for Arbitration held in New
Delhi
The first ever Global Conference to Strengthen Arbitration and Enforcement in India held in New
Delhi. The three day long conference titled, National Initiative On Strengthening Arbitration
And Enforcement In India from October 21st to 23rd, 2016 is being launched by the
Government and Judiciary as a major initiative to change the face of dispute resolution in India.
About the Conference :
NITI Aayog, Ministry of Law and Justice, DIPP, National Legal Services Authority, International
Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, National Institute of Labour Economics Research and
Development have collaborated to make India the centre of arbitration.
Also for the first time six leading international arbitral institutions (HKIAC, ICC,
KLRCA, LCIA, PCA and SIAC) and all major industry associations (FICCI, PHD
Chamber, CII and ASSOCHAM) have come together to drive this initiative.
The conference seeks to provide impetus to commercial arbitration in India, which is fast
gaining pace across the world, for faster, more efficient dispute resolution outside the
court room.
President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the conference while Prime Minister

Narendra Modi delivered a valedictory address the conference had Chief Justice of India
Justice T S Thakur as its patron-in-chief.
Chief Justices of six countries are participating at the first ever Global Conference on
Arbiration in India to share their Distinguished Jurist Fali Nariman and William
Rowley, QC, Chairman, LCIA Board are amongst the keynote speakers.
The Conference have 7 intensive brainstorming technical sessions.
Western Zonal Council Meeting held in Mumbai

i. The 22nd meeting of the Western Zonal Council was held in Mumbai,Maharashtra.The
meeting was held under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister ShriRajnath Singh.The meeting
was attended by the Chief Ministers and Ministers of these States and Administrators of Union
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Territories as well as senior officers of Central and State Governments.
ii. The Council reviewed the progress of implementation of the recommendations made in the last
meeting.
iii. Important issues discussed in the meeting arePradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (Urban) Mission,
surplus lands of Central Government for Housing for All : 2022 and providing shelters to the
urban homeless.
Maharashtra Governor inaugurates World Peace Conference at Nashik
i. The 19th World Peace Conference was inaugurated by Maharashtra Governor Ch
Vidyasagar Rao at Nashik in Maharashtra on October 24, 2016.
ii. Aim: to strengthen people to search truth and utilise education for development of the society.
iii. Organiser : Gokhale Education Society (GES) and International Association of Educators for
World Peace.
iv. The inaugural address on the occasion is given by Mr. P. P. Choudhary, Honble Minister of
State for Law & Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India, Former University Grants
Commission chairperson Arun Nigavekar also presented on the occasion.
v. Vidyasagar presented the Dr M S Gosavi Excellence Award to scientist Anil Kakodkar.
Union HRD Minister Chaired 64th meeting of Central Advisory Board of Education
i. The 64th Meeting of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) was held under the
Chairmanship of Union Human Resource Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar.It was held at New
Delhi.
ii. Union Minister of Human Resource Development stressed that education is a national agenda
which touches the lives of each and every individual.
Prime Minister inaugurates National Tribal Carnival 2016 in New Delhi
i. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated First National Tribal Carnival-2016 in New Delhi.
ii. The four day long carnival has been organised by Ministry of Tribal Affairs to promote a sense of
inclusiveness amongst the tribals
iii. About 1600 tribal artists and around 8000 tribal delegates from States/UTs such as
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Telangana, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Chhattisgarh,
Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Nagaland, Odisha, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Tamil Nadu are
attending the carnival
G-20 Anti Corruption Working Group (ACWG) meeting held in Paris
i. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG)
held a 6th joint Experts Meeting on Corruption in Paris, France. The meeting was chaired jointly
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by the FATF President, Mr. Juan Manuel Vega-Serrano (Spain) and the G20 ACWG Co-Chair, Mr.
Creon Butler (United Kingdom).
ii. Focus: On transparency and beneficial ownership given the topics priority in both the FATF and
G20 agendas and its particular interest to the international community overall.
iii. A G-20 Seminar on Corruption & Global Economy was held two days before this meeting. It
was organized in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Headquarters..The delegation from India is headed by Joint Secretary (International Cooperation),
DoPT, Shri Devesh Chaturvedi.
India-China Cooperation Forum meet held in Shanghai
i. More than 100 students and entrepreneurs from Indian and Chinese businesses took part in
the 5th edition of the India-China Cooperation Forum in Shanghai to boost bilateral trade
and increase investments in crucial sectors.
ii. Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India, is currently paying an official visit to
China at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the Peoples Republic
of China. Prime Minister Modi turned on H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the Peoples Republic of
China and held talks with H.E. Mr. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council
India, Russia to hold discussions on deepening military co-operation
i. India and Russia would hold detailed discussions on deeper military cooperations, specifically
on joint production of fifth generation fighter aircraft, upgradation of Su-30 MKI planes and firming
up the contract for the S400 Triumf air defence system.
ii. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu will co-chair a meeting of the Indo-Russian Inter
Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGCMTC)with his Indian
counterpart Manohar Parrikar.
iii. Both countries had firmed up plans to acquire the air defence system and other deals which
were recently signed on the sidelines of the BRICS meet in Goa.
23rd Rehabilitation International World Congress at Edinburgh, Scotland
i. Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, the Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment attended the
23rd Rehabilitation International World Congress at Edinburgh, Scotland, being held from 25-27
October,2016.
ii. The Theme of the Congress is, Create a More Inclusive World.
iii. The Congress is being attended by more than 1000 delegates from 65 countries.
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RANKING & REPORTS

Assam CM Sonowal releases report on human development
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal released the Assam Human Development Report 2014
and the Vision and Strategic Architecture Document on SDGs, namely, Assam 2030: Our
Dream, Our Commitment
Assams HDI :
Assam has witnessed a steady and continuous improvement in human development with
its latest Human Development Index (HDI) estimated at 0.557 against the national average of
0.586
This is the second Human Development Report for the state, the first was published a decade
back in 2003.The present Report is based on a survey of 39,998 households and 1,87,511
individuals from 27 districts of the state.
The Report puts Human Development Index (HDI) in Assam at 0.557 indicating that
level of human development in the state is just about halfway of the desired level.
The Report observes that human development achievements have been found to differ greatly
across districts.
Indias RTI Act ranked 4th best in the world

i. Indias Right to Information (RTI) Act, that was passed in the year 2005, is widely is
ranked as 4th best in the world.
ii. The rankings were based on the strength of the legal frameworks that ensure the efficient
implementation of the act. Mexico has topped the rankings, followed by Serbia and Slovenia.
iii. India scored a total of 128 out of 150 points. While India scored well in terms of Right to
Access, it lost 5 points in Scope since the law exempts certain organizations from its ambit and
also, does not explicitly include private organizations that perform a public function.
Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.s Google, and Coca-Cola Co. topped the list of the worlds 100
most valuable brands
According to a new report from brand consultancy Interbrand, Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.s Google,
and Coca-Cola Co. topped the list of the worlds 100 most valuable brands in 2016, while
technology and automotive brands dominated the overall rankings.
100 most Valuable Brands :
Microsoft Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., IBM Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.,
Amazon.com Inc., Mercedes-Benz and General Electric Co. were also on the Top 10
list, according to Interbrands 2016 Best Global Brands report.
Social network Facebook Inc., e-commerce giant Amazon and toy company Lego
were the top-growing brands and this year, technology and automotive took 29 of
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100 rankings on the annual list.
Automotive brand Tesla (rank 89) and luxury brand Dior (rank 100) made it to the list of
top 100 most valuable global brands for the first time.
Indian pharmaceutical companies ranked 19th in the Biopharmaceutical Competitiveness

& Investment (BCI) Survey
Indian pharmaceutical companies have ranked at the bottom position in the recently
conducted 2016 Biopharmaceutical Competitiveness & Investment (BCI) Survey. India has
been ranked No. 19 in a 28-nation survey of biomedical investment attractiveness of countries,
with an overall score of59 out of 100.
About the Survey :
The US, UK and Switzerland lead, with the US at No. 1 with a score of 86.
India has been ranked No. 19 in a 28-nation survey of biomedical investment

attractiveness of countries, with an overall score of 59 out of 100.
Five metrics were used to determine rankings:

1. Scientific capabilities and infrastructure;
2. Clinical research conditions and framework;
3. Regulatory system;
4. Market access and financing; and
5. Effective intellectual property protections.
Indian biosimilars market may reach USD 40 bn by 2030: Report
Assocham-Sathguru report was released by Prof D Swaminadhan, President and Director
General, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Advanced Studies (JNIAS) at Assocham-Department of
Pharmaceuticals Conference on BioPharma in Hyderabad.
i. Indian biosimilars industry was close to $300 million and Domestic sales are
close to $250 million growing at CAGR of 14 per cent in 2015.
ii. The biosimilars opportunity is nascent today and the 2016 estimated market size was only $2.2
billion.
iii. Based on the analysis of the currently approved biologic drugs, clinical pipeline and expectations
around price erosion and market penetration,the global market for biosimilars will be $240 billion
by 2030 in the optimistic scenario and the Indian domestic market could be about $40 billion.
India ranks 97/118 in global hunger index
India ranked 97th out of 118 countries on the International Food Policy Research Institutes
(IFPRI) Global Hunger Index (GHI) in 2016.
About Global Hunger Index: While India has improved its score on various
parameters over the past few years, two out of five children below five years of age are stunted in
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India. Stunting measures chronic malnutrition and affected childrens height would be considerably
below the average for their age.
Overall, the Central African Republic, Chad, and Zambia fared the worst while
Argentina fared the best among the countries included in the study.
It is noted that Pakistan fares even worse and was placed 107 in the GHI list. The report
said 22 per cent of Pakistani population was undernourished and that it scored 33.4 on
the 0-100 point scale a marginal improvement from its score of 35.1 in 2008.
If hunger declines at the same rate as the report finds it has since 1992, more than 45
countriesincluding India, Pakistan, Haiti, Yemen, and Afghanistanwill still have
moderate to alarming hunger scores in the year 2030.
The country had only the fifth highest rank in the whole of Asia, better than only North
Korea (98), Pakistan (107), Timor-Leste (110) and Afghanistan (111).
Nepal (72), Sri Lanka (84), and Bangladesh (90) had higher ranks among 96
countries than Indias. Also, India had the lowest rank among BRICS nations, with
Brazil in the top 16, Russia at 24, China at 29 and South Africa at 51
Forbes Richest American List Five Indians featured in the List

Five Indian-Americans are among the 400 richest people in the US, according to a Forbes list.
This list is topped by Microsofts co-founder Bill Gates for the 23rd year in a row.
The Top 10 List :
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
7
9
10
5 Indians in the
Name
Bill Gates
Jeff Bezos
Warren Buffett
Mark Zuckerberg
Larry Ellison
Michael Bloomberg
Charles Koch
David Koch
Larry Page
Sergey Brin
list :
Amount
$81B
$67 B
$65.5 B
$55.5 B
$49.3 B
$45 B
$42 B
$42 B
$38.5 B
$37.5 B
Company
Microsoft
Amazon.com
Berkshire Hathaway
Facebook
Oracle
Bloomberg LP
Diversified
Diversified
Google
Google
1.Symphony Technology founder Romesh Wadhwani,

2.Co-founders of outsourcing firm Syntel Bharat & Neerja Desai,
3.Airline veteran Rakesh Gangwal,
4.Entrepreneur John Kapoor and
5.Silicon Valley angel investor Kavitark Ram Shriram
Global Tuberculosis Report 2016 By WHO
The new Global Tuberculosis Report 2016 released by the World Health Organisation. New data
published by WHO in its 2016 Global Tuberculosis Report show that countries need to move
much faster to prevent, detect, and treat the disease if they are to meet global targets.
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About the Report,
It is noted that India has been underreporting its tuberculosis burden by almost half, it appears.
World Health Organisation updated the estimate of incidence that is, the number of new
tuberculosis cases in a year from 1.7 million cases to 2.8 million in 2015.
The WHO 2016Global Tuberculosis Report highlights the considerable inequalities

among countries in enabling people with TB to access existing cost-effective
diagnosis and treatment interventions that can accelerate the rate of decline in
TB worldwide. The report also signals the need for bold political commitment and
increased funding.
An estimated 1.8 million people died from TB in 2015, of whom 0.4 million were coinfected with HIV. Gaps in testing for TB and reporting new cases remain major
challenges. Of the estimated 10.4 million new cases, only 6.1 million were detected
and officially notified in 2015, leaving a gap of 4.3 million.
In addition, the rate of reduction in TB cases remained static at 1.5% from 2014 to 2015.
This needs to accelerate to 45% by 2020 to reach the first milestones of the
World Health Assembly-approvedEnd TB Strategy.
Multi drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) remains a public health crisis. WHO estimates that 480
000 people fell ill with MDR-TB in 2015. Three countries carry the major burden of MDRTB India, China, and the Russian Federation which together account for nearly
half of all cases globally.
Overall, around 84% of the financing available in low- and middle-income

countries in 2016 was from domestic sources, but this was mostly accounted for by the
BRICS (Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa) group of countries.
GST lent more weight to Indias 8% growth projection: S&P

i. The most important structural reform by the Modi government, S&P Global Ratings released
the report that the passage of the indirect tax law gives it additional conviction of India clocking 8
per cent growth in the next few years.
ii. Global Ratings agency S&P today announced that the Indias new Goods and Services Tax
bill would provide impulse to the countrys target of growth.
India now the 12th largest holder of US govt bonds
i. Indias investments in US government bonds reached 123.7 billion dollars, making it the 12
largest holder of American bonds.
ii. While Chinas exposure(first) to US bonds stood at 1.22 trillion dollars, and Japans
exposure(second) stood at 1.15 trillion dollars.
iii. Among the BRICS nations India has the third highest holdings of US government bonds, after
China and Brazil.
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iv. Other countries in the top ten are Ireland (3), Cayman Islands (4), Brazil (5), Switzerland (6),
Luxembourg (7), the UK (8), Taiwan (9) and Hong Kong (10).
India to be 2nd largest coal producer by 2020: Study
India is expected to become the second largest coal producer and US as the worlds biggest coal
producer after China by 2020 according to BMI research.
US and other countries are moving faster toward replacing the fuel with cleaner energy sources
such as natural gas to meet tougher emissions standards.
India Would Become Second Biggest Steel Manufacturer By Year
i. Union Minister for Steel Birender Singh stated that India would become the second biggest
steel manufacturer in the world by year-end Currently, China is the largest steel manufacturing
country followed by Japan and produces five times more steel than India.
ii. At present, about six lakh tonnes of steel is manufactured in old factories and private plants
across India. Steel industry accounts for just two per cent share in the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) of the country and efforts are being made to increase it.
iii. While the US, which was the third-largest steel producer since 2010 has produced13.52
MT during this two month period, giving away its position to India. Now, the production in US is
heading for stagnation with no signs of growth.
India showed 2nd highest growth in science research: Report
i. India is at the second position among countries with the highest increase in their contribution
to high-quality scientific research, according to a new report which shows that the growth of
research in the country is only behind Chinas.
ii. The institutions from India among the top 100 highest performers across the globe
include Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research (IISER), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(TIFR), Indian Institute of
Science (IIS) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
iii. As many as 40 of the top 100 performers are from China, with 24 of those showing growth
above 50 per cent since 2012.The US which remained the largest contributor to high-quality
scientific papers overall has 11 entrants into the top 100, despite many starting from a high
base.
Global Travel and Tourism Report released by the World Economic Forum
Finland is rated the most safe country while El Salvador was named as the least safe and secure
country in the world in the Global Travel and Tourism Report 2016
Top 10:
Latin American countries dominate the list, with Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico suffering from
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similar gang-related issues to El Salvador, and Colombia and Venezuela.Countries like Syria,
Iraq and South Sudan do not appear on the list at all
Top ten safest countries in the world are
1.Finland
6. Luxembourg
2. Qatar
7. New Zealand
3. UAE
8. Singapore
4. Iceland
9. Oman
5. Austria
10. Portugal
The least safe countries in the world are
1 . Nigeria
9. Hondurus
2. Columbia
10. Thailand
3. Yemen
11. Kenya
4. Pakistan
12. Lebanon
5. Venezuela
13. India
6. Egypt
14. Philippines
7. Guatemala
15. Jamaica
8. El Salvador
London Tops in the Global Power City Index
According to the 2016 Global Power City Index (GPCI) report, London has topped for the fifth
consecutive year with Mumbai ranked 39th on the list of the worlds leading global cities for
business, innovation and culture.
About the Index,
The 2016 Global Power City Index (GPCI) report was released by the Mori Memorial Foundations
Institute for Urban Strategies, ranked London as the leading overall city, highlighting the
capitals strong cultural offering, ease of doing business and global transport links.
The Japan-based Mori Memorial Foundations Institute for Urban Strategies has published
its GPCI report annually since 2008. The GPCI index is based on an evaluation of 70
criteria, analysing the strengths and weaknesses of global cities amid intensifying
competition.
The report ranks 42 major cities of the world across six key measures of economy,
research and development, culture, accessibility, environment and livability.
London performed well across all areas, retaining its top spot for the fifth year in a row
and ranking above other cities such as New York, Tokyo and Paris. The UK capital was
first awarded the leading position in 2012, the year it successfully hosted the
Olympic and Paralympic Games.
New York experienced no significant change in its ratings, retaining its No. 2 slot.
Tokyo overtook Paris and moved into third place. The increase was due to a number of
factors, including a reduction in Japans rate of corporate taxation, an increase in the
number of visitors to the city from abroad and an increase in the number of direct flight
connections to overseas destinations. Singapore completes the top 5 cities in the
annual ranking.
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It is noted that Mumbai is the only Indian city to feature on the index, was ranked
39th.
India to become 3rd largest aviation market by 2026: IATA

i. As per the forecast by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India will become the
third largest aviation market in the world displacing the UK by 2026.
ii. It is expected to be the source of more than half the new passengers over the next 20 years.
China will displace the US as the worlds largest aviation market around 2029. India will displace
the UK for third place in 2026, while Indonesia enters the top ten at the expense of Italy.
iii. Indias passenger traffic will touch 442 million by 2035 and growth will also
increasingly be driven within developing markets. Over the past decade the developing worlds
share of total passenger traffic has risen from 24% to nearly 40%, and this trend is set to continue.
iv. Indias air passenger traffic to grow to 442 million by 2035 with 322 million new air
travellers, amid the domestic aviation market growing by over 20 per cent for more than a year
now.
Mumbai among 15 global cities in terms of total wealth
i. According to New World Wealth, Indias financial
hub Mumbai has been named among top 15 cities globally
in terms of total wealth held, while London topped the
list.
ii. Total wealth held worldwide amounts to $185 trillion
(as of June 2016). Globally, there are 13,300,000
millionaires and 1,940 billionaires in total .
iii. Sydney at 11th place has a total wealth of $850 billion,
Toronto (12th, $850 billion), Frankfurt (13th, $830 billion)
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
City
London ($2.7 trillion)
New York City ($2.6 trillion)
Tokyo ($2.2 trillion)
San Francisco($1.9 trillion)
Beijing $1.8 trillion)
Shanghai ($1.6 trillion)
Los Angeles ($1.2 trillion)
Hong Kong ($1.1 trillion)
Singapore ($870 billion)
Chicago ($860 billion).
and Paris (15th, $800 billion).

Life expectancy highest in Jammu and Kashmir : RGI Data
i. According to the data given by the Registrar General of India (RGI), Jammu and Kashmirhas
surpassed Kerala as the state with the highest life expectancy in India for all ages, barring life
expectancy at birth.
ii. The data prepared following surveys done between 2010 and 2014, Kerala used to be the leader
in life expectancy in almost all categories of age till 2010.
iii. The RGI last week published state level life expectancy defined as the estimate of the average
number of additional years that a person of a given age can expect to live data for different ages: 0
(at birth), 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70.
55 | P a g e

iv. Kerala has highest overall life expectancy at birth at 74.9 years, 72 for men and 77.8 for
women , followed by Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir
India home to most generous people globally:Report
i. Despite some recent cases that somewhat reflected peoples insensitivity in the country, a study
shows India tops in terms of number of people helping out strangers, volunteering their time and
giving money for charity.
ii. The World Giving Index (WGI) released by the Charity Aid Foundation (CAF) reported that
Indias overall position (percentage of population) in global generosity jumped
to 91 in 2015 from106 in 2014.
iii. Myanmar tops the world with 70 per centoverall generosity, where 63 % people helped
strangers, 91 % people donated money and 55 % people volunteered time.
iv. Myanmar is followed by the US, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Canada, Indonesia,
the UK, Ireland and the UAE. The CAF is a Britain-based international non-profit organization.
NGO and the research was conducted over 140 countries
World Bank Report: India ranks 130 in ease of doing business 2017
India is ranked 130 out of 190 countries in World Bank Groups annual report on the ease of
`To 10 Countries
doing business, Doing Business 2017: Equal Opportunity for
New Zealand
All. India has moved up only one rank on the World Banks ease
Singapore
Denmark
of doing business ranking this year while in the 2016 edition, India
Hong Kong SAR China
had been downgraded to 131 from 130.
Korea Rep
Norway
India still last among BRICS countries in ease of doing business
United Kingdom
ranking.
United States
Sweden
Russia 40, South Africa 74, China 78, Brazil 123,India
Macedonia FYR
130
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
India ranks 87th on the WEFs Global Gender Gap Report 2016
India has climbed 21 spots to rank 87th on the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap
Report 2016 while in 2015, it was ranked 108th. With this jump in ranking, India has now
overtaken China which is ranked 99th out of 144 countries.
Iceland tops the latest rankings followed by Finland, Norway and Sweden. The
reportmeasures gender gap as progress towards parity between men and women in four
areas educational attainment, health and survival, economic opportunity and
political empowerment.
The 2016 Report covers 144 countries. The report estimates that the global economic gender
gap will now not close until the year 2186.
56 | P a g e

Top 10 Countries
Iceland
1
Finland
2
Norway
3
Sweden
4
Rwanda
5
Ireland
6
Philippines
7
Slovenia
8
New Zealand
9
Nicaragua
10
South Asia Countries

Bangladesh 72
India
87
Sri Lanka
100
Nepal
110
Maldives
115
Bhutan
121
Pakistan
143
India falls short in female literacy compared to its neighbours: Study

i. Indias school education system was indicated as under-performing in terms of quality in female
literacy in comparison with neighbouring countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
ii. The ratio of women who completed five years of primary schooling in India and were literate
was 48 per cent, much less than 92 percent in Nepal, 74 per cent in Pakistan and 54 per cent in
Bangladesh
iii. These were released by International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity
(or Education Commission). It shows that Indias education system is under-performing
iv. Female literacy rates increased by one to 15 per cent after completing two years of schooling.
Corresponding numbers for Pakistan and Nepal were three to 31 per cent and 11 to 47 per cent
respectively.
India ranks 133 in Global Youth Development Index compiled by Commonwealth
Secretariat
India has ranked 133 out of 183 countries in 2016 Global Youth
Development Index compiled by the Commonwealth Secretariat. It
has registered an impressive improvement of nearly 11 per cent in
its youth development scores in the period between 2010 and 2015
Other Neighbouring countries :
Nepal (77), Bhutan (69) and Sri Lanka (31)
Indias position in YDI 2016 :
One in five young people in the world today live in India, which
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Country
Germany
Denmark
Switzerland
Australia
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Austria
Luxembourg
Portugal
Japan
makes it one of the most youthful countries on the planet.
Indias overall rank is relatively low but it has registered an impressive improvement of
nearly 11 per cent in its youth development scores in the period between 2010 and
2015.
The improvement in Indias score between 2010 and 2015 is explained by a significant
rise in the proportion of young people with an account at a formal financial institution (58
per cent increase), reduction in the adolescent fertility rate (29 per cent fall),
57 | P a g e

adoption of a new youth policy, and improvement in the gross secondary enrollment rate
(9 per cent rise).
India accounts for nearly 20 per cent of the global youth population, with nearly 345
million young people between the ages of 15 and 30 living in the country.
This makes India one of the countries currently experiencing the most significant youth
bulge with nearly 27 per cent of its total population made up of young people.
In India, one in every three children (31 per cent) is not enrolled in secondary schools,
against a global score for the same indicator of 19 per cent. In the field of employment
opportunities, India trails behind the rest of the world significantly, ranking 152nd.
2016 deadliest year for migrants crossing the Mediterranean: UNHCR

According to UN refugee agency United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 2016
has been the deadliest year for migrants with a total of 3,740 people have died since January in the
Mediterranean sea in the boat journey to Europe.
About the migrants.
According to the UNHCR, some 3,771 Mediterranean refugee deaths were reported for the whole of
2015.
Over one million refugees crossed the Mediterranean to Europe last year. This year so far,
crossings stand at 327,800.
The International Organisation for Migration reports that 316,331 migrants and refugees
entered Europe by sea in 2016 through 9 October, arriving mostly in Greece and Italy.
Some 167,972 people have arrived in Greece and 144,527 in Italy during 2016. The total
is well below the number of arrivals at this point in 2015, when over 520,000 migrants
and refugees made the journey.
According to the agency, the top-10 nationalities which represent 79 per cent of
Mediterranean sea arrivals are Syria Arab Republic (28 per cent), Afghanistan (14 per
cent), Iraq (nine per cent), Nigeria (eight per cent), Eritrea (five per
cent), Pakistan(three per cent), Guinea (three per cent), Gambia (three per
cent), Sudan (three per cent), and others (three per cent).
UNHCR is addressing this situation while ensuring functioning asylum systems remains a
policy challenge for many countries, but measures to save lives are available and UNHCR
urges all countries to do more in this regard.
India will be home to 10500 start-ups by 2020: NASSCOM

i. India has emerged as the third largest startup base and such ventures are poised to grow 2.2
times to reach 10,500 by 2020.
ii. According to Indian Startup Ecosystem Maturing 2016 report by Nasscom-ZINNOV,
India is in the third position just behind US and UK.
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iii. Nearly 1,400 new start-ups are expected by end of 2016, up by 8-10 per cent from last year.
iv. The report also finds that Bengaluru, NCR, and Mumbai continue to lead as the major startup hubs in the country.
Indias Biocon ranks among the top 10 employers in biotechnology industry
Indias bio-pharma major Biocon Ltd has been ranked among the worlds top 10 employers in the
biotechnology industry by an international science magazine.
About the rankings,
According to a web-based annual survey by the magazine, the city-based company moved to ninth
this year from 13 last year in the Science 2016 Top Employer ranking, which is based on firms
that are innovative leaders in the industry, are socially responsible and have a clear vision.
The ranking is recognition of its high quality talent aligned with the vision of innovationled enterprise that is socially responsible.
Of the top 10 employers, six are based in the US, two (Novo Nordisk and
Novozymes) in Denmark and one (Roche) in Switzerland.
The US-based ranked biotech firms are Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Moderna

Therapeutics, Eli Lily, Vertex, Genetech and Alexion.
The company employees asserted that top firms operate as meritocracies have adequate
resources, trusted brands and are responsive to their stakeholders.
Forbes Fab 40 List MS Dhoni Still No 1 Indian Athlete

In the latest Forbes Fab 40 2016 list of the biggest sports brands in the world, Dhoni is slated at
No 10th spot in the top 10 athletes and he remains the most valued Indian athlete in 2016.
About Forbes Fab 40 :
Forbes Fab 40 lists out top 10 Sports Brands, Events, Athletes and Teams. According to the
magazine, an athletes brand value is their earnings (excluding salary from bonus from their sport
and their investment income), minus the average income of the top 10athletes in the same
sport.
The list is topped by tennis legend and 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer.
The Top 10 List :

Label
Label
value
Nike
27,000
ESPN
Adidas
16,500
7,000
Under
Armour
Sky Sports
UFC
5,500
5,000
2,000
Team
New York
Yankees
Dallas Cowboys
Los Angeles
Lakers
Real Madrid
Barcelona
Manchester
United
Team
value
660
580
550
520
510
500
Athlete
Roger
Federer
Lebron James
Phil
Mickelson
Usain Bolt
Tiger Woods
Cristiano
Ronaldo
Athlete
value
36
Event
34
28
Summer Olympics
Winter Olympics
25
FIFA World Cup
23
19
WrestleMania
College Football
Playoffs
Super Bowl
59 | P a g e

MLBAM
2,200
New York Knicks
450
Kevin Durant
16
YES
1,400
430
Lionel Messi
15
Reebok
NESN
800
750
New England
Patriots
Bayern Munich
Los Angeles
Dodgers
430
410
Rory Mcilroy
MS Dhoni
13
11
College Basketball
Final Four
World Series
Daytona 500
UEFA Champions
League
Maharashtra most farmer friendly state: NITI Aayog Index

According to NITI Aayogs index on reforms in the farm sector, Maharashtra has been adjudged the
most farmer friendly state in the country followed by Gujarat and Rajasthan.
About Farming Index :
The Index is aimed at helping the states to identify and address problems in the farm
sector, which suffer from low growth, low farm income and agrarian distress
Top 5 states : Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajsthan, MP and Haryana
Bottom 5 states : Puducherry, Delhi, J & K, Lakshwadeep and Meghalaya
The Aayogs Agriculture Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index was based on
initiatives taken by the states in implementing farm sector reforms.
Termed the Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index, it ranks states on
three major parameters reforms in agricultural marketing, land lease and forestry on
private land. The minimum score of zero implies no reforms at all; a score of
100would mean the opposite and the friendliest to farmers.
Maharashtra got 81.7 and Gujarat was second at 71.5, Puducherry, Delhi and Jammu &
Kashmir got the lowest three grades, of 4.8, 7.3 and 7.4, respectively.
The state of Maharashtra achieves first rank in implementation of various

reforms. The state has implemented most of the marketing reforms and it offers best
environment for doing agribusiness among all the states and UTs.
The areas identified for action by NITI Aayog with a view to double farm income include
agriculture market reforms, land lease reform, and reforms related to forestry on private land.
RGI released Census 2011 data on Disabled Population in the age-group 5-19
i. RGI releases Census 2011 data on Disabled Population in the age-group 5-19 by their Attendance
Status in Educational Institutions and type of Disability
ii. This study gives distribution of the disabled population in the age-group 5-19 by their
attendance status in educational institution, type of disability, age, sex and residence for India,
State/UT and Cities
iii. The study unveiled that there were about 65.7 lakh disabled population in age-group 519 at Census 2011 in India out of which 40.2 lakh (61.2%) are attending educational
institutions, 8.0 lakh (12.1%) attended educational institutions earlier and 17.5 lakh(26.7%)
never attended any educational institutions.
iv. Disabled persons with Any other disability shows the highest percentage (71.2%) in
attending educational institution followed by Seeing (68.0%), Hearing (67.0%), Movement
60 | P a g e

(59.6%), Speech (58.9%), Mental retardation (47.2%), Multiple disability (37.2%) and least
with Mental illness (34.1%).
300 million children live with polluted outdoor air: UNICEF Report.
i. Some 300 million children live with outdoor air so polluted it can cause serious physical damage,
including affecting their developing brains ,a study was released by the United Nations.
ii. More or less one child in seven around the globe breathes outdoor air that is minimum six
times dirtier than international recommendations, according to the study by the U.N. Childrens
Fund, which called air pollution a leading factor in child mortality.
iii. The study, using satellite data, is the first to make a global estimate of exposure and indicates
that almost 90% of the worlds children 2 billion live in places where outdoor air pollution
exceeds World Health Organisation (WHO) limit.
iv. UNICEF warned the levels of global air pollution contributed to 600,000 child deaths a year
more than are caused by malaria and HIV/Aids combined.
India has highest number of people living below poverty line: World Bank
i. According to World Bank, India accounted for the largest number of people living below
international poverty line in 2013, with 30 per cent of its population under the $1.90-a-day
poverty measure.
ii. WBs Report stated that India has the largest number of people living under the international
USD 1.90-a-day poverty line, more than 2.5 times as many as the 86 million in Nigeria, which has
the second-largest population of the poor worldwide.
iii. Nearly 800 million people lived on less than USD 1.90 a day in 2013
Ease of Doing Business: A.P and Telangana top in 2016 all-India ranking
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have jointly topped the ease of doing business ranking in the
list prepared by the World Bank and the Indian governments department of industrial policy
and promotion for 2016.
About Ease of Doing Business Index :
Gujarat has slipped to the third position in the list and Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and
Haryana occupied the fourth, fifth and sixth slots in the index based on the degree of
implementation of the governments 340-point Business Reform Action Plan.
It is noted that Last year, only seven states implemented more than 50% of the
reforms proposed. This year, 17 have implemented more than 50% of the 340 reforms
listed by DIPP.
States have created a dedicated body as a one-stop system for state-level regulatory and
fiscal incentives approvals for single-window clearances.
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The states have also made good progress in tax reforms by mandating e-registration for
value-added tax, central sales tax, and other such, and by allowing online payment and tax
return filing.
BANKING & FINANCE

SBI offered Hope Loans at reduced interest rates
i. SBI announced the launch of a special financing scheme Hope Loans, under which customers
could avail credit facility at lower rates.
ii. Hope Loans comes with the added benefit of reduced interest rates that SBI has just
announced due to the reduction in the marginal cost of lending rate (MCLR).
iii. On an Rs.50 lakh home loan, for example, one would get to save approximately3.5 lakh
for a 30 year tenor compared to the same period last year..
iv. With the reduction in MCLR, the effective interest rate for home loans would be 9.25 per cent
for women and 9.30 per cent for men and for auto loans, it would be 9.65 per
cent respectively.
Black money worth Rs.65,250 crore disclosed under Income Declaration Scheme: Arun
Jaitley
i. Finance minister ArunJaitley announced that the government would earn
an estimated Rs.30,000 crore after thousands of Indians revealed previously undeclared
money under a one-time opportunity to clean up their accounts.
ii. Union Finance Minister ArunJaitley announced that the Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT)
had received total disclosures of Rs.65,250 crore under the Income Disclosure Scheme,
2016 in the form of cash and other assets.
Kotak Mahindra Bank acquires BSS Microfinance
i. Kotak Mahindra Bank has acquired Karnataka-focused BSS Microfinance for Rs 139.2 crore.
ii. This acquisition will allow Kotak to tap the lower end of the customer base and will also help the
bank in meeting the priority sector lending (PSL) targets.
iii. BSS Microfinance is a non-banking financial company, classified as an NBFC-MFI.
iv. Total turnover of BSS Microfinance in 2015-16 was Rs 49.5 crore.
RBI Governor Urjit Patel cuts interest rates, bats for growth in first monetary policy
In order to ease the inflation, the Reserve Bank of India cut policy rate (repo rate) by 25 basis
points to 6.25% from 6.5%.
Bank Rate Reduction :
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) all members of policy decided for 25 basis point rate
cut.
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This was the fourth bi-monthly monetary policy of the RBI. It was first monetary policy
statement after Urijit Patel took over as governor on September 04, 2016.
On the basis of an assessment of the current and evolving macroeconomic

situation MPC decided to reduce the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment
facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 6.5% to 6.25% with immediate effect.
A lower repo ratethe rate at which banks borrow from RBIwould mean
households may expect cheaper bank loans to buy houses and goods such as
cars, which peak during the festival shopping season in October and November.
The BSE Sensex rose 85 points to 28,328 mirroring the stock markets heightened
expectations about lower rates.
Indias economy grew 1% during April to June, the slowest in 6 quarters, but the
RBI and the MPC expect a revival in the coming months boosted by good rains, a
pay bonanza for government employees and festive season buying.
The RBI retained its earlier growth projection of 7.6 percent for 2016-17.
IMF revised Indias economic growth upwards to 7.6% for FY17 and 18
i. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised projections for Indias economic growthby 0.2
percentage points to 7.6 per cent for 2016-17 and 2017-18.
ii. The projections came in at a time when the Fund said global economic growth would be subdued
this year, following a slowdown in the US and Britains vote to exit the European Union.The
projections came at a time when it retained global economic growth at 3.1 per cent for 2016 and
3.4 per cent for 2017.
iii. In its World Economic Outlook, IMF also kept gross domestic product (GDP) expansion
for China unchanged at 6.6 per cent in 2016 which would decelerate to 6.2 per cent in 2017.
India would keep its position of fastest growing large economy that it snatched from China in 201516.
SBI becomes first domestic bank to open branch in Yangon
i. SBI has announced its entry into Myanmar by opening a branch in the Yangon, former capital
city of Myanmar.
ii. The Yangon branch is the 54th foreign branch of the SBI.This branch extends the global
presence of SBI in 37 countries through 198 offices.
iii. Ghanshyam Srivastava has been appointed as the chief executive of SBI Yangon branch
World Bank Indias GDP Growth Would Be 7.6% This Year, 7.7% In 2017
i. Describing South Asia as a global growth hotspot, the World Bank announced
Indias GDP
growth would remain strong at 7.6 percent in 2016 and 7.7 percent in 2017.
ii.Indias economic growth is expected to be at 7.6% in 2016-17, followed by a modest
63 | P a g e

acceleration to 7.7% in 2017-18 was released by World Bank in its India Development
Update- Financing Double Digit Growth report, which is published twice a year.
RBI panel moots easing bank branch norms
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)released the Report of the Internal Working Group (IWG) on
Rationalisation of Branch Authorisation Policy. The Group is chaired by Lily Vadera, Chief General
Manager, Department of Banking Regulation.
Recommendations of the Internal Working Group (IWG)
i. In the first phase, the recommendations focus on broadening of the current framework to include
all banking outlets which are fixed point locations and bring them on par with branches.
ii. A banking outlet is defined as a fixed point service are provided for minimum 4 hours per day
for at least five days a week.
ii. Banks need to open banking outlets to meet the 25 percent norms of opening banking outlets
in unbanked rural centres that does not have a CBS-enabled banking outlet of a Scheduled
Commercial Bank.
Finance Ministry set up debt management cell
i. Union Finance Ministry constituted a Public Debt Management Cell (PDMC). The cell was
created to streamline government borrowings and better cash management with the overall
objective of deepening bond markets.
ii. The cell which would function from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) premises here would be
upgraded to an independent and statutory debt management agency Public Debt Management
Agency (PDMA)
MasterCard launches its selfie pay biometric authentication app in Europe
i. Financial services company MasterCard rolled out Selfie Pay app in Europe .This app will use
facial biometrics for payment authentication.
ii. It will supports both selfies and fingerprint biometrics, offering users a choice of
authenticating a mobile payment at the point of purchase.
RBI issued guidelines for small and payments banks
i. The Reserve Bank of India issued separate operating guidelines for payments
banksand small finance banks in view of their differentiated nature of business and focus on
financial inclusion. The RBI had granted in-principle approvals to 11 payments banks (August 2015)
and 10 small finance bank (September 2015).
ii .As per the guidelines, PBs could accept deposit only up to Rs.1 lakh. Small Finance
Banks would have to follow norms relating to minimum balance, inoperative accounts,
nominations, andcheques/drafts.
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iii. PBs would have to maintain a minimum investment to the extent of not less than 75 per cent
of demand deposit balances as on three working days prior to that day, in Government
securities/Treasury Bills with maturity up to one year that were recognised by RBI as eligible
securities for maintenance of Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR).
Adoption of GST tax would boost Indias medium-term growth: IMF
i. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had asserted that adoption of GST (Goods and
Services) tax would boost Indias medium-term growth.
ii. Indias strong reform push in 2016 was welcome and should continue quickly. Adoption of the
goods and services tax is self -contained to boost Indias medium-term growth was announced by
the IMF in its latest Asia Pacific regional economic update.
iii. Indias GDP growth is projected at 7.6 per cent in both 2016/17 fiscal year (ending in March
2017) and 2017/18 fiscal year, up 0.1 percentage point relative to the April 2016 World
Economic Outlook, a survey conducted and published by the IMF.
SEBI proposes ban on trading tips through SMS, social media
i. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed a ban on unauthorised
trading tips through social media platforms like SMS, WhatsApp and Facebook
ii. SEBI also proposed to curb unsolicited investment advice through electronic and broadcasting
media platforms and a detailed advertisement code for those providing such advice.
Government issued more draft norms under bankruptcy code
i. The Government came out with another set of draft rules, including for liquidation of insolvent
corporate persons, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
ii. As part of implementing the Code, the government had already constituted theInsolvency and
Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) while the draft norms would be finalised after taking into
consideration views of the stakeholders.
iii. The centre had notified six draft regulations under the code prepared by a working group of
experts. As part of the process for implementing the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the ministry
had set up a working group of practitioners and experts.
iv. The draft rules for insolvency process outline the duties of the resolution professionalduring
the resolution process.The board would have 10 members. Apart from the chairman, currently
there are four government-nominated members and the rest are expected to be appointed in
coming months.
ICICI Bank Executes Indias First Transaction On Blockchain
ICICI Bank has successfully executed transactions in international trade finance and remittances
using blockchain technology in partnership with Emirates NBD.
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About the Tie-up,
ICICI Bank is the first bank in the country and among the first few globally to exchange
and authenticate remittance transaction messages as well as original international trade
documents related to purchase order, invoice, shipping and insurance, among others, electronically
on blockchain in real time.
ICICI Bank executed these pilot transactions via its blockchain network with Emirates
NBD on a custom-made blockchain application, co-created with EdgeVerve
Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys.
The pilot transaction was executed to showcase confirmation of import of shredded steel
melting scrap by a Mumbai-based export-import firm from a Dubai-based supplier.
Bank Of Maharashtra Renews Tie-Up With United India Insurance

i. Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has renewed its corporate agency tie-up with United India
Insurance Company (UIIC).
ii. Customers can buy the entire gamut of UIIC products at any of the 1,896 branches of the bank
across the country.
iii.T hey can buy insurance products related to motor, fire, health, marine, overseas travel policy
and personal accident from the banks branches.
Standard Chartered Bank forms tie-up with Uber
i. Foreign lender Standard Chartered Bank announced a tie-up with Uber under which its credit
cardholders, across six countries, will get a cash-back of up to 25 per cent for hailing cabs from
the app.
ii. This is the first multi market partnership for the two companies.The partnership also
activated in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
SEBI banned 21 entities in tax evasion case
i. Securities and Exchange Board of India, SEBI has banned 21 entities in a case related totax
evasion and illegal gains through misuse of stock exchange mechanism.
ii. Sebi in an interim order dated June 1 had barred Dhyana Finstock and 75 other entities,
including the above 21, from the market for using the securities system to artificially bump up
volume and price of the scrip to provide illegitimate gains to preferential allottees.
iii. The end purpose is to claim long-term capital gains (LTCG) benefits. Sebi had prima facie found
that the entities acted in concert for implementation of the dubious plan, device andartifice that
has led to the misuse of stock exchange mechanism.
In a first, Bank deposits cross Rs 100 lakh crore
i. According to a data released by the RBI shows that India banking system reported total deposits
66 | P a g e

of Rs 100 lakh crore for the first time ever in September
ii. Demand deposits crossing R10 lakh crore and time deposits crossing the Rs 90 lakh
crore mark, the month saw the highest-ever monthly rise of Rs 5.32 lakh crore more than
the total deposits in the banking sector 20 years back.
USAID launches scheme to drive cashless payments in India
i. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of a new
initiative Catalyst: Inclusive Cashless Payment Partnership.
ii. The multi-stakeholder partnership is designed to scale up digital payments systems in India
which will act as a catalyst in the increase of cashless payments in select locations.
iii. These locations will be selected based on criteria such as smartphone penetration, the local
economy and administrative feasibility.
RBI launches survey to seek information on order books in manufacturing companies
i. RBI has launched the survey to seek quantitative information on order books, inventories and
capacity utilisation of companies in the manufacturing sector, a key input for monetary policy
formulation.
ii. The survey seeks quantitative information on order books, inventories and capacity utilisation,
such as, pending order books, backlog order books, total inventories, finished goods inventories,
work in progress inventories and installed capacity from companies in the manufacturing activities.
iii. The information on installed capacity, quantity produced, value of production, etc, is used for
calculating the capacity utilisation at industry as well as at national level.
IRDAI Slaps Rs 6 Lakh Penalty On Shriram Life Insurance
i. Regulator IRDAI has imposed a penalty of Rs 6 lakh on Shriram Life Insurance for casual
approach towards certain norms, among other violations.
ii. The company was charged a penalty of Rs 5 lakh, the insurer had covered the loan term of less
than three years and provided flat cover of Rs 5,000 for the balance period.
iii. A penalty of Rs 1 lakh for the group claims paid date for the financial years 2011-12 and 201213 revealed that death claims were settled in favour of Group Master Policyholder.
3.2 million debit cards of SBI, HDFC, ICICI, YES Bank & Axis Bank compromised
i. Banks in India will either replace or ask users to change the security codes of as many as3.2
million debit cards because several victims have reported unauthorised usage from locations in
China.
ii. Out of 3.2 million cards , 2.6 million cards are on the Visa and Master-Card platform and
6,00,000 on the RuPay platform.
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iii. The worst-hit of the card-issuing banks areState Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank
YES Bank and Axis Bank.
SBI declares Silchar as its 5th zone in North East
SBI has declared Silchar as its 5th zone in North East after Guwahati, Shillong, Dibrugarh and
Jorhat, which will cater to the banking needs of the people of Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur along
with the Barak Valley.
World Bank to loan $2 billion to Bangladesh to fight climate change
i. World Bank president Jim Yong Kim announced USD 2 billion loans for Bangladesh to help
Bangladesh to fightclimate change.
ii. The USD 2 billion for climate change is in addition to USD 1 billion pledged by world Bankto
end childhood stunted growth.
iii. Bangladesh is one of the worst victims of global warming, with thousands of people being killed
by cyclones in recent years .
RBI relaxes norms for foreign investment in startups
The RBI relaxed foreign investment norms in financial services firms, startups and in investments
by foreign regulated capital investors.Foreign Venture Capital Investors (FVCIs) can invest in Indian
startups without prior permission of the RBI.
Sebi-registered FVCIs have also been permitted to invest in unlisted firms in sectors
like biotechnology, nanotechnology and dairy without prior permission of the RBI. They
will not require any approval from Reserve Bank and can invest in equity or equity linked
instrument or debt instrument issued by an Indian startup irrespective of the sector in which
the startup is engaged,
RBI decides to allow FDI up to 100% in other financial services

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has opened the gates for more overseas investment coming to
India by a series of steps liberalising the foreign direct investment rules, even as it braces
for a possible $26-billion outflows on account of FCNR-B deposit (foreign currency
nonresident-bank) maturities.
Such FDI shall be subject to conditionalities, including minimum capitalisation norms as

specified by the concerned regulator or government agency.
India central bank allows banks to approve extension of offshore companys debt
The Reserve Bank of India has allowed banks to approve extension of external commercial
borrowings on their own provided the debt is unpaid and has not defaulted before.
Andhra Pradesh, Singapores MAS pact for financial services
Andhra Pradesh government signed an agreement with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
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to promote innovation in financial services in their respective markets.
About the Agreement,
Under the FinTech Cooperation Agreement, MAS and the state government will explore joint
innovation projects on technologies such as digital payments and block-chain, collaborate on
development of education programmes and curricula on fintech (financial technologies).
The Singapores central bank (MAS) and the Andhra Pradesh government have also
agreed to discuss emerging FinTech trends and exchange views on regulatory issues
related to innovations in financial services.
This agreement will pave way for greater FinTech collaboration between Singapore and Andhra
Pradesh. We are looking to create a market place in India for FinTech solutions
developed in Singapore.
India inked loan pact with world bank for eastern Freight Corridor
i. The Union Government has signed $650 million loan agreement with the World Bank for
construction of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC)-III project.
ii. The objective of the EDFC-III Project is to augment rail transport capacity, improve service
quality and enhance freight carriage throughput on the 401 km Ludhiana-Khurjasection of the
Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor
Finance Ministry announces sixth tranche of gold bonds
i. The Finance Ministry announced the sixth tranche of sovereign gold bonds.Applications for
the bonds will be accepted from October 24 to November 2 and the bonds will be issued on
November 17
ii. The price of the gold bonds will be Rs.50 per gram less than the nominal value and it will be be
sold through banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India, designated post offices and stock
exchanges.
ii. Minimum investment of one gram will be allowed while the maximum will be 500 gram per
person per fiscal year
HDFC raised Rs.500 crore via masala bonds
i. Mortgage lender HDFC has raised Rs.500 crore through rupee-denominated bonds from
overseas investors.
ii. With reference to the earlier letter dated October 12, 2016, informing about the opening of the
fourth issue of rupee-denominated bonds to overseas investors, aggregating an amount up to
Rs.500 crore.
iii .In this connection, Housing Development Finance Corporation has now informed BSE that the
corporation has closed the said issue on October 14, 2016. The issue carries a coupon rate of 7.25
per cent per annum payable semi-annually. The bonds will mature onJanuary 9, 2020.
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NABARD sanctions Rs 19,702 cr for 50 irrigation projects
i. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 19,702 crore
loan to National Water Development Agency (NWDA) for 50 irrigation projects.
ii. The loan is sanctioned under Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF), announced by Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley during the Budget 2016-17.
iii. This would help create additional irrigation potential of 39.14 lakh hectares under these
projects in 11 states.
iv. NABARD gave the first instalment of Rs 1,500 crore to NWDA, which is an agency of Ministry
of Water Resources.
ICICI, Axis, StanChart got back $2.5 bn of Essar loans.
i. About$2.5 billion were made to the three lenders as part of the first tranche of the repayment
schedule. The $13-billion sale of Essar Oil to Russias Roseneft has helped lenders,
including ICICI Bank, Axis bank and StanChart, recover a combined $2.5 billion in part
payment of their exposure to the Essar Group.
ii. The two Indian lenders which together had an exposure of $1.5 billion will get back nearly
half of their money or about $770million in cash.
BSE launches paperless SIP facility for mutual fund investors.
i. BSE has introduced a paperless SIP(Systematic Investment Plan) facility for mutual fund
(MF) investors.
ii. It will extremely cut the registration time and also allow subscribers to transact
throughdifferent payment modes including net banking.
iii. SIP is an investment vehicle that allows investors to invest in small amounts periodically instead
of lump sums. The frequency of investment is usually weekly, monthly or quarterly
DIPP notifies 100% FDI in more financial services
i. The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) notified 100 per cent foreign
direct investment in other financial services carried out by Non-Banking Finance
companies(NBFCs ) to attract foreign capital into India
ii. Other financial services will include activities which are regulated by any financial sector
regulator RBI, SEBI, IRDA, PFRDA, NHB or any other financial sector regulator.
iii. Such foreign investment would be subject to conditionalities, including minimum capitalisation
norms as specified by the concerned regulator or government agency.
HDFC ERGO ties up with Maruti Insurance Broking
i. HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company has entered into a tie-up with Maruti Insurance
Broking Pvt Ltd (MIBL) to offer motor insurance to buyers of Maruti Suzuki cars.
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ii. The insurance would be offered to buyers of Maruti Suzuki cars in Pune, Surat and Baroda.
iii. HDFC ERGO is present across 91 cities and the MIBL has partnered with 11 insurance providers
to ensure stress-free service to its customers.
MMTC ties up with banks to sell Indian Gold Coin
i. State-run trading firm MMTC has tied up with seven banks, including ICICI and HDFC Bank, to
sell government minted Indian Gold Coin
ii. The coins are currently available at all MMTC outlets across India along with select branches of
seven banks Indian Overseas Bank, Vijaya Bank, Federal Bank, Yes Bank, Andhra Bank,
ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank.
iv. The Indian Gold Coin is available in denominations of 5 gm and 10 gm coin and 20 gmbar
and is available at about 383 MMTC outlets across India.
YES Bank partners with ToneTag for sound-based payments
i. YES Bank has tied up with ToneTag, a Mobile payment solutions startup to integrate and deploy
sound based contactless payments on its mobile wallet YES Pay.
ii. ToneTag uses sound waves to enable offline, proximity based contactless payments.
iii. This technology will allow YES Pay wallet users to make cardless and offline payments at
merchant outlets through their mobile phone.
ICICI Bank UK launches Money2India Europe in Sweden, Norway and Denmark
i. The British subsidiary of ICICI Bank, ICICI Bank UK Plc announced the launch of online money
transfer services to facilitate transaction from any bank accounts in Sweden, Norway and
Denmark to any recipent account based in India.
ii. The service called Money2India Europe verifies the credentials of the customers over video
call from Money2India Europe website.
iii. The website is owned by ICICI Bank UK Plc and it eliminates the need to courier the Know Your
Customer (KYC) documents.
GSTN signs MoU with DGFT for sharing of foreign exchange realisation data
i. The Goods and Services Network (GSTN) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for sharing of foreign exchange realisation and
Import Export code data.
ii. The MoU was signed by Shri Ajay K Bhalla, Director General of Foreign Trade and Shri Prakash
Kumar, CEO of GSTN .
iii. An electronic bank realisation certificate (eBRC) captures transaction level details of foreign
exchange realised in India. The eBRC project implemented by DGFT
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RBI allows start-ups to raise $3 million through ECBs
i. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued rules permitting these to raise External Commercial
Borrowings (ECBs) per start-up was capped at $3 million per financial year to support
financing for start-ups
ii. The borrowing could be either in rupees or a convertible foreign currency or a combination
of both.The money could be used for any expenditure of the borrowers business.
Indias forex reserves rise $1 billion to $367.14 billion
i. Indias forex reserves rose by USD 1 billion to USD 367.14 billion.
ii. In the reporting week, Foreign Currency Assets (FCAs), a major component of the overall
reserves, increased by USD 1.015 billion to USD 341.923 billion.
iii. According to the apex bank, the special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund
declined by USD 5.4 million to USD 1.463 billion, while Indias reserve position with the Fund
dipped by USD 8.8 million to USD 2.347 billion.
SBI cut lending rate by 0.15% and ICICI by 0.10%
i. The State Bank of India announced a cut of 0.15% in its benchmark lending rate under a new
system of calculation, signalling a further implement in borrowing costs ahead of the busy season.
ii. Private sector lender ICICI Bank was the first to announce a cut of 0.10% in its marginal cost
of funds based lending rate (MCLR) across tenors, which was followed by a similar move by the
countrys largest lender SBI, but of a larger measure of 0.15%.
BUSINESS
Oil India signs Memorandum of Understanding with University of Houston
i. Oil India (OIL) has signed Memorandum of Understanding with the University of
Houston (USA) in presence of Sh. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (I/C), Petroleum &
Natural Gas.
ii. The objective of the MoU is to collaborate in the fields of Improved Oil Recovery & Enhanced Oil
Recovery for production enhancement from matured fields, seismic interpretation & reservoir
characterisation studies, improvement of drilling and well intervention practices and unconventional
hydrocarbon studies.
250 mandis in 10 states linked with e-agri market in 1st phase
i. The BJP-led Centre had integrated 250 mandis in 10 states in the first phase of its
ambitious electronic national agriculture market (e-NAM), established to
providetransparent and profitable trade facilities to farmers and buyers.
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ii .E-NAM is a pan India electronic portal for sale and purchase of agricultural product so
that farmers get better prices of their produce. The first phase of the e-NAM was launched on 14th
of April this year
OPEC agreed on modest oil production curbs
i. OPEC agreed on modest oil output cuts in the first such deal since 2008, with thegroups
leader Saudi Arabia softening its stopped the flow on arch-rival Iran amid mounting pressure
from low oil prices.
ii. It was decided that OPEC would reduce output to a range of 32.5 to 33.0 million barrels per
day (bpd) from its current output at 33.24 million bpd.The move would effectively reestablish OPEC production ceilings abandoned a year ago.
iii. This is the first OPEC deal in eight years.The trust proved that it still matters even in the age
of shale. This is the end of the production war and OPEC claims victory,
Reliance tied up with Dassault to execute Rafale offsets
i. Dassault Aviation of France had entered into a partnership with Reliance group to execute
offsets for the recently concluded deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets.This is the largest offset contract
to be executed by any defence company in India till date.
ii. As per the contract, Dassault Aviation prepared to invest 50 % of its revenue, up toRs.300
billion ($4.51 billion), in the Indian defence industry to boost technological innovation and
capacity building.
India seek greater Pharma market access in Japan
i. Indian pharmaceuticals sector seeked major support from the Japanese market, Commerce
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the share of India in theJapanese drug
market.The demand for generic medicines in Japan and Indias capability to meet this demand can
prove a win-win for both countries
ii.Indias strength in pharma sector is well firmed. Share of India in the Japanese drug market
continued to be below par and limited mostly to active pharmaceutical ingredients (or APIs
raw materials for drugs)
Spectrum auction concluded, Centre garners Rs.65,789 cr.
i. Indias biggest-ever spectrum auction ended with the Centre garnering Rs.65,789 crore in
revenue. An upfront payment of Rs.32,000 to be received by the government in the current year is
the highest in four years. Still the figure fell short of the budgetary target of Rs.64,000
crore for the current financial year.
ii. Of the 2,355 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum, worth Rs.5.6 lakh crore across seven bands
provide for bids, 965 MHz, or about 40 per cent, got sold. No spectrum was sold in the
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premium 700 MHz band due to a high reserve price.There were no takers for the 900 Mhz
band as well.
IOC announces Rs.30 crore start-up scheme
i. Indian Oil Corporation(IOC) has announced a start-up scheme with a corpus amount
of Rs.30 crore
ii. Start-up scheme will promote collaborative research, develop an innovative ecosystem, nurture
entrepreneurship, boost start-ups with rural orientation and open up avenues for young employees
of IOC to launch start-up projects
iii. This scheme will be administered through a dedicated online portal and shall facilitate the
community of innovators and entrepreneurs.
Doordarshan and IGNOU signed agreement for telecast of GyanDarshan channels
i. Doordarshan and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) had entered into an
agreement for transmission of four GyanDarshan educational channels. Gyan Darshan ran
successfully till June 2, 2014, but was shut down by ISRO to facilitate its migration from INSAT 3C
to GSAT-10.
ii. IGNOU now needed to apply for a fresh license to start the uplinking of its channels for
GSAT-10 satellite, as under the Uplinking and Downlinking Guidelines of the I&B Ministry, it is not
eligible for the grant of a license.
Government extended anti-dumping duty on certain Chinese products
i. Revenue department has extended anti-dumping duty on import of certain Chinese
products, used in garment, footwear and toys manufacturing, for another five years.The
anti-dumping duty on narrow woven fabrics hook and loop velcro tapes would be charged at the
rate of USD 1.87 per kilogram.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) based on
recommendations of the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD).
IndiGo introduces child-free zones on its flights
i. India based airlines IndiGo has introduced child-free zones on all of its flights.
ii. According to this rows 1 to 4 and 11 to 14 are designated quiet zones so that business
travelers can do their work without interruption.
iii. The airline avoids seating children below the age of 12 in these rows, which are near
emergency exits.
BHEL commissions another 660 Mw thermal unit in UP
i. New Delhi based BHEL is commissioned another 660 MW coal-based supercritical thermal
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power unit in Uttar Pradesh.
ii. It has added 4,300 MW of power generation capacity in the state of Uttar Pradesh in December
2015
iii. The project is owned by Prayagraj Power Generation Company Ltd (PPGCL), a subsidiary
company of Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd
Enhanced Foreign Trade Data Dashboard launched by Nirmala Sitharaman
i. Ministry of Commerce & Industry to provide easy access to the public with regard toIndias
export, import and balance of trade data in an analytical format, over time and space,
Commerce & Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launched a new enhanced Dashboard
on Foreign Trade Data.
ii. Technology would be used for transparent decision making and reaching out to people
using real time data. Dashboard is an improved version of the earlier EXIM Analytics
Dashboard developed with many added features. It is more user-friendly and would facilitate the
general public to have an accurate picture on dynamics of foreign trade performance of India.
Centre to invest 15 thousand crore to expand Panipat refinery
i. The Centre would invest Rs.15,000 crore to increase the capacity of
Panipatrefineryfrom 15 million tonnes (MT) to 25 MT to create jobs was the announcement
made byDharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas.
ii. Indian Oil Corporation would set up an ethanol plant in Panipat for Rs.500 crore to generate
alternative fuel from agricultural residue.
IOC to lay Indias longest LPG pipeline
i. Indian Oil Corp (IOC) planned to construct the nations longest LPG pipeline fromGujarat
coast to Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh to supply to growing demand for cooking gas in the
country.
ii. The Plan is to import LPG at Kandla in Gujarat and move it through the 1,987 kilometerpipeline
to Gorakhpur via Ahmedabad (in Gujarat), Ujjain, Bhopal (in Madhya Pradesh), Kanpur, Allahabad,
Varanasi and Lucknow (in Uttar Pradesh)
iii.The pipeline would carry 3.75 million tonne per annum of LPG, IOC reported in an
application to the sector regulator PNGRB seeking approval for the pipeline project.
CCEA approved revision of ethanol prices for public sector OMCs
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,
has approved the mechanism for revision of ethanol price for supply to Public Sector Oil
Marketing Companies (OMCs)
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ii. The revised administered price will facilitate OMCs to carry out the Ethanol Blended Petrol
(EBP) Programme for the next sugar season 2016-17.
India got first Iranian oil parcel
i. India has received the first parcel of Iranian oil to partly fill its strategic storage in southern
India, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd, which imported the very large crude
carrier (VLCC).MRPL shipped in 2 million barrels of Iranian oil in the very large crude carrier Dino.
ii. The country will fill half of the storage with 6 million barrels of Iranian oil while continuing
talks with United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for the remainder.
iii. A second parcel to be procured by Bharat Petroleum Corp. is scheduled to arrive around
Oct. 25, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
RCom, Brookfield ink Rs.11,000 cr. deal
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications Ltd. (RCom) has signed a non-binding term sheet with
Canadian Brookfield Infrastructure Group (Brookfield) to sell a majority 51 per cent stake of its
nationwide tower assets and related infrastructure for Rs. 11,000 crores.
Market capitalization : Infosys loses fifth spot to ONGC
i. TCS is Indias most valuable company with a market capitalization of Rs.4.66 trillion,
followed by Reliance Industries Ltd, HDFC Bank Ltd and ITC Ltd at Rs.3.49 trillion, Rs.3.21 trillion
and Rs.2.90 trillion.
ii. Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC) beat Indias second largest software exporter, Infosys
Ltd to become the fifth most valuable company in India by market capitalization..
Govt granted BP Plc licence to set up petrol pumps in India
Government has formally granted a licence to BP, Europes third-biggest oil company, to set
up 3,500 petrol pumps in India.It is a UK-based firm.BP granted licence to market Motor
Spirit (petrol) and High Speed Diesel (diesel) another milestone for BP in India
Ashok Leyland rolled out first India-made electric bus
i. The Hinduja flagship Ashok Leyland has launched its first locally designed, engineered and
produced battery electric bus series Circuit.
ii. A zero-emission, non-polluting vehicle created specifically for Indian road and passenger
conditions, the bus has a seating capacity ranging from 35 to 65.
India To Lease Second Russian Akula-Class Nuclear Attack Submarine
i. In a deal reportedly worth close to $2 billion, India is set to acquire a second Akula2 nuclearpowered attack submarine from Russia.
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ii. The lease deal for the second nuclear submarine was finalised at a summit-level meeting
between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Azure Power becomes 1st Indian solar company to trade on NYSE
i. Azure Power Global Limited become the first Indian solar company to be listed on NYSE
after it announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 3,409,091 equity shares at the New
York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
ii. The IPO offering includes 2,242,424 equity shares to be sold by Azure Power and 1,166,667
shares to be sold by certain selling shareholders.
Former HCL CEO Anant Gupta launches Rs100 crore tech fund TECHCELX
i. Former HCL Technologies Ltd chief executive officer (CEO) Anant Gupta launched a Rs.100
crore investment fund TECHCELX to invest in start-ups focused on digital technologies such as
machine learning, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and analytics.
ii. TECHCELX will invest between Rs.50 lakh and Rs.10 crore in disruptive technology ventures
and the shareholding will range between 15% and 51%.
Microsoft launches cybersecurity engagement centre in India
i. US based Microsoft has set up a cybersecurity engagement centre (CSEC) in New Delhi to
work with partners in identifying and responding to cyber threats in India.
ii. It is the seventh such facility centre of Microsoft and other cybersecurity centres operated by
Microsoft are located in Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Berlin and Washington DC.
Rajasthan to launch countrys first indigenous olive oil brand.
i. After eight years of harnessing olive saplings brought from Israel, Rajasthan is all set to
launch next month its own brand olive oil, which it claims, will be the countrys first indigenouslyproduced brand.
ii. The state would be launching its olive oil under the brand Raj Olive Oil at the Global
Rajasthan Agri-tech Meet (GRAM) was announced by state Agriculture Minister Prabhu Lal Saini.
TRAI imposed Rs.3050cr fine on Airtel, Voda, Idea for denying connectivity to Jio.
i. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India recommended a large sum of penalty
ofRs.3,050 crore on top three telcos Airtel, Vodafone and Idea, for violating their license
agreement and denial of interconnection to new player Reliance Jio.
ii. The regulator has recommended penalty of Rs.50 crores each for 21 of the 22 circles ofBharti
Airtel and Vodafone (except J&K).In case of Idea, it has recommended penalty ofRs.50
crores each for 19 circles where the operator provides services.
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Cofounder launches Indias first startup magazine
i. The Cofounder launches itself as Indias first startup magazine that will help boost the
entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country through its stories.
ii. The Cofounder, founded by Adhish Verma and Arunraj Rajendran, is the first startup
magazine that will talk about real stories behind the early stage startups and entrepreneurs.
Aditya Birla Group to invest Rs 20000 crore in MP.
i. Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla pledged an investment of Rs. 20,000 crore
for the state of MP in sectors like retail, telecom and cement.
ii. According to Mr. Birla at Madhya Pradesh Global Investors Summit, MP is among the top markets
for Idea Cellular, which has already invested nearly Rs. 7,000 crore over two decades.
Srei launches digital marketplace iQuippo for infra sector
i. Kolkata-based Srei launched iQuippo, a digital marketplace for construction equipment
machinery and services.
ii. It will allow, buying, sell and rent of new and used construction equipment and it will also have
assisted services.
iii. The construction equipment market is envisaged to grow to Rs.50,000 crore by 2020.
RIL gets worlds 1st very large ethane-carrying ships
i. Reliance Industries Ltd has received the delivery of worlds first very large ethane carrying
ships Very Large Ethane Carriers (VLECs) from Samsung Heavy Industries shipyards in Korea.
ii. RIL inaugurated its very first two VLECs named Ethane Crystal and Ethane Emeraldwhich are
the first in a series of six VLECs ordered by RIL in 2014.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Gujarat world heritage site: Rani Ki Vav bagged Cleanest Iconic Place award
i. Two of the five major Swachh Bharat awards to be presented by the Centre are likely to go
to Gujarat.UNESCO-approved Rani Ki Vav at Patan in Gujarat was set to get thecleanest
monument award while textile city Sura twas likely to get the tag of the city with cleanest
railway station.
ii. Gujarats 900-year-old World Heritage Site Rani ki Vav beat 10 other iconic heritage
structures across the country to bag an award for the Cleanest Iconic Place at the Indian
Sanitation Conference (INDOSAN) 2016 at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi The monument was
felicitated at the conference, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendea Modi.
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KTR Gets Global Champion Of Digital Literacy Award
i. Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao (KTR) was awarded with the Global Champion of Digital
Literacy Award by Certiport. Certiport found the work done by Rao deserving of a Global
Champion of Digital Literacy Award.
ii. The award recognizes people who are making a difference in preparing students to bedigitally
literate and competitive in an ever-competitive job market besides creating the infrastructure for
growth of IT in their state or country and movement towards providing better governance
using technology..
Prineet Grewal crowned Mrs India Earth 2016
i. The 29 year old Prineet Grewal from Pune was crowned with Mrs India Earth 2016 at a gala
ceremony amid members of the fashion industry in Dwarka.
ii. Runners: Paris Keswani and Roshini Hassan
iii. Motto : Beauty with Cause.
iv. Mrs India Earth pageant celebrates the spirit of womanhood and gives a platform to married
women.
Bengali/Kashmiri worked share best documentary award at SiGNS
i. The tenth edition of the SiGNS digital video festival, which would be remembered for recording
the highest-ever participation, concluded.
ii. Randu Kurippukal (Two Notes, 2015), a Malayalam short film directed by Gireesh Kumar K,
took home the SiGNS 2016 award for Best Short Fiction.
iii. The award for best documentary in competition was shared by Bengali entry Tender is the
Sight helmed by Torsha Bannerjee and Vanishing Glaciers, a production inKashmiri by Raja
Shabir Khan.
Renowned British statistician Sir David Cox won the 2016 International Prize in
Statistics
Renowned British statistician Sir David Cox has been awarded with the inaugural recipient of the
International Prize in Statistics.
About David Cox :
Cox was born in Birmingham. He was employed from 1944 to 1946 at the Royal Aircraft
Establishment, from 1946 to 1950 at the Wool Industries Research Association in Leeds and from
1950 to 1956 worked at the Statistical Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. From 1956 to
1966 he was Reader and then Professor of Statistics at Birkbeck College, London.
He has made pioneering and important contributions to numerous areas of statistics and
applied probability, of which the best known is perhaps the proportional hazards
model, which is widely used in the analysis of survival data.
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Elephant researcher Prajna Chowta awarded with Chevalier de lOrdre National du Mrite
Film-maker cum elephant researcher and the founder of Aane Mane Foundation, Prajna Chowta has
been appointed Chevalier de lOrdre National du Mrite (Knight in the National Order of Merit), one
of the highest civilian recognitions of the French government.
About Aane Mane Foundation and Prajna Chowta,
The 46-year-old Ms. Chowta is the founder of Aane Mane Foundation, which for the past 16
years has been researching and conserving wild Asian elephants.
She has also authored the Elephant Code Book on captive elephant management as
well as the French book Enfant dElephant (Elephants Child) in 2014, which is based on
the sketches of tribals and their relationship with elephants.
She is among the few Indian women to be appointed a Knight. Earlier this year,
businesswoman Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and actor Kamal Hassan were recognized under
the French governments Legion of Honour award.
SJVN honored with P L Roy Award by HelpAge India

i. The prestigious P.L. Roy Award instituted by HelpAge India has been presented on SJVN for
its outstanding contribution in providing free & quality medical care to the communities as
one of its many CSR initiatives
ii. Honble Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, and PMO Dr. Jitendra
Singh presented the award to Shri R.N. Misra, Chairman and Managing Director, SJVN at a
glittering event held at New Delhi . The function was held in commemoration of International
Day of Older Persons by HelpAge India.
Indian-origin Kiara Nirghin wins 2016 Google Science Fair prize
i. Indian-origin South African Kiara Nirghin won a $50,000 scholarship at the annualGoogle
Science Fair for her project titled No More Thirsty Crops which was aimed at tackling the
severe drought plaguing South Africa.
ii. After 45 days of experimentation, She creating a low-cost super-absorbent polymer,
made out of waste products from the juice manufacturing industry.Her solution to the problem of
drought uses orange and avocado fruit peel that is normally discarded
Space scientist U.R. Rao into its Hall of Fame of IAF
i. The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) inducted renowned space scientist U.R. Rao into
its Hall of Fame for his contribution to development of Indias space technology.
ii. Rao has been inducted into the 2016 IAF Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions to
the development of space technology in India and for his efforts towards sharing the greater
benefits of space technology with developing countries and the world at large.
iii. Udupi Ramachandra Rao, popularly known as U. R. Rao is a space scientist and former
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chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. Presently he is the Chairman of the Governing
Council of the Physical Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad and chancellor ofIndian Institute for
Space Science and Technology (IIST) at Thiruvananthapuram.
Nayanjot Lahiri won 2016 John F Richards Prize
i. Nayanjot Lahiri of Ashoka University has been selected as the winner of the 2016 John F.
Richards Prize for her book Ashoka in Ancient India.
ii. The prestigious prize would be presented upon her at the American Historical Association
(AHAs) 131st Annual Meeting to be held in Denver, Colorado in January 2017.
iii. Professor Lahiris biography was edited and typeset at Permanent Black, Indias leading
academic publisher, and would be available in paperback later this month.
President of India presented Sangeet Natak Akademis Fellowships and Akademi Awards
for 2015
i. The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the SangeetNatakAkademi
Fellowships (AkademiRatna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (AkademiPuraskars) for the
Year-2015 at a function in Rashtrapati Bhawan. Dr.Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State
(Independent Charge) for Culture & Tourism and many dignitaries were present at the award
presentation function.
ii. In the field of Music, eleven eminent artists, namely Krishna Bisht and Mashkoor Ali Khan for
Hindustani Vocal Music, Kartik Kumar for Hindustani Instrumental MusicSitar, Brij Narayan for
Hindustani Instrumental MusicSarod, R N Thyagarajan and R N Tharanathan (joint award) for
Carnatic Vocal Music, SugunaVaradhachari for Carnatic Vocal Music, LalgudiG J R Krishnan for
Carnatic Instrumental MusicViolin, MambalamM K S Siva for Carnatic Instrumental MusicNagaswaram, Bhupinder Singh, HridyanathMangeshkar and PrafullaKar for Other Major Traditions
of MusicSugamSangeet, have been selected for the Akademi Awards 2015.
iii. In the field of Dance, nine eminent artists namely, Ranganayaki Jayaraman for
Bharatanatyam, K Kunhiraman Nair for Kathakali, G Padmaja Reddy for Kuchipudi, AlokaKanungo
for Odissi, SharodiSaikia for Sattriya Dance, Mandakini Trivedi for Mohiniattam, Sadashiva Pradhan
for Chhau Dance, W Lokendrajit Singh for Contemporary/Experimental Dance and Rajkumar
Bharathi for Music for Dance.
iv.In the field of Theatre, nine eminent artists namely Nand Kishore Acharya and Shafaat Khan for
Playwriting, Parvez Akhtar and MushtaqKak for Direction, Manoj N Joshi and Himani Shivpuri for
Acting, Pradeep Mulye for Allied Theatre ArtsScenic Design, SarojiniNangiar for Other Major
Traditions of TheatreKutiyattam and Rani Balbir Kaur for Overall Contribution in Theatre.
v.In the field of Traditional/Folk/Tribal Music/Dance/Theatre and Puppetry, ten
artistes Awards 2015, they are Khuman Lal Sao (Folk Music of Chhattisgarh), Ramchandra Singh
(Folk Theatre of Bihar), Khem Raj (Folk Music of Jammu and Kashmir), S R D Prasad (Martial Art of
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Kerala), Chhaya and Maya Khutegaonkar (joint award for Folk Dance of Maharashtra-Lavani),
Gangmei AlunaKabuini (Traditional Dance and Music of Manipur), Paramjit Singh Sidhu (Folk Music
of Punjab), Sayeed SabriJaipuri (Qawwali, Rajasthan), K K Ramachandra Pulavar and T N
Sankaranathan for Puppetry.
vi. Shanta Gokhale and Chaman Ahuja have been selected for the Akademi Award 2015 in the
field of Overall Contribution/Scholarship to Performing Arts.
Malayalam Novelist Kumaran Selected For Vayalar Award
i. Eminent Malayalam novelist and short story writer U K Kumaran is selected for prestigious
Vayalar award 2016 for his novel Thakshankunnu Swarooopam.
ii. The award will be presented at a function here on October 27 on the lyricists death anniversary.
Vayalar Award :
The award carries a cash prize of Rs one lakh, a silver plate and citation, is given annually to the
best literary work in Malayalam, and is instituted by the Vayalar Rama Varma Memorial Trust.
Indian NGO Swayam Shikshan Prayog bags UN climate award for clean energy project
i. Swayam Shikshan Prayog has bagged the UN climate award 2016 for clean energy project
ii.The NGO trains women to become clean energy entrepreneurs across Maharashtra and
Bihar.
iii. It is one of the 13 projects to be recognised at the forthcoming UN climate summit in Marrakesh
in November.
Indian-origin South African AB Moosa awarded prestigious Paul Harris Award in SA
i. An Indian-origin South African businessman AB Moosa has been honoured with a prestigious
award by an international humanitarian organisation in recognition of his charitable work.
ii. Mr.Moosa is the third-generation CEO of the Avalon Group and CineCentre Cinemas, South
Africas oldest and largest independent cinema exhibition which first brought Indian films to South
African cinemas in the 1920s.
iii. The prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Award from the charitable organisation Rotary
International was presented in recognition of Moosas ongoing and long-standing support of Rotary
and his commitment to its initiatives.
IGIAs T3 becomes first Platinum rated green airport terminal building in India
i. According to the Delhi International Airport Limited, Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airports
(IGIA) Terminal 3 (T3) has achieved Platinum rating from Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
ii. The recognition has made IGIAs T3 as the first Platinum rated green airport terminal building
in India under Green Existing Building O&M Rating System by IGBC.
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iii. The announcement was made during the 14th Green Building Congress, 2016 organised by
IGBC in Mumbai.
Sprinter Srabani Nanda wins Ekalabya Award
Sprinter Srabani Nanda has bagged the 24th Ekalabya Award for the year 2016 in recognition
of her sporting excellence.
Other Awardee :
Hockey players Deep Grace Ekka and Dipsan Tirkey will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000.
Special soldier medals for ITBP canines, horses
i. For the first time, four-legged soldiers who accompany troops in combat zones for
sanitisation exercises and logistical tasks will be decorated with special medals instituted
exclusively for them on lines of those given to troops.
ii. This initiative has been taken by Sino-India border guarding force ITBP which has instituted an
Animal Transport and a K9 (canine) medal and has chosen its workhorse Thubderbolt and
female dog Sophia for the maiden decoration to be awarded to them during its
forthcoming 55th anniversary celebrations.
Teleganas Bathukamma event enters record book
The Telangana government organised the Guinness Record entrants traditional state festival of
Bathukamma on a grand scale at the Lal Bahadur stadium in Hyderabad.
About the Record :With participation of 9,292 women, surpassed the Onam dance organised
in Kerala in 2015 in which 5,015 women had participated, the festival entered the Guinness
Record Book.
On first five days women will clean their vakili, cow dung mixed with water is spread in the
courtyard as a ground-base, decorate the ground-base with managala aakara or muggu
patterns or rangoli made of rice flour. For the first five days Batukamma is prepared
with cow dung. Five small lumps in cone shape are arranged in the vakili.
Men in the house gather flowers from the wild plains like Celosia, Senna, Marigold,
Chrysanthemum, Indian Lotus, Cucurbita leaves & flowers, Cucumis Sativus leaves &
flowers, Memecylon edule, Tridax procumbens, Trachyspermum ammi, Katla, Teku
Flowers, etc., which bloom in this season in various vibrant colors all across the uncultivated
and barren plains of the region.
Preparing a Bathukamma is a folk art. Women start preparing Bathukamma from the
afternoon. They cut the flowers leaving the little length base, some dip Gunugu
(Celosia) flowers in various vibrant colours, some scented and arrange them on a wide
plate called Thambalam spread with big leaves, and stack them up in a conical mound, filling
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the cone with leaves and stems of the flower stalks, decorated with a Lotus or Pumpkin Flower
on top of the stack along with Gouramma.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan bagged Outstanding Celebrity Woman of the Year award
i. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan recently received the Outstanding Celebrity Woman of the
Year award while featuring among Outlook Business 19 outstanding women
ii. The former Miss World looked gorgeous on the cover of the issue, 19 women achievers shared
their successful, entrepreneurial journey in a candid conversation with Outlook Business.
Chandigarh International Airports limited (CHIAL) terminal won IBC award
i. The new integrated terminal building of Chandigarh International Airports Limited (CHIAL)
has bagged the 2014-15 India Building Congress (IBC) Award for Excellence in Built
Environment.
ii. AAI General Manager for engineering projects D Kamra received the award from Union Urban
Development, and Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu at the 21st annual
convention inaugural function.
Sir Ian McKellen honoured at UK Theatre Awards
i. Veteran actor Ian McKellen was honoured at the UK Theatre Awards that took place on
October 9 in London for his individual contributions to British theatre.
ii. McKellen was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre prize.
iii. The 77-year-old actor, best known for his roles in the X-Men and Lord Of The Rings film
franchises, was recognised for championing diversity and contribution to the British
theatre at the ceremony held at Londons Guildhall.
iv. Actress Vanessa Redgrave was presented with The Gielgud Award For Excellence in The
Dramatic Arts at the UK.
Former CM of Uttarakhand Nishank awarded by Ugandan govt for his literary work
i. Former Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank conferred with a prestigious
award by the Ugandan government for promoting human values through his literature in Uganda
on October 12 2016.
ii. The award was presented by the Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda. He published
number of poems, novels and stories. Some of his literacy work translated into other languages like
Tamil, Telungu, German and English.
Renowned songwriter Bob Dylan wins Nobel Prize for Literature
i. The singer and songwriter Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature forhaving
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created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition, in the words of the
Swedish Academy.
ii. Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, artist and writer. He has been influential in popular
music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from
the 1960s when his songs chronicled social unrest, although Dylan repudiated suggestions
from journalists that he was a spokesman for his generation.
Mashelkar honoured with V Krishnamurthy award
i. The prestigious V Krishnamurthy Award for Excellencewas presented to eminent scientist
and former Director-General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, RA Mashelkar.
ii. Former Governor of Tamil Nadu K Rosaiah presented the award to Mashelkar at the Centre
for Organisation Development (COD) in the presence of Habil F Khorakiwala, Founder Chairman,
Wockhardt Group and Chairman of the Board of Governors, COD among other dignitaries.
Priyanka Chopra joined JLo, Oprah Winfrey on Powerful Women List
i. Actress Priyanka Chopra added another feature to her cap. The Quantico star has joined media
mogul Oprah Winfrey and pop star Jennifer Lopez in Variety magazines Power of Women
Impact List.
ii.The magazine detailed Priyankas recent projects like The Jungle Book, Sanjay Leela
Bhansalis Bajirao. Mastani and Quantico Season 2.
iii. Other Hollywood stars on the list are Margot Robbie, Amy Poehler, Alicia Vikander, Brie Larson
and Bad Moms Team which includes Suzanne Todd, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn,
Christina Applegate, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Annie Mumolo.
Indias hockey captain PR Sreejesh bagged Jimmy George award
i. Indian hockey team captain, PR. Sreejesh has bagged the 28th Jimmy George foundation
award instituted for the best sports person in the state.
ii. The award carries a purse of Rs.25,000 and a citation that would be presented to Sreejesh in
December 3,at Peravoor. Peravoor in this district of Kerala is the birthplace of Jimmy George,who
was the first professional volleyball player to represent the nation.
Pune-based innovator Satish Pathak gets international automation award
i. Satish Pathak from Pune has been awarded the the Excellence in Technical Innovation by
the International Society of Automation for Digital Controlled Valve for Precise Liquid
Dispensing by Gravity flow, has the capacity of saving for the industry and is a step change
technology in industrial valves.
ii. project had received a grant from the department of science and technology (DIST)
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Former Minister Veeranna selected for Valmiki Award
i. Former Minister Veeranna (76) awarded with the Sri Maharshi Valimiki Jayanti Awardfor the
year 2016-17 by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 5
lakh and a citation.
ii. Mr Veeranna hails from Koratagere in Tumakuru district and served as the Minister in the
Janata Party government and he held portfolios of small savings, transport, commerce and
industries and prisons.
IAFP Young scientist scholarship award for Kirtiraj Kundlik Gaikwad
i. Kirtiraj Kundlik Gaikwad, an Indian scientist with the Department of Packaging, hasbeen
awarded the prestigious IAFP Young scientist scholarship award.
ii. This is awarded for his research work on development of novel oxygen absorbing package in the
field of active packaging for oxygen sensitive food products.
Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon wins the 2016 Golden Foot award
i. Juventus Gianluigi Buffon has won prestigious Golden Foot award in Monaco.
ii. The 38-year-old, Juventus legend has been one of the standout performers for the Turin club in
the last decade.
iii. He was honoured with the award not only for his contributions on the field but his contributions
for football off the field as well.
Renowned writer C Radhakrishnan has been selected for the Mathrubhumi Literary
Award
i. Renowned writer C Radhakrishnan has been selected for the Mathrubhumi Literary Award in
recognition of his contribution to the field of literature. A sum of Rs.2 lakh, a plaque and
citation constitute the award.
ii. Radhakrishnan is a writer and film director in Malayalam language from Kerala state, South
India.
Mizorams Pachuau declared Indias oldest working journalist
i. The Mizoram governments Information and Public Relations department and the Mizoram
Journalists Association (MJA) today declared Lalbiakthanga Pachuau, the editor ofZoram
Tlangau, a Mizo language daily, as the oldest working journalist in the country.
ii. State information minister Lal Thanzara handed over a citation to Pachuau for his long innings
in journalism and his contribution to social causes at a function in Aizawl.
Mangaluru International Airport rated best in Southern region
i. The Mangalore international airport here has been rated the best in southern regionand
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won the third spot among all the 52 airports from across the country. The performances of all the
airports are rated on the basis of overall customer satisfaction.
ii. The Airports Authority of India conducts survey of all the airports once in six months through
external agency and in the latest survey the airport secured 4.72 marks out of 5 points.
iii. The survey ranks Chandigarh airport as the best in the country followed by Raipur. Third slot
has been shared by Mangaluru and Udaipur airports.
iv. The Tiruchi airport has ranked sixth at the all-India level in the nationwide survey that was
conducted for the period January to June by an agency commissioned by the Airports Authority of
India (AAI).
Sonam Kapoor awarded ET Panache Trendsetter Award 2016
i. Actress Sonam Kapoor has been honoured with the Trendsetter Award 2016 by ET Panache
to recognises the efforts of entrepreneurs, innovators, newsmakers and athletes whose stories
"inspire millions and whose services transform lives.
ii. Sonam's performance in 'Neerja', her social endeavors and positive presence on social media
was lauded through this recognition.
IRCTCs Maharajas Express gets Seven Star Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Award
i. The Maharajas Express, the worlds most luxurious train owned and operated by Indian
Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), received the 2016 Seven Star Luxury
Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards at Marbella in Spain.
ii. The award for the highly decorated train was received by IRCTC Chairman and Managing
Director Dr A K Manocha in the Seven Star Experience Sector.
iii. As part of the award, Maharajas Express was presented the Signum Virtutis, the seal of
Excellence, from the Seven Star Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards at an impressive
function held at the Villa Padierna Hotel in Marbella.
Robert De Niro To Receive 2017 Chaplin Award
i. Robert De Niro to award with 44th annual Chaplin Award at the annual Chaplin Awardgala
announced by The Film Society of Lincoln Center .
ii. He is selected for for a four-decade acting career that stretches from early work including
Mean Streets, Raging Bull and The Godfather Part II to more recent projects such as
Silver Linings Playbook.
Dubais Burj Khalifa: Worlds tallest tower is now the worlds tallest Lego structure.
i. An amusement park in Dubai claims to have the worlds tallest lego building structure, a model
based on Burj Khalifa skyscraper.
ii. It is designed and built using 4,39,000 lego bricks with a height of 17 metres.
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iii. It will feature six themed lands Lego City, Adventure, Kingdoms, Imagination, Factory and
Miniland each unique in their design, entertainment and playful learning experience.
Tata Steel Bags Sustainable Manufacturing Award
i. The Sustainable Manufacturing of Make in India Award won by Tata Steel at the Make
in India Awards 2016. The award was received by T V Narendran, Managing Director of Tata
Steel India from the Union Minister for Steel, Mr Birendra Singh in New Delhi on October 19 2016.
ii. The award is in recognition of Tata Steels excellent track record and continued efforts to
introduce the best-in-class green initiatives in its manufacturing processes.
State Bank of Patiala gets special award for excellence in MSME lending
i. State Bank of Patiala has been conferred Special Award for Excellence in MSME lending
for its performance in lending to the MSME sector during the year 2013-14 and 2014-15 at the
National Award Function held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana.Prime Minister of
India, Narendra Modi was the chief guest of this function
ii. S A Ramesh Rangan, Managing Director and Devendra Kumar, General Manager, State Bank of
Patiala received the award from Kalraj Mishra Union Minister for Micro Small and Medium
Enterprises.
Mumbai photographer Nayan Khanolkar wins wildlife award
Mumbai based Nayan Khanolkar got the one shot that would go on to win him the
prestigious Wildlife Photographer Award, 2016 by the BBC and Natural History Museum in
London.
About the Award :
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition provides a showcase for the worlds very
best nature photography. The competition is owned by the world-renowned and trusted British
institution, the Natural History Museum.
Nayan was awarded the Urban Wildlife category award in London. His picture shows a
leopard staring directly into the lens as it walks underneath a tiny yellow bulb between two
mud-splattered homes of tribals in Aarey Colony. This was the 52nd installment of the
award, in which Khanolkar won from 50,000 entries across 90 countries.
Milan conferred honorary citizenship on Dalai Lama

i. The Milan city council bestowed honorary citizenship on His Holiness the Dalai Lamadespite
strong objections from Chinese government.
ii. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate accepted the honor inside a theater at the University ofMilanBicocca campus before an audience of mostly students.
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iii.The Chairman of the Council of Milan, Lamberto Bertole, honoured the Dalai Lama with theMilan
Honorary Citizenship award at a ceremony held at the Arcimboldi Theatre in Milan, Italy.
Gavaskar To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award From SJAM
The Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM) named cricket legend Sunil Manohar
Gavaskar for its Lifetime Achievement award . The award will be presented at the golden jubilee
celebrations of SJAM on December 11, 2016 in Mumbai
The SJAMs first Lifetime Achievement award was presented to badminton legend Nandu Natekar
in September 2013.
Luis Suarez receives 2nd European Golden Shoe of his career
Luis Suarez was awarded with the European Golden Shoe after scoring 40 goals for Barcelona last
season and It is the second time hes won the prize, having shared it with Cristiano Ronaldo two
years ago.
About European Golden Shoe,
The European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association
football award presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the
top division of every European national league.
Air India flies Delhi-San Francisco nonstop over Pacific, and into record books
Air India has become the first ever flight to flown over the Pacific Ocean from Delhi to San
Fransico (SFO), instead of the Atlantic. Air India flew non-stop over the Ocean making the
record of operating the worlds longest nonstop flight.
About the Non-Stop Longest Flight :
The Pacific route is almost 1,400km longer than the Atlantic one, and the flight covered 15,300
kilometres in 14.5 hours. Despite the route being longer, the flight took almost two hours less
thanks to tailwinds winds that blow in the same direction as an aircraft and thus make it go
faster.
Karnatakas Almatti dam awarded by World Bank
i. Almatti dam, one of the largest reservoirs in Karnataka, was chosen for the World Banks
Award of Excellence for best utilisation of funds for renovation to enhance the strength of the
dam.
ii. The World Bank had granted Rs.72 crore to the Krishna Bhagya Jal Nigam Limited to
prevent seepage which could damage the dam.
AIIMS, Ganga Ram doctors chosen for Dr B C Roy award
i. Randeep Guleria, Head of Pulmonology, and CS Yadav of department of orthopaedics, from the
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All India Institute of Medical Sciences have been chosen for Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy Award Roy
Award for excellence in the field of medicine.
ii. Chairman of Board of Management at SGRH DS Rana selected for in the category of recognising
the best talents in encouraging the development of specialities in different branches in medicine
iii. Arvind Kumar also chosen for the Eminent Medical Person category.
Dr. BC Roy Award :.
Pel holds Guinness World Record for most career goals
i. Former Brazilian footballer Edson Arantes do Nascimento known as Pel holds the Guinness
World Record for the most number of goals scored by an individual in a specified period.
ii. The total goal scored by him was 1,279 goals from 7 September 1956 to 1 October 1977
in 1,363 games.
Bengaluru water tanker driver G. Balakrishna crowned Mr. Asia
i. G. Balakrishna(25) from Ramagondanahalli was crowned as Mr. Asia 2016 at the 5th Phil-Asia
bodybuilding championships held in Philippines.
ii. He is trained by champions Sangram Chougla from Mumbai and Munish Kumar from Punjab.
iii. He started the water tanker business in 2010 also he works as a gym instructoriv. He
won Mr. Universe Under-24 junior contest in 2013 in Germany and Mr. Universe title in the
same category at the world championship in Athens in 2014
AIRs entry on dwindling tiger habitats wins ABU award
i. AIR Allahabad Programme Executive Abhinay Srivastava won the first prize in the Community
Service Announcement category Diary of a Tiger on dwindling forests and gradually decreasing
habitats of tigers at the Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union (ABU) Prizes 2016 at Bali, Indonesia.
ii. The programme was broadcasted in Hindi (Ek Baagh ki Diary) and produced by AIR Allahabad
Programme Executive Abhinay Srivastava.
Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union (ABU) Prize 2016 wonner list
Category
Drama
Documentary
News Reporting
Community Service
Announcement (CSA)
Organisation
Islamic Republic of Iran
Broadcasting (IRIB)
Radio Television Hong Kong
(RTHK) Hong Kong
Entry Title
Iran Vibration
Radio and Television of the

Peoples Republic of China
(RTPRC) | China National Radio
(CNR) China
All India Radio (AIR) India
An Age of Our Own: War Times

70th Anniversary
Commemoration of the End of
WWII
36 Days
Diary of a tiger
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Interactive Programme
Innovative Programme
Special Jury Prize
Islamic Republic of Iran

Broadcasting (IRIB) Iran
Radio and Television of the
Peoples Republic of China
(RTPRC) | China National Radio
(CNR) China
Bangladesh NGOs Network for
Radio and Communication
(BNNRC) | Radio Chillmari
Bangladesh
Iranian Online
Chinese Voice Chinese New
Year
The Destroyed Dream
Malaika Vaz wins Wildscreen National Geographic award

i. Malaika Vaz has won the 2016 Wildscreen National Geographic Roar Talent Bursary
Award for her short-film Waghoba at Wildscreen festival which was held at Bristol, UK . She
became the first Indian to bagged this award.
ii. Short film Waghoba depicts real life story of a newly protected forest in Maharashtraand it
was critically acclaimed at the Festival in Bristol, United Kingdom.
iii. Malaika name entered into the Limca Book of Records as the youngest Indian to go to North
and South poles.
Paul Beatty Becomes First American To Win Man Booker Prize For The Sellout
i. Paul Beatty has become the first US author to win the Man Booker Prize with hisracial
satire The Sellout.
ii. His novel tells the story of a young black man who tries to reinstate slavery and racial
segregation in a suburb of Los Angeles.
iii. This is the third year that the 50,000 prize has been open to writers of any nationality.
iv. The shortlist included two British, two US, one Canadian and one British-Canadian writer.
PVC Pipes maker Finolex entered Limca Book of Records
i. Finolex Industries Ltd, one of the famous suppliers of PVC pipes & fittings for the agriculture
and non-agricultural sectors in India, has been bestowed with the national record certificate by The
Limca Book of Records for conducting the largest number of plumbers meets organised
simultaneously across 26 states and 58 cities.
ii. The activity was carried out on the occasion of World Plumbing Day was recognized and
appreciated by senior plumbers across the country, appreciating the initiative and the companys
dedication in creating a well-trained eco system for new plumbers.
UP Government confers Yash Bharti award to 54 people
The Government of Uttar Pradesh announced the names of 54 eminent personalities who have been
selected for the award in recognition of their contributions in their respective field.
About the Awardees,
Leading cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan, historian Irfan Habib and personalities from
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entertainment world like Sudhir Misra, Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bhardwaj will be
among 54 achievers to be presented Yash Bharti Award by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav
at a function at Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University on Monday.
Samajwadi Party chief and MP Mulayam Singh Yadav and culture minister Aruna Kori will
also be present at the function. The CM will also give away the Ahilyabai Holkar award to
lyricist Sameer Anjaan and Anjali Misra.
Mountaineer Arunima Sinha and IPS Aparna Kumar, ghazal singer Iqbal Siddiqui, poet
Ashok Chakradhar, singer Surbhi Ranjan hockey player Jagvir Singh, Kathak artist
Kumkum Adarsh and young playback singer Ankit Tewari will also be presented the Yash
Bharti award.
Bhojpuri actor Dinesh Lal Nirhua and standup comedian Raju Srivastava will be awarded
for their contribution towards films and entertainment along with Urdu poet Nawaz
Deobandi.
The list includes names of folk artist Kamla Srivastava, Narendra Singh Rana (power
lifting), cricketer R P Singh, King Georges Medical University vice chancellor Dr Ravi
Kant and Sthavi Asthana for equestrianism.
2 Yazidi women, Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar win EU human rights prize
i. Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar, two young Iraqis who escaped sexual slavery by the
Islamic State and became advocates for womens rights were honored with the Sakharov Prize for
Freedom of Thought, the European Unions top human rights award.
ii. Ms.Murad and Ms.Aji Bashar are among thousands of women and girls from the Yazidi
community whom the terrorist group kidnapped, sexually assaulted, enslaved and in many cases
killed.
Three Maharashtra women awarded the title of Swachhatadoot for their inspiring role
i. Three women from Maharashtra SuvarnaLokhande, Sangeeta Awhale & Chiatali
Rathod were conragulated & honored by MC granting title of Swachhatadoot.
ii. Under Swachh Maharashtra Mission, these three brave women namely, SuvarnaLokhande
from Sinnar -Nasik district, Sangeeta Awhale from Saikheda- Washim district, and ChiataliRathod
from Mozar district Yavatmal, were congratulated and honored by the Municipal Corporation by
granting them the title of Swachhatadoot.
Daughters of Mother India won big at the CAM International Film Festival
i. Indian National Award winning documentary Daughters of Mother India won the first prize in
the Documentary Film category at the sixth CAM International Film Festival here.
ii. The fest was organised by Arabic Egyptian Society for Culture, Media and Arts (CMA).This
film was Directed by Vibha Bakshi, the movie portrays Indias story of determination, hope and
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iii. India was the Guest of Honour in the film gala with 12 entries.It frames the aftermath of
the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder.
Portugals Renato Sanches wins European Golden Boy prize
i. Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches from Portugal has won the European Golden Boy
award.He will receive the award on October 31, 2016.He was also named the best young player
of Euro 2016.
ii. He beat Englands Marcus Rashford and Frances Kingsley Coman to win this award.
Click here to download 2016 Nobel Prize Overview PDF
Field
Winner
Discovery / Contribution
Physics
Physiology or Medicine
Literature
David J. Thouless, F. Duncan M.

Haldane and J. Michael Kosterlitz
Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser
Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa
Yoshinori Ohsumi
Bob Dylan
Peace
Juan Manuel Santos
Economic s
Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmstrm
For theoretical discoveries of topological phase

transitions and topological phases of matter
For the design and synthesis of molecular
machines
For his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy
For having created new poetic expressions within
the great American song tradition
For his resolute efforts to bring the country's more
than 50-year-long civil war to an end
For their contributions to contract theory
Chemistry
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

Ravindra concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Guinea
i. Ravindra has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the Republic
ofGuinea, with residence in Abidjan
ii. He is presently working as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of Cote dIvoire
Somesh Sharma is elected as INS President
i. Somesh Sharma of Rashtradoot Saptahik has been elected as new President of The Indian
Newspaper Society for the year 2016-17 at the 77th AGM held in Bengaluru.
ii. He succeeds PV Chandran.
Other Appointmnets:
Akila Urankar of Business Standard is the Deputy President, K Balaji of The Hindu is the VicePresident and Sharad Saxena of Hindustan Times is the Honorary Treasurer of the Society for the
year 2016-17.
Myntra appoints Dipanjan Basu as Chief Financial Officer
i. Online fashion portal Myntra has appointed Dipanjan Basu as the Chief Financial Officer with
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effective from October 17.He has 15 years of experience in the finance department.
ii. Priot to this , he was the Chief Finance & Operating Officer for Wipros Digital & Consulting
Business .He also oversaw the finance function for the Manufacturing & Healthcare business at
Wipro
Arundhati Bhattacharya gets year-long extension as SBI chief
i. Arundhati Bhattacharya has secured one year extension as the chairperson of the State Bank of
India (SBI) .Her tenure was to end on October 6.
ii. She has taken over as SBI chairman on October 7, 2013, and become the first woman to head
the countrys largest bank
S SIVAKUMAR appointed as full time member of 21st Law Commission
The Union Government has appointed S. Sivakumar as a full-time Member of the 21st Law
Commission of India (LCI). The 21st Law Commission was constituted for a period of three years
from 1 September, 2015. The commission will have its tenure only till 31 August 2018.But the
present Law Commission has surprisingly not submitted any report till date.
Indian-American in US named to 2016 class of the Jerger Future Leaders of Audiology
i. The American Academy of Audiology has named Dr. Vinaya Manchaiah, an Indian American
associate professor and director of audiology at Lamar University, to the 2016class of Jerger
Future Leaders of Audiology.
ii.Vinaya Manchaiah is one of only a dozen individuals selected nationwide for the
honour.Audiology is a branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders
Trafficked Girl Anoyara Khatun Became International Child Rights Activist
i. An 18-year-old girl Anoyara Khatun, who was trafficked from the remote islands of Sundarbans
in West Bengal, is an international child rights crusader and has been invited twice to speak at
the United Nations.
ii. Having met UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates, Anoyara Khatun is
now a hero in her Sande shkhali village in North 24 Parganas district.
iii. Telling the stories from her village before an international audience and listening to stories from
all over the world had made her more strong as an activist stated by Khatun, who was once
trafficked as a child domestic worker due to poverty.
Reliance Communications CEO Vinod Sawhny steps down
i. Reliance Communications Ltds chief executive Vinod Sawhny has stepped down from his post
and William (Bill) Barney and Gurdeep Singh would take over responsibilities and function as
co-CEOs with immediate effect from September 30, 2016.
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ii. The announcement comes two weeks after RCom announced the merger of its wireless business
with Aircel Ltd.
M. Sevala Naik concurrently accredited as the High Commissioner of India to the
Commonwealth of The Bahamas
i. M.Sevala Naik was concurrently accredited as the High Commissioner of India to the
Commonwealth of The Bahamas, with residence in Kingston (Jamaica).
ii. He is currently working as the High Commissioner of India to Jamaica.
Ashish Vohra Appointed CEO Of Reliance Nippon Life Insurance
i. Ashish Vohra has been appointed as the CEO of largest life insurance companies in the
world Reliance Nippon Life Insurance with effect from October 3, 2016.
ii. Prior to this he has been working as Senior Director and Chief Distribution Officer in Max Life
Insurance.
Rajeev Sharma takes over as Power Finance CMD
i. Rajeev Sharma has taken over as the Chairman and Managing Director of state-run Power
Finance Corporation (PFC). He is the succeedor of M K Goel who retired onSeptember 30, 2016.
ii. Prior to this he was the CMD of Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).
Yesudas to be brand ambassador of Haritha Keralam project
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan appointed eminent Carnatic vocalist and playback singer K
J Yesudas as the brand ambassador of Haritha Keralam project
Prasar Bharati CEO Jawhar Sircar resigns
Prasar Bharati Corporation CEO Jawhar Sircar has resigned from his post four months ahead of
the end of his tenure announced by Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry.
Kersti Kaljulaid elected next President of Estonia
i. Kersti Kaljulaid was elected as the countrys first female president by the parliament. Kaljulaid
won the opportunity after rounds of voting failed to produce a winner.
ii. She is a former member of the European Court of Auditors, was a non-partisan candidate to
run for president.
J&K Bank appoints Parvez Ahmed as Chairman & CEO
i. Parvez Ahmed was appointed as Chairman and CEO of Jammu and Kashmir Bank for a period of
three years on October 6, 2016.
ii. He is the succeedor of Mustaq Ahmad who will be retired on October 5.
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Sushil Chandra appointed as Chairman of CBDT
i. Indian Revenue Service officer Sushil Chandra has been appointed as the new chairman of the
Central Board of Direct Taxes(CBDT) till May 2017 by the Appointments Committee of the
Cabinet.
ii. He will replace Rani Singh Nair, who will retire on October 31.
Justice Mohanty Appointed Acting CJ Of Jharkhand HC
i. Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty was appointed as the acting chief justice of the Jharkhand High
Court. He will replace Justice Virendra Singh who retired on October 6 2016.
ii. Now Justice Mohanty assumes charge as acting chief justice of Andhra Pradesh/ Telangana,
Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand high courts.
B.V.R Mohan Reddy appointed honorary consul of Germany
i. Germany has appointed former Nasscom Chairman B V R Mohan Reddy as an Honourary
Consul of that country in Hyderabad.
ii. Mohan Reddy will be the Consul for Germany in Telangana and Hyderabad.
Rajeev Rishi elected IBA Chairman for 2016-17
i. Rajeev Rishi was elected as the Chairman of the Indian Banks Association (IBA) for the
financial year 2016-17 at IBA meeting held in Mumbai on October 7 2016.
ii. Presently he was working as the CMD of Central Bank of India.He will replace Ashwani Kumar
iii. Other Appointments:
SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya, ICICI Bank Managing Director & CEO Chanda Kochhar and Union
Bank Chairman and Managing Director Arun Tiwari were elected Deputy Chairpersons of IBA for the
current fiscal.
SICCI appoints Rafeeque Ahmed as President
i. The Chairman of the Farida Group of Companies M Rafeeque Ahmed was elected as the
President and Trigyn Technologies Chairman R Ganapathi and Valingro Group Chairman Rm
Arun were elected Vice Presidents of South India Chamber of Commerce and Industry(SICCI)
at the 106th Annual General Meeting held in Chennai.
ii. Currently he is working as the heads the Council for Leather Exports and also the All India Skin
and Hide Tanners and Merchants Association as President.
P V Sindhu New Brand Ambassador Of Vizag Steel
i. Indian professional badminton player P V Sindhu was roped as brand ambassador ofVizag
Steel .It was announced by R Ramakrishnan, Director and Co-founder Baseline Ventures.
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ii. Sindhu is the top 10 ranked players in the world and she is the first Indian
woman to win an Olympic silver medal at Rio 2016
Xi Jinping appoints Luo Zhaohui as new China envoy to India
i. Chinas envoy to Canada, Luo Zhaohui(54) is appointed as Chinas new ambassador to
India by the President of China Xi Jinping on October 8, 2016. He will replace Le Yucheng .
ii. Luo had served as Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan and Chinas envoy to Canada from 2014 to
2016.
Renu Pall appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Austria
i. Former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of the 1988 batch , Ms. Renu Pall has been
appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Austria.
ii. It was announced by Ministry of External Affairs.
Lieutenant General AK Sharma takes over as GoC of 16 corps
i. Lieutenant General AK Sharma assumed command of the White Knight Corps (16
Corps) from Lieutenant General RR Nimbhorkar on October 10 2016
ii. He was commissioned in 1980 into 2 SIKH, a unit which he later commanded on the line of
control and during Operation Parakram.
Indian-origins Valerie Vazand and Shami Chakrabarti appointed to UK shadow cabinet
i. Indian-origins Valerie Vaz and Shami Chakrabarti are appointed as the leader and attorneygeneral in Corbyns shadow cabinet by the Labour Party.
ii. Vaz(61) has been an MP for Walsall South since the 2010 general election and She is also Vice
Chairwoman of the Labour Parliamentary Party.
Moroccan king reappoints Abdelilah Benkirane as PM
i. Abdelilah Benkirane, leader of Moroccos Islamic Justice and Development Party, has been
appointed for another term as the countrys prime minister.
ii. Mohammed VI, the king of Morocco, made this announcement after Benkiranes party, the PJD,
emerged with the most number of seats in the 395-seat lower house of parliament.
Tamil Nadu CM J. Jayalalithaas portfolios allocated to FM O. Panneerselvam
i. Chief Minister portfolios held by ailing Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa have been allocated to
Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam.The portfolios re-allocated include the Home and Public
Departments and General Administration among others.
ii. The decision was taken by Governor Vidyasagar Rao has been taken on the advice of Ms
Jayalalithaa who is undergoing treatment at a Chennai hospital since the 22nd of last month.
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NBA Player Yao Ming Appointed as Chinese Ambassador to Mars
i. China appointed former NBA player Yao Ming was appointed as the Chinese Ambassador
to Chinas Mars mission by 2020.
ii. Yao Ming is the first to be appointed as an ambassador to a planet other than the Earth.
iii. China plans to land on Mars by 2020, two years behind SpaceX unmanned mission to thered
planet in 2018
RBI ED G Mahalingam appointed Whole-Time Member at SEBI
i. Government has appointed Reserve Banks Executive Director G Mahalingam as aWholeTime Member of markets regulator SEBI.
ii. Gurumoorthy Mahalingam has been appointed as WTM for a period of five years or till he
attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
Raghunathan Elected National President Of AIMO
i. Former Regional Chairman of All India Manufacturers Association, K E Raghunathan has been
elected as the National President of All India Manufacturers Association(AIMO) at the 75th Annual
General Body Meeting held recently in Mumbai.
ii. Suresh Deora was elected as National General Secretary and Harish L Metha as the Honorary
National Treasurer of AIMO
Antonio Guterres Next Secretary General for UN
i. The UN General Assembly(UNGA) will appoint Antonio Guterres as next Secretary-General to
replace the retiring Ban Ki-moon on 1 January next year.
ii. Antnio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who is the
designate Secretary-General of the United Nations. Guterres was Prime Minister of Portugal from
1995 to 2002. He also served for a time as President of the Socialist International.
Bank of Baroda appoints P V Sindhu and K Srikanth as brand ambassadors
i. Vadodara based Bank of Baroda has roped badminton Olympians P V Sindhu and K
Srikanth as brand ambassadors of BOB for three years. It was officially announced by Mayank
Mehta, executive director of BOB.
ii. They will replace cricketer Rahul Dravid who was appointed as brand ambassador of BOB in
2005.
Amrit Lugun concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to the State of Eritrea
i. Shri Amrit Lugun has been concurrently accredited as the Ambassador of India to theState of
Eritrea, with residence in Khartoum(Sudan).
ii. She is currently working as the Ambassador of India to the Republic of the Sudan
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Asha Kharga, marketing head of Brooke Bond and Lipton, joins Axis Bank
i. Asha Kharga(42), marketing head of Brooke Bond & Lipton, Hindustan Unilever has
joined Axis Bank as their head of marketing announced by Executive director of Axis Bank Rajiv
Anand.She replace Sagnik Ghosh
ii. She has worked with Unilever group from 2008 onwards. Before Hindustan Unilever, she worked
in Leo Burnett Group, JWT, TBWA.
Valvoline Ropes In Virat Kohli As Brand Ambassador
i. Valvoline Cummins India has roped cricketer Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador of its engine
oils and lubricants range.
ii. He is an Indian international cricketer and who current captain of the Indian team in Test
cricket and vice-captain of Team.
Ajay Kumar Bhalla Appointed New DGFT
i. Senior IAS officer Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been appointed as the Director General of Foreign
Trade (DGFT).
ii. Bhalla is currently working as the additional secretary in the commerce ministry.
Other Appointments:
Anup Wadhawan was appointed as additional secretary in the commerce ministry
Inder Jit Singh has been appointed as additional secretary in the commerce ministry.
Softbank names Rajeev Misra as head of S100 billion tech fund
Rajeev Misra has been appointed as head of $100 billion fund by Japanese telecom Softbank
Corp. Prior to this, Misra was the senior managing director and partner at New York-based
investment firm Fortress.
Amandeep Singh appointed as the next Ambassador/PR of India to the UN Conference on
Disarmament, Geneva
Former IAS officer Amandeep Singh Gill was appointed as the next Ambassador/PR of India to
the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva.
Tata Communications appoints James Parker as president of global sales
i. James Parker was appointed as the president of global sales by Vinod Kumar, Managing
Director and Group CEO of Tata Communications.
ii. Parker will be responsible for leading the companys global sales organisation across all customer
segments, according to a company release.
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Roopa Ganguly, Ganeshan take oath as Rajya Sabha MPs
i. Roopa Ganguly and Ganeshan two newly elected and nominated Members of Rajya
Sabha have taken oath in the presence of Rajya Sabha Chairman Md. Hamid Ansari in the
Parliament House.
ii. Senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu, L. Ganesan, who will now represent the state ofMadhya
Pradesh and nominated member Roopa Ganguly of West Bengal, took oath and affirmation.
Sanjay Singh Appointed Member Secretary, Law Commission
President Pranab Mukherjee appointed former legislative secretary Sanjay Singh as Member
Secretary, Law Commission of India for a period upto August 31, 2018.
He is a retired officer of Indian Legal Service, was in August 2014, appointed as legislative
secretary.
BCCI President Anurag Thakur take charge as board member of ICCs Finance and
Commercial Affairs committee
i. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur taken charge as the
member of the ICCs powerful Finance and Commercial Affairs committee after completion of
the global cricket bodys board meeting in Cape Town.
ii. He was elected as the 34th president of the Board of Control for Cricket on May 2016
India appoints Navdeep Singh Suri new envoy to UAE
i. Senior diplomat Navdeep Singh Suri was appointed Ambassador to United Arab Emirates on
October 18 2016 by the External Affairs Ministry
ii. He is currently working as Indian High Commissioner in Canberra.
Visa CEO Charles Scharf to resign, ex-AmEx president to take over
i. The San Francisco-based payments network Visas CEO Charles Scharf is resigned from his
post on October 17, 2016.He will be replaced by Alfred Kelly.It is effective from December 1,
2016.
ii. Alfred is a member of Visas board and a former president at American Express Co.
Jayasuriya named as brand ambassador of the Stairs School Football League (SSFL)
i. Former Sri Lankan cricket skipper Sanath Jayasuriya was named as brand ambassador of the
third edition of the STAIRS School Football League (SSFL) which will begin from October 19,
2016.
ii. STAIRS (Society For Transformation, Inclusion and Recognition through Sports) is a not-forprofit organisation working towards sports, education, health and skill development of children
across India.
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Saina Nehwal appointed member of IOCs Athletes Commission
i. Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal received a rare honour for an Indian sport sperson today with her
appointment as a member of the International Olympic Committees (IOC) Athletes
Commission.
ii. Saina has received a letter to the effect from the IOC President informing her of the
appointment.The Commission is chaired by Angela Ruggiero and comprises nine vice
presidents and 10 other members..
S.P Yadav elected new President of Urology Society of India
i. Noted Urologist S. P Yadav was elected as the new President of the North Zone of Urology
Society of India (NZUSI) on October 18, 2016 at the conclusion of a three-day annual conference
.It will effective from October 2017 for a period of one year.
ii. He has contributed to various researches and clinical practices for the last 32 years.
Geeta Phogat appointed DSP in Haryana Police
i. Indian woman wrestler Geeta Phogat was appointed as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)
in Haryana Police by Haryana Government.
ii. Other Appointments : Mountaineer Ram Lal as Sub Inspector in Haryana Police Department
against sports quota by the Home Department
LS Speaker accepts PDP MP Tariq Hameed Karras resignation
i. Tariq Hameed Karra, founder member of PDP, today formally resigned from the Lok Sabha
protesting against the failure of Parliament to make any tangible moves to end violence in
Kashmir.
ii. Tariq Hameed Karra, an elected member of Lok Sabhafrom Srinagar Parliamentary Constituency
of Jammu and Kashmir has resigned his seat in Lok Sabha and his resignation has been accepted
by the Speaker.
Japans Morinari Watanabe elected President of International Gymnastics Federation
Morinari Watanabe(57) from Japan was elected as the Ninth president of the International
Gymnastics Federation at the 81st FIG Congress in Tokyo. He will replace Bruno Grandi.
Nelli Kim was elected vice president of the FIG along with Chinas Luo Chaoyi (China) and Vasily
Titov (Russia).
Wonder Woman named honorary UN ambassador, staffers protest sexualised cartoon
character
The United Nations (UN) has celebrated Wonder Womans 75th birthday by naming the comic
book character as its new honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls, despite
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frustration from both inside and outside the world organisation that the spot should go to a real and
less-sexualised woman.
About Wonder Woman,
Wonder Woman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC
Comics. The character is a founding member of the Justice League, demigoddess, and warrior
princess of the Amazons, which are based on the Amazons of Greek mythology. In her homeland,
she is Princess Diana of Themyscira, and outside of her homeland, she is known by her secret
identity Diana Prince.
D. Bala Venkatesh Varma appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Spain
i. Former IFS officer D. Bala Venkatesh Varma has been appointed as the next Ambassador of
lndia to the kingdom of Spain.
ii. This was announced by Ministry of External Affairs.
Former Google Search Head Amit Singhal Joins Paytms Board Of Directors
i. Former Google Search Head Amit Singhal(48) Joins Paytm Board of Directors to strengthens its
financial and technology management.
ii. He has been instrumental in shaping Google Search and was one of the earliest team members.
iii. Paytms board currently consists of its CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma, along with SAIF Partners
Ravi Adusumalli and Vivek Mathur, AliPays Jing Xiandong and Peng Yijie, In-Mobis Naveen Tewari,
WhatsApps Neeraj Arora, Sapphire Ventures Jai Das and Tata Gorups Ratan Tata.
World free zones body names P.S. Raman as representative for SAARC
i. The World Free Zones Orgnisation (World FZO) has appointed P. S. Raman as its Regional
Representative for SAARC countries
ii. He is currently working as the Joint Development Commissioner (Retd), Santacruz Electronics
Export Processing Zone, Special Economic Zone, Mumbai.
Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Bilal Nazki appointed as chairperson of JKHRC
i. J & K Governor N N Vohra appointed Bilal Nazki as the chairperson of the Jammu & Kashmir
Human Rights Comission.
ii. Nazki was retired as Chief Justice of Orissa High Court in November 2009 and was later
appointed as the chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Bihar.
Dr. Ajay M. Gondane appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia
i. Dr. Ajay M. Gondane was appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Australia.
ii. Currently he is working as the Additional Secretary (Political) in the Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA)
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iii. He has previously served as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and as Deputy Consul
General of India in New York.
Ratan Tata replaces Cyrus Mistry as Tata Sons chairman
i. Tata group chairman Cyrus Pallonji Mistry(48) is removed from his post and Ratan Tata is
named as interim chairman for four months. It was announced by the Tata Sons board of directors.
ii. Mistry took over as the chairman of Tata Sons in 2012.He will remain a director on the board
of Tata Sons till March 2017.
Salim Gangadharan to replace Amitabha Guha as non-executive chairman in South Indian
Bank
i. Former Reserve Bank of India chief general manager Salim Gangadharan is appointed as the
next non-executive chairman of South Indian Bank. It is effective from November first week.
ii. Gangadharan will replace Amitabha Guha will resign on November 1, 2016
Flipkart CFO Sanjay Baweja quits
i. Flipkart Chief Financial Officer Sanjay Baweja has resigned from the company.
ii. Mr. Baweja plans to leave by the end of December.
iii. Kalyan Krishnamurthy, head of category management at Flipkart and MD at Tiger Global
Management (Flipkarts largest shareholder), may serve as interim CFO.
Sunil Bharti Mittal Becomes The First Indian to be Elected Chairman of GSMA
i. The GSMA announced that it has elected Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti
Enterprises, as Chairman for the two-year period from January 2017 through December 2018.
ii. He will oversee the strategic direction of the organisation, which represents nearly 800 of the
worlds mobile operators, as well as more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem.
Sunil Gavaskar named Stroke Ambassador for India
i. Former Cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has been named as the Stroke Ambassador for India.
ii. The announcement was made at the inaugural function of 10th World Stroke Congress
(WSC) by Indian Stroke Association which is hosting the event along with World Stroke
Organisation, a World Health Organisation-affiliated NGO dedicated to the global fight against
stroke.
FIH appoints Jason McCracken, former Olympic and World Cup umpire, as new CEO
i. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has appointed New Zealands Jason McCracken as its
chief executive officer(CEO) and he will take over on February 2017.
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ii. He will replace Kelly Fairweather, who is leaving for the International Tennis Federation after six
years in the role.
Ericssons Board names Borje Ekholm new President and CEO
i. Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson has appointed Borje Ekholm as its next President and
CEO, effective from January 16, 2017.
ii. Ekholm is currently serving as CEO of Patricia Industries. He is also serving on Ericssons Board
of Directors for the past 10 years which will help him to understand the challenges and the
opportunities Ericsson currently facing.
Ananthakrishna retires from Karnataka Bank
i. Karnataka Bank extended a warm felicitation to Ananthakrishna, non-Executive Chairman of
the Bank, on his retirement.
ii. Mr. Ananthakrishna was associated with the bank for over 45 years in various capacities and
retired on attaining the age of 70.
Karnal Singh appointed as chief of Enforcement Directorate
i. Karnal Singh is a 1984 batch IPS officer of Union territories cadre, appointed chief of
Enforcement Directorate, the agency entrusted with probing money laundering cases.
ii. Mr.Singh, is holding the additional charge of ED chief since August last year and He is at present
special director in the ED.
World Bank appointed first adviser to tackle LGBTI discrimination
i.T he World Bank has appointed its first adviser undertook with promoting the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) issues in its development work.
ii. The newly created senior position is part of the banks efforts to make firm its commitment to
researching decreasing discrimination against LGBTI persons across the 136 countries.
Madhukar Jetley appointed UP Ambassador of IDC
i. Madhukar Jetley was appointed as the UPs Ambassador for the Indian Diaspora Council (IDC)
by the .He is the first person from UP has been appointed as the Ambassador of IDC for three
years.
ii. He is the Ruling Samajwadi Party MLC and former Advisor, NRI and Externally Aided Projects
Department to Uttar Pradesh government.
World Bank appoints Kristalina Georgieva as chief executive officer
The World Bank has appointed Kristalina Georgieva from Bulgaria as its chief executiveofficer
on October 28,2016. It will effective from January 2017.She will report to the banks president Jim
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Yong Kim.
She will be replacing the banks managing director and chief operating officer Sri Mulyani.
Mariano Rajoy re-elected as Spanish Prime Minister
i. Mariano Rajoy took office for a second term as Spains prime minister overcoming a 10month leadership impasse but heading a minority government with little maneuvering room to pass
legislation.
ii. He received 170 votes in his favour, while 111 voted against his re-election and 68 were
non-votings. Mr.Rajoys victory was made possible by PSOEs decision to abstain instead of
continuing to vote against him.
Upadhyay re-appointed as Nepals envoy to India
i. Nepal has re-appointed Deep Kumar Upadhyayas its representative to India, nearly six
months after he was recalled by the previous K P Oli-led government over charges of noncooperation and involving in anti-government activities. Upadhyay would enjoy the
diplomatic ranking of a Cabinet Minister.
ii. He was serving as Nepals Ambassador to India since April 2015. He was suddenly recalled by
the erstwhile Oli government on May 6.
Ashok Chawla Took Over As Non-Executive Chairman Of Yes Bank
i. Yes Bank, Indias fifth largest private sector Bank announced the appointment of Mr. Ashok
Chawla as an Additional Director (Non Executive) with effect from March 05, 2016. YES BANK has
also applied to the Reserve Bank of India to seek approval on the appointment.
ii. Chawla, who has also served as Union Finance Secretary, took over after holding the post by
Radha Singh ended her term as the banks director.
Michel Aoun is elected as Lebanons president
i. Former general Michel Aoun elected as Lebanons president by Lebanons parliament on
October 31, 2016. He will replace Michel Sleiman.
ii. After four rounds of voting, Aoun won the 83 lawmakers out of 127 members .
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Government clears ONGCs extra 11 percent stake buy in Russias Vankor fields
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday gave its nod to the acquisition of
11 per cent stake in Russias Vankor oil fields by ONGC Videsh Ltd(OVL) from Rosneft Oil
Company for $930 million, which will take its overall stake in the project to 26 per cent.
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The latest move brings the investment by Indian companies in Russias east Siberian
fields to $5.5 billion, aiding the countrys sanctions-hit economy.
MakeMyTrip acquires rival travel portal ibibo

i. Homegrown online travel company MakeMyTrip announced to acquired rival Indiantravel
company Ibibo at an undisclosed amount to form the countrys biggest online travel company.
ii. Founder and CEO of ibibo Group, Ashish Kashyap, will join MakeMyTrips executive team as a
Co-founder and President of the organisation.
Freshdesk acquires Bengaluru-based Chatimity to scale chat infrastructure
i. One of the largest startups Freshdesk has announced to acquire a social chat
platformChatimity to developed artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbot technology at an undisclosed
amount.
ii. This is Freshdesks sixth acquisition in 14 months. It has also acquired social media customer
care app Airwoot, as well as messaging app Konotor, cloud-based feedback platform Framebench,
and social recommendation app Frilp
Wipro to buy cloud services firm Appirio for $500 million
i. Wipro Ltd will spend $500 million to buy Appirio Inc., an Indianapolis, US-based cloud
services firm.
ii. Appirio helps companies move applications to hosted servers offered by Amazon, Google and
Salesforce.com.
HCL to acquire Butler America Aerospace for $85 million
i. HCL Technologies announced to acquire Butler America Aerospace for USD 85 million to
strengthening its position in the aerospace and defence engineering services space.
ii. Butler Aerospace provides engineering, design services and after market engineering services to
US aerospace and defence customers.
HCL Tech CEO Anant Gupta quits, C Vijayakumar to succeed
HCL Technologies CEO Anant Gupta resigned from his post on October 21 2016. Chief Operating
Officer C Vijayakumar is appointed as next CEO of HCL Tech.
Mahindra & Mahindra acquires 100% stake in BSA for Rs 28 crore
i.Mahindra & Mahindra has acquired UK-based two-wheeler maker BSA Company for Rs 28
crore.
ii. This acquisition will enable CLPL acquire/obtain license of brand and utilise the same for
selling, marketing, distributing motorcycles globally
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AT&T Agrees to Buy Time Warner for $85.4 Billion
i. Telecommunications giant AT&T agreed to buy Time Warner for about $85.4 billionto expand
beyond its wireless and Internet service into programming
ii. It is one of the biggest media tie-ups ever. AT&T will pay $107.50 a share a big premium over
where Time Warner stock was trading last week. Including Time Warners debt, the deals value
is $109 billion.
IBM acquires Sanovi Technologies to boost hybrid cloud

American technology giant, IBM has acquired home-grown Sanovi Technologies to support its
cloud offerings for an undisclosed sum. Bangalore based Sanovi provides hybrid cloud recovery,
cloud migration and business continuity software for enterprise data centers and cloud
infrastructure.
Sun Pharma buys eye care specialist Ocular Tech for $40m
i. The countrys largest pharma company Sun Pharma acquired 100 per cent equity in the USbased eye care specialist Ocular Technologies.
ii. It bought the Ocular Tech owned by the private equity firm Auven Therapeutics, for a front
payment of $40 million.
SCHEMES
Nitish cabinet launched student credit card
i. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched Student credit card scheme for the students
passing Class 12th exam on Oct 2, 2016
ii. It will fecilaitate to get an interest free loan of Rs four lakh for pursuing higher studies.
iii. The programme forms an important component of the CMs seven resolves which has been
adopted by the grand secular alliance government as its policy of governance.
Jharkhand became first state to implement DBT in Kerosene
i. Jharkhand became the first state in the country to implement Direct Benefit Transfer(DBT)
in Kerosene.
ii. The scheme would be
implemented in four identified districts of the state from 1st of October
2017. These districts are Chatra, Hazaribagh, Khunti and Jamtara.

Maharashtra became 17th State to join UDAY: an overall net benefit of Rs. 9725 crores to
accrue to the State
i. Maharashtra had become the 17th state to join the UDAY scheme, meant for financial
turnaround of debt-laden power distribution utilities, and it would help the state save
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aroundRs.9,725 crore on account of cheaper funds and cut in AT&C losses.
ii. Government of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Government of
Maharashtra and Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. (MSEDCL) under theUjwal
DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) at the two-day State Power Ministers Conference in
Vadodara.
Pradhan Launches LPG Scheme PMUY In Maharashtra
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis launched
the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in Maharashtra to provide free LPG connections
He said a target of 10 lakh connections has been set under PMUY for Maharashtra in 2016-17
out of which one lakh connections are to be provided in Mumbai.
Haryana starts 'farm tourism' scheme
i.The 'Farm Tourism' scheme launched by Haryana Tourism Minister Rambilas Sharma to
attract people to villages
ii.Under this scheme, farm owners can host tourists under holiday packages.
iii. Aim :To aware people about the history and culture of Haryana, the state government has been
focusing on developing ancient cultural heritage, historical and famous pilgrimage sites as tourism
spots
Maharashtra government launches Kaushalya Setu skill-development programme
i. Maharashtra government launched Kaushalya Setu, its skill development programme for
students.
ii. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister of State Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) Rajiv Pratap Rudy and state Education MinisterVinod
Tawde were present on the occasion.
iii. Under the Kaushalya Setu initiative, students of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher
Secondary Education, who fail to clear Class X or SSC exam, would be accommodated in the skill
development courses.
MP Gov launched Lalima Abhiyan to make state free from anaemia
i. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan decided to launch a scheme-Lalima
Abhiyan to make Madhya Pradesh anaemia-free. It will be effective from November 1, 2016
ii. Free iron folic acid tablets will be provided in aaganwadis, academic institutions and hospitals.
iii. Ferrous escorbate tablets instead of ferrous sulphate tablets will be distributed by the states
Health Minister, Jagat Prasad Nadda
iv. Minister of State for Women and Child Development Lalita Yadav has appealed to public
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representatives, non-governmental organisations and government officers and employees to
cooperate for the success of the campaign.
Janani Suraksha Yojana paid dividends: Study
i. A new study brought in first conclusive evidence of the role played by Janani Suraksha
Yojana (JSY) in reducing socioeconomic disparities existing in maternal care.
ii. The JSY was launched in 2005 as part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to
improve maternal and neonatal health by promotion of institutional deliveries (childbirth in
hospitals).
iii. As per the latest Lancet report on maternal health, India accounted for 15 % of the total
maternal deaths in the world in 2015 i.e.,45,000 women dying during pregnancy or
childbirth. It is second only to Nigeria.
Samajwadi smartphone scheme launched by CM Akhilesh Yadav
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav launched the portal of Samajwadi Smartphone
Scheme under which smartphones will be distributed to people in the state ahead of Assembly
election.
Samajwadi Smartphone Scheme :
i. Uttar Pradesh resident who are all aged above 18, Class X passout, and earning less than Rs
6 lakh per year are eligible for this scheme.
ii. The applications for the Samajwadi Smartphone Yojana will be invited online from 10th October
to 10th November 2016.
Maharashtra govt extends fee waiver to students with Rs 6L family
i. Devendra Fadnavis lead Maharashtra government decided to extend fee waiver to
students for professional and higher education courses, including medical and engineering.
ii. Before SC/ST students had 100 per cent fee waiver while OBC students had 50 per cent
concession. Now it is extended to all students with income limit of Rs 6 lakhs and who have
secured more than 60 per cent marks at the time of admission.
Andhra Pradesh govt released Rs. 99.62 crore under AMRUT scheme
Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
scheme, Andhra Pradesh has released Rs.99.62 crore to AP-Urban Finance and Infrastructure
Development Corporation Limited (AP-UFIDC) for the year 2016-17.
Civil Aviation Ministrys Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN Launched
The Ministry of Civil Aviation took a major step today towards making flying a reality for the small
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town common man. The Civil Aviation Minister Shri P Ashok Gajapathi Raju launched the Ministrys
much awaited Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) in New Delhi.
About UDAN Scheme :
This first-of-its-kind scheme globally will create affordable yet economically viable and profitable
flights on regional routes so that flying becomes affordable to the common man even in small
towns.
The first flight under the scheme would be able to take off by January next year
and the scheme had been prepared after a lot of stakeholder consultation and called for
support from all players to make it a success.
The scheme UDAN envisages providing connectivity to un-served and under-served

airports of the country through revival of existing air-strips and airports. The scheme
would be in operation for a period of 10 years.
The operators could seek a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) apart from getting various
concessions. All such route proposals would then be offered for competitive bidding
through a reverse bidding mechanism and the route would be awarded to the participant
quoting the lowest VGF per Seat.
PM launched several schemes including Urja Ganga gas pipeline project in Varanasi
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visited his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on October 24,
2016 .He launched a number of projects including gas pipeline project and doubling of railway
tracks on a busy route
ii. Modi launched Urja Ganga, 1500 km long gas pipeline project which costing Rs 51,000 crore
to provide piped cooking gas to residents of Varanasi within two years.
iii. He flagged off projects like doubling of railway tracks on the busy AllahabadVaranasi
section and expansion of the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) besides laying foundation stone for
a fully air-conditioned perishable cargo centre in Varanasi
iv. He also release a stamp dedicated to the ancient temple town, which is believed to be among
the oldest surviving ones in the world
Government launches Biotech-KISAN scheme to empower farmers.
i. The Ministry of Science and Technology has started two new initiatives namely Biotech-KISAN
and Cattle Genomics.
ii. Biotech- KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) Empowering Small- and
Women- Farmers with Science Implementation.
iii. Under the scheme, fellowship will be given to women farmers for training and education in the
farm practice.
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Odisha Govt. comes up with a new scheme Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Sibir to provide
legal assistance to deprived sections
i. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik announced a new scheme Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Sibirto
provide legal assistance to the deprived sections of the society at the grassroots level in all its
6,812 gram panchayats across the state.
ii. The scheme was named after great Odia lawyer, Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Sibir
iii. It will offer legal services once a week. The advocate engaged for the legal assistance cell will
be paid an amount of 500 rupees fee per sitting to provide free legal advice to the people.
UP CM Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated dedicated power supply for at least 18 hours to every
nook and corner of the state
i. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav inaugurated the dedicated power supply minimum
18 hours to every nook and corner of the state.
ii. At Lucknow, Mr.Akhilesh Yadavs announced that he chose the festival of Diwali to give gift of
more power to the people of the state.
iii. He had promised to the people that from October 2016, electricity supply would improve in the
state and this promise has been fulfilled. He termed the dedicated power supply as one the biggest
achievements of his government.
Cabinet approves New Productivity Linked Reward Scheme for port and dock workers
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has given its approval to New Productivity
Linked Reward(PLR) Scheme for all Major Port Trusts and Dock Labour Board
employees/workers for the years 2015-16 to 2017-18.
ii. The new PLR scheme will benefit about 37870 Port and Dock workers/employees in all the Major
Port Trusts and the yearly outgo will be Rs. 49.58 crore.
iii. It will be calculated on the enhanced wage ceiling for calculation of Bonus at Rs. 7000/-per
month.
iv. It shall be paid annually on the basis of 50% weightage given to all India
Performance and 50% weightage given to the individual Port Performance.
MoUs
Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of Puducherry and Airports Authority of India
signed MoU to Promote Regional Connectivity Scheme
i.Civil Aviation Ministry, along with Airports Authority of India (AAI), today entered into a
pact with the Puducherry government for the proposed regional connectivity scheme (RCS).
ii.The MoU was signed by Shri Manoj Parida, Chief Secretary, Puducherry, Smt. Usha Padhee,
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Shri A.K. Dutta, Member, Airports Authority of
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India.
iii. The ministry had already signed MoUs with various states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh for implementation of RCS.
India signs MoU with AARDO, will help member nations enhance rural development
sector
The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the signing of Memorandum of Understanding(MoU)
between India and African-Asian Rural Development Organisation (AARDO) for capacity
building programmes in the rural development sector.
The programmes will be organised in institutes such as the National Institute of Rural
Developmentand Panchayati Raj (NIRD and PR), Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
and institutions governed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The MoU for the triennium 2015-2017 is being signed, under which capacity building
programmes for AARDO member countries will be organised every year during the
triennium at various institutions of excellence in India.
Cabinet approves India-EU MoU on water cooperation

The Union Cabinet gave its approval for the signing of MoU between India and European Union
in the field of water resources.
The MoU envisages strengthening the technological, scientific and management

capabilities of India and the European Union in the field of water management on the
basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit.
It provides technical exchange on water issues, including on integrated water

resource management plans within river basins and through study visits.
It envisions a more sustainable management of water resources in India with an objective

of tackling the challenges posed by water management in the context of growing
population, competing water demands and a changing climate
3 agreements between India & Switzerland on Mutual Visa Exemption Return

i. The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh met the visiting Minister for Justice and Police of Swiss
Confederation, Ms. Simonetta Sommarug in New Delhi on October 6, 2016.
ii. The two sides signed three agreements including :
1.Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement for Holders of Diplomatic Passports,
2.Technical Arrangements on Identification and Return of Illegal Migrants and Arrangement for
Dependent Person of Diplomatic, Consular, Technical and
3.Administrative Staff of Diplomatic and Consular Mission to Perform Gainful Employment.
Arunachal Inks MoU For Skill Development
i. Arunachal Pradesh government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with theNational
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Institute of Electronics and Information Technology for skill development of local people in
presence of Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu in New Delhi
ii. It will facilitate development of skill to 1,600 people of Arunachal Pradesh in the first of a four
year project under a scheme for Skill Development in Electronics System Design and Manufacturing
(ESDM) Sector.
Arunachal inks MoU with AP Ruchi Soya Industriesfor development of Oil Palm in the
state
i. Arunachal Pradesh has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Andhra Pradeshbased Ruchi Soya Industries for development of Oil Palm in the state.
ii. The MoU signed to cover an area of 5,000 hectare initially in the foothill areas of West Siang,
Lower Subansiri, Papumpare and East Kameng districts.
iii. This is an initiative step towards gainful utilization of the vast land resource of the state for
economic development through farming operation
Cabinet approved MoU between Exim Bank on General Cooperation with NDB, along with
other Development Financial Institutions of BRICS nations
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had given its
approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on General Cooperation with New
Development Bank (NDB) through the BRICS Interbank Cooperation Mechanism by Government
at the level of Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs/ Export Import Bank of India.
The proposal would enhance trade and economic relations among the BRICS
countries. There was no financial implication involved with signing of the MoU.
The MoU is a non-binding umbrella agreement aimed at establishing a cooperation

framework in accordance with the national laws and regulations, besides skills transfer
and knowledge sharing amongst the signatories
Cabinet apprised of the MoU between India and Qatar on cooperation in the field of Youth
and Sports
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had been apprised
of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on April 7, 1999.
The First Executive Programme for MOU signed with Qatar on bilateral cooperation in
the field of Youth and Sports signed on the month of june.
The MoU would help in expanding knowledge and expertise in the areas of sports
science, sports medicine and coaching techniques. This would result in improvement
in performance of our sports persons in international tournaments and strengthening of
bilateral relations between India and Qatar.
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It would be equally applicable to all sports persons irrespective of their caste, creed,
region, religion and gender.
Cabinet approved MoU between India and Hungary on cooperation in the field of water
management
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its
approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Hungary on
cooperation in the field of water management.
The MoU would be signed between Ministry of Water Resources, River Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India and the Ministry of
Interior,Government of Hungary.
Both the countries would get benefited by joint activities and mutual exchange of
scientific delegations and experts in the field of water resources development and
management.
Cabinet approves MoU between India and the Russian Federation

The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its
approval for signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and
the Russian Federation on Expansion of Bilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation.
The MoU would expand more Bilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation between India and
Russian Federation.
Railways, Odisha sign MoU for Cost Sharing of Nabarangpur, Malkangiri Rail Lines
i. Ministry of Railways signed MoU with Government of Odisha for cost sharing of two new
railway line projects.
ii. The Mou was signed in the presence of Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu and
Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik.
iii. Accoding to the MoU, Odisha will bear entire land cost and 50% cost of construction of JeyoreNabarangpur (38) km, and 25% of total cost of Jeypore-Malkangiri(130 km) Rail Line
Projects.
India, Russia ink pact to set up 25 irradiation centers for perishable food
i. India and Russia signed a pact to set up 25 integrated infrastructure centers for irradiation
treatment of perishable food items.
ii. At least 7 centers will be set up in Maharashtra.
Andhra inked pact with Russias JSC United Shipping Corp
i. The Economic Development Board of Andhra Pradesh signed a pact with Russias JSC
United Shipping Corporation for setting up a ship-building unit in the state.
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ii. The MoUs were signed in the presence of visiting Russian Minister for Trade and Industry Denis
Menturov and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Punjab Agricultural University signs MoU with FieldFresh to promote crop research
i. Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and FieldFresh Foods, a joint venture between Bharti
Enterprises & Del Monte Pacific Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
carry out a corn productivity research programme.
ii. The MoU follows the agreement signed recently between Cambridge University and Bharti
Foundation to fund the research Programme.
PetroFed signs MoU with TERI to undertake a study on Climate Change Risks
i. An apex society of entities in the Hydrocarbon sector, PetroFed signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with TERI(The Energy and Resources Institute) to undertake study
onClimate Change Risks: Preparedness for Oil and Gas Sector.in the presence of Sh.
Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State (I/C), Petroleum & Natural Gas and Sh. K.D. Tripathi,
Secretary in New Delhi.
ii. The study will also provide a comprehensive analysis of threats posed by Climate change to Oil
& Gas sector and shall provide a way forward to tackle the challenges posed by climate change.
India, Germany to collaborate for Rs 1-lakh cr projects
i. Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari announced that India
and Germany would work on projects, worth Rs.1 lakh crore, for improving rail connectivity of
Indian ports, being implemented by the Indian Port Rail Corporation Ltd(IPRCL).
ii. A German delegation, led by its Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt, had a detailed
meeting with Gadkari related to various aspects of infrastructure development.
Uber inks pact with Electronics and IT Min for driver training
i. Transportation app Uber has signed MoU with Ministry of Electronics and ITs CSCs(Common
Services Centres) for skilling drivers on its platform.
ii. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Union Minister for
Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad and Uttarakhand ChiefMinister Harish
Rawat, CSC CEO Dinesh Tyagi and Prabhjeet Singh, Uber India GM (Delhi).
Railways & Urban Development Ministries signs MoU to redevelop stations under smart
city plans
i. Railways and Urban Development Ministries signed an MoU for five years to redevelop
railway stations and adjoining areas on smart city lines for enhancing passenger amenities, easy
access to stations, enabling optimal utilisation of land at railway stations.
ii. According to this MoU , initially 10 cities could be taken up for the proposed redevelopment with
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the involvement of public sector construction company NBCC (India) Ltd.
iii. These cities are Sarai Rohilla (Delhi), Bhubaneshwar, Lucknow, Varanasi, Jaipur, Kota,
Thane, Margao(Goa), Tirupati and Puducherry.
iv. The MoU proposes two joint venture options for speedy redevelopment of railway station
centred areas
1. First Phase : Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formed for execution of Smart City Plans, with
equal share in equity.
2.Second Phase : NBCC can be roped in with equal share among the three and design, develop
and execute the redevelopment plans on self-financing basis.
L&T Inks Pact With Maha Govt For Nagpur Smart City Project
Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has signed MoU with the Maharashtra government for
Nagpur smart city project .
Smart City Project :
i. To laying of 1,200 km of optical fibre network backbone
ii. To create 136 city wifi hotspots at key locations, establishing 100 digital interactive kiosks and
developing city surveillance systems with 3800 IP-based cameras.
iii. The city also has identified a strip of approximately 6 km from Japanese Garden Square to
Orange City Hospital Square to be developed as a Smart Strip with smart ICT interventions & IOT
(Internet of Things) solutions like smart lighting, smart transport, smart parking, smart bins, etc.
Indo Italy Scientific and Technological Cooperation Re-Launched
i. The Indo-Italian Joint Committee established under the Scientific and Technological
Cooperation Agreement re-launch cooperation in the sectors of science, technology and
innovation. The original agreement was signed between Italy and India in 2003.
ii. The Indian delegation led by Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Science and
Technology, Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, while the Italian delegation was led by Vincenzo De Luca,
Director General for Cultural and Economic Promotion and Innovation of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation.
UN historic deal to cut HFC greenhouse gases signed in Kigali
Negotiators from nearly 200 nations have clinched a historic deal to phase down emissions of
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) potent greenhouse gases used in air conditioners and refrigerators.
The agreement a major expansion of the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which eliminated the use
of the ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons was finalized during a United Nations
meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.
About Kigali Protocol :The Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol to cut the use of potent
warming greenhouse gases used in fridges and air conditioning has been described as the
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single most important step that the world can take to limit global warming.
The deal, received with a round of applause in the early hours of Saturday, has delivered on
most of the promises made by the member countries last week, getting the world on track to
avoid almost 0.5C warming by 2100.
Cipla signed deals to set up first biosimilars units in South Africa

i. Indian pharmaceutical major Cipla has signed a memorandum of agreement for South Africas
first biosimilars manufacturing facility to be set up at a cost of nearly $91 million.
ii. The facility would be South Africas first biotech manufacturing unit for the production of
biosimilars. It is set to produce a range of affordable treatments for cancer and other autoimmune
diseases for the African and global market.
iii. The agreement with KwaZulu-Natal Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone for Cipla
BIOTECs new facility was concluded on the margins of BRICS Summit in Goa.
Mizoram & JICA Inks Memorandum of Cooperation On Sustainable Agriculture and
Irrigation Development
i. Mizoram government and Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) inked a
Memorandum of Cooperation called Record of Discussions on Capacity enhancement for
sustainable Agriculture and Irrigation Development in Mizoram on October 26, 2016.
ii. The agreement was signed by the state Chief Secretary Lalmalsawma on behalf of the Mizoram
government and Chief Representative of JICA India Office, Takema Sakomoto.
India notifies revised double tax avoidance agreement with South Korea
India has notified the revised double tax avoidance agreement with South Korea on October 26,
2016. It will effect from April 1, 2017.
The revised DTAA was signed on May 18, 2015 and it was notified on September 12, 2016.
Revised DTAA benefits :
i. Aim: To avoid the burden of double taxation for taxpayers of two countries in order to
promote and stimulate flow of investment, technology and services between India and Korea
ii. It provides for reduction in withholding tax rates to 10 per cent on royalties or fees for technical
services from 15 per cent and to 10 per cent on interest income from 15 per cent.
Cabinet approves the new Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India
and Bhutan
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved an agreement
on trade, commerce and transit between India and Bhutan.
The bilateral trade relations between India and Bhutan are governed by the Agreement on
Trade, Commerce and Transit between the Government of India and Bhutan.
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The Agreement provides for a free trade regime between two countries. The
Agreement also provides for duty free transit of Bhutanese merchandise for trade with
third countries.
Cabinet approves agreement between India, Estonia on transfer of sentenced persons

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing and
ratification of an agreement between India and Estonia on the transfer of sentenced persons.
ii. The Repatriation of Prisoners Act 2003, was enacted for serving the below purpose.
1.This agreement facilitate the Indian prisoners imprisoned in Estonia or vice-versa to be near to
their families for serving remaining part of their sentence
2.The transfer of such prisoners to their own native countries shall facilitate their social
rehabilitation.
Canada and EU sign a long-delayed landmark trade deal at a summit in Brussels
i. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Union leaders finally ratified a
landmark trade deal seven years in the making, after it was nearly being protested by a small
region of Belgium..
ii. The long-delayed Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement, known as Ceta, was signed
by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, EU President Donald Tusk, European Commission head
Jean-Claude Juncker and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
India-Russia agreed to double the range of BrahMos Cruise Missile
i. India and Russia have given nod for the proposal to double the range of the BrahMos, worlds
first supersonic cruise missile at the 16th Russia-India intergovernmental commission on military
cooperation meeting.
ii. The decision in this regard was taken during the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra
Modiand Russian President Vladimir Putin in Goa on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
MOU signed between India and Palestine for setting up of Palestine-India Techno Park in
Ramallah
i. India and Palestine signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up a PalestineIndia Techno Park in Ramallah, Palestine.It was announced during the visit of President Pranab
Mukherjee to Palestine in October 2015.
ii. India has granted $12 million for setting up the park with payment of $3 million each on halfyearly basis for two years.
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COMMITTEES
Government-constituted expert committee found Saraswatiriver did exist
i. The Saraswati river based on traditional stories existed a government-constituted expert
committee has found. Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti stated that the government
would take action on the report, which according to her, cannot be challenged.
ii. Professor K S Valdiya, who led the panel, explained that they had reached a conclusion that river
Saraswati existed, it flowed.It originated in the Himalayas and met gulf at the western sea..
SEBI appoints 3-member panel to look into NSEL cases
i. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has appointed a three-member panel to look
into National Spot Exchange (NSEL) scam. The initial probe in the case had revealed that some
brokers involved in the NSELs Rs 5,574 crore payments crisis had mis-sold products.
ii. The investigations have concluded last month and the case has been referred to a bench
under Section 11 (B) of SEBI, which protects the interest of the market.
SEBI re-constitutes panel on disclosure, accounting standards.
i. Capital Markets Regulator, SEBI has re-constituted its committee which advises the regulator on
issues related to disclosure requirements and accounting practices for various entities in the
securities market.
ii. The 17-member Committee on Disclosures and Accounting Standards will continue to be
chaired by Tata Sons Director (Finance) Ishaat Hussain.
iii. Other members on the panel include Wipro CFO and Executive Director Suresh Senapaty, NSE
Managing Director and CEO Chitra Ramkrishna, Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)
Director General AB K P Sasidharan and ICAIs P Vijay Kumar.
Government-constituted expert committee found Saraswatiriver did exist
i. The Saraswati river based on traditional stories existed a government-constituted expert
committee has found. Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti stated that the government
would take action on the report, which according to her, cannot be challenged.
ii. Professor K S Valdiya, who led the panel, explained that they had reached a conclusion that river
Saraswati existed, it flowed.It originated in the Himalayas and met gulf at the western sea.
Centre constituted Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India
i. The Centre has constituted a four-member Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India(IBBI)
under the Chairmanship of Madhusudan Sahoo. According to an official order, his appointment
has been approved for a period of five years by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet.
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ii. The members of the IBBI are Ajay Tyagi, Additional Secretary, Finance Ministry;Amardeep
Singh Bhatia, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs; G.S. Yadav, Joint Secretary,
Department of Legal Affairs; and Unnikrishnan, Legal Advisor, Reserve Bank of India.
High Level Technical Team Constituted for Cauvery Basin
i. The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has constituted
a high-level technical team, headed by Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairman GS
Jha, to visit the Cauvery basin area and assess the ground.
ii. The other member of the team are Shri S Masood Husain, Member (WP&P), CWC, Shri RK Gupta,
Chief Engineer, Krishna and Godavari Basin Organization, CWC, Hyderabad, Chief Secretary or his
representative from the States of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and One Chief Engineer each from the
States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and UT of Puducherry
NSAB reconstituted with ex-envoy Raghavan as head
i. The National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) had been reconstituted with P S Raghavan,
former Ambassador to Russia, as its head.The NSAB deals with internal and external security,
foreign affairs, defence, science and technology and economic affairs and normally meets at least
once in a month.
ii. Former official of R&AW A B Mathur, Lt General (retd) S L Narasimhan and Prof Bimal N.
Patel of Gujarat National Law University Would be the members of the Board.
iii.The first meeting of Raghavan-led NSAB was held and it would have tenure of two years.
Inter-state council reconstituteed by Prime Minister Modi
The Inter-State Council has been reconstituted by PM Narendra Modi to facilitate coordination
between states and the centre.The new list excludes Smriti Irani, D.V. Sadananda Gowda and HRD
Minister Prakash Javadekar is included in the list.
Inter-state council Members :
i. Prime minister as chairman and chief ministers of all states and union territories, sixUnion
Ministers Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari as its members.
ii. Other ministers on the list include Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Consumer Affairs Minister
Ramvilas Paswan, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur
Badal, Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Coal Minister
Piyush Goyal, and Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
SEBI re-constitutes panel on disclosure, accounting standards.
i. Capital Markets Regulator, SEBI has re-constituted its committee which advises the regulator on
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issues related to disclosure requirements and accounting practices for various entities in the
securities market.
ii. The 17-member Committee on Disclosures and Accounting Standards will continue to be
chaired by Tata Sons Director (Finance) Ishaat Hussain.
iii. Other members on the panel include Wipro CFO and Executive Director Suresh Senapaty, NSE
Managing Director and CEO Chitra Ramkrishna, Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)
Director General AB K P Sasidharan and ICAIs P Vijay Kumar.
Centre forms panel to resolve telco penalty row
i. Telecom Ministry has formed a committee to look into the regulator TRAIs recommendation of
a Rs.3,050 crore penalty on top three telcos Airtel, Vodafone and Idea.
ii. While the recommended fine for Airtel and Vodafone amounts to Rs.1,050 crore for 21 service
areas (all, expect Jammu and Kashmir).
iii. For Idea, the penalty suggested for 19 service areas (all, except for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu
and Kashmir and Northeastern States) pegged at Rs 950 crore.
Justice Reddy committee on OROP submits report
i. The one-man judicial committee on One Rank One Pension (OROP) prepared by the Union
Government, has submitted its report to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar
ii. The Central Government had appointed the committee under the Chairmanship of Justice L
Narasimha Reddy, retired Chief Justice of Patna High Court to look into the anomalies, if any,
arising out of implementation of OROP
CERC panel suggests overhaul in transmission planning
Mata Prasad committee appointed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has
suggested an overhaul in transmission planning to facilitate transfer of power on economic
principles.
Committee Suggestions:
i. The transmission planning be aligned to meet customer aspirations as opposed to the existing
system where transmission is associated with long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
ii. Transmission planning can be done on the basis of projected load of the states and
anticipated generation scenario based on economic principles of merit order operation.
iii. In case of renewable energy sources, the transmission system may be planned by thecentral
transmission utility (CTU) based on estimated capacity additions in perspective plan and
renewable purchase obligations of each state.
iv. This is crucial as the Centre has already launched renewable energy capacity addition of 175
Gw by 2032.
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National Committee on Trade Facilitation holds first meeting
i. The first meeting of National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) was held in New Delhi.The
meeting was chaired by Cabinet Secretary P.K.Sinha.
ii. The meeting was attended by the 24 members of NCTF.
National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) :
NCTF was set up to develop the roadmap for implementating the WTOs trade facilitation
agreement .
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

World-first robotic surgeon with sense of touch created
i. The HeroSurg robot is a major breakthrough to current technology, which now limits
robotic surgery to the sense of sight, and means laparoscopic or keyhole/micro
surgery would be safer and more accurate than ever before by reducing trauma and lowering risk
of blood loss and infection.
ii. Engineers from Deakin and Harvard developed the robot along with Professor Suren Krishnan,
the first Australian surgeon to use the da Vinci robotic surgical systemfor ear, nose and throat
procedures in 2008.
First artificial pancreas approved in US
i. Medtronic Plc would bring to market the worlds first artificial pancreas, after U.S.
regulators cleared the device for diabetics to automatically monitor blood sugar and supply
insulin, replicating what a healthy version of the organ does on its own
ii. The FDA approved Medtronics product months sooner than investors expected, and without
going before a panel of outside advisers that often precedes the introduction of innovative
products. The agency also moved faster than European regulators, who are often first to clear
medical devices.
Baby robot unveiled in Japan by Toyoto
Toyota Motor Corp unveiled a doe-eyed palm-sized robot named Kirobo Mini designed as a
synthetic baby companion in Japan as number of childless couple grows
i. It is equiped with artificial intelligence and a camera so it can recognise the face of the
person speaking to it and respond.
EC launches mobile app for UP assembly polls
i. Election Commission has launched a mobile application for more transparency and effective
monitoring of the ongoing revision of voters list before the 2017 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
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ii. This app will provide details regarding addition and deletion of names from the electoral roll.
iii. ECI would come up with an online grievance redressal information system soon.
Indias latest communication satellite GSAT-18 was successfully launched from Kourou,
Guiana
ndias latest communication satellite GSAT-18 was successfully launched by a heavy duty rocket of
Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.The spacecraft and launch service cost
about US$153 million.
About GSAT 18 :
Indias latest communication satellite, GSAT-18 was inducted into the INSAT/GSAT system
from Kourou, French Guiana by Ariane-5 VA-231. Weighing 3404 kg at lift-off, GSAT-18
carries 48 communication transponders to provide Services in Normal C-band, Upper Extended Cband and Ku bands of the frequency spectrum. GSAT-18 carries Ku-band beacon as well to help in
an accurately pointing ground antennas towards the satellite.
GSAT-18 is designed to provide continuity of services on operational satellites in C-band,

Extended C-band and Ku-bands. GSAT-18 was launched into a Geosynchronous
Transfer Orbit (GTO) by Ariane-5 VA-231 launch vehicle. After its injection into GTO,
ISROs Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan took control of GSAT-18 and performed
the initial orbit raising maneuvers using the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of the satellite,
placing it in circular Geostationary Orbit.
The designed in-orbit operational life of GSAT-18 is about 15 years.
Launch Mass: 3404 kg
Mission Life: About 15 years
Power: 6474 W from Solar arrays, Two 144 Ah Li-Ion batteries and Ariane-5 VA-231
Type of Satellite: Communication
Manufacturer: ISRO
Owner: ISRO
Application: Communication
Orbit Type: GSO
The satellite was launched aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou,
French Guiana.
The launch vehicle inserted the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, and once in
service it will occupy the orbital slot at 74 East longitude.
GSAT-18 was originally scheduled to launch on 12 July 2016 alongside

Japans Superbird-8 satellite, but a shipping mishap which damaged Superbird-8
forced a delay in the launch schedule.
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Smallest Transistor Ever Developed in US
i. Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have developed the smallest transistorreported to
date, breaking a major size barrier with a gate only one nanometre long.
ii.The laws of physics had set a 5-nanometre threshold on the size of transistor gates among
conventional semiconductors, about one-quarter the size of high-end 20-nanometre-gate
transistors now on the market.
iii.The research team led by Ali Javey fromLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory(Berkeley
Lab) in the US.
Indian researcher produces stable solar cells
i. A researcher from Punes Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) has
successfully produced a stable, high-efficiency, all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystal solar cells.
ii. The new material has 10.77% efficiency to convert sunlight to electricity.
Great Balls of Fire detected by Hubble Space Telescope detects
i. NASAs Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has detected Great Balls of Fire (GBF), a
mysterious super-hot blobs of gas seen near a dying star.
ii. These plasma balls were moving so fast through space that it would take only 30 minutes for
them to travel from Earth to the moon. The observations suggest that these balls of fire had
been appearing every 8.5 years for at least the last four centuries.
High-altitude glacial lab opens in the Himalayas
i. The glaciological research lab inaugurated by M. Rajeevan, Secretary to the Ministry of Earth
Sciences at Himansh in the Spiti Valley on October 10, 2016. It was located at an altitude of
nearly 13,500 feet.
ii. It was established by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), has
automatic weather stations, ground penetrating radars, geodetic GPS systems and other
sophisticated facilities to study glaciers and their discharge.
NASA develops electroactive bandage to speed up wound healing
i. A new high-tech material named polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) or electroactive
bandage developed by NASA that uses electricity to promote healing of injured wounds.
ii. It is proven that wounds tend to heal much more quickly if small amounts of electricityare
applied to the surrounding tissue. However, the gauze pattern is also essential to the healing
process.
Kolkata researchers used human hair to produce cathodes for solar cells
i. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Kolkata
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had used human hair to produce cost-effective, metal-free cathodes for use in solar cells.
ii. IISER researchers have developed graphitic porous carbon cathode by cleaning and drying
human hair and treating with sulphuric acid to achieve pre carbonization.
iii. This efficient green cathode achieves highly catalytic graphitic porous carbon stage at
optimum temperature of 850 degrees C.
Self-powered UV photodetector charges energy storage devices developed by IISc
researchers
i. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, have developed a costeffective, high-performance, self-powered UV photodetector that can use the harvested optical
energy for direct self-charging of energy storage devices such as supercapacitor.
ii. The researchers have developed the photodetector by integrating semiconductingvanadium
doped zinc oxide (VZnO) nanoflakes with a conducting polymer.
Central Government launches satellite-based illegal Mining Detection System
The central mines ministry launched a satellite-based illegal mining detection system, which will
receive tip offs in the form of pictures taken from a mobile phone, automatically generate
complaints to state authorities and publish the outcome of a probe in a mobile application.
China launches longest-ever manned space mission
i. China successfully launched a spacecraft carrying two astronauts, in its longest-ever
manned space mission.This team would later join its experimental space lab orbiting the Earth as
the country moved a step closer to establish its permanent space station by2022.
ii. The manned spacecraft Shenzhou-11, carrying two astronauts who will remain in space for33
days, the longest manned mission in its space program to date.
iii. Shenzhou-11, Chinas sixth manned spacecraft, will dock with space lab Tiangong-2, marking a
step closer to the countrys space ambitions.
IIT-Kharagpur students developing fully indigenous drones
i. A group of students from the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur is developing drones
using indigenous hardware and software.
ii. Team members : Soumyadeep Mukherjee, Aditya Agarwal, Gaurav Gardi, Kumar Ankit, Kumar
Krishna Agarwal, Manash Pratim Das, Sai Ram and Vishnu Sharma.
Skill development digital platform UNO Learn launched
i. PositiveShift International launched the skill development digital platform UNO Learn to
offer skill development courses from industry experts and universities.It will offer500+
courses now.
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ii. UNO Learn has signed up with five global institutes Massachusetts Institute of Tech (MIT),
Open University UK, Saylor Academy USA, Future Learn (UK), ZTE University (Taiwan) in addition
to 11 domain expert instructors with strong followers on other platforms
New sensor could detect vitamin B12 deficiency within minutes
i. Scientists have developed a new world-first optical sensor that could quickly detect vitamin
B12 deficiency, a condition linked to an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimers disease.
ii. The device would enable the tracking of vitamin B12 levels in high-risk patients and early
intervention to top up vitamin B12 levels when low and help overcome the limitations of current
testing methods which are time-consuming and costly.
NPL Scientists produced electricity from water without using energy
i. Scientists from Delhis National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have developed a novel way of
producing electricity from water at room temperature without using any power or chemicals.
ii. A team led by Dr. R.K. Kotnala used nanoporous magnesium ferrite to split water into
hydronium (H3O) and hydroxide (OH) ions and used silver and zinc as electrodes to make a
cell that produces electricity
Microsoft developed first human-like speech recognition system
i. Microsoft have developed the firsttechnology that recognises the words in a conversation as
well as humans do.A team of researchers and engineers in Microsoft Artificial Intelligence and
Research created a speech recognition system that makes the same or fewer errors than
professional transcriptionists.
ii. They reported a word error rate (WER) of5.9 per cent, down from the 6.3 per cent WER the
team reported just last month.The 5.9 per cent error rate is about equal to that of people who
were asked to note down the same conversation, and it is the lowest ever recorded against the
industry standard Switchboard speech recognition task.
Qualcomm announces the worlds first 5G modem to bring 5Gbps
i. Qualcomm announces the worlds first 5G Modem, called the Snapdragon X50.
ii. The chip could theoretically support download speeds on your smartphone of up to 5 gigabits per
second.
iii. The average 4G download speed in the United States is 9.9 megabits per second.
Milk from Tasmanian devils could fight superbugs: Study
i. Mothers milk from the marsupials known as Tasmanian devils could help the global fight
against increasingly deadly superbugs which resist antibiotics was identified by Australian
researchers.
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ii. Superbugs are bacteria which cannot be treated by current antibiotics and other drugs, with a
recent British study saying they could kill up to 10 million people globally by 2050.
iii. The marsupials milk contains important peptides that appear to be able to kill hard-to-treat
infections, including MRSA, say the Sydney University team.
Hyderabad firm develops pig tapeworm vaccine
i. Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), a subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)
has unveiled a vaccine CYSVAX to fight against tapeworms in pigs. It is the first in the world to
fight tapeworms in pigs
ii. The vaccine was developed in collaboration with Dr.Marshall Lightowlers, University of
Melbourne, Australia and GALVmed (Global Alliance for Veterinary medicine).
Mobile App HawaBadlo to fight against air pollution in delhi
i. The Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), a Supreme Court-appointed pollution
watchdog, launched a mobile app HawaBadlo, aiming to improve air quality with public
participation.
ii. It was developed by EPCA, Delhis municipal corporations and concerned departments from Uttar
Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana.
Oldest known planet-forming disk discovered.
i. Scientists from University of Oklahoma have discovered the oldest known planet-forming disk
a 45 million-year-old ring of gas and dust that orbits around a young star, from which planets
can form as the material collides and aggregates.
ii. The team described a newly identified red dwarf star with a warm circumstellar disk, of the
kind associated with young planetary systems.
Chinas space lab Tiangong-2 successfully launches micro satellite
i. Chinas space lab Tiangong-2 orbiting the Earth with two astronauts on board has successfully
launched a micro-satellite which weighs 47 kilograms and is the size of a printer
ii. The micro satellite is able to conduct efficient orbit control, process tasks autonomously and
transmit data at high speeds.
iii. The micro satellite has a series of visible light cameras, including a 25 megapixel camera and
wide-angle imagers.
ISRO started landing tests for Chandrayaan-2 mission
i. The Indian Space Research Organization started a series of ground and aerial tests linked to the
critical Moon landing of Chandrayaan-2 at Challakere in Chitradurga district. This Place is 400
km far away from Bengaluru.
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ii. ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) is the lead centre for the second Moon mission. It has artificially
created close to ten craters to simulate the lunar terrain and test the Landers sensors.
Uranus may have two undiscovered moons: study
i. Researchers from University of Idaho unveiled that the Uranus might have two tiny,
previously undiscovered moons orbiting near two of the planets rings.
ii. Rob Chancia, a doctoral student at University of Idaho in the US, marked key patterns in the
rings while examining decades-old images of Uranus icy rings taken by Voyager 2 . Uranian moons
are very difficult to observe because of their dark surfaces.
Dr. Jitendra Singh launches Employees Online (EO) Mobile App of DoPT
i. The Employees Online (EO) App launched by Dr.Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State
(Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel,
Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.
ii. The app is updated on real time basis with appointments and postings approved by the
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and vacancies at senior level.
Soyuz MS-01 successfully landed on Earth with 3 on-board
i. The landing module of the Russian spaceship Soyuz MS-01 successfully placed in the steppes of
Kazakhstan with three crew members on board was stated by Russian Mission Control Centre.
ii. Astronauts Anatoli Ivanishin, Takutya Onishi and Kathleen Rubins, of Russia, Japan and
the US respectively, returned to Earth after completing a nearly four-month missionon the
International Space Station (ISS).
DEFENCE
Coordinated Patrol and India-Indonesia Bilateral Maritime Exercise Commenced at
Belawan, Indonesia
i. India and Indonesia commenced their second coordinated patrol and bilateral maritime
exercise in the Andaman Sea.
ii. Indian Naval Ship Karmuk, an indigenously built missile warship, based under the Andaman and
Nicobar Command,along with a Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft, participated in the 28th IndiaIndonesia Coordinated Patrol and Second Bilateral Maritime Exercise, scheduled in the
Andaman Sea.
16 countries participating in Pakistan military exercises
i. Sixteen countries are slated to participate in the 5th Physical Agility and Combat Efficiency
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System military exercises began on October 18, 2016 in Lahore
ii. The countries will take part in the six-day drills aimed at enhancing physical and military
capabilities of troops.
iii. Sixteen Countries :
Nepal, United Kingdom, Kazakhstan, China, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Maldives, Bahrain,
Australia, USA, Turkey, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan.
Second Joint tactical Exercise held by Indian and Chinese army in Ladakh
i. The Indian and Chinese armies held Second Joint Exercise Sino India Cooperation 2016 , as
a sequel to the first Joint Exercise held in the area of Border Personnel Meeting Hut at
Chushul Garrison of Eastern Ladakh, along with Chinese troops of Moldo Garrisonunder the
provisions of Border Defense Cooperation Agreement, 2013.
ii. During the day-long exercise on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR), a fictitious
situation of earthquake striking an Indian border village was painted.Thereafter the joint teams
carried out rescue operations, evacuation and rendering of medical assistance, a statement said
here today
iii. The Indian Team for the exercise was led by Brigadier RS Raman
Vice Admiral SN Ghormade, NM takes over as Director General of Naval Operations
i. Vice Admiral SN Ghormade, NM takes over as Director General of Naval Operations on October
21 , 2016.
ii. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 1984.
US Navy Commissions Most Advanced Stealth Destroyer, Zumwalt
i. US Navy has commissioned its largest, most expensive and technologically advanced
destroyer, Zumwalt.
ii. The 610-foot-long ship, commissioned in Baltimore also has an advanced power plant and
weapon systems.
iii. The ship is named after Adm. Elmo R Bud Zumwalt, a Bronze Star winner from World War
II .
India set to complete N-triad with Arihant commissioning
India is finally close to operationalising its long-awaited nuclear weapons triad the capability to
launch nukes from land, air and sea.
Indias N Triads,
INS Arihants 750km and 3,500km missiles may be somewhat dwarfed by SLBMs with ranges of
well over 5,000km with the US, Russia and China, but the completion of the nuclear-triad is
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critical for a country like India, which has a clearly declared policy of no first-use of nuclear
weapons. It makes its second-strike capability much more credible.
A pre-emptive enemy strike can conceivably take out a rivals nuclear missiles and fighter
bombers. That is why an SSBN, capable of lurking underwater for months without being
detected, is considered the most effective and deadly platform for a retaliatory nuclear strike.
INS Arihant has undergone a whole host of surface and dived sorties during its trials to
prove its sea-worthiness. But the full weapons integration with the K (named after former
president APJ Abdul Kalam) series of SLBMs will take some more time. While the K15SLBM has a 750-km range, the K-4 can go up to 3,500-km.
INS Arihant is the first of three such SSBNs being constructed under the secretive ATV
programme launched decades ago. The construction of the second one, INS Aridhaman, is
also almost complete now, with its delivery slated for 2018.
New Fast Attack Craft INS Tihayu Commissioned In Vizag

The Indian Navy commissioned the newest Car Nicobar-class fast attack craft INS Tihayu at the
Eastern Naval Command.
i. INS Tihayu, specifically built for meeting needs of extended coastal and offshore surveillance and
patrol, has a length of 49.9 metres and maximum breadth of 7.5 meters. Named after an
island in Nicobar, the vessel has an endurance of 2,000 nautical miles at 12 to 14 knots of
economical speed.
ii. The ship, which has a 30 mm CRN 91 gun and an electronic day-night fire control system, has a
crew of four officers and 41 sailors led by Commander Ajay Kashhov.
iii. It is also equipped with two 12.7 mm heavy machine guns and multiple medium machine guns
besides shoulder launched air missiles to combat aerial threats.
Coast Guard Ship ICGS Rani Gaidinliu Commissioned
i. Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Rani Gaidinliu was commissioned into the Indian Coast Guard in
Visakhapatnam by Director-General of Coast Guard Rajendra Singh.The vessel is named
after freedom fighter and famous Naga spiritual and political leader Rani Gaidinliu, who
belonged to the Heraka cult of Manipur.
ii. Deputy Chief Minister of Manipur Gaikhangam Gangamei, former Deputy Chief Minister and
former Union minister ThounaojamChaoba Singh and AdmiPamei, who belongs to Rani Gaidnlius
clan, were present
iii. Recently INS Tihayu, a fast attack craft, was commissioned by Vice-Admiral HCS Bisht, Flag
Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC). The ship was built by the
Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd.
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Coast Guard Ships Aryaman and Atulya commissioned
i. The Indian Coast Guard Ships Aryaman and Atulya, the eighteenth and nineteenth in the
series of twenty Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), designed and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited,
were commissioned at Kochi by Financial Advisor to Defence Services Shri Sunil Kumar Kohli.
ii. The ships have been christened ICGS Aryaman and Atulya. Aryaman literally meaning is
Possessor of Greatness and Atulya meaning is Unrivalled
iii. Both FPVs are 50m long and have displace of 317 tonnes of water. They can
4th Nepal-India Joint Commission commences in New Delhi
i. The fourth meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission began in New Delhi was setting the
tone for the minister-level meeting scheduled.
ii. Foreign Secretaries Shankar Das Bairagi and S Jaishankar are directing the Nepali and
Indian delegations. The Nepal-India ministerial level meeting is expected to focus on implementing
the past agreements and accords signed between the two countries.
Indian Army team wins gold medal in gruelling Cambrian Patrol exercise
i. India Army team has won a gold medal at Exercise Cambrian Patrol which was organised by the
British Army in Wales.The Indian Army team presented a tradition khukri as a memento to the
British Army.
ii. The eight men of the 2nd Battalion of 8 Gorkha Rifles received the medal from British Prime
Minister Theresa May.
iii. The exercise is so difficult that many teams are unable to finish. However, those who do are
honoured by gold, silver, bronze medals or an accreditation for passing the test.
Indo-Sri Lanka military exercise Mitra Shakti 2016 begins in Ambepussa
i. The fourth edition of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise MITRA SHAKTI 2016 is being
conducted at Sinha Regimental Centre in Ambepussa, Sri Lanka from October 24 to November 6
ii. The main focus of this edition of the joint exercise is to enhance inter-operability while carrying
out Counter Insurgency (CI)/Counter Terrorism (CT) operations under the United Nations Mandate.
iii. The Indian contingent is represented by a platoon from the RAJPUTANA RIFLESRegiment and
the Sri Lankan Army will be represented by a platoon from the Sinha Regiment.
Rear Admiral Vennam Srinivas is new Flag Officer Submarines
i. Rear Admiral Vennam Srinivas took charge as the Flag Officer Submarines on October 24,
2016. He will replace Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru .
ii. Srinivas was commissioned on July 1, 1897 and has served 25 years in the submarine arm.
iii. He has commanded two conventional submarines, a destroyer prior assuming command of the
nuclear submarine INS Chakra.
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Indian Navy said goodbye to worlds oldest aircraft carrier INS Viraat.
i. INS Viraat, the worlds oldest aircraft carrier, was accorded a grand send-off from the port city
in Kochi, after over five decades of its service to the Navy.
ii. The final journey of the carrier began with Navy officials led by the Chief of Staff, Southern Naval
Command, Rear Admiral Nadkarni bidding farewell to the carrier at Ernakulam Wharf of Cochin
Port Trust.
10th Indo-Nepal Joint Exercise Surya Kiran Commenced
i. A 14-day India-Nepal joined military exercise, named Surya Kiran IX, began at Pithoragarh.
The exercise would end on February 21.
ii. To enhance defence co-operation relations with Nepal, an Indo-Nepal joint Military exercise
Surya Kiran-X commenced at Army Battle School in Nepal.
iii. The aim of this exercise is to conduct battalion level joint training with special importance
on Counter Terrorism in mountainous terrain
iv. Featuring Disaster Management have also been included in the exercise. It is the tenth in the
series of such exercise between the two nations which would last for 14 days starting from October
31, 2016.
ENVIRONMENT
T.N. tops list of endemic flowering plan
Tamil Nadu accounts for the highest number of species with 410, followed by Kerala with 357
and Maharashtra with 278 in a recent Publication by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).Scientists
of the BSI have listed at least 37 species of Black plum Syzyguim (Jamun), 10 varieties of Musa
(banana), along with 274 species of orchids, which are found only in the country. Four different
varieties of roses, two herbs and two climbers and 12 species of jasmines are exclusively found in
India.
Of the 18,259 flowering plants reported in the country, 4,303 (over 23 per cent) are found only
in India, as per scientific data in the book title Endemic Vascular Plants of India
. Around 53 per cent of all endemic flowering plants are herbs, 20 per cent are shrubs and 15
per cent are trees.
Mexicos erupting Colima volcano forces evacuation
Mexicos Colima volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in the country and Central America
has erupted, spewing a large plume of ash and thick black smoke into the sky and forcing the
evacuation of two nearby villages.
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Ancient Roman, Ottoman coins found in ruined Japanese castle
i. Scientists have discovered a bunch of ancient Roman and Ottoman coins from the ruins of
an old castle in Japan.
ii. Since 2013, archaeologists from Uruma Board of Education in Japan have been excavating
the Katsuren castle a UNESCO world heritage site located in Okinawa.
58 endangered red-crowned cranes hatched in China
i. Nearly Sixty red-crowned cranes were hatched this year in Chinas Zhalong National
Nature Reserve in Heilongjiang Province, the worlds largest captive breeding centre for
endangered birds.
ii. The endangered red-crowned crane is found in northeast of China, Japan and North Korea. There
are no more than 1,000 red-crowned cranes living in the wild in China and about 2,000 worldwide
iii. This year, four red-crowned cranes released, according to Gao Zhongyan, a reserve official,
state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
New Colourful Tree Frog Species Discovered In Australia
i. Australian Scientists have discovered a new species of green treefrog named Litoria bella, or
the Cape York Graceful with distinctive orange hands and feet and iridescent purpleinner
thighs.
ii. Now the number of known frog species in Australia to 239 said by Keith McDonald, from
Queensland Museum.
New Fish Found In Kerala Waters Named Scomber Indicus
i. A new species of fish named Scomber Indicus in Kerala waters by a team of CMFRI (Central
Marine Fisheries Research Institute)scientists led by E M Abdussamad
ii. The fish is called pulli ayala or pulli thiriyan by the local fisherm
Typhoon Chaba batters South Korea and heads to Japan
i. At least six people have been killed after Typhoon Chaba battered South Korea with strong
winds and heavy rain
ii. The southern cities of Busan and Ulsan were worst affected, as well as the resort island of Jeju.
iii. The typhoon is now heading for Japan, where the meteorological agency issued warnings and
flights were cancelled.
Scientists announced discovery of largest dinosaur ever found in Brazil
i. Brazilian scientists announced the discovery largest dinosaurever found in South Americas
biggest country.Researchers announced their discovery after analysing fossilised bones of the
giant, long-necked herbivore, which faded in a storage cupboard for 60 years.
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ii. Director of Rio de Janeiros Earth Sciences Museum, Diogenes Campos named the 25-meterlong dinosaur Austroposeidon magnificus. Titanosaur group of herbivores had large bodies,
long necks and tails and relatively small skulls..
iii. He explained that the titanosaur was about 20 to 26 feet (6 to 8 metres) tall and lived in what
is now Brazil some 70 million years ago.Fossils of the dinosaurs neck and spinal vertebrae were
found near the city of Presidente Prudente in Sao Paulo state in the 1950s.
Supreme Court stays commercial release of GM mustard
i. The Supreme Court stayed the commercial release of the genetically modified (GM)
variety of mustard till October 17 following a petition as this could have severe consequences on
the environment and human health
ii. The filed petition had sought a moratorium on open-field trials and commercial release of all
herbicide-tolerant crops such as the Dhara Mustard Hybrid DMH 11 seed, earlier certified as
safe for human consumption and the environment by a technical committee under the
environment ministry and the court will now hear the case on October 17.
iii. It is noted that the technical committee, under the environment ministrys Genetic Engineering
Appraisal Committee, regulator for GM crops, had approved the environmental release of the hybrid
DMH-11.
New termite species spotted in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary
i. A new termite species, Glyptotermes Chiraharitae, has been discovered at Kakkayam in
the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary.
ii. The species are named Chiraharitae, after the tropical evergreen forests of the Western
Ghats, where the termite was spotted.
iii. The flying adults of this species are approximately 10 mm long, while the soldiers are around
9.5 mm long.
Hurricane Matthew hit Florida
i. Floridians along the Atlantic coast were coping with rising water as Hurricane
Matthew drenched the state with rain and as strong winds pushed waves over beaches.
ii. South Carolina was bracing for the storms potential landfall and even residents inNorth
Carolina faced a considerable threat. The National Hurricane Center announced that the
storms center had been hugging the coast in Florida as it continued toward Georgiaand South
Carolina and warned of a surge of up to nine feet that could cause dangerous flooding.
India to eliminate potent greenhouse gas HFC-23 by 2030
Taking the lead on tackling climate change, India will eliminate the use of HFC-23, a greenhouse
gas that harms the ozone layer, by 2030.
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About the Ban :
The announcement came at a meeting of parties to the Montreal Protocol at Kigali in Rwanda where
final negotiations are taking place to substantially reduce the use of HFCs (hydro fluoro carbons)
by 2030. The Montreal Protocol, which came into force in 1989, is aimed at reducing the
production and consumption of ozone depleting substances in order to protect the earths
fragile ozone layer.
North America Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake situated in North America. Fresh water is naturally
occurring water on Earths surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, icebergs,
bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and
underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of
dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids.
Kashmiri Red Stag to be declared as Critically Endangered
i. The magnificent Kashmiri Red Stag or Hangul could finally get some protection with
the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) all set to declare it
a critically endangered species
ii. Hangul has been hunted over centuries and its habitat destroyed, leading to its population in the
wild plunging to a mere 150. Even then, IUCN the biggest international body assessing threat
levels to flora and fauna categorized it as that of Least Concern by clubbing with European
and other red deer species of the world.
Typhoon Sarika Battered the Philippines
i. Typhoon Sarika battered wide areas of the countrys main island of Luzon, killed at least two
people and isolated hundreds of villages due to floods, cutting off communication
lines, felling down trees and electric posts as well as inflicting heavy damage on farms was
reported by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council(NDRRMC)
ii. The storm, known locally as Karen, is expected to make landfall in Luzon around 18:00 G MT,
which is 2 am local time.The outer boundary of the storm are already covering much of the central
Philippines, with many places seeing rain.
September 2016 was the hottest month on record: NASA
i. According to data provided by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), under the
United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), the month of
September 2016 was the hottest September on record.
ii. September 2016s temperature was a razor-thin 0.004 degrees Celsius warmer than the
previous warmest September in 2014.
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iii. The record-warm September means 11 of the past 12 consecutive months dating back to
October 2015 have set new monthly high-temperature records.
iv. The new findings follow record-breaking monthly anomalies throughout this year, leading the
agency to believe that because of the highs reported so far, 2016 will take the crown as warmest in
the 136 years of modern data-keeping.
Auto manufacturers to provide emission and noise pollution details for every vehicle
i. The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has made it mandatory for all automobile
manufacturers to provide emission and noise pollution details for every vehicle they produce
by April 2017.
ii. It has amended Form 22 under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1989, through which
manufacturers provide the initial certificate of compliance with pollution standards, safety standards
of components quality and road-worthiness certificate for all vehicles.
iii. They should specify the levels of each pollutant like carbon monoxide, hydro carbon, nonmethane HC, NOx, HC + NOx, PM etc. for petrol and diesel vehicles and also sound level for horn
and pass by noise values.
Delhi chokes, six monitoring stations recorded very poor air quality
i. Delhis air quality worsened on last two days with the six stations that monitor particulate
matter(PM) 2.5 and 10 falling in the very poor category.
ii. The overall levels of PM 2.5 (particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5
micrometres) and PM 10 (particulate matter with diameter less than 10 micrometres), were settled
at 120.8 and 248 micrograms per cubic metre, as per System of Air Quality and Weather
Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).
iii. The PM 10 levels went down to 199 micrograms per cubic metre, making the air more
breathable.The acceptable levels of PM 2.5 are 60 micrograms per cubic metre and PM 10 are 100
micrograms per cubic metre.
iv. SAFARs Dhirpur, Pitampura, Delhi University, Pusa Road, Mathura Road andAirport
(T3) stations recorded very poor air quality index
Protein enriched rice variety developed by IGKV Chattisgarh
i. A protein-enriched rice variety has been developed by the Indira Gandhi Krishi
Vishwavidyalay (IGKV) here and researchers hope it would serve as a boon for malnourished
population, especially children, in the tribal-dominated Chhattisgarh.
ii. The new developed rice variety has over 10% protein content, which is 3% morethanwhat is
found in any popular variety and has 30 PPM (parts per million) zinc content.
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Smooth-coated otter was sighted for the first time in krishna sanctuary
i.Smooth-coated otter was sighted for the first timein the mangrove forest near the Krishna
wildlife sanctuary (KWS) in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh.
ii.In all, seven otters including a family of four, were found in a playful mood and the rest were
photographed while preying on the fish in the brackish waters.
iii. A.Venkata Appa Rao have documented the presence of the Smooth-coated otter in the
mangrove forests and brackish water channels in Eelachetladibba and Lankevennedibbaand
other areas outside the KWS.
Typhoon Haima makes landfall in South China
i. Typhoon Haima made a landfall in south Chinas Guangdong Province triggering sudden
downpours in several cities.
ii. At least five counties and cities in Guangdong experienced heavy rain fall on October 22, 2016
iii. The water level at most of the provinces dam were at dangerous levels and the ground
especially on mountain slopes, was still saturated from the last typhoon.
World Bank lenders must aid countries to manage shift away from coal
i. The World Bank and other global development lenders and other financial institutions must
help countries such as India to finance the shift of their coal production to more efficient
technologies so they can meet their COP21 commitments said by Benjamin Sporton, World
Coal Association Chief Executive
ii. The World Bank should not support coal based power plant. Instead of Coal Power Plant Super
critical plants and ultra super critical plants (USC) substantially reduce carbon dioxide
emissions and virtually eliminate particulate matter emissions.
iii. India now push towards renewable energy like wind energy, solar Energy to lowering the
share of coal in the overall energy contribution.
to submit its INDC to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2015.
Globally Averaged co2 Levels Reach 400 parts per million in 2015
i. Globally averaged concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached 400 parts per
million for the first time in 2015 and increased again to new records in 2016 due to the very
powerful El Nio event.
ii. This measure indicates the amount of planet-warming gases man is putting into the atmosphere
at record rates, and the current concentrations are unprecedented in millions of years
Ross Sea: Worlds largest marine protected area declared in Antarctica
i. Delegates from 24 countries and the European Union have agreed that the Ross Sea in
Antarctica will become the worlds largest Marine Protected Area (MPA).
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ii. Some 1.57m sq km (600,000 sq miles) of the Southern Ocean will gain protection from
commercial fishing for 35 years.
iii. This is the first large scale MPA on the high seas.
Two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020, warns report
i. Global wildlife populations have fallen by 58 per cent since 1970, a report by the Living Planet
assessment by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
ii. It suggests that if the trend continues that decline could reach two-thirds among vertebrates by
2020.
iii. The figures suggest that animals living in lakes, rivers and wetlands are suffering the biggest
losses.
Bangladesh introduces temporary ban on catching Hilsa Fish
i. Bangladesh has introduced temporary ban on catching Hilsa Fish in an effort to save the
hugely popular fish.Before Bangladesh government banned fishermen from catching young hilsa at
certain times of the year.
ii. Armed forces have been deployed to patrol 7,000 square kilometres of rivers, estuaries and sea
declared a breeding sanctuary.If anyone caught catching hilsa faces at least a year in jail under a
22-day ban that began on October 12.
iii. 60% of the worlds hilsa are caught in Bangladesh.One mother (hilsa) can lay two million
eggs per year.
Scientists discovered way to turn carbon dioxide into useful fuel
i. US scientists say they have shocked upon an economically practical and highly efficient way of
converting a greenhouse gas largely reasoned for global warming into an environmentally friendly
fuel a development that could increase the renewable energy industry.
ii. Researchers from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US state of Tennessee announced
they serendipitously developed a catalyst that transformed carbon dioxide(CO2), a main
greenhouse gas, into high yields of
iii. Rondinone and his colleagues had grouped a catalyst using carbon, copper, and nitrogen, by
embedding copper nanoparticles into nitrogen-laced carbon spikes measuring just 50-80
nanometres tall. (1 nanometre = one-millionth of a millimetre.)
Fishing cat found moving in mangrove, Andhra Pradesh
i. A fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) was identified walking through the moderately dense
mangrove surrounding the Gilalakalandi harbour near Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh
ii. A Researcher, Allaparthi Appa Rao and Fishing Cat Conservancy, an
organisation worked on conservation of fishing cat and documented the movements of the fishing
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cat in the mangroves of Machilipatnam.
iii. Mr. Appa Rao has been engaged in studying the movements of the cat in the mangrove cover.
Its presence was proved through the camera trap arranged in the mangrove forest.
Scientists developed new arhar variety pigeon-pea
i. Scientists at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) have developed a new arhar
(pigeon-pea) variety that matures in 120 days, gives the same 20 quintal-per-hectareyields of
normal 160-180 day plants and is, moreover, amenable to mechanical combine harvesting.
ii. The average yield of existing pulses varieties in the country is 9-10 quintals a hectare, but the
new variety developed by IIPR scientists has the potential to give 20 quintals.
iii. Arhar (tur) is mostly grown in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, while it is
used almost in all parts of the country.
Researchers discover millipede with 141 legs at Sequoia National Park in California
i. A new species of millipede found lurking in the unexplored dark marble caves of Sequoia
National Park in California
ii. This new species of millipede has been named Illacme tobini.
iii. It is the evolutionary cousin of the leggiest animal on the planet, Illacme plenipes.
iv. Illacme tobini has 414 legs, four penises and bizarre-mouth parts the function is unknown.
SPORTS
Sports Sector got the Infrastructure Status
i. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports Affairs had moved a proposal for inclusion of Sports in
the harmonized master list of infrastructure sub-sectors due to the deficit of sports
infrastructure
ii. Sports sector becomes eligible for obtaining long term financial support from banks and other
financial institutions on same principle available to other infrastructure projects.
iii. This was disclosed by Rajiv Yadav, Secretary, Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,
while addressing Turf 2015-16, the seventh edition Global Sports Summit, held in New Delhi
organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with the
Services clinched overall title at National Athletics & Rani becomes 1st Indian woman to
cross 60m in javelin
i. Annu Rani became the first Indian woman javelin thrower to cross the 60m mark on the
third day of the 56th Open National Athletics Championships by smashing her own national
record. She represented Railways and created her fourth national record in two years. The 23-
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year-old hails from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
iii. Poonam Rani of ONGC won the silver with an effort of 56.73m while the bronze went to
another Railway woman K Rashmi with 51.56m.
VCA became first BCCI member to adopt Lodha panel recommendations
The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) became the first full member of the BCCI to adopt
the MoA and Rules and Regulations as recommended by the Supreme Courtappointed Justice
Lodha Committee. General Meeting of the VCA was held at Nagpur.730 members were attended
the meeting and 727 voted for the change.
India lifts 4th mens Under-18 Asia Cup hockey trophy
i. India lifted the 4th mens Under-18 Asia Cup hockey trophy by defeating Bangladesh 5-4 in
the Under-18 Asia Cup hockey trophy in Dhaka.
ii. Earlier, India had stormed into the final by defeating arch rivals Pakistan 3-1 in the semi-final
match.
Manikandan Kumar wins Gold medal in IFSC Para Climbing Cup
i. Manikandan Kumar, countrys most successful para climber won the Gold medal in IFSC
Para Climbing Cup in the United Kingdom.
ii.Kumar became the first and the only Indian climber to have won three Gold medals, seven
Silver medals and a Bronze medal.
iii. The Indian para climber had also claimed a Silver medal in the IFSC Para Climbing World Cup in
Italy and a Bronze medal in the para climbing World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria.
Kieren Dsouza became the first Indian to complete Worlds toughest race, Spartathlon
i. The Spartathlon, an annual run between Athens in Sparta in Greece has a circuit which
lasts for 246.6 km was widely considered The worlds toughest race till date only50 % of the
runners have successfully completed this race, with India having little to no success.
ii. Bengalurus Kieren Dsouza had changed all that today. In a run that lasted, 33 hours three
minutes and 25 seconds, the 23-year old defied the odds to become the first ever Indian to
finish it.
iii. A 23-year-old from Faridabad, Haryana would be the first Indian among the 305
participants. The runners would cover 246km (153 miles) from Sparta to Athens, Greece within
the cut-off time of 36 hours. The race will be from the 30th of September to the 1st of October,
2016.
ICC Test rankings: India backed to No 1 after beating New Zealand at Eden Gardens
i. In the middle of a 12-match unbeaten streak at home, Indian cricket team would be aiming to
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reclaim the No 1 spot in ICC rankings when it takes on an unsettled New Zealand in the second
Test.
ii. Points gained from victories in the Kanpur and Kolkata Tests saw Virat Kohlis team move past
Pakistan and back to the top spot..
iii. Pakistan are now at second place, followed by Australia, England, South Africa, New
Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
iv. Ashwin and Jadeja combined to take six Kiwi wickets in the second innings, while pacers
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami took four wickets together.
Daniel Ricciardo wins 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix
Red Bulls Daniel Ricciardo won the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix held at the Sepang International
Circuit in Selangor, Malaysia.
Malaysian Grandprix Winners:
1st Daniel Ricciardo, 2nd Max Verstappen and 3rd Nico Rosberg
Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar won Korea Open
i. Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar fired an impressive 67 for a four-day total of 269 at the Bears
Best Cheongna Golf Club, winning the 2016 million-won ($196,000) cash prize
ii. Bhullar scored seven birdies on holes 2, 6,7, 10, 12, 13 and 14 to maintain his victory.
Gaganjeet Singh Bhullar was born on 27 April 1988.
5th Asian Beach Games An Overview
Vietnam has taken the top spot at the fifth Asian Beach Games that concluded in Da Nang,
however local experts are more concerned than thrilled as it gave little indication about the
development of the countrys high performance sports stars.
Top 3 : Vietnam , Thailand and China
India at the 16th place with 24 medals(2 Gold, 4 Silver , 18 Bronze)
Pinky Balhara Earns Bronze Medal in 5th Asian Beach Games

In 5th Asian Beach Games, Pinky Balhara of India has won bronze medal in womens 52kg Kurash
category. The games were held at Da Nang, Vietnam.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy of Vietnam won the gold medal in same category. Top
three Medalists in Womens 52kg Kurash Category
Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy of Vietnam won the gold medal
Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Quynh silver medal
Pinky Balhara bronze medal
Harish Banghel won a silver in the mens middleweight Muay Thai event.
India added another medal in the 5th Asian Beach Games with Harish Banghel winning asilver in
the mens middleweight Muay.
Thai event on the second day of competition.
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Banghel lost to Zhang Yongkang ofChina in the final of 71-75kg category to settle for a
silver.
Muay Thai is a combination of boxing and martial arts originated in Thailand.
Indian womens kabaddi team defeat Thailand to clinch gold medal at Asian Beach Games
India bagged their first gold medal at the 5th Asian Beach Games with the womens beach
kabaddi team winning the title for the record fifth time in succession in Danang, Vietnam.
India beat Thailand 41-31 in a hard-fought summit clash at Bien Dong Park. The Indian
womens kabaddi team had been winning the gold since the inception of the biennial
Games in 2008.
Silver medallists in the event at each of the previous four Asian Beach Games, Pakistan
finally made it to the top of the podium.
India Wins Silver In Vovinam At Asian Beach Games

Indias Deepa Gawale won a silver medal in the womens single, Long Ho Quyen, Vovinam event
in the fifth Asian Beach Games.
Deepa lost to Manik Trisna of Indonesia by scoreline of 267-275 to settle for silver.
Host Vietnam and Japan secured the third place with 261 points.
Pakistan debarred from Kabaddi World Cup 2016

The 12-nation Kabaddi World Cup started this week, with a row over a decision to bar archrivals Pakistan from competing threatening to overshadow the tag-wrestling sports showcase event
Feeling the heat of being isolated following the Uri attacks and supporting terror groups announced
by International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) chief Deoraj Chaturvedi.
Siddharth clinched gold at Asian billiards 2016
i. World No. 3 Siddharth Parikh clinched the gold medal at the inaugural Asian billiards 2016,
defeating Aung Htay (Myanmar) 4-2 (26-100, 2-100(90), 100(88)-21, 100-47, 100(63)-60,
100(61)-60) in the final of the billiards.
ii. The Indian Railway and P.J. Hindu Gymkhana player, Parikh who had not dropped a single
frame till the semi-final round, started poorly losing the first two frames rather tamely against Htay
in the summit clash.
Maria Sharapovas two-year doping ban reduced from 2 years
i. Maria Sharapovas two-year doping ban has been reduced to 15 months following her appeal
to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
ii. The five-time Grand Slam winner was initially banned by the International Tennis Federation
for two years after testing positive formeldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.
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15-year-old Indian girl won U-16 World Chess Championship
i. Aakanksha Hagawane scripted her name in the history books when she won the girlsunder16 title in the World Youth Chess Championships in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. She added her
name to an exclusive list of Indians to win a World Chess Championship title.
ii. Viswanathan Anand, PentalaH arikrishna, Koneru Humpy, Abhijeet Gupta, Soumya
Swaminathan, Dronavalli Harika, B Adhiban, SP Sethuraman had all won world titles in age group
and junior (U-21) competitions.
Worlds first-ever Bionic Olympics" held in Switzerland
i. The Worlds First Bionic Olympics began on October 8, 2016 in Zurich, Switzerland. More
than 70 competitors from 25 countries participated in this event.
ii. It was organised by ETH Zurich collaboration with the Swiss National Center of Competence
in Robotics Research.
iii. The Cybathlon Events are Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) bicycle race, a Powered Leg
Prosthesis Race, a Powered Wheelchair Race, a Powered Exoskeleton Race, a Powered Arm
Prosthesis Race, and a computerised race for competitors with paralysis using brain-computer
interfaces to compete in a computer game (BCI Race).
Nico Rosberg won the Japanese Grand Prix
Nico Roseberg of Germany and Mercedes GP won the Japan Grandprix at Suzaka Circuit in
Suzaka.
Japanese Grand Prix 2016 :
1st Nico Roseberg(Mercedes), 2nd Max Verstappen(Red Bull) and 3rd Lewis
Hamilton(Mercedes)
Virat Kohli Becomes First Indian Test Captain to Score Two Double Centuries
i. Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli becomes First Indian Test Captain to Score Two Double
Centuries.
ii. He completed his second Test double century at Indore on Day 2 of the third Test vs New
Zealand.
Russian Open badminton 2016
Ruthvika Shivani Gadde from India won the womens singles title after beating Evgeniya
Kosetskaya 21-10, 21-13 in a 26-minute at the Russain Open badminton held in Vladivostok,
Russia.
Winner List :
Title
Mens singles
Womens singles
Winner
Zulfadli Zulkiffli
Gadde Ruthvika Shivani
Runner
Siril Verma
Evgeniya Kosetskaya
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Mens doubles
Womens doubles
Vladimir Ivanov/ Ivan Sozonov

Anastasia Chervyakova/ Olga Morozova
Mixed doubles
Pranaav Jerry Chopra /N. Sikki Reddy
Abramov K./Zinchenko A.
Kosetskaya E./Polikarpova
K.
Ivanov V./Sorokina V.
ISSF World Cup 2016 An Overview

2016 ISSF World cup held at the TSN Shooting Range in Bologna, Italy. The Champions Trophy
sponsored by SIUS.
Jitu shoots silver at World Cup in Italy
Ace Indian shooter Jitu Rai shrugged off the disappointment of a poor Olympic campaign by
clinching a silver medal in the 50m pistol event of the ISSF World Cup Final.
Jitu Finishes 6th In 10m Air Pistol In ISSF World Cup
Ace Indian shooter Jitu Rai finished sixth in the mens 10m air pistol event of the ISSF World
Cup Final.Jitu shot a score of 117.2 to finish sixth and be the third to be eliminated in the eightshooter final.
Rajput Finishes 10th In 3-Positions At World Cup Finals
Veteran marksman Sanjeev Rajput, ended his ISSF World Cup Finals campaign in the mens
Rifle 3 Positions event in 10th place, falling short of qualifying for the eight-man final with a
score of 1161.
Jitu Rai wins ISSF Pistol Champions Trophy title
Indias ace pistol shooter Jitu Rai made the country proud yet again when he won the
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Champions Trophy.
Jitu beat Serbias Damir Mikec, 29.6 to 28.3 in the final, held in the 10m Air Pistol finals
format to claim the Euro 5000 cash award which comes with the title.
2016 China Open Overview

World number two Andy Murray from UK defeated Bulgarias Grigor Dimitrov defeated Dimitrov
6-4 7-6 (7-2) to clinch the mens title of the China Open on September 10 2016 . This was
Murrays fifth title
Title
Mens Singles
Womens
Singles
Mens Doubles
Womens
Doubles
of his year and the 40th of his career.

Winner
Runner
Andy Murray
Grigor Dimitrov
Agnieszka Radwaska
Johanna Konta
Pablo Carreo Busta / Rafael Nadal
Bethanie
Mattek-Sands / Lucie
afov
Jack Sock / Bernard Tomic,

Caroline Garcia / France
Mladenovic
Kristina
Virat Kohli presented with ICC Test Championship mace

i. Virat Kohli was presented with the prestigious ICC Test Championship mace,
following Indias win over New Zealand in the third Test at Indore, for leading his team to the
top of the ICC Test Team Rankings.
ii. India beat New Zealand by 321 runs in the third Test to clean sweep the series 3-0.India was
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guaranteed number-one spot on the ICC Test Team Rankings after they took a 2-0 lead in
Kolkata.
Ashwin regained number one spot in Test rankings
i. Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin reclaimed the number one spot in Test rankings for
bowlers/
ii. Ashwin, who was named man of the series after he finished with 27 wickets in a 3-0 sweep by
India, now has 220 wickets, the most by any bowler after 39 Tests.
iii. Ashwin, who finished the 2015 year-end rankings as the number-one bowler and was also at
the top briefly in July this year, has joined a select band to have touched a rating of 900 points
since 2000, the others being Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath, Vernon Philander, Dale
Steyn and Shaun Pollock.
iv. In the rankings for Test batsmen, Indias middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane has attained a
career-best sixth rank with scores of 188 and 23 not out.Rahane, whose previous best was eighth
in August this year, has gained five slots after starting the match at 11th position.
Goa launched Duck Boats to boost tourist football
i. Goa Tourism department added another attraction for tourists in the coastal state with
the launch of a vessel, that could run on both land and water.
ii. Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar launched the vessels popularly known as Duck
Boats which is a first of its kind facility being used for civilian purpose (joy rides) in India.
Aditi Ashok becomes first female Indian golfer to record 3 consecutive top 10 European
Tour finishes
i. Aditi Ashok(18) from India recorded her third top-10 finish on the Ladies European Tour at
the ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters held at the Golf Club Hubblerath,Germany. She tied
at ninth position in the final.
ii. She played her fourth successive one-under 69 round for her third straight top-10 finish on
the Ladies European Tour at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.
Italys Olympic Committee officially withdrew Rome bid to stage 2024 GamesItalys
Olympic Committee had officially withdrawn its bid to stage the 2024 Games in Rome after the
city council voted to oppose the candidacy.committee chief Giovanni Malago.
Tamim Iqbal 1st Bangladeshi to reach 5,000 ODI runs
i. Opener Tamim Iqbal has become the first Bangladeshi to score 5000 runs in One-Day
International cricket.The success came for during his innings against England in the third and final
ODI match of the series at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.
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ii. Notably, Bangladesh have leveled the series by 1-1.When Tamim touched the milestone, his
average run rate was 32.49.
Former F1 driver Mark Webber announced retirement
i. Former Formula One driver Mark Webber would retire from professional racing at the end of
the world endurance season in Bahrain in November.
ii. The Winner of nine Formula One grand prix with Red Bull Webber has been racing in the
World Endurance Championship with Porsche.
Manipuri boy Yengkhom brought India its first gold in Wushu after 30 years
i. Manipuri player Yengkhom Jason defeated his Chinese contender in straight rounds and bagged
the yellow medal in the 52 Kg category, overcoming the 30 years drought. 17 year old Jason
announced Indias arrival in Wushu at the world stage.
ii. Along with Jason, two Manipuri girls, Malemngangbi and Roshibina who participated at
the Junior championship also bagged a silver and a bronze medals, doing Manipur Wushu
proud.
iii. In the world of Wushu, China ranks no. 1 and Iran no. 2 and are always taken to be unbeaten
up until Jasons feat. Naturally, the jubilation among the Wushu players in Manipur were
electrifying.
Brazil Crowned Champions Of BRICS U-17 Football Tourney
Brazil were crowned Champions of the inaugural edition of the BRICS U-17 Football Tournament as
the Samba Boys thumped South Africa 5-1 in the Finals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in
Fatorda, Goa on October 15, 2016.
Jessica Ennis-Hill: Great Britain hept athlete retired from athletics
i. Jessica Ennis-Hills coach has announced that the 2012 Olympic heptathlon champion has
chosen the right time to retire after a glittering career that also saw her crowned world champion
twice.
ii. The face of London 2012, the countrys greatest sporting summer, called time on her glittering
career almost two months to the day since she narrowly failed to retain the Olympic heptathlon title
that made her a national heroine.
ICC announced first-ever womens World T20 in 2020
i. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to organise the first ever ICC Womens
World T20 event in 2020. A decision to this effect was taken at the ICC Board meetings which
concluded in Cape.
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ii. Cricket Australia, hosts for the mens and womens ICC World Twenty20 in 2020, proposed
holding the womens tournament as a stand-alone event six months ahead of the mens edition.
Usain Bolt confirms retirement after 2017 world championships in London
i. Worlds fastest man, Usain Bolt will retire after 2017 IAAF World Championship in London.
ii. Jamaican athlete is the first athlete in history to claim 3 consecutive Olympic gold medals in the
100, 200 and 4X100m relay events.
iii. The 30-year old has won 9 Olympic Gold medals across three games over the span 8 years
and is widely regarded as the fastest human ever timed.
Neeraj Goyat retained WBC Asia welterweight title
i. Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat out punched Australias Ben Kite to retain the WBC welterweight
Asia title in New Delhi.
ii. The 24-year-old prevailed 120-110 119-109 115-113 in an unanimous decision for the hard
12-round contest against his 26-year-old rival, who had the experience of fighting 9 rounds.
iii. Goyat, who came into the contest with seven wins in 11 fights, is now expected to break into
the WBC world rankings, which will be a step towards getting him a shot at the world title.
Sourabh Varma wins mens singles title at Chinese Taipei Open
i. 23-year-old from Madhya Pradesh, Sourabh Varma defeated Malaysias Daren Liew 11-4 11-7
11-9 to clinch the mens single title in the summit clash of the $55,000 Grand Prix tournament
in Taipei. Sourabh, who is on a comeback trail after being on the sidelines with multiple injuries.
ii. It is his third successive summit and he had won the National championship in 2011.
Winner list:
Title
Mens Single
Womens Single
Mens Double
Womens Double
Winner
Sourabh Varma
Ayumi Mine
Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto
Yuki Fukushima /Japansayaka Hirota
Mixed
Chun Man Tang/Hong Kongying Suet
Runner
Daren Liew
Saena Kawakami
Hung Ling /Chen Chi-Lin Wang
Shiho Tanaka / Japankoharu
Yonemoto
Ryota Taohata/Koharu
Yonemoto
India became first team to play 900 ODIs

i. Indias ODI against New Zealand at Dharamshala is the teams 900th making it the world first
side to achieve a milestone
ii. India played its first ever ODI in 1974 against England at Leeds which ended in a victory for
the hosts. The match was part of a series that would be famously known as the Summer of 42.
Keys :
India 899, Australia 888 and Pakistan 866
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Indian Wrestlers bagged four medals at 2016 TAFISA World Games
i. Indian wrestlers in October 2016 clinched four medals, including a gold medal, at the sixth
edition of the TAFISA World Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
ii. Dalmiya outplayed Muhammad Sahan of Azerbaijan 4-1 in the summit clash to clinch the
yellow medal. Experienced Luv Singh defeated Muhammad Kashif of Iran 5-3 in the 80 kg category
to advance and then made it to the finals by beating Belarus Jordan 8-6.
iii. Naveen Kumar clinched bronze medal in 90 Kg category. He defeated Oleg of Lit huania 5-2
to claim the bronze medal.Josil clinched bronze medal in the in the super heavyweight section. He
defeated Mustafa Sultani of Afghanistan 3-1 to win the bronze medal for the country.
iv. Three gold medals were won by three women martial arts players from Thane. Aarti
Chaudhari (29), Vishruti Waghmare (16) and Siddhi Jadhav (10) won the gold medals in
JeetKune-do, a form of martial arts.
Novak Djokovic retained top spot in ATP rankings
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic retained the top spot with 12.900 points in the
Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings released recently.
ATP rankings list and points:
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Player
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 12.900 points
Andy Murray (Scotland) 10.485
Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland) 5.820
Milos Raonic (Canada) 4.690
Kei Nishikori (Japan) 4.650
Rafael Nadal (Spain) 4.380
Gael Monfils (France) 3.815
Roger Federer (Switzerland) 3.720
Tomas Berdych (Czech) 3.300
Dominic Thiem (Austria) 3.250.
Amit Mishra fastest Indian spinner to take 50 ODI wickets

i. Indian spinner Amit Mishra has completed his 50 ODI wickets in Indias 900th One Day
International match(India vs New Zealand 1st ODI) and it was his 32nd ODI match.
ii. With this India became the first country to play 900 ODIs.
iii. The previous fastest Indian spinner to complete 50 ODI wickets was the off-spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin in 34 ODIs.
Indian Boxing Council Inducted In To WBO
i. The Indian Boxing Council, a licensing body for the countrys professional boxers, has been
inducted into the World Boxing Organisation with voting rights in the WBOs annual convention at
Puerto Rico.
ii. IBC President Brig. PKM Raja attended the meet in which the Indian body was welcomed into
the fold by WBO founder Chairman Luis Batista Salas.
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Indian Railways wins World Railway Shooting Championship Cup
i. First time Western Railways Team won the 15th USIC- International Shooting World
Championship with 10 medals(5 Gold, 3 Silver and 2 Bronze) held at Saint Mandrier, France.
ii. The team won Gold in 50 Meter Rifle Event, defeating Germany and France and Swapnil Kusale
and Tejaswini Muley won Gold and Silver medal respectively.
iii. In Air Rifle Ayonika Paul won Gold by defeating France and Norway while Suma Shirurwon
silver and Western Railwayswon Bronze.
iv. In Air Pistol, all three Indian shooters Jitendra Vibhute, Sumedh Devlaliwala and Vipin Rana won
Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively.
India Rise To Best FIFA Rankings In 6 Years
i. The Indian football team ranked 137th from 148 in the latest FIFA ranking in over six
Rank
Country
years after India defeated Puerto Rico in an International Friendly in
1
Argentina
Mumbai lat month.
2
Germany
3
Brazil
ii. India were ranked 137th in 2010 which stayed Indias best ever
4
Belgium
FIFA Ranking
5
Colombia
iii. Next year, India will host the Under-17 FIFA World Cup
Indians finish on Podium at IWF World Weightlifting cships
i. India created history at the IWF Youth (Boys & Girls) World Weightlifting Championships
at Penang, Malaysia, bagging a silver and a bronze medal in the 56kg weight category
ii. Jeremy Lalrinnunga finished second with a lift of 108kg in snatch and 127kg in clean & jerk for
a total effort of 235kgs. Muthupandi Raja clinched the bronze with an overall lift of 233kgs
(100+133), according to the Indian Weightlifting Federation release.
iii. In 48kg category, Mohini Chavan finished 6th while JhilliDalabehera stood 9th. Sharabani
Das ended on 6th position in the 44kg weigth division.
Russia choses wolf as 2016 world cup mascot
i. A wolf named Zabivaka has been chosen as the official mascot of the upcoming FIFA football
World Cup which will be held in Russia in 2018, gaining more than 53 percent of a nationwide vote
ii. The vote was held across Russia over the course of a month, with a wolf, a cat, and a tiger
comprising the candidates. In the end, Zabivaka proved to be a runaway winner, attracting more
than half of a whopping one million plus votes cast.
India beat Iran 38-29 to win 2016 Kabaddi World Cup
India beat Iran 38-29 in the title clash to lift the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in Ahmedabad on
October 22 2016.
Kabaddi WC venue is Indias 1st convertible stadium -India won the Kabbadi World Cup
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against Iran in Ahmedabads Trans Stadia Arena, which is Indias first convertible stadium.
Being Asias biggest seven-floor stadium, Arenas 20, 000 seater transforms into a
4000 seater, pillar-less multipurpose indoor venue at the touch of a button. With
stunning technological features, this metamorphosis occurs at the touch of a button,
unsurprisingly.
The stadium, which is a Rs 550 crore project, has a seating capacity of 21,000 and its
indoor arena can be utilized for 12 indoor sports.
North Korea won 2016 FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup.

i. North Koreas womens U-17 team has been a powerhouse for nearly a decade and now they
are U-17 World Cup champions for the second time. The North Koreans beat Japan in penalty kicks
to win the 2016 FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup capping an undefeated tournament held in Jordan
ii. Rio Kanekatsu was the only player of the ten to miss, blasting her spot kick high and wide,
which allowed Kim Pom-ui to slot home the winner and regain a trophy the North Koreans first
won eight years ago in New Zealand.
Abhijeet Gupta created history at Hoogeveen International.
i. Grandmaster and Commonwealth champion Abhijeet Gupta created history at theHoogeveen
International chess tournament by becoming the first player ever to win the title twice in a row
in the FIDE Open that concluded at the Dutch hamlet.
ii. Abhijeet lived up to his top billing, and scored 7.5 points out of a possible nine to win the title
solely ahead of second placed Grandmaster Sandipan Chanda.
MS Dhoni becomes fifth Indian to cross 9000 runs, breaks Sachin Tendulkars record of
195 sixes in ODIs
i. MS Dhoni became only the fifth Indian and third wicket-keeper to complete 9000 runs in
One-day Internationals during the third ODI against New Zealand in Mohali on October 23,
2016.Dhoni is leading the Indian side in a five-match ODI series against New Zealand.
ii. He also broke Sachin Tendulkars record for most sixes 195 in ODIs.
Others who crossed 9000 runs :
Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs), Sourav Ganguly (11,363), Rahul Dravid (10,889) and
Mohammad Azharuddin (9378) have achieved the milestone. Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara
(14234) and Australian Adam Gilchrist (9619) are the only other wicket-keepers in the world to
have crossed the 9000-run mark.
Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 United States Grand Prix
i. Lewis Hamilton from Britain won the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas on October 23, 2016.It
was Hamiltons 50th career victory and seventh win of the current season and his third
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consecutive triumph on the Texas circuit.
ii. Moreover, it was his fourth Grand Prix victory in the past five years.
iii. Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo secured second and third place respectively.
Guwahati gets FIFA nod, becomes fifth Indian city to host U-17 World Cup
i. Guwahati became the fifth Indian city to be ratified as a venue for next years Under-17
football World Cup.
ii. The FIFA delegation along with members of the Local Organising Committee visited the site and
had a comprehensive look at the stadium and the training facilities.
iii. Earlier, Kochi, Navi Mumbai, Goa and New Delhi had got the FIFAs nodt and he 23-member
delegation will travel to Kolkata.
WADA report highlights serious failings at Rio Olympic Games
i. A WADA report on the anti-doping methods employed at Rio 2016 has highlighted serious
failings.
ii. The World Anti-Doping Agency said many athletes who had been targeted for testing simply
could not be found.
iii. According to its 55-page Independent Observers report, of the 11,470 athletes, 4,125 had no
record of any testing in 2016, of whom 1,913 were competing in 10 higher-risk sports.
iv. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is ultimately responsible for delivering the antidoping programme for the Olympic Games.
Punjab wins 2016 NCC National Games
i. (IANS) Punjab Directorate became champions in the National Cadet Corp (NCC) National
Games.
ii. Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre presented trophies to the winners at the closing
ceremony at Delhi Cantonment
iii. The theme of the closing ceremony was Vibrant India.
Government Recognizes Boxing Federation of India as National Sports Federation for
Boxing
i. Government has recognized Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as the National Sports
Federation (NSF) for Boxing.
ii The step will give a boost to the sport of boxing which suffered due to absence of an NSF in the
discipline since 2012.
iii. AIBA, the International Body for boxing, recognized the newly elected office bearers of BFI
and the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports decided to grant recognition to BFI as NSF for boxing.
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iv. BFI will help Indian boxers prepare for 2020 Olympics with more national & international
exposure, and training.
India wins first ever international team roller skating medal at Asian Championships in
China
The trio of Dhanush Babu, Vikram Ingale and Nikhilesh Tabhane have won Indias first ever
senior international roller skating medal in the Asian Championship in China.
About the championship,
The Indian trio shocked higher ranked contestants such as Chinese Taipei and Indonesia. South
Korea pocketed the gold medal, while hosts China won silver medal. Chinese Taipei, Iran and
Indonesia finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively in the summit clash involving six
teams.
The top six skaters from the nationals held in Vizag earlier this year were shortlisted to
represent the national. Despite being the cream of the crop in the country, the skaters have to
self-fund their international trips.
Dhanush is currently the fastest speed skater in India with a timing of 25.14 seconds in the
300m sprint. He is currently coached by his father Balaji Babu.
Indian hockey defender Surender Kumar suspended

i. India defender Surender Kumar would not play any further role in the fourth Asian Champions
Trophy hockey tournament after being suspended for two matches following a deliberate foul
during the game against Malaysia.
ii. Surender was shown a yellow card by the umpire for an off-the-ball incident in which
Surender lifted his stick in an appropriate manner, thereby causing his stick to hit the chin of a
Malaysian player.
Alastir Cook became first to score 10000 runs as an opening batsman
i. Alastair Cook has become the first Englishman to reach 10,000 Test runs after scoring the
five runs he needed on day four of the second Investec Test against Sri Lanka at Emirates
Riverside.
ii. Sunil Gavaskar with 9,607 runs and Graeme Smith with 9,030 runs lie at No. 2and No. 3
rank respectively in the list. Cook at the beginning of the series exceeded Alec Stewarts record to
become the most capped England cricketer.
iii. Cook has scored a total of 10,629 in 135 Tests so far at an average of over 46.Cook captained
England in 54 Tests and has scored over 4,000 runs, with 11 centuries and 22 half-centuries as
captain.
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India beat Pakistan 3-2 to win Asian Champions Trophy
i. The Indian mens hockey team lead by PR Sreejesh defeated Pakistan 3-2 in the final of
the 4th Asian Champions Trophy at the Wisma Belia Hockey Stadium in KualaLumpur, Malaysia
on October 30, 2016.
ii. World No 6, India had won the inaugural edition of the Asian Champions Trophy by defeating
Pakistan in the final in 2011.This is the second time India have won the Asian Championship title.
India won 4th Women Asian Champions Trophy hockey against Korea
i. India defeat South Korea 2-1 in 4th Women Asian Champions Trophy Hockey.
ii. Striker Rani scored Indias first goal and Deepika scored second goal in the 54th minute.
iii. Indian eves will next take on Malaysia, who have lost the two matches they have played so far
in the tournament.
Sania retains World No.1 status for second successive year
i. Indias tennis star Sania Mirza retained her numero uno status in womens doubles for
the second consecutive year.
ii. During the year, Sania has won titles, including Australian Open with Hingis, Cincinnati
Masters with Barbora Strycova.
iii. Sania had split with Hingis but they paired up and made an unsuccessful bid to defend the WTA
Finals in Singapore.
After seven years, Jhulan Goswami became world number 1 bowler
i. Jhulan Goswami, fast bowler and former captain of Indian womens cricket team, has once
again earned an honour.
ii. She has achieved the ICC number one bowlers rank, having earned 730 points. Jhulan has
already been ICC number one bowler a couple of years ago. She was named ICC player of the
year.
iii. Jhulan received the news that she has taken a lead over West Indies Stephanie Taylor and
became number one ICC bowler. Stephanie has earned 659 points.
OBITUARY
Noted artist Yusuf Arakkal passed away
i. Renowned painter, sculptor and veteran of the contemporary art, Yusuf Arakkal passed
away at his residence morning in Bengaluru
ii.The artist recently released a book called Faces of Creativity, which is a comprehensive
collection of portraits of fellow artists.
iii.He was a Malayali painter based in Bengaluru. He took a diploma in painting from Karnataka
ChitrakalaParishat (KCP), Bangalore.
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Manipur theatre legend Kanhailal passes away
i. Theater legend and Padma Bhusan awardee Heisnam Kanhailal passed away in Manipur. He
was 75.
ii. He was the founder-director of Kalakshetra, the theatre laboratory in Manipur.He has been
worked with the noted theatre director and playwright Badal Sirkar.
Veteran socialist leader Ram Ekbal Singh passes away
i. Veteran socialist leader and freedom fighter Ram Ekbal Singh has died after protracted illness.
He was 94.
ii. Singh, a native of Varsi village of Bhojpur district was elected to Bihar Legislative Assembly on
Socialist Party ticket in 1969.
Oscar-winning Polish film director whose movies defied communist-era censors died at
the age of 90
i. A legend in the world of cinema, Polish film director Andrzej Wajda had died aged 90, leaving
behind an opus of acclaimed films inspired by his countrys turbulent history.
ii. Wajdas last movie Afterimage, a biopic about avant-garde painter Wladyslaw Strzeminski,
whose works were banned by the communist regime, was chosen as Polands official entry for the
2016 Oscar for best foreign language film.
iii. In 2000, Wajda received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement. Four of his films,
including Man of Iron and Katyn were nominated for Oscars.
Philanthropist, Businesswoman Parmeshwar Godrej Passes Away
i. Parmeshwar Godrej, philantropist and wife of Godrej group chairman Adi Godrej passed away
in Mumbai on October 11 2016. He was 72 .
ii. She was Known as the dynamic face of the Godrej clan and had an impact on all fronts:
family office and social.
iii. She has been best known huge contribution tocreate awareness about AIDS with Hollywood
actor Richard Gere with whom she launched the Heroes project to fight HIV-AIDS in India.
Former boxing champion Aaron Pryor dies
i. Boxing Hall of Famer Aaron Pryor died in Los Angels. He was 60.
ii. Pryor was known as The Hawk .He built a 39-1 record with 35 knockouts during a career .
His biggest moments in the ring were his two junior welterweight victories over Arguello.
iii. His first bout against Arguello is still considered one of the greatest fights in boxing history. He
scored a 14th-round knockout to win the match at Miamis Orange Bowl on November 12, 1982.
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Former NC MP Mohammad Shafi Bhat dead
i. Senior National Conference leader and former MP Mohammad Shafi Bhat died at his residence
after prolonged illness.Bhat was 71 and had been suffering from illness for the past few years.
ii. National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, Working President Omar Abdullah and Chief
Minister Mehbooba Mufti had expressed profound grief and sorrow over the demise of Bhat and
extended their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
Thailands King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies, ending reign of worlds longest serving
monarch
i. Thailands King Bhumibol Adulyadej the worlds longest-serving monarch, died at the age of 88,
heralding a potential new bout of instability for the politically volatile country and its military rulers.
ii. Bhumibol Adulyadej known as King Bhumibol the Great, was the ninth monarch of
Thailand from the Chakri Dynasty as Rama IX. Having reigned since 9 June 1946, he was, at the
time of his death, the worlds longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning monarch
in Thai history, serving for 70 years, 126 days.
iii. In 1957, a military coup overthrew the unpopular government of Field Marshal Plaek
Phibulsongkram with allegations of lse majest, which is an offense against the dignity of the
monarch, punishable under Thai law.
Nobel Prize Winning Italian Playwright Dario Fo Dead
i. Italian satirical dramatist Dario Fo, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1997, died at
the age of 90, prompting an outpouring of tributes for a provocative playwright unafraid to clash
with authority.
ii. His 1974 absurdist play We Wont Pay, We Wont Pay, about a group of housewives who
sneak groceries from supermarkets unbeknownst to their husbands, caused him to be prosecuted
as an accessory to the crime when several Italian women were arrested for doing just that. The
prosecutor claimed the play had incited incidents of mass theft. He was acquitted.
iii. His anti-conformist stance and commitment to political and social causes involved him in
numerous court cases and controversies with the Italian state, police, censors, television
and even the Vatican.
Dayanand Anant Passes Away At 88
i. Renowned writer and litterateur Dayanand Anan passed away in Bhowali, Uttarakhandon
October 13 2016. He was 88.
ii. Anan penned two short story books, three novels, five TV dramas and many comics and satires.
He also translated many stories from other languages to Hindi.
iii. He started a tabloid by the name of Parvatiya Times in 1980 and remained its editor for a
decade.
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Pakistani footballer Shahlyla Baloch passes away in Karachi car accident
i. Pakistan womens football team striker Shahlyla Baloch passes away in Karachi car accident
ii. The 20 years old Baloch was the first female Pakistani ever to score a hat-trick at senior
level.
iii. She had featured for her country at the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women Football
Championship 2014 in Islamabad when she was just 18.
Rwandas Last King, Kigeli V, Died At Age 80
i.T he last king of Rwanda, Kigeli V, who ruled the east African nation for less than a year before
being forced into exile, finally settling in the United States, died at the age of 80.
ii. Born Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa, King Kigeli V came to power in 1959 but was only king of
Rwanda until 1961, when the monarchy was abolished and he was forced into exile.
iii. He eventually settled in the US where he set up a charity helping Rwandan refugees and
orphans.A 2013 profile in Washingtonian magazine found him living off food stamps in subsidized
housing
Octogenarian Freedom Fighter Jhanwar Lal Harsh Dies
i. An octogenarian freedom fighter Jhanwar Lal Harsh died due to age-related illness at Bikaner in
Rajasthan.He was 88.
ii. Octogenarian a person who is between 80 and 89 years old.
Coal India Director N Kumar Passes Away
i. State-owned Coal India Limited Director N Kumar passed away in New Delhi.
ii. Kumar had joined Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) as junior executive trainee in 1980
iii. He had assumed the charge of Director (Technical) of Coal India Limited on February 1,2012.
iv. He was worked as a manager for almost 6 years and project officer for seven years
S African Struggle Stalwart And Gandhian Activist Dies
i. Former president of the National Indian Congress and husband of Mahatma Gandhis
granddaughter Mewa Ramgobin passed away. He was 83.
ii. A former African National Congress member of Parliament until 2009, he was among the first
supporters of the Release Mandela campaign. He was charged for treason in 1985.
iii. After Mandelas election,he served for several years in the first Parliament of South Africa.
iv. He also published books such as Waiting To Live and Prisms Of Light.
Eminent Assamese journalist Tilak Hazarika passes away
i. Veteran Assamese journalist Tilak Hazarika has died in Guwahati, Assam. He was 96
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ii. Hazarika was serving till his death as the Editor of the Assamese weekly Sadin and as an
advisor of the vernacular daily Dainik Pratidin.
Mehar Mittal, legend of comedy in Punjabi movies passes away
i. Veteran Punjabi comedy actor Mehar Mittal passed away in Mount Abu, Rajasthan. He was 81.
ii. Mittal was a staple for Punjabi movies for decades. He worked in more than 100 moviesand
ruled the screen for over three decades.
iii. His famous movie was Maa Da Ladla in 1969 , other some notable movies are Sacha Mera
Roop Hai, Qurbani Jatt Di, Chann Pardesi, Santo Banto, Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun, Putt Jattan
De and Babul Da Vehra .
iv. Later he joined the Brahma Kumaris movement around 10 years ago.
Junko Tabei, first woman to climb Everest, died at 77.
i. The first woman to ascend Everest, Japanese climber Junko Tabei, has died aged77.Tabei
conquered Everest in May 1975, aged 35, before climbing all of the worlds seven highest peaks
by 1992.
ii. She was diagnosed with abdomen cancer four years ago, and died in hospital in the city of
Saitama.Her last ascent was of Mount Fuji in July, alongside high school students affected by the
2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
iii. Tabei was originally from Fukushima prefecture, that was badly affected by the
disaster.JunkoTabei was born on 22 September 1939. She was a Japanese mountaineer.
iv .She was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and the first woman to
complete the Seven Summits by climbing the tallest peak on every continent.
Marathi actress Ashwini Ekbote dies after collapsing on stage during performance
i. Classical danseuse and Marathi actress Ashwini Ekbote passed away.
ii. Ashwini the 44-year-old, who had also acted in several plays, was performing at the Bharat
Natyamandir, Pune died after collapsing on stage during a performance.
Poet And Novelist Lucia Perillo Dies At 58
i. The Pulitzer Prize winning Author Lucia Perillo has died in Olympia. He was 58.
ii. Perillo authored several collections of poetry including Inseminating the Elephant in 2009,
which won the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry
from the Library of Congress.
iii. The MacArthur Genius Fellow was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1988 and his first book
was Dangerous Life.
iv. He has been working as a professor at Syracuse University, Southern Illinois University, Saint
Martins University, and in the Warren Wilson College master of fine arts program.
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Qatars former ruler Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani passes away at 84
i. Qatar has announced three days of national mourning after the former Emir Khalifa bin
Hamad Al-Thani, who was deposed in a palace coup, died aged 84.
ii. The former ruler, the grandfather of the current Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani
iii. During his time as leader from 1972 to 1995, he oversaw the transformation of modern-day
Qatar into an energy-rich country.
Tom Hayden, famed anti-Vietnam war activist, dies aged 76
i. Famed American anti-war activist, Tom Hayden has died aged 76.
ii. He was a member of the Chicago sevencharged with conspiracy over anti-Vietnam war
protests in 1968 and eventually acquitted.
iii. Hayden later served in the California state assembly and Senate for nearly two decades.
Brazil World Cup hero Carlos Alberto passed away
i. Brazilian football giant Carlos Alberto has died aged 72 following a heart attack.
ii. Alberto had scored one of the greatest goals in FIFA World Cup history while captaining Brazil to
glory in the 1970 final against Italy in Mexico.
iii. Alberto coached clubs including Flamengo and Corinthians after calling time on his playing days
and also coached in international football, most recently with Azerbaijan.
Freedom Fighter Chandrakant Kenkre passed away
i. Freedom fighter Chandrakant Kenkre has passed away in Shirodi in Goa. He was 87.
ii. Kenkre was known for fighting for rights of freedom fighters after liberation of Goa from
Portuguese rule in 1961
iii. He fought for the rights of freedom fighters and their families across Goa.
iv. He was the former president of Goa Freedom Fighters Association.
Legendary Kashmiri Singer Raj Begum Dies At 89
i. The Nightingale of Kashmir, Raj Begum, who enthralled millions with her mellifluous voice for
more than seven decades, passed away after a long time illness. She was 89.
ii. She started at a time when women were not even allowed to move out of their homes. Her
contribution only allowed female singers to come out and make their mark.
iii. Begum was honoured with a Padma Shri in 2002 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in
2013.
Five-time MLA Rajpati Devi passes away
i. Rajpati Devi, a five-time Congress MLA from Gauriganj, passed away due to age-related
ailments at a hospital in Kanpur.
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ii. Rajpatis husband Giriraj Singh was a freedom fighter and was a one-time MLA from Gauriganj
and MP from Sultanpur. He was close to Gandhi family. She is survived by two sons.
Worlds Oldest Royal, Prince Mikasa of Japan, Dies at 100
i. Prince Mikasa, an Imperial Army veteran who turned pacifist and reigned during World War II,
died in Tokyo.
ii. He was the uncle of the current emperor, Akihito. He was 100.
iii. He was the first Japanese royal to become a professor, and to get a drivers license.
Goas first woman CM Shashikala Kakodkar passes away
i. Goas first woman chief minister Shashikala Kakodar passed away after a brief illness. She was
81.
ii. A prominent leader of the Maharashtrwadi Gomantak Party, Kakodkar was the daughter of Goas
first chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar.
Bengali Actor Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay Passes Away
i. Tollywood star Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyaypassed away in Kolkata on October 29, 2016. She
was 60.
ii. Sanghamitras famous films like Lathi, Sathi, Mittir Barir Bou, Ek Bar Bol Bhalobasi, Pita
Swargo Pita Dharmo among others.
iii. She came to the reckoning in big screen in early 90s and carved her niche.
Former Asiad Gold Medallist Goalkeeper Burman Passed Away
i. Asian Games winning former India football goalkeeper Prodyut Burman passed away this
evening at a city hospital following a prolonged illness.
ii. The 81-year-old was suffering from Parkinsons disease for a long time.
iii. Mr. Burman represented Eastern Railway, Later he moved to Mohun Bagan.
Cambodias first post-Khmer Rouge prime minister dies at 80
i. Former Cambodian Prime Minister Pen Sovann passed away. He was 80.
ii. Sovann was the countrys first post-Khmer Rouge prime minister.
iii. He was removed from power by the Vietnamese in 1981 and he was imprisoned for 10 years in
Hanoi.
iv. He founded the Cambodian National Sustaining Party, which took part in the 1998 election
but did not win a seat in parliament. He joined the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party in
2012 and won a parliamentary seat in the last general election in 2013.
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Worlds Oldest Active Theater Actor Zeldin Died At 101
i. The wife of Russian actor Vladimir Zeldin, who has been described as the worlds oldest
working actor stated that he has died in Moscow. He was 101.
ii.Russian news agencies quoted that he died in a Moscow hospital. The actor shot to stardom with
the role of a shepherd in They Met in Moscow.
iii. The shooting started a few months before the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. The
26-year old Zeldin was enlisted and sent to the front line before Josef Stalins order recalled him to
Moscow to continue the shoot.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

Shri Venkaiah Naidu releases book titled Modis Midas Touch in Foreign Policy
i. Minister for Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu along with Minister for Railways
Shri Suresh Prabhu and Shri Tarun Vijay, Former Member of Parliament released the book titled
Modis Midas Touch in Foreign Policy in New Delhi on October 4, 2016.
ii. The book has been authored by Ambassador Surendra Kumar.
iii. The book outlines the progress and the indelible imprint on the conduct of Indias Foreign Policy
by the Honble Prime Minister in the last two and a half years. Collating the 3D advantages of
democracy, demography and demand thereby establishing India as the fastest growing economy
and the biggest FDI destination in the world.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness A Novel of Author Arundhati Roy
i. After a long gap of 20 years of her Booker win, Arundhati Roy has announced her next
novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness which was prepared tor elease inJune 2017.
ii. Arundhatis publisher announced the news on twitter that actually vanished every readers
Monday blues.The Man Booker Prize-winner expressed that the she was glad to report that the mad
souls (even the wicked ones) in The Ministry of Utmost Happiness had found a way into the world,
and that I had found my publishers.
Photo-biography chronicling Gandhis life in colour launched
i. The photo-biography on Mahatma Gandhi titled Mahatma Gandhis Life in Colour launched
by Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharmain New Delhi.
ii. It contains 692-pages and published byGandhiServe India.
iii. The coffee table book was the first photo- biography on Gandhi.1,281 photographs published in
the book .
iv. Another book titled Untouchability No More was also released by Mahesh Sharma
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Former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi authors e-book on RTI
i. Former CIC Shailesh Gandhi has authored an e-book in order to provide a better interpretation
of the Right To Information legislation for common people.
ii. The 81-page e-book named RTI Act- Authentic Interpretation of The Statute has been
uploaded on www.Satyamevajayate.info
iii. This e-book and can be downloaded for free and the link can also be shared on social media.
iv. The book is co-authored by Pralhad Kachare, a bureaucrat who earlier headed Yashwantrao
Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA) in Pune and trained many officers
in the field of RTI.
PM Modi launched works dedicated to Deen Dayal Upadhyays philosophy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a series of works dedicated to the philosophy of Pandit
Deendayal Upadhyay in New Delhi on October 9 2016
About the philosophy :
As part of efforts to spread the message of BJP ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay in his birth
centenary year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a series of works dedicated to the
philosophy of the former Jana Sangh chief.
The 15-volume work highlights key events in the life of Upadhyay, the journey of Jana
Sangh and of the country includes watershed events like the 1965 Indo-Pakistan
war, Tashkent agreement, and Goas liberation.
The next-to-last volume records events leading up to the murder of Upadhyay soon after he
became Jana Sangh chief in 1967.
The Research and Development Foundation for integral Humanism and Prabhat Publications,
the works throws light on the critical analysis and approach to resolving contemporary
problems based on the template of Bharatiyata as propounded by Upadhyay.
The entire literature of Pt.Deendayal Upadhyaya has now been published. Although much
delayed, as it comes after five decades of his passing away, the publication of The Complete
Works of Deendayal Upadhyaya, in his birth centenary year of 2016 is a momentous
occasion.
The introductory volume contains literature from 1940s and writings of Upadhyaya as Sangh
Pracharak during the decade in which India attained Independence.
Twinkle Khanna unveiled the title of her new book

i. Twinkle Khanna, who after a stint as an actress, has established herself as an interior designer,
author and popular columnist, on Wednesday announced her second book titled The Legend Of
Lakshmi Prasad.
ii. The new book of stories that would hopefully make us laugh a lot and sigh a little.
The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad, Twinkle tweeted about her book.
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iii .Her debut book Mrs Funny bones was one of the bestsellers last year.Twinkle also
announced that her new book is up for pre-orders on various websites.
The Sleepwalkers Dream authored by Dhrubajyoti Borah released
i. Book titled The Sleepwalkers Dream authored by Dhrubajyoti Borah, President of Asam
Sahitya Sabha
ii. The book narrates the journey of a group of militants towards an elusive freedom and an
uncertain future.
Book on Virat Kohli titled Driven: The Virat Kohli Story launched in New Delhi
i. The book on Cricket Player Virat Kohli titled Driven: The Virat Kohli Story was published in
the presence of Coach Raj Kumar Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Ravi Shastri,
Ashish Nehra, Ajay Jadeja, Karthik Murali, Hari Gidwani and Anjum Chopra in New Delhi
ii. The book was authored by senior journalist Vijay Lokapally and published by Bloomsbury
India.
iii. The book celebrates the career of Virat Kohli and introduces readers to the man not known to
many.
Amit Shah releases Jaitleys Andhere se Ujale ki Aur
i. BJP President Amit Shah released the book Andhere se Ujale ki Aur authored by Union
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley
ii. The book is a compilation of blogs and articles.
IMPORTANT DAYS
Oct 1 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Older Persons
Purpose : To drawing attention to and challenging negative stereotypes and misconceptions about
older persons and ageing.
Organization: UN
Theme: Take A Stand Against Ageism
Remember Day: World Vegetarian Day
Purpose : To brings awareness to the ethical, environmental, health, and humanitarian benefits of
a vegetarian lifestyle
Organization: International Vegetarian Union
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Oct 2 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Non-Violence
Purpose : To mark the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
Organization: UN, GOI
Oct 3 2016
Remember Day: World Habitat Day (First Monday of October)
Purpose : To reflect on the state of our cities and towns and the basic human right to adequate
shelter.
Organization: UN
Theme: Housing at the Centre
Oct 4 2016
Remember Day: World Animal Day
Purpose : To raising the status of animals in order to improve welfare standards around the globe.
Oct 4 to 10 2016
Remember Day: World Space Week
Purpose :To recognition of two important dates in space history: the launch of the first humanmade Earth satellite, Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957; and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on
October 10, 1967.
Organization: World Space Week Association (WSWA)
Theme: Remote sensing: Enabling Our Future
Oct 5 2016
Remember Day: World Teachers Day
Purpose : To commemorates teacher organizations worldwide.
Organization: UN, UNSECO
Theme: Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status
Oct 7 2016
Remember Day: World Smile Day(First Friday of October)
Purpose : To bring a smile of the faces of people around the world
Oct 8 2016
Remember Day: 84th Air Force Day
Purpose : To increase the awareness about the importance of Indian air force
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Oct 9 2016
Remember Day: World Post day
Purpose : To commemorating the date for the establishment of Universal Postal Union (UPU) in
1874 in Bern, Switzerland.
Organization: UN, UPU
Theme: Innovation, Integration and Inclusion
Oct 10 2016
Remember Day: World Day Against the Death Penalty
Purpose : To raising awareness around the application of the death penalty for terrorism-related
offences, to reduce its use.
Organization: UN
Theme: Terrorsim
Remember Day: World Mental Health Day
Purpose : To bring attention to mental illness and its major effects on peoples' life worldwide
Organization: World Federation for Mental Health, WHO
Theme: Dignity in Mental Health Psychological & Mental Health First Aid for All.
Oct 11 2016
Remember Day: International Day of the Girl Child
Purpose : To supports more opportunity for girls and increases awareness of gender
inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender
Organization: UN
Theme: : Girls Progress = Goals Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement
Oct 13 2016
Remember Day: World Sight Day
Purpose : To focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment
Organization: Sight First Campaign of Lions Club International Foundation & WHO
Theme: Stronger Together
Remember Day: International Day for Disaster Reduction
Purpose : To promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction.
Organization: UNISDR
Theme: Live To Tell: Raising Awareness, Reducing Mortality
Oct 14 2016
Remember Day: International standards day
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Purpose : To increase awareness of the role that standards play in the global economy.
Organization: IEC, ISO and ITU
Theme: Standards Build Trust
Oct 15 2016
Remember Day: International Day of Rural Women
Purpose : To recognizes rural womens importance in enhancing agricultural and rural
development worldwide.
Organization: UN
Theme: Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too
Remember Day: World Students Day
Purpose : To mark the importance of India's former President and great scientist APJ Abdul Kalam
Organization: UN
Oct 15-21 2016
Remember Day: Safe Motherhood Week
Purpose : To bring down the Mother Mortality Rate MMR and Infant Mortality Rate or IMR.
Organization: Uttar Pradesh
Oct 16 2016
Remember Day: World Food Day
Purpose : To heighten public awareness about the interconnection of agriculture, food security and
world hunger
Organization: UN, Food and Agriculture Organization
Theme: Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.
Oct 17 2016
Remember Day: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Purpose : To promotes people's awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution
worldwide, particularly in developing countries.
Organization: UN
Theme: Moving from humiliation and exclusion to participation: Ending poverty in all its forms.
Oct 20 2016
Remember Day: World Statistics Day
Purpose : To recognize the achievements the global statistics systems at both national and
international levels
Organization: United Nations Statistical Commission
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Theme: Better Data, Better Lives
Remember Day: World Osteoporosis Day
Purpose : To raise global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis
and metabolic bone disease.
Organization: IOF
Theme: Love Your Bones Protect your Future
Oct 21 2016
Remember Day: Police Commemoration Day
Purpose : To honors the memory of Indian police personnel killed by Chinese soldiers in 1959.
Organization: GOI
Oct 24 2016
Remember Day: United Nations Day
Purpose : To highlight concrete actions people can take to help achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals.
Organization: UN
Theme: Freedom First
Remember Day: World Development Information Day
Purpose : To draw attention of worldwide public opinion to development problems and the need to
strengthen international cooperation to solve them.
Organization: UN
Remember Day: World Polio Day
Purpose : To commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, the developer of a vaccine against polio.
Organization: WHO
Remember Day: 55th raising day of Indo Tibetan Border Police
Organization: ITBP
Oct 27 2016
Remember Day: World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
Purpose : To raise of awareness of the significance of and preservation risks recorded sound and
audiovisual documents
Organization: UNESCO
Theme: Its Your Story Dont Lose It
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Oct 28 2016
Remember Day: National Ayurveda Day
Purpose : To marks birth date of Lord Dhanvantari, which occurs before two days before Diwali on
Dhanteras
Organization: GOI
Theme: Ayurveda for Prevention and Control of Diabetes.
Oct 29 2016
Remember Day: International Internet Day
Purpose : To remember the event of the sending of the first message, first electronic message
which was transferred from one computer to another in 1969
Remember Day: World Stroke Day
Purpose : To raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of the condition, and ensure better
care and support for survivors
Organization: WSO
Theme: Face the Facts: Stroke is Treatable with the tagline of: Livescan improve with better
awareness, access, and action.
Oct 31 2016
Remember Day: Rashtriya Ekta Diwas(National Unity Day)
Purpose : To commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Organization: GOI
Theme: Integration of India
Remember Day: World Savings Day or World Thrift Day
Purpose : To promote the savings all over the World.
Organization: International Savings Bank Congress
Theme: Grabbing Hold of Your Financial Future
Remember Day: World Cities Day
Purpose : To promote international communitys interest in global urbanization, push forward
cooperation among countries
Organization: UN
Theme: Inclusive Cities, Shared Development
Oct 31 to Nov 5 2016
Remember Day: Vigilance Awareness week
Purpose : To promote probity in public life and to achieve a corruption free society
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Organization: Central Vigilance Commission, GOI
Theme: Public participation in promoting integrity and eradicating Corruption
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Department of Posts releases two Commemorative Stamps on Gandhi Jayanti

2nd anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission :

Union Home Minister inaugurates several Swachh Bharat Mission programmes

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The Sikkim delegation participated in a workshop organised by the Urban Development

Abu Dhabi Crowned Prince to be Chief Guest on 2017 Republic Day

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He also launched two new systems-Online Smart Water Information Management

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Modi to distribute 500 charkhas to women spinners in Ludhiana

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SCs poser on misuse of religion in elections

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The NAD would be operationalised by NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML)

Cabinet gives in-principle nod for strategic sale of PSUs

Retired government employees identity cards to have national emblem

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