National
• The Union Government has reconstituted the Inter State Council (ISC) and the Standing Committee of the ISC under Clause 2 of the Inter State Council order,1990.
• India and Russia have agreed to double the range of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from 290 km to over 600 km.
• The State of Himachal Pradesh was officially declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). Every individual household in the state has functional toilet under the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’. With this, Himachal Pradesh becomes the second State in the country after Sikkim to achieve the feat. However, among bigger states Himachal Pradesh is the first state to become ODF. Kerala is the third state to get ODF.
• The Union Cabinet approved establishment and operationalisation of a National Academic Depository (NAD).
• The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval to formation of the Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) at Berhampur in Odisha.
• The one-man judicial committee on One Rank One Pension (OROP) set up by the Union Government, has submitted its report to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
• According to the data given by the Registrar General of India (RGI), Jammu and Kashmir has the highest life expectancy (i.e. post-60 life expectancy), except life expectancy at birth. With this, Jammu and Kashmir has surpassed Kerala which used to be the leader in life expectancy in almost all categories of age till 2010.
• The Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation, D.V. Sadananda Gowda has launched the International Household Survey Network (IHSN) Toolkit.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first National Tribal Carnival in New Delhi to promote a sense of inclusiveness among the tribals.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has amended the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 to facilitate the e-transfer of postal ballot. The new rules empower a returning officer in any constituency to send postal ballots to an eligible voter by electronic means as specified by the ECI.
• The Indian Space Research Organsiation (ISRO) has started a series of ground and aerial tests linked to the critical Moon landing of Chandrayaan-2.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of Urja Ganga, the highly ambitious gas pipeline project in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• As per new study, India’s school education system is under-performing in terms of quality in female literacy when compared to its neighbours, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
• The Union Government has launched the regional air connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam naagrik) which seeks to get more people to fly in the smaller towns.
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned loan worth Rs. 19,702 crore to National Water Development Agency (NWDA).
• Telecom Regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended Department of Telecom (DoT) to impose combined penalty of 3,050 crore rupees on Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea cellular.
• India has won the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup by defeating Iran by 38-29 score in the final match played at the Arena By TransStadia in Ahmedabad (Gujarat).
• The Union Government has signed $650 million loan agreement with the World Bank for construction of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC)-III project.
• Pakistan has warned India that it will take appropriate action if India violates the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) unilaterally.
• The National Commission of Women (NCW) has held that triple talaq was a “highly misused” custom and Government should scrap it to protect the rights of Muslim women.
• The Indian Coast Guard Ships (ICGSs) ‘Aryaman’ and ‘Atulya’ were commissioned into Indian Coast Guard in Kochi, Kerala.
• Maharashtra government has launched 'Kaushalya Setu', a skill development programme for students.
• The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal II (KWDT-II) headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar, has decided to maintain status quo on the allocation of Krishna River water among all four riparian states viz. Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• The Union Ministry of Railways has declared the Okha-Kanalus and the Porbandar-Wansjaliya railway sections of Gujarat as Green Train Corridors.
• Indian Navy has commissioned INS Tihayu, a Car Nicobar Class water jet fast attack craft (WJFAC).
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National SC/ST hub and the Zero Defect, Zero Effect (ZED) scheme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at Ludhiana in Punjab. Besides, he also presented National Awards to MSMEs.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated three hydro-electric projects (HEPs) with a generating capacity of 1,732 MW in Himachal Pradesh.
• India has completed its nuclear triad by inducting the first indigenously built strategic nuclear submarine INS Arihant into service.
• The National Summit on Fortification of Food was recently inaugurated in New Delhi to address interventions in combating micronutrient malnutrition in the country.
• The K.S. Valdiya committee in its report submitted to the Union Water Resources Ministry has concluded that Saraswati River so far considered mythical, existed.
• The Union Government has launched National Seismic Programme (NSP) to trace hydrocarbon resources like oil and natural gas in Mahanadi basin.
• The Union Government has decided to utilise the vast network of post offices across the country to sell subsidised pulses.
• Union Government has launched Mining Surveillance System (MSS), a pan-India surveillance network to check illegal mining using latest satellite technology.
• India and Russia have signed an agreement for cooperation in the development of a network of 25 integrated infrastructure Agro irradiation centres.
• India has decided to eliminate use of HFC-23, a greenhouse gas (GHG) that harms the ozone layer by 2030.
• Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has recognised a group of 22 MPs belonging to smaller parties and certain Independents as a consolidated bloc â the United Group.
• India has been ranked low 97th among the 118 countries surveyed in 2016 Global Hunger Index (GHI).
• The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) appointed committee has submitted its recommendations. It was headed by power system expert Mata Prasad.
• The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment and operationalisation of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Jammu.
• The Central Government has brought final draft of the National Water Framework Bill, 2016 to provide uniform national legal framework to manage water in a better and efficient way The comprehensive draft Bill proposes model law for all states.
• The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has developed a new high-tech electroactive bandage that uses electricity to significantly promote healing of injured wounds.
• The Supreme Court in its landmark judgement has widened the scope of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 by making it gender-neutral.
• Telangana Government in its the biggest administrative reform has created 21 new districts. With this reorganisation, the total number of districts in the State went up to 31 from 10.
• The Union Government has decided to invest 15,000 crore rupees to increase the capacity of Panipat refinery in Haryana to 25 Million Tonnes from existing 15 Million Tonnes.
• The 4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting was held at Jaipur, Rajastan.
• The 28th India and Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) and Second Bilateral Maritime Exercise have commenced at Belawan, Indonesia in the Andaman Sea.
• India and Singapore have signed three agreements (MoUs) in the fields of skill development and IPR to boost bilateral relations between them.
• The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched the Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS).
• The Union Government has made Aadhaar card mandatory for availing cooking gas (LPG) subsidies after November 2016.
• The Union Urban Development Ministry has declared urban areas of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh open defecation free (ODF).
• Jharkhand has become the first state in the country to implement Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Kerosene Scheme.
• Rajasthan has become the first state in India to adopt Central Government’s Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) in all its urban local bodies (ULB).
• The National Mission on Bioeconomy has launched in Shillong, Meghalaya by the Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD).
• The crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will be the chief guest for the 68th Republic Day celebrations on 26 January 2017.
• The facility was launched by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung at a function in New Delhi on the occasion of International Day of Older Persons (observed on October 1).
• According to the recent publication released by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Tamil Nadu accounts for the highest number flowering plants in the country.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India Sanitation conference (INDOSAN) in New Delhi ahead of second anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission.
International
• The fourth edition of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise ‘MITRA SHAKTI 2016’ began at Sinha Regimental Centre in Ambepussa, Sri Lanka.
• India has been ranked 87th out of 144 countries on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2016. India has climbed 21 spots from 108th position in 2015.
• China’s experimental space lab Tiangong-2 orbiting the Earth with two astronauts on board has successfully launched a micro-satellite Banxing-2.
• According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the atmosphere has reached a record high.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is going to declare the Kashmiri Red Stag (also known as Hangul) as a Critically Endangered species.
• India and China have conducted second joint military exercise "Sino India Cooperation 2016" in Ladakh region along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
• 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.
• A historic global climate deal was reached in Kigali, Rwanda at the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (MOP28).
• The five-nation group of emerging economies BRICS has agreed to set up an independent BRICS Rating Agency in its efforts to challenge western hegemony in the world of finance.
• India has signed a defence deal worth nearly Rs 39,000 crore with Russia to purchase five state of art S-400 ‘Triumf’ air defence systems.
• India and Russia have signed 16 agreements across diverse sectors including in defence, infrastructure, energy, space, ship building sectors etc.
• India has ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change on the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The declaration was adopted at fourth Meeting of BRICS Education Ministers Conference held in New Delhi.
• The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reached an agreement to cut oil production for the first time since 2008 after an informal meeting in Algiers, Algeria.
• The European Union (EU) ministers have approved the ratification of Paris Agreement (on Climate Change).
• Pakistan has postponed the 19th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit after India and four other countries announced to boycott the Summit.
Business and Economy
• The Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has launched Employees Online (EO) App.
• The Union Cabinet has given its in-principle approval for strategic sale of over a dozen public sector undertakings (PSUs).
• Andhra Pradesh government has signed a FinTech Cooperation agreement with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to promote innovation financial services in their respective markets.
• The Union Cabinet has approved a new agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and Bhutan.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted startups to raise external commercial borrowings (ECBs) of up to $3 million in a financial year for three year tenure.
• India has been placed at 130th position among the 190 countries in the recently released World Bank’s ease of doing business index for the year 2017.
• The board of India’s largest conglomerate Tata Sons Ltd has removed Cyrus Pallonji Mistry (48) as Chairman. However he will remain a director of the individual companies.
• The Union Telecom Ministry has formed a committee to look into the regulator TRAI’s recommendation of a Rs. 3,050 crore penalty on top three telcos â Airtel, Vodafone and Idea.
• The Union Ministry of Railways and Union Urban Development Ministry have inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for smart railway stations.
• The Union Government has proposed a four-slab rate structure for the new indirect tax regime i.e. Goods & Services Tax (GST) ranging from 0 to 26 per cent.
• Conglomerate Hinduja Group’s flagship company Ashok Leyland has unveiled country’s first 100 per cent indigenously made electric bus which are non-polluting and have zero-emissions.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its fourth bi-monthly monetary policy review for year 2016-17 has cut the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25%.
• Anil Ambani led Reliance Group and French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation have signed deal to set up a joint venture called Dassault Reliance Aerospace.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has received total disclosure of Rs. 65,250 crore black money in the form of cash and other assets under the Income Disclosure Scheme, 2016.
Sports
• The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has recognized Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as the National Sports Federation (NSF) for Boxing.
• Supreme Court has frozen all financial transactions between the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and state cricket associations.
• Brazil has won the inaugural BRICS U-17 Football Tournament 2016 held at Goa on the occasion of the 8th BRICS hosted in India. In the final match, Brazil defeated South Africa by 5-1 goals.
• Ace Indian Shooter Jitu Rai has won the 2016 Champion of Champions pistol Award of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) for pistol shooting.
• The Union Finance Ministry has decided that sports infrastructure will be included under the harmonised master list of infrastructure sub-sectors.
New Appointments
• The Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises Sunil Bharti Mittal was appointed as Chairman of GSM Association (GSMA). He succeeds Jon Fredrik Baksaas who will step down at the end of 2016. In his new role, Mittal will oversee the strategic direction of the organisation.
• Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has been appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission.
• Senior IFS officer Amandeep Singh Gill was appointed as the India’s Ambassador to the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva. He is an Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer of 1992 batch.
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has formally elected Antonio Guterres (67) as the new Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Science And Technology
• According to recently released study, global wildlife populations have fallen by 58% since 1970 and if the trend continues then two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020.
• Technology giant Microsoft has launched its first full-scale Cybersecurity Engagement Center (CSEC) in Delhi. It is first-of-its-kind Cybersecurity Centre in India and overall 7th in the world including in Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Singapore, Berlin and Washington DC.
• Scientists have developed a novel way using of producing electricity from water hydroelectric cell at room temperature without using any power or chemicals.
• Researchers from Kolkata based Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) have produced cost-effective, metal-free cathodes using human hair for use in solar cells.
• A high altitude glaciological research station in Himalaya called Himansh (meaning a slice of ice) began functioning above 13,500 ft (4000 m) in a remote region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
• Scientists have discovered a new species of Pika, a mammal belonging to the rabbit and hare family in the Himalayas in Sikkim. It has been identified as ‘Ochotona sikimaria’.
Awards
• Two Yazidi women Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar have been selected for European Union’s prestigious Sakharov Prize for Human Rights for year 2016.
• Paul Beatty (54) has won the 2016 Man Booker Prize. With this he becomes the first US author to win this prestigious literary award.
• Eminent writer C Radhakrishnan was selected for the prestigious Mathrubhumi Literary Award for the year 2016. He was selected by a panel chaired by novelist M Mukundan in recognition of his contribution to the field of literature.
• American singer-songwriter, artist and writer Bob Dylan (75) has won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature.
• British trio of physicists David Thouless, F Duncan M Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz have won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics.
• Yoshinori Ohsumi (71) of Japan has won the 2016 Nobel Prize for physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work on autophagy. With this he becomes the 23rd Japanese national to win a Nobel prize and overall the sixth Japanese medicine Nobel laureate.
• Film-maker and elephant researcher Prajna Chowta (46) has been appointed Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (Knight in the National Order of Merit) by the French government.
• Indian-origin South African Kiara Nirghin (16) has won a $50,000 scholarship at the annual Google Science Fair held in United States.
• Murga has won the first prize at the Swachh Bharat Short Film Festival (SBSFF).
Special Days
• The first National Ayurveda Day was observed on 28 October on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti. The theme for this year is 'Ayurveda for Prevention and Control of Diabetes'.
• The United Nations Day is being observed globally on October 24. The day marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter (the founding document of UNO) in 1945.).
• The Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) celebrated its 55th raising day on 24 October.
• The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed globally on 17 October for eradication of poverty throughout the world.
• The World Food Day is observed globally on 16 October to mark foundation of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in 1945.
• The International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is observed annually on 13 October across the world encourage citizens and governments to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations.
• The first World Tsunami Awareness Day will be celebrated on November 5, 2016 at the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016.
• The International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC) is observed every year across the world on 11 October to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
• The World Habitat Day (WHD) is observed every year on the first Monday of October throughout the world. This year it was observed on 3 October 2016.
• The International Day of Non-violence is being celebrated on 2 October throughout the world on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The World is observing Cities Day globally on 31st October to work together for a planned and sustainable urban life in the wake of rapid growth of population and problems.
• Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) is observed across India on 31 October to commemorate birth anniversary of Independent India’s first Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
Current Affairs Round Up Bullet Points, July, 2016 Current Affairs Round Up Bullet Points, August, 2016
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