National
• The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing of plea challenging Article 35A of the Constitution by three months. The apex court’s order came after it was told by Centre that government has appointed a representative (interlocutor) to hold talks with all stakeholders to resolve Kashmir issue.
• Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) is observed every year across India on 31 October to commemorate birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel who had played important role in unifying the country.
• India and Italy have signed six agreements to boost cooperation in the fields of railways safety, energy and promoting mutual investments, among others
• According to the Global TB Report 2017 released by World Health Organisation (WHO), India has topped list of seven countries, accounting for 64% of the over 10 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases worldwide in year 2016. India was followed by Indonesia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria and South Africa.
• The Law Commission in latest report has recommended government to ratify Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and also recommended life in jail for public servants convicted of torture.
The Union Home Ministry has liberalised Arms Rules to encourage investments in manufacture of arms, ammunition and weapons systems.
• The Union Government and World Bank have signed $200 million Loan Agreement for Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project.
• The Union Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched MSME Delayed Payment Portal – MSME Samadhaan (http://msefc.msme.gov.in).
• India has flagged off shipment of wheat for Afghanistan through Iran’s Chabahar port. It was flagged off from Kandla port in Gujarat by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani through video conferencing.
• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is set to move a proposal before Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for taking over Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is set to move a proposal before Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for taking over Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
The Union Government has made use of Public Finance Management System (PFMS) mandatory for all central schemes to ensure that benefits of government schemes reach the last mile. It will help monitor the flow of funds to beneficiaries of different government welfare schemes.
• The first phase of national optic fibre network christened as Bharat Net project will be completed by December 2017, thus providing internet access to 100,000 gram panchayats.
• The Indian Railways is planning to revise its flexi-fare system on premium trains such as Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto in such a way that it does not hurt people’s pockets and also meets Railways’ revenue target. In this regard, Railway Board is considering proposal of selling half the seats (i.e. 50% seats) from existing 10% seats without any surge pricing.
• The First International Consumer Protection Conference on empowering consumers in new markets for South, South East and East Asian Countries was held in New Delhi from 26 to 27 October 2017. The theme of the conference was “Empowering Consumers in New Markets”. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Indian Railway’s first set of solar plants with total capacity of 5 megawatt peak (MWp) was launched on roof tops of Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Anand Vihar and Delhi railway stations by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.
Sri Lanka has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India to build 1,200 houses in strategically located southern port city of Hambantota. Of the 1,200 houses to be built, 600 will be constructed in Southern Province, while remaining will be built across Sri Lanka, through one model village in each of country’s 25 districts.
• The Union Ministry of Tourism gave Letters of Intent (LoI) to seven shortlisted companies for adopting 14 monuments under Adopt a Heritage Scheme at the closing ceremony of ‘Paryatan Parv’ held in New Delhi.
• Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched Start-up Sangam initiative to develop new business models, marketing plans, technology and innovations in heavy oil and gas industry sector by supporting 30 start-ups.
• India’s passport was ranked 75th among 94 countries in recently released Global Passport Power Rank 2017. India was ranked three notches better than its previous ranking. According to this index, Singapore has world’s most powerful passport, making it first Asian country to top it. Singapore is followed by Germany, Sweden and South Korea.
• It was reported earlier in May 2017 that Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) had cleared transgenic mustard, DMH-11 for commercial cultivation. However, records of that GEAC meeting which was made public now do not record any such approval. Though GEAC gave its approval for commercial cultivation of DHM-11, but the final release will be only after approval of Environment Minister.
• The first-ever meeting of BIMSTEC Task Force on Traditional Medicine (BITFM) was held at Parvasi Bhartiya Kendra in New Delhi. It was organized by Union Ministry of AYUSH.
The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has decided to develop Integrity Index of 25 Government Organizations in line with its broader strategy and emphasis on preventive vigilance.
• The Union Government has announced to build 83,677km of roads, highways, greenfield expressways and bridges with investment of Rs.6.92 lakh core in next five years i.e. by 2022 to further optimise efficiency of movement of goods and people across the country. It also includes first phase of new umbrella programme BharatMala Pariyojana that involves construction of 34,800 km highways by 2022.
• Ministries of Power and Textiles have joined hands under SAATHI (Sustainable and Accelerated Adoption of efficient Textile technologies to Help small Industries) initiative. Under this initiative, Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a PSU under Ministry of Power, will procure energy efficient powerlooms, motors and rapier kits in bulk and provide them to small and medium Powerloom units at no upfront cost.
• The official website of Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) was launched in New Delhi Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu.
• The Union Government has inked $300 million loan agreement with Asian Development Bank for Second West Bengal Development Finance Program.
• The Union Government has appointed former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief Dineshwar Sharma as its Representative (or special interlocutor) to initiate and carry forward sustained dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) with all stakeholders
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has recommended 40% reduction in carbon emissions in telecom networks by 2022-23 considering 2011-12 as the base year in order to make telecom sector greener.
• The Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has announced that Paika rebellion (Paika Bidroha) of 1817 will be named as First War of Independence against British Rule in history books from next academic session. Earlier, 1857 Sepoy Mutiny was regarded as the First War of Indian Independence, but Paika Bidroha predates it.
• The 56th raising day of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was celebrated 24 October. It was raised on 24th October in 1962. ITBP is deployed on guarding 3488 kilometer long India-China Border from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. Its protects and manages outposts located on altitudes ranging from 9000 feet to 18700 feet in the Western, Middle and Eastern Sector of the India-China Border.
• India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) for Skilling in Smart Cities was inaugurated at Mandir Marg, New Delhi. It has been set up Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated first phase of Ro-Ro (roll-on, roll-off) ferry service between Ghogha in Bhavnagar district and Dahej in Bharuch district in the Gulf of Cambay, Gujarat. It is South Asia’s first world class Ro-Ro ferry service.
The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) is aiming to make financial transactions completely digital in all higher education institutions. Under this initiative, all public and private institutions including Central and State universities will be fully digitised.
• The Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) has launched excel-based offline facility to allow taxpayers to finalise their GSTR-3B forms on their own computers before uploading it onto the portal in order to minimise chances of errors before uploading on portal. Taxpayers have to file the summary GSTR-3B forms each month till January.
• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has taken up a programme for promotion of north eastern products in Bangladesh and Myanmar. In this regard, it has proposed to organise promotional programmes in Bangladesh and Myanmar in association with the High Commission of India in Dhaka and its Embassy in Yangon.
• The Union Finance Ministry has allowed banks, including top three private sector lenders to accept deposits under various small savings schemes in order to encourage savings.
• The Police Commemoration Day is observed on October 21st every year to pay homage to the Police Martyrs. The day commemorates supreme sacrifices of ten policemen while defending borders with China in 1959. It was observed in all Police Lines throughout India to mark memory of these gallant Police personnel killed on duty during the year.
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu has constituted five-member Search-cum-Selection committee to select candidate for post of editor-in-chief of Rajya Sabha TV (RSTV).
• The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) has set up an internal expert committee to advise the government on a policy on artificial intelligence (AI).
• India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) have signed the IBSA Trust Fund Agreement that seeks to fight poverty in developing countries. It was signed at the 8th IBSA trilateral Ministerial Commission Meeting in Durban, South Africa.
• The Jaipur and Srinagar Airport were ranked first and second respectively in ACI (Airports Council International)-ASQ (Airport Service Quality) Survey in the category of 2-5 million passengers.
• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will soon get powers to approve highway projects with construction cost of more than Rs 1,000 crore to ensure faster implementation of Bharatmala programme. The programme, along with the proposal to enhance powers of NHAI will soon get Cabinet clearance soon.
• The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launched new online facility for its members to easily link their 12-digit unique Aadhaar number with their Universal Account Number (UAN). Its objective is to ensure better and speedy EPFO services. The new initiative will facilitate EPFO members to link their respective UAN and other relevant details with Aadhaar online. The facility has been made available at EPFO’s official website.
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore and Indian Instituted of Technology (IIT) Bombay were ranked among world’s top 200 institutions for engineering and computer science in Times Higher Education subject-wise rankings. IISc was placed at the 89th spot, while IIT Bombay was placed in the 126- 150 category, globally.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on dedicated first All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi to the nation on the occasion of National Ayurveda Day observed on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti (17 October 2017).
• India and Japan have signed memorandum of cooperation (MoC) on Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP) to significantly expand the bilateral cooperation s in the field of skill development.
• The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) has launched online campaign #IamThatWoman in an attempt to end Gender bias in women against women. It was launched by WCD Minister Meneka Gandhi.
• India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) of India on has signed an investment agreement worth $1 billion with Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). With this, ADIA became first institutional investor in NIIF’s Master Fund and shareholder in NIIF’s investment management Company. NIIF is claimed to be India’s first sovereign wealth fund.
• The Supreme Court has asked Union Government to strike a balance between humanitarian concern for Rohingya community staying in India and country’s economic and national security interests.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has brought into effect new Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) Act 2016 which was notified in March 2016.
• The Union Government has launched Sampoorna Bima Gram (SBG) Yojana and expanded coverage of Postal Life Insurance (PLI) in a bid to provide affordable life insurance services to people particularly those living in rural areas. Witt expnasion, PLI will now cover professionals also apart from government employees.
• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has raised Rs. 660 crore as Fully Serviced Bonds. The oversubscribed bonds were issued through e-bidding on BSE Portal and the entire amount of Rs.660 crore was raised in single tranche at a coupon rate of 7.47%.
• The clinical trials of two experimental Ebola vaccines cAd3-EBOZ and rVSV-ZEBOV were found to be safe and capable of eliciting immune response against Ebola virus that lasts for at least one year.
• India ranked 100th position among 119 countries on Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2017 report released by Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). This year slipped by three positions as compared to 97th rank in 2016 GHI.
• The first-ever meeting of newly-constituted Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister (EAC-PM) was held at NITI Aayog, in New Delhi. It was chaired by Dr. Bibek Debroy, Member NITI Aayog.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved two World Bank supported schemes Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) and Skill Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE) to boost Skill India Mission.
• India’s first Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) under Hybrid Annuity Mode will come up in Haridwar (Uttarakhand) and Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
• The 44th edition of Indian Handicrafts and Gifts (IHGF)-Delhi Fair was held at India Expo Centre and Mart on outskirts of Delhi in Greater Noida. It was organised by Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) and was inaugurated by Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani.
• The Union Cabinet has approved signing of Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan on the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP). Decision in this regard was taken by the Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
• The Union Cabinet approved signing of Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan on establishing a liquid, flexible and global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Market.
• Union Cabinet approved status change of International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) from Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to Inter-Governmental Organization (IGO).
• The Supreme Court has criminalised sex between man and his underage wife below 18 years provided the woman files a complaint within a year. The landmark order fixes the age of consent at 18 for all girls.
The Union Government will soon get Cabinet approval for setting up of high-powered think tank under Ministry of Petroleum to look into key issues related to oil and gas sector. Besides, Petroleum Ministry also has send proposal to Union Cabinet for setting up domestic gas trading hub to adopt better mechanism for price discovery of both domestic as well as imported gas.
• The International conference on “Dialogue of Civilizations – IV” was inaugurated by Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Culture Dr. Mahesh Sharma in New Delhi.
• The first BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-2017 (DMEx-2017) was held in New Delhi, India from October 10-13, 2017. It was conducted by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as the lead agency in the National Capital Region (NCR).
• President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated 5th edition of India Water Week (IWW) with theme “Water and Energy for Inclusive Growth” in New Delhi. About 1500 delegates from India and 13 other countries will attend five day international event.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has decided to implement “Value Engineering Program” to promote use of new technologies, materials and equipment in highways projects executed either under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode or public funding mode.
The Union Finance Ministry has imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of certain steel wire rods from China for five years to guard interest of domestic players from cheap in-bound shipments. The duty will be difference between landed value of steel products and US $535 per tonne while for others, it should be gap between landed value and US $546 per tonne. Steel wire rod products are used in many sectors such as automotive components, railway, engineering and construction.
• The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) to accelerate full immunization coverage to more than 90% by December 2018.
• The Executive Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved eight projects worth Rs. 700 crore under Namami Gange Programme
• The Union Ministry of Science and Technology’s Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) Faculty Scheme has received 260 applications from foreign scientists of whom 70 will be shortlisted.
• The Union Government in consultation with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched Sovereign Gold Bonds 2017-18 – Series-III. The applications for bond will be accepted from October 09, 2017 to December 27, 2017.
The GST Council has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to make the composition scheme more attractive and revisit the goods and services tax rates on restaurants. It will be headed by Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and submit its report in two weeks.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
• The Union Home Ministry has formed study group to examine various problems faced by people residing near International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir in wake of regular ceasefire violations by Pakistan. It will be headed by Rina Mitra, Special Secretary in Home Ministry.
• The First Meeting of India-Australia Joint Steering Committee (JSC) was held in New Delhi. The delegations for the meeting was led by TVSN Prasad, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs andStephen Bouwhuis, First Assistant Secretary, International and Auscheck Division, Criminal Justice Group, Attorney-General’s Department.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has signed two more advance pricing agreements (APAs) in September 2017 with Indian taxpayers in order to reduce litigation by providing certainty in transfer pricing.
• India and Ethiopia have signed agreements on trade, communication and media to boost bilateral ties. The agreements were signed after wide ranging talks between President Ram Nath Kovind and his Ethiopian counterpart Mulatu Teshome at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
Department of Animal husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries in co-operation with 12 States had undertaken Mass Embryo Transfer programme in indigenous breeds under National Mission on Bovine Productivity Scheme.
• Government has signed Finance Contract with European Investment Bank (EIB) for lending of €300 million for Bangalore Metro Rail Project Phase II Line R6.
• The Union Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Other Union Ministries and State Governments has launched nationwide ‘Paryatan Parv’ to showcase cultural diversity of country and reinforce the principle of ‘Tourism for All’. Its objective is to draw focus on the benefits of tourism.
• India and Djibouti have signed an agreement to establish regular Foreign Office-level bilateral consultations between both countries.
• The Government has constituted a high-level committee for proper management of water resources in North Eastern Region (NER) under Chairmanship of Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog.
• The Union Cabinet has approved proposal of Union Ministry of Shipping to rename of Kandla Port in Gujarat as Deendayal Port, Kandla. The port was renamed after BJP ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay who had dedicated his entire life for public service and was epitome of simplicity, honesty and selfless service for poor and down-trodden. It was renamed as part of Upadhyay’s 101st birth anniversary celebrations.
The Union Cabinet has approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ministry of Railways, and Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications of Swiss Confederation on Technical Cooperation in Rail Sector. The MoU was signed in August, 2017.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Golden Jubilee Year Celebrations (50 years) of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) in New Delhi.
• Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu laid foundation stone to develop Muktyal to Vijayawada waterway stretch on River Krishna as part of National Waterway 4 at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh.
• President Ram Nath Kovind has appointed five-member commission to examine sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). It will be headed by retired Chief Justice of Delhi High Court G. Rohini.
• The Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai (Tamil Nadu) was adjudged as the cleanest iconic place in country under Swachhta Hi Seva (cleanliness is service) programme.
• The World Habitat Day was observed all over the world on 2 October 2017. The purpose of day is to reflect on state of cities and towns and basic human right to adequate shelter. It also aims to remind world of its collective responsibility for habitat of future generations.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched countrywide Free Eye Check-up Campaign and distribution of spectacles for truck drivers, cleaners and helpers.
• India received first ever shipment of US crude oil of 1.6 million barrels, purchased by state-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) at Paradip Port in Odisha. It was imported on board of MT New Prosperity, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) that had left US Gulf Coast on August 19, 2017 and arrived at Paradip port.
• The Odisha Government is creating 1.2 lakh acre land bank across state for allocation to industrial sector in order to avoid repeat of Posco fiasco.
• The International Day of Non-violence is celebrated every year on 2 October throughout world on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of Indian independence movement and also pioneer of philosophy of non-violence (ahimsa).
• The International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) is observed every year on October 1 to raise awareness about issues affecting elderly and to appreciate contributions that older people make to society. It also seeks to raise awareness about issues affecting elderly, such as senescence and elder abuse.
International
• The 14th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation in Law (SAARCLAW) Conference was held in Colombo, capital city of Sri Lanka along with 11th SAARC Chief Justices Conference.
• The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH) is observed every year on October 27 to raise of awareness of significance of and preservation risks recorded sound and audiovisual documents (films, sound and video recordings, television and radio programmes).
• The World Polio Day is observed annually across world on 24 October to create awareness about the hazards of the crippling Polio disease.
• The United Nations Day is observed every year on 24th October to mark anniversary of entry into force of UN Charter in 1945. With ratification of this founding document by majority of its members, including five permanent members of UN Security Council, United Nations officially came into existence.
• The World Development Information Day (WDID) is observed every year on October 24 to draw attention of world to development problems and necessity of strengthening international cooperation to solve them.
The Peruvian Congress has approved a bill to authorises the medicinal and therapeutic use of cannabis (marijuana) in the country. It makes production, import and commercial sale of marijuana and its derivatives legal.
• The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (IDEP) is observed every year on October 17 to raise people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries.
• 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 theme for the year 2017 is “Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development.”
• The International Day of Rural Women is observed every year on October 15 to recognize the crucial role and contribution of rural women. The 2017 theme of the day is “Challenges and opportunities in climate-resilient agriculture for gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls”.
The World Standards Day is observed every year on 14 October across the globe to mark the development of voluntary engineering and scientific standards. The theme for year 2017 is “Standards make cities smarter”
• The United States has announced its withdrawal from Paris-based United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), UN’s cultural agency accusing the body of anti-Israel bias. Besides US, Israel has also decided to pull out of UNESCO. US withdrawal will take effect on December 31, 2018. Until then, it will remain a full member. US has announced to establish an observer mission to replace its representation at UNESCO.
• The International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) is observed every year on October 13 to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. The observance of day seeks to encourage citizens and governments to take part in building more disaster resilient communities and nations.
• The International Day of the Girl Child is observed on October 11 every year across world to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. Observance of the day seeks to increase awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender and supports more opportunity for girls. This year it was sixth edition of this day after it was observed for first time in 2012.
Business, Economy & Banking
• The Union Government has constituted Alternative Mechanism Panel headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to oversee merger proposals of public sector banks (PSBs). The other members of the panel include Railway and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
• The Union Finance Ministry (Department of Revenue) has imposed anti-dumping duty on some cold-rolled flat products of stainless steel from China, United States, South Korea and European Union to curb the influx of cheaper imports and help local producers. The duty will be in effect till December 2020 and exempts certain grades of stainless steel. However, government has allowed import of product as long as end use of the import is in same form.
• The Union Government has announced Bank Recapitalisation Plan to infuse Rs. 2.11 lakh crore ( $32.4 billion) capital over next two years into public sector banks (PSBs) and prioritised financing support for MSMEs in 50 clusters. The capital infusion will be accompanied by a series of banking sector reforms that will be revealed in the coming months.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted high-level task force on public credit registry (PCR) for India. It will be chaired by Y M Deosthalee, former CMD of L&T Finance Holdings Ltd and will have nine other members.
• The Department of Revenue (DoR), Finance Ministry has made it mandatory for banks and financial institutions to check original identification documents of individuals dealing in cash above prescribed threshold to weed out use of forged or fake copies.
• Largest commodity bourse Multi-Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) launched India’s first commodity options in gold. It was launched by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
• According to data released by Central Statistics Office (CSO), factory output measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) has grown nine-month high to 4.3% in August 2017. This was mainly due to a robust performance of the mining and power sectors.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its October World Economic Outlook (WEO) has lowered India’s economic growth forecast at 6.7% in 2017 and 7.4% in 2018.
According to Brand Finance’s recently released Nation Brands 2017 report, India was ranked 8th out of 100 countries on a list of most valuable nation brands. This year India slipped by one spot compared to 7th rank in 2016 and ceded its previous spot to Canada.
• 21-member Committee on corporate governance headed by banker Uday Kotak has submitted its report to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• The six member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to maintain status quo in policy rates by keeping repo rate unchanged at 6.0% under liquidity adjustment facility. It was RBI’s fourth bimonthly policy review for financial year 2017-18.
• According to Ministry of Commerce & Industry, eight core sectors grew by 4.9% in August 2017, the highest growth rate since April 2017. It was higher than 3.1% in August 2016 and 2.6% in July 2017
Science & Technology
• The world’s first hybrid electric tram powered by hydrogen fuel cells was launched in China’s Tangshan city, north China’s Hebei Province to give big boost to green energy in public transport.
• Scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland have successfully created the world’s shortest X-ray laser pulse with duration of just 43 attoseconds (1×10−18 of a second). This laser pulse is the shortest controlled event that has ever been created by humans.
• Scientists have found that parasite called Leptomonas seymouri hosting virus called Lepsey NLV1 may be also responsible for spread of kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis). Earlier it was believed that parasite Leishmania donovani (sandfly) alone is responsible for spread of the dreaded infection.
• Scientists from The Broad Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in US have developed RNA Editing for Programmable A to I Replacement (REPAIR), a new gene editing tool therapies that can reverse disease-causing mutations in humans.
The International Conference of heads of Metrology Institutes held in Sevres, France has decided that the measure of kilogram will no longer be pegged to cylinder. From 2019 onwards, it will be set by value of Planck constant in combination with definitions of meter and second.
• Geologists for the first time have discovered 152 million-year-old fossil of Ichthyosaur, an extinct marine reptile in in Kutch desert region of Gujarat. The specimen belongs to Ophthalmosauridae family of ichthyosaurs that lived in oceans between 165 and 90 million years ago.
• Geologists for the first time have discovered 152 million-year-old fossil of Ichthyosaur, an extinct marine reptile in in Kutch desert region of Gujarat. The specimen belongs to Ophthalmosauridae family of ichthyosaurs that lived in oceans between 165 and 90 million years ago.
• Geologists for the first time have discovered 152 million-year-old fossil of Ichthyosaur, an extinct marine reptile in in Kutch desert region of Gujarat. The specimen belongs to Ophthalmosauridae family of ichthyosaurs that lived in oceans between 165 and 90 million years ago.
• Scientists from Florida State University in the US have developed new tool for objectively defining onset and demise of Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) . The new method uses rainfall rates to mark span of ISM at any given location throughout affected region.
• Scientists from Thiruvananthapuram based CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST) have developed organic filter that allows only near-infrared (NIR) light to pass through it.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has approved second extension of Dawn mission at Ceres dwarf planet which is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
• Researchers have discovered new species of gecko at Chhattisgarh’s Kanger Ghati National Park in Eastern Ghats. It common name is the Kanger valley rock gecko and scientific name is Hemidactylus kangerensis, named after the valley were it was discovered.
• The world’s first negative emissions plant under the CarbFix Project to turn atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into stone has begun operations in Hellisheidi, Iceland. It is intended to lock away carbon dioxide by reacting it with basaltic rocks. Work on the project began in 2007.
• National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) was inaugurated at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras in Tamil Nadu. It is world’s largest combustion research centre and one of best diagnostic centres in the country to understand combustion.
• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully launched Michibiki-4 satellite (QZSS-4) onboard of H-IIA rocket from Tanegashima Space Centre.
• Researchers including one of Indian origin from North Carolina State University in US have found that antibiotic resistance can be passed between bacteria found in the soil. They also have found that spreading manure on ground as fertiliser can also spread antibiotic resistance to bacteria in the soil.
Scientists from US have developed a smart bandage that can precisely control dose and delivery schedule of medication tailored for a specific type of wound, leading to faster healing.
• United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved ‘Cbas Zika test’ for detecting Zika virus in donated blood. It is first of kind test approved by FDA for detecting Zika virus in donated blood.
• The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has selected Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson for the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
• Russia launched Sibir (Siberia), the world’s largest nuclear-powered icebreaker ship built under Project 22220 into the water at the Baltic Shipyard in St Petersburg.
• The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has selected three American scientists Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish and Kip S. Thorne for the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics.
• Researchers including from India have developed low-cost, rapid diagnostic test consisting of pan-dengue strip for diagnosing Zika and dengue viruses and differentiating four serotypes of dengue virus.
• The 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Jeffrey C. Hall (72), Michael Rosbash (73) and Michael W. Young (68). It was announced by Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
Awards & Honors
• Veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar (72) was honoured with the 2017 Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award at event in Mumbai which marked 80th birthday of veteran music composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar and 28th anniversary of Hridayesh Arts.
• Indian-American Gitanjali Rao (11) won the 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for inventing a quick, low-cost test to detect lead-contaminated water.
• Prof Hans Joachim Schellnhuber from Germany won 2017 Blue Planet Prize, world’s most prestigious award for pioneers in environmental science.
• American author George Saunders won the 2017 Man Booker Prize, a high-profile literary award for his first full-length novel “Lincoln in the Bardo”.
Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna won 30th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2015 -16 for his services in promoting and preserving national integration in the country.
• American economist Richard H. Thaler has won 2017 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to behavioural economics. He will receive 9-million-kronor ($1.1-million) prize.
• Late Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh awarded a prestigious Reach All Women in WAR (RAW in WAR) Anna Politkovskaya Award. She will share this award with Gulalai Ismail, a Pakistani peace activist who has faced death threats for speaking out against Taliban.
• Norwegian Nobel Committee has selected Geneva-based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a coalition of non-governmental organisations from over 100 countries around globe for 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.
Sports
• India’s ace shuttler Kidambi Srikanth (World no. 8) won French Open Superseries badminton title in men’s single category. In the final match, he defeated Japan’s Kenta Nishimoto by 21-14, 21-13 score.
• India’s ace shuttler Kidambi Srikanth (World No. 8) won US $750,000 Denmark Open title of badminton in the men’s single category. In the final match, he defeated South Korea’s Lee Hyun II by 21-10, 21-5 score. It was Kidambi Srikanth’s third Super Series Premier title in 2017 season after wining Australian Super Series title and Indonesia Super Series Premier title.
• India won 2017 Asia Cup hockey title by defeating Malaysia in the final match held in Dhaka, Bangladesh by 2-1 score. It was India’s overall third Asia Cup title and earlier it had won it in 2003 and 2007.
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