Exam Oriented Current Affairs for the Month of October 2015-www.KiranBookStore.com
01 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Maruthi Chairman Bhargava
honoured with Forbes Life Time Achievement Award
Maruthi Suzuki chairman R.C. Bhargava has been honoured
with the Life Time Achievement Award at the Forbe’s India Leadership Awards,
2015. Mr Bhargava was one of the founding members of Maruthi in 1982. He led
the company as MD from 1990 to 1997. From 2007 he was leading the company as
the Chairman.
India won Gold medal in
the Women’s event at Asian Air Gun Championship
Indian pistol shooter Heena Sidhu won the gold medal in
women’s 10 meter air pistol event at the 8th Asian Air Gun Championships in New
Delhi. Heena is the India’s first pistol shooter to be ranked number one in the
world. India’s Shweta Singh won the Silver medal and Korean shooter Seon A Kim
took the bronze medal.
China launched 20th
Satellite for its Navigation system
China on 30 September 2015 launched a 20th new generation
satellite for the BeiDou Navigation system (BDS) into orbit that will support
it’s global navigation and positioning network. The satellite was launched from
Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the South
Western Province of Sichuan. A
Long March-3 B carrier rocket carried the satellite. It was the first time that
the satellite featured a hydrogen atomic clock.
A.K.Pujari assumed
additional charge as CMD of SAIL
Dr. Anup K. Pujari on 1 October, 2015 assumed
additional charge as the chairman and Managing Director of Steel Authority of
India Limited (SAIL). At present he is the secretary , Government of India,
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). He was also given the
additional charge of the post of Secretary in Ministry of Steel.
02 October 2015 Current
Affairs
India to cut emissions
intensity upto 35 Per cent by 2030
The Union Envcironment MInistry on 2 October, 2015
submitted it’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to the UN
Frame work Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), committing to cut the
emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels. India
has committed to 40 per cent of non-fossil fuel energy to be adopted by 2030.
It has also set the target of generating 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent of
Carbon sinks in the form of forests. India aims to mobilise domestic and global
funds to implement it’s mitigation actions.
Ratan Tata honoured by UK
City of Coventry as ‘Honorary Freeman’
The City of Coventry of United Kingdom
honoured Ratan Tata, head of Tata Groups, with it’s highest award ‘Honorary
Freeman’, in recognition of his contributions to the West Midlands regions of
Central England. Ratan Tata took oath as Honorary Freeman of the City of Coventry.
Since 1914, only 13 people have been conferred with the honour.
03 October 2015 Current
Affairs
CORPAT between India and
Indonesia began in Andaman Sea
26th edition of the Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between
India and Indonesia began on 3 October 2015 in the Andaman Sea. The 18-day long
CORPAT will conclude on 21 October 2015. It is the first ever bilateral
exercise between the two nations. The two-day inaugural India-Indonesia
Bilateral Maritime Exercise is scheduled from 17 October to 18 October 2015 in
the Andaman Sea. The Bilateral Maritime Exercise and the CORPAT would see
participation by one warship and one Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both sides.
Sania-Hingis pair won the
Wuhan Open Women’s Doubles Title
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis pair won the Women’s doubles
final at the Wuhan Open tennis tournament held on 2 October, 2015 in central
China’s Hubei Province. They defeat the Romania’s Irina Camelia Begu and Monica
Niculescu in the finals. This is the 7th title for the Sania-Hingis pair. They
have won the Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, the US Open, Guangzhou
and Wuhan Open this year. They have 7 WTA doubles titles won together this
year. This is the 8th title for Sania Mirza.
DRDO inagurates new
R&D centre at 17,600 Ft in Jammu & Kashmir
The DRDO on 2 October, 2015 inaguarated an
Extreme Altitude Research Centre at Chan La in Jammu and Kashmir at 17,600 Ft
above the mean sea level. This is in records as the world’s highest terrestrial
R&D centre. It has been established by Defence Institute of High Altitude
Research (DIHAR) of DRDO. This centre is for Research & Development work in
frontal areas of food and agriculture and bio-medical sciences for well being
of the soldiers deployed in high-altitude cold deserts.
04 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Shashank Manohar elected
as BCCI President
Nagpur lawyer, Mr. Shashank Manohar has been elected as
the President for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the second
time on 4 October, 2015. He is the 36 th President of BCCI. He will be in this
post for two years. He has promised to initiate stern and practical steps and
deliver results in two months to win back the confidence of Indian cricket
fans.
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel three day visit to India
German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to India
on 4 October on a three day visit to Delhi and Bangalore. She will met the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 October and bilateral discussions will be
takeplace between India and Germany.
05 October 2015 Current
Affairs
India and Germany signed
18 MoUs
India and Germany on 5 October, 2015 ink 18 Memorandum of
Understandings (MoUs) for cooperation in various fields including higher
education, civil aviation, railways and food safety. India and Germany also
signed a deal to fast track business approvals. The other deals include
promotion of German as a foreign language in India and promotion of modern
Indian languages in Germany, cooperation on Indo-German solar energy
partnership, cooperation in fields of skill development and vocational
education and training, cooperation in the field of disaster management,
Indo-German partnerships in higher education, cooperation in the field of
railways.
Fast -Track wing
activated between India and Germany to boost trade
Germany welcomed India’s decision to set up a fast track
system for German companies in the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The wing will become fully
operational by 2016.The fast-track mechanism was one of the several initiatives
declared to smoother business ties. To encourage stronger business ethics, both
sides entered into an agreement to train corporate executives and junior
executives.
Three scientists share
Nobel Prize in Medicine
Three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize 2015 in
Medicine whose discoveries led to the development of potent new drugs against
parasitic diseases such as malaria and elephantiasis. Irish-born American
William Campbell and Japan’s Satoshi Omura won half of the Prize for
discovering “Avermectin”, a derivative of which has been nearly eradicated
river blindness and radically reduced the incidence of filariasis. China’s Youyou
Tu was awarded the other half of the Prize for discovering “Artemisinin”, a
drug that has singnificantly reduced death rates from malaria. The three will
receive the Prize on December 10 in Stockholm.
Jack Dorsey as new permanent
CEO of Twitter
Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of social media
company, ‘Twitter’ is the new permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Twitter. Dorsey will also keep his job as CEO of mobile payments company Square
Inc, the payments and financial services company he sounded in 2009. Former CEO
of Twitter, Dick Costolo resigned from the board in the month of July.
06 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Indo-German Summit 2015
held in Bengaluru
The Indo-German Summit 2015 has been held in Bengaluru on
6 October, 2015. The summit was organised by Nasscom. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended the summit. Industrialists
from India and Germany and deligates from 15 states attended the summit. In
this summit both the nations signed five B to B (Business to Business)
agreements.
Japanese, Canadian
Scientists win Physics Nobel Prize 2015
Taka aki Kajita of Japan and Arthur McDonald of Canada
were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the “Neutrinos”.
Neutrinos are subatomic particles produced from the decay of radio active
elements and are elementary particles that lack an electric charge. Kajita
discovered that neutrinos from the atmosphere switch between two identities on
their way to the Super-Kamiokande detector in Japan. Arthur McDonald
demonstrated that neutrinos from the sun were not disappearing on their way to
Earth.
First weapon fitted
warship- INS Asthradharini commissioned
Eastern Naval command (ENC), commander- in- chief, Vice
Admiral Satish Soni on 6 October, 2015 commissioned the first weapon fitted
warship INS- Asthradharini into the Indian Navy at the Vishakapatnam naval
base. Asthradharini is an advanced replacement of Asthravahini which was
decommissioned on 17 July, 2015. INS- Asthradharini can operate at high sea
states and has a large deck area with tropedo launchers for deploying and
recovering torpedos. This is an indigenously built warship at Naval Science and
Technological Laboratory (NSTL). The length of the ship is 50m and speed up to
15 knots.
West Bengal State
Election Commissioner S.R. Upadhyay resigned
West Bengal State Election Commissioner (SEC) Sushanta
Ranjan Upadhyay on 6 October, 2015 resigned from his duties as SEC. He
submitted the resignation to Governor Keshari Nath Tripati. Senior IAS officer
Alapan Bandopadhyay has been appointed as the interim SEC.
Eminent author Nayantara
returns Sahitya Akademi Award
Eminent author Nayantara Sehgal on 6 October,
2015 returned the Sahitya Akademi Award in protest against the increasing
intolerance towards the right to dissert in India. Ms. Sehgal got the Sahitya
Akademi Award in 1986 for her English novel ‘Rich Like Us’.
07 October 2015 Current
Affairs
‘Neeranchal’ programme
received the approval for implementation by the Union Cabinet
The World Bank-assisted ‘National Watershed Management
Project’ or ‘Neeranchal’ received the approval for implementation by the Union
Cabinet on 7 October. The project aims to fulfil the watershed component of the
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMSKY) to reduce surface runoff of
rainwater, increase groundwater levels and better water availability in
rain-fed areas. The cost of the project is estimated at Rs. 2,142.30 crore of
which the Centre will be pitching in with Rs. 889 crore while Rs. 182 crore
will be provided by the respective State Governments. The remaining 50 per cent
of the project cost will be financed by a World Bank loan. It will be implemented
across nine States – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan.
Centre approves War
Memorial near India Gate in Delhi
The Central government on 7 October approved a Rs. 500
Crore project for building a National War Memorial and a National War Museum
near India Gate in New Delhi in memory of over 22,500 soldiers who laid down
their lives post-Independence. The project will be monitered by an empowered steering
committee chaired by defence secretary.
Indian Cyclist Deborah
Scripts History At Taiwan Cup by winning Five medals
Indian cyclist Deborah created history by winning five
medals, including a gold at the Taiwan Cup Track International Classic event.
Deborah became the first ever Indian cyclist to achieve top honours in women
elite section by bagging a gold, three silver and a bronze. Deborah won the
first ever gold medal in the women elite sprint by defeating the Malaysian top
rider.
Three scientists for
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Sweden’s Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich of the
US and Aziz Sancar , a Turkish-American won the 2015 Nobel Chemistry Prize for
work on how cells repair damaged DNA. The three opened a dazzling frontier in
medicine by unveiling how the body repairs DNA mutations that can cause
sickness and contribute to ageing. They will receive the Prize in Stockholm on
10 December, 2015.
08 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Ambani Family ranks third
in Forbe’s Asia’s 50 richest families list
As many as 14 Indian families are in the list of Forbe’s
50 richest families in Asia. In this list, Ambani family ranked third with a
net worth of 21.5 billion dollars. The other Indian families in the top 10
include the Premji family in the 7th place and the Mistry family in the 10th
place. With 14 Indian families, India stood first in the list. The overall list
has topped by Lees of Samsung group, with a net worth of 26.6 billion dollars.
Belarus writer Svetlana
wins 2015 Literature Nobel Prize
Belarussian writer Svetlana Alexievich won the 2015 Nobel
Literature Prize. Alexievich has drawn international acclaim with her emotional
accounts of the Chernobyl Disaster and World War II based on witness accounts.
She will receive the prize on December 10, 2015 at Stockholm.
T20 International series
won by South Africa
South Africa won the T20 International Series
which was held on October 2-8, 2015. The first two matchs were won by South
Africa. The third match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata has been called off due
to rain. With this the South Africa won the series with 2-0. The bilateral
Series between India and South Africa has been titled “The Mahatma
Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Series”.
09 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Sekhar Basu to be the
next chairman of Atomic Energy Commission
Renowned scientist Sekhar Basu was on 9 October appointed
as chairman of Atomic Energy Commission. Basu, who is presently director of
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and chief executive of the Nuclear Recycle
Board (NRB), will replace RK Sinha who superannuates on October 23 and he will
have a tenure till September 19, 2016. Basu has also been appointed Secretary,
department of atomic energy. Basu was instrumental in setting up reprocessing
and waste management facilities at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in
Kalpakkam.
Author Shashi Deshpande
resigned to Sahitya Akademi General Council
Award-sinning author Shashi Deshpande on 9 October
resigned from the Sahitya Akademi general council expressing a sense of strong
disappointment over the literary body’s silence on the killing of Kannada
writer M.M. Kalburgi. She wrote several novels, short stories and essay
collections and books for children and won the Sahitya Akademi awasd for her
novel “That Long Silence” in 1990. She was awarded the Padma Sri in 2009.
Veteran Music Director
Ravindra Jain died
Veteran music director, singer, lyricist Ravindra Jain
(71), the genius who overcome his blindness died on 9 October in Mumbai. Jain
was one of the most successful composers in the 70s.He was also credited for
bringing south Indian singing legend K.J. Yesudas to Hindi movies.
Nobel Peace Prize for
Tunisia’s Plural Democracy
Tunisia’s National Dialogue Quartet won the 2015 Nobel
Peace Prize for building democracy in the country after the 2011 revolution
which unleashed the Arab Spring. The Quartet has excercised it’s role as a mediator
and driving force to advance peaceful democratic development in Tunisia with
great moral authority. Prize money of 9,72,000 dollars will be presented to the
committee in Oslo on December 10.
NASA’s New Horizon found
blue skies and water ice on Pluto
The first colour images of Pluto’s atmosphere returned by
NASA’s New Horizon Spacecraft has revealed a blue skies and numerous small
exposed regions of water ice. Scientists say a blue sky often results from
scattering of sunlight by very small particles. On Earth those particles are
very tiny nitrogen molecules. On Pluto they appear to be larger but still
relatively small soot-like particles. The Haze particles are grey or red, but
the way they scatter, the blue light attracted the attention of the New
Horizon.
2015 IMF, World Bank
Annual Meeting held in Peru
The 2015 annual meeting of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank has been held from 9-11 October, 2015 in
Lima, the capital city of Peru. After 48 years the meeting was held in Latin
America. Over ten thousand participants from 188 countries attended the
meeting. Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister from India also attended the meeting.
IMF MD Christine Lagarde and World Bank President Jim Yang Kim attended the
meeting. The meeting is very important for discussing and clarifying the road
map for getting to the 100 billion dollars goal in climate finance. Addressing
the plenary session of the IMF-World Bank meeting, Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley expresses concern over delay in IMF quota reform. The IMF concluded the
annual meeting in Lima on 11 October with a warning to Central bankers that the
world economy risks another crash unless they continue to support growth with low
interest rates.
10 October 2015 Current
Affairs
China Open Tennis Women’s
doubles winners Sania-Hingis Pair
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won the China Open Tennis
Women’s doubles title. In the finals held in Beijing on 10 October, they
defeated the sixth seed Taipei pair Hao Ching Chan and Yung Jan Chan. This is
the eighth trophy of this season and fourth in a row for the Sania-Hingis pair.
It is the ninth title for Sania in 2015.
Nepal Prime Minister
Sushil Koirala resigned
Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on 10 October
resigned to his post. Koirala resigned after parties failed to forge a
consensus amid continued protests and blockade of key border trade point with
India over the country’s new Constitution.
Veteran Tamil actress
Manorama passed away
The legendary Tamil actress Manorama (78) was passed away
on 10 October in Chennai. A comedy artist and a singer, she belonged to a
generation of South Indian Cinema. In a career spanning nearly six decades, she
acted in over 1500 films and created a Guinness world record.
China successfully
launched a satellite “Nanligong – 1″ made by students
China on 10 October has successfully launched a satellite
called “Nanligong-1″ developed by the students of Nanjing University of
Technology and Engineering independently. The satellite carried by a Long
March-11 rocket was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch
Centre. This satellite is being used for global maritime automatic
identification and demonstrating information exchanges between satellites
in-orbit.
Nobel Memorial Wall
inaugurated in Delhi
A Nobel Memorial Wall on Indian Nobel
laureates was inaugurated at Delhi Metro’s Rajiv Chowk station on 10 October,
2015. The bilingual exhibition was jointly inaugurated by the embassy of Sweden
and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) with its stated purpose of
spreading awareness and inspiring young minds. Ambassador of Sweden to India
Harald Sandberg and DMRC chief Mangu Singh unveiled the wall exhibition
together. It contains brief portraits and information of the Indian Nobel
laureates.
11 October 2015 Current
Affairs
K.P. Sharma Oli elected
as the new Nepal Prime Minister
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli on 11 October, 2015 has been
elected as the mew Prime Minister of Nepal by defeating the former Prime
Minister Sushil Koirala. He secured 338 votes against 249 by Koirala. Oli is
the 38th Prime Minister of Nepal.
Hamilton wins the Russian
Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the Russian Formula One
Grand Prix on 11 October, 2015. Hamilton completed his race of 53 laps in one
hour 37 minutes and 11.024 seconds. The win was the Hamilton’s ninth of the
season and the 42nd of his career. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is in second
place and Mexican Sergio Perez finished third fof Force India.
Indian shuttler Ajay
Jayaram won the Dutch Open Title
Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram won the Dutch
Open Men’s singles Title held in Almere , The Netherlands on 11 October. In the
finals he defeated the 12th seed and World No.48 Estonia’s Raul Must.
12 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Welfare Economist Angus
Deaton won the Nobel Prize in Economics
The Royal Swedish Academy on 12 October chose welfare
economist Angus Deaton for the Nobel Prize in Economics for his wide ranging
work on consumption and poverty. Dr. Deaton is one of the front line economists
who focused his studies on poverty and redefined the way poverty is measured
around the world, especially in India. A significant number of his research
papers take India as a case study for studying poverty and consumption.
Alexander Lukashenko as
President of Belarus for fifth time
President Alexander Lukashenko has been reelected for a
fifth term, as President of Belarus. Lukashenko garnered 83.5 percent votes in
the voting held on 11 October. Lukashenko’s vote share was an increase from
79.7 per cent vote share in 2010.
India, China begin
counter-terrorism drills in China
The joint Hand-in-Hand counter-terrorism
excercises between India and China started on 12 October, following the arrival
of 175 personnel from the Naga Regiment of the Eastern Command in Kunming. An
equal number of Chinese personnel from the Chengdu-based 14 Corps are
participating in the manoeuvres whose aim is to develop joint operating
capability, share useful experience in counter-terrorism operations and to
promote friendly exchanges between the armies of India and China. These
excercises will continue till October 22.
13 October 2015 Current
Affairs
China starts biggest dam
on Brahmaputra in Tibet
China on 13 October operationalised the 1.5 billion US
Dollars Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet, built on the Brahmaputra
river. Located in Gyaca county, Shannan prefecture, Zam Hydropower station also
known as Zangmu Hydropower station, harnesses the waters of the Brahmaputra,
known in Tibet as Yarlung Zangbo. Considered the world’s highest-altitude
hydropower station and the largest of its kind, th e dam will produced 2.5
billion kilo-watt-hours of electricity a year.
Arun Jaitley chosen as
‘Best Finance Minister of the year’ in Asia
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has been chosen as ‘Finance
Minister of the Year, Asia’ by London-based publication Emerging Markets. The
magazine said that Jaitley too deserves ‘some recognition’ for India’s relative
economic success over the last 18 months. …most of the plaudits for India’s
relative economic success have gone to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and
the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan.
India ranks 3rd in Global
startup ecosystems
India ranks third among global startup ecosystems with
more than 4,200 new-age companies. Nasscom along with Zinnov on 13 October
launched the second edition of the startup report titled “Start up India –
Momentous Rise of the Indian Start-Up Ecosystem” on the sidelines of Nasscom
Product Conclave 2015 in Bengaluru. Three to four startups being born every day
and nearly five billion dollars of funding coming in 2015.
Google tops list of
World’s Best Workplaces
Google has topped the list of world’s best
company to work for compiled by research and consulting firm ‘Great Place to
Work Institute’, grabbing the numero uno position for the third straight year,
while software developer SAS Institute and manufacturing firm W L Gore were
ranked second and third respectively. The annual ‘World’s Best Multinational
Workplaces List’ ranks the top 25 global companies to work for. Data storage
specialist NetApp and mobile communications provider Telefonica are at fourth
and fifth places respectively. EMC Corporation has been ranked sixth, followed
by software giant Microsoft at seventh position in the list. Others in the top
ten include, BBVA (8th), Monsanto (9th) and American Express (10th) place.
14 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Jamaica’s Marlon James
wins Man Booker Prize
Marlon James became the first Jamaican winner of the
prestigious Booker Prize for fiction on 14 October, 2015. His book ” A Brief
History of Seven Killings” won the prestigious Man Booker Prize Award. The
novel is based on the attempted assassination of Bob Marley.
Nobel laureate Kailash
Satyarthi wins the Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award
Indian Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been selected
for the prestigious Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award for his
contributions towards child reforms and his inspirational work against child
abuse. The annual award by the prestigious Harvard University is given to an
individual whose works and deeds have served to improve the quality of lives
and have inspired us to greater heights. The award ceremony is scheduled to
take place on October 16, at the Harvard University.
Union Cabinet approved
MoU with Mozambique for cooperation in renewable energy
The Union Government on 14 October 2015 approved a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy, India and Mozambique. The agreement aims at establishing a cooperative
institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral
cooperation, investment promotion and partnership on new and renewable energy
issues on the basis of mutual benefit, equality and reciprocity. The focus will
be on the development of new and renewable energy technologies in the field of
conducting on-the-job and specialized training courses on renewable energy
field, research & development and of technology transfer in renewable
energy.
PS Jayakumar appointed as
MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda
PS Jayakumar on 13 October 2015 took over the
charge of Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
state-owned Bank of Baroda. He has taken the charge when the bank is under the
scanner for an alleged black money transactions worth over 6000 crore rupees.
In the first week of October 2015, allegedly 6172 crore rupees were remitted
from Bank of Baroda to Hong Kong. The amount was allegedly deposited in 59
accounts in cash as advance for imports that never existed.
15 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi released postal stamp on Abdul Kalam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the A P J Abdul
Kalam’s birth anniversary celebrations held at DRDO Bhavan in New Delhi on 15
October. Modi released a commemorative postal stamp on Kalam. Narendra Modi
also announced a momorial for Kalam at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. The Prime
Minister unveiled a statue of Dr. Kalam at DRDO Bhavan and opened a photo
exhibition titled “A Celebration of Dr. Kalam’s Life”.
Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu
declared as ‘AMRUT’ town
Rameshwaram town in Tamil Nadu has been declared as
‘AMRUT’ town on 15 October, 2015 by the Minister of Urban Development.
Rameshwaram has been included in Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) for providing basic urban infrastructure.
Zaheer Khan announces
retirement from international cricket
India’s finest left arm fast bowler, Zaheer Khan on 15
October announced his retirement from international cricket. With 311 wickets
from 92 Test, Zaheer finished as second best India seamer after Kapil Dev. His
610 victims also make him the fourth highest Indian wicket taker of all time.
China’s Sany Group plans
3 billion dollar investment in renewables in India
Chinese construction equipment maker Sany
Group has pledged to invest 3 billion dollars (about Rs. 20,000 crore) in
building 2 GW of green energy units in the country over the next 5-6 years.
Sany will establish efficient technologies for off-shore wind power generation.
16 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Supreme Court Bench
strikes down NJAC Act as ‘unconstitutional and void’
The Supreme Court on 16 October rejected the National
Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act and the 99th Constitutional
Amendment which sought to give politicians and civil society a final say in the
appointment of judges to the highest courts. With this veredict, the Collegium
system as it existed before the NJAC Act was passed, will become operative
again.
India’s subsonic Nirbhay
Missile fails
Nirbhay, the subsonic cruise missile developed by the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) failed on 16 October when
it lost control after about 12 minutes of flight and fell into the Bay of
Bengal. Nirbhay is a surface-to-surface long range cruise missile. It is a
‘trace-top’ missile which can fly at varying heights from five metres to five
Km.
M K Surana appointed as
New CMD of HPCL
M K Surana has been appointed as the new Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD) of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL). He is
currently the chief executive officer of Prize Petroleum Co. Ltd, the upstream
of oil exploration arm of HPCL. Mr Surana will replace Nishi Vasudeva on her
retirement at the end of March 2016.
Nepal elects Onsari
Gharti as first woman Parliament speaker
Nepal on 16 October elected the country’s
first woman speaker of Parliament. UCPN- Maoist law maker Onsari Gharti Mangar
elected as the speaker of Parliament. Earlier she had served as Deputy Speaker
in Parliament. Ganga Prasad Yadav has been elected as the Deputy Speaker of the
Parliament.
17 October 2015 Current
Affairs
China launches new
communication satellite for HK firm
China on 17 October put into orbit a new communication
satellite in a commercial mission by the Long March-3B carrier rocket from the
southwestern Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. Developed using China’s homegrown
DFH-4 platform for the Hong Kong-based APT Satellite Company Limited,
‘APSTAR-9’ is designed to stay in service for at least 15 years. The launch is
the 214th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series developed by China
Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC).
Civil Aviation Minister
inaugurates International Civil Helicopters Conclave 2015
Union Minister of Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju
has inaugurated the International Civil Helicopters Conclave 2015 in New Delhi.
He launched the Corporate logo of Pawan Hans Limited and released a coffee
table book on the occasion. The conclave marks the 30th anniversary of Pawan
Hans Limited.
Typhoon Koppu smashes
into northern Philippines
The powerful Typhoon Koppu hit the northern
Philippines. Koppu downed trees and pylons, leaving two cities and 22 towns
without power, while landslides and floods cut off 10 roads and eight bridges
across the region.
18 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Novak Djokovic won the
Shanghai Masters Tennis Championship
World Number 1 ranking Novak Djokovic on 18 October 2015
won the 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis title in the men’s singles category.
The top seeded Serbian player defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 6-4 in the final
match held in Shanghai, China. It was the third Shanghai title for Djokovic in
four years.
Li Xuerui of China won
the Denmark Open final
Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China won the Denmark Open
Super Series Badminton final held on 18 October. She defeated the Indian
badminton player PV Sindhu with 21-19, 21-12 in the final. For Sindhu this is
the first super series final match.
Saketh Myneni wins 2015
Vietnam Open Tennis Trophy
Saketh Myneni has been won the Vietnam Open trophy, his
first singles Challenger title of the season. He defeated Australia’s Jordan
Thompson. It was Myneni’s second singles title at the Challenger level, having
won the Indore Open.
Swadhar Greh scheme
approved by Haryana Government for women in distress
The Haryana Government on 18 October 2015
approved Swadhar Greh scheme, which will assure economic and social security to
women in distress. The scheme aims at creating a supportive institutional
framework catering to their primary needs in difficult situations. The scheme
will work upon providing basic amenities, such as shelter, food, clothing and
health along with economic and social security to women in distress.
19 October 2015 Current
Affairs
RBI, UAE Central Bank ink
MoU for supervisory information exchange
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has signed a Memorandum
of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on
Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory Information. By signing the
MoU, RBI is seeking to promote greater co-operation and share supervisory
information among the authorities.
Virender Sehwag announces
retirement from International Cricket
Ace Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has announced his
retirement from international cricket. He had started his international cricket
career in 1999 after he played his first One Day International (ODI) against
Pakistan and later in 2001 joined the Indian Test team. In his remarkable
career, he had scored 17,253 international runs across all formats.
NATO launches biggest
Trident Juncture Military Exercise in Italy
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has
launched Trident Juncture Military Exercise in Italy to test the alliance’s
ability to respond to new security threats. It is the biggest military exercise
conducted by alliance in past 13 years as it has mobilized around 36,000
soldiers, sailors and airmen from more than 30 countries of NATO. The
operational centre for the exercise is based in the Sicilian city Trapani
(Italy).
20 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting reconstituted Central Press Accreditation Committee
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
reconstituted the Central Press Accreditation Committee (CPAC) that issues
Press Information Bureau (PIB) cards to journalists. PIB director general Frank
Noronha will be the ex-officio chairman of the committee. The tenure of the
CPAC will be for a period of two years from the date of its first meeting.
Justin Trudeau elected as
Canada’s new PM
Justin Trudeau of Liberal Party has been elected as 23rd
Prime Minister of Canada. He is eldest son of Canada’s former Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau who was in office for 16 years and led the country till 1984. In
the 2015 Canadian Federal election, Liberal Party has emerged victorious by
winning 185 seats (54% votes) in 338 member House of Commons (Lower House of
Parliament). With this Justin Trudeau (age 43 years) became the second youngest
Prime Minister of Canada and the first to follow a parent into office.
Union Government appoints
VK Malhotra as President of All India Council of Sports
Union Government has appointed veteran sports
administrator Vijay Kumar Malhotra as President of newly established All India
Council of Sports (AICS). With this he became first President of AICS and was
given an equivalent rank of a Minister of State (MoS) in the Union Council of
Ministers. Prior to this appointment, Mr Malhotra was President of Archery
Association of India and had served for 40 years. He also had acted as the
Senior Vice President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and served as
acting President of the IOA after the 2010 Commonwealth Games scandal.
21 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Britain, China join hands
for nuclear plants
The British and Chinese governments agreed on 21 October
2015 to give Chinese contractors a substantial role in the British nuclear
industry.Initially, the Chinese companies will be minority investors and
suppliers to Électricite de France, the French company that holds the contract
to build Britain’s first new nuclear power plant in years. But the deal
announced on October 21 opens the way for China to invest in future British
nuclear projects and possibly to play a larger role in building the plants. The
deal, which involves plans for a nuclear power station called Hinkley Point C
and which would result in the first nuclear plant begun in Western Europe since
the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan made many countries rethink their nuclear
energy strategies, is a push for the flagging French industry. France has long
been a global leader in nuclear power,but it has stumbled lately in trying to
introduce a new generation of technology – the type of reactors that will be
used in Britain.
Rajnath Singh releases
BSF commemorative postage stamp
Home Minister Rajnath Singh 21 October 2015 released a
commemorative stamp to mark 50 years of raising of country’s largest border guarding
force BSF. The Home Minister also honoured the families of the martyrs of the
Border Security Force. The Rs 5 stamp released depicts BSF’s camel patrol in
the hot deserts of Thar in Rajasthan who are deployed there as part of their
duty to guard the International Border between India and Pakistan.
Former Cabinet Secretary
Alok Rawat has been appointed as the first male member of the NCW
Former Cabinet Secretary Alok Rawat has been
appointed as the first male member of the National Commission for Women,
filling the fourth seat in the five-member body.A 1977 batch Sikkim cadre IAS
officer, Rawat has served as Director/ Joint Secretary in Ministry of Defence
and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; Secretary (UPSC); Secretary
(Coordination and Public Grievances) in the Cabinet Secretariat and Secretary
in Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
22 October 2015 Current
Affairs
PM Narendra Modi laid
foundation stone for Andhra Pradesh’s new capital Amaravati
Prime minister Narendra Modi on 22 October 2015 laid the
foundation stone of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital Amaravati at
Uddandarayunipalem village in Guntur district.The city boasts a 17- km-long
waterfront and is strategically placed between Guntur and Vijayawada. Though
the city has already attracted investments worth Rs 20,000 crore, it has run
into trouble with the National Green Tribunal for flouting environmental norms.
The village is located about 40 kms from Vijayawada which is the commercial hub
of the state.
India, China end military
drills with anti-terror exercises
The fifth round of India-China joint military exercises
wound up on 22 October 2015 in the Chinese city of Kunming with the two
countries holding a unique mock exercise depicting counter-terror operations at
the Sino-Indian border.A joint field exercise depicting counter-terrorist
operations on India-China border areas was held from 21 to 22 October to
validate the exercise objectives.
Typhoon Koppu hits
Philippines, kills 43 people
Typhoon Koppu hit the Philippines on 22 October
2015 and kills 43 people. 60,000 people have been displaced in Philippines by
typhoon Koppu.
23 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe awarded with 2015 Confucius Peace Prize
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was on 22 October 2015
awarded with the 2015 Confucius Peace Prize by China. The prize is known as
Chinese equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize. He has chosen for his
inspirational leadership and service to African independence.
Union Government cleared
first batch of Urban Projects under AMRUT worth 2786 crore rupees
Union Government has cleared the first batch
of projects under the scheme of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) for 89 cities from 3 states. It was cleared by Union
Urban Development Ministry by allocating 2,786 crore rupees to fecilitate
development projects. The plans include 47 schemes relating to ensuring water
supply connections and augmenting water supply.
24 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Union Government approves
induction of women fighter pilots in Indian Air Force
Union Government has approved induction of women into the
Fighter branch of Indian Air Force (IAF). The first women fighter pilots would
be selected from the batch which is presently undergoing flying training at Air
Force Academy in Hyderabad. These women pilots will be commissioned into the
fighter stream in June 2016 after completion of initial training. Later, they
would undergo advanced training for 1 year and would enter a fighter cockpit by
June 2017. Presently, there are around 1,500 women in the IAF including 94
pilots and 14 navigators.
Asia ATP Tourney tennis
doubles title winner Saketh-Sanam Singh Pair
The Indian doubles pair of Saketh Myneni and
Sanam Singh claimed the title in the AirAsia Open tennis event with 5-7, 6-4,
10-2 victory over wild card entrants John Paul Fruttero of the United States
and Indian Vijay Sundar Prashanth on 24 October held in Bengaluru.
25 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Abhishek Verma became
first Indian to win Silver Medal in Archery World Cup Final
Indian archer Abhishek Verma 24 October 2015 created
history by winning a silver medal in the Archery World Cup Final medal in the
compound section held in Mexico City. With this, he became the first ever
Indian to bag Archery World Cup Final medal. In 2014, Verma bagged the gold
medal in the men’s compound archery team event along with Rajat Chauhan and
Sandeep Kumar, and the silver medal in the men’s individual compound event at
the Asian Games held in South Korea. He also won a gold medal in the compound
men’s individual section on 15 August 2015 in the third leg of Archery World
Cup held in Poland.
Mercedes driver Lewis
Hamilton won 2015 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix title
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain has
won 2015 United States Grand Prix title of Formula One for the fourth time.
Earlier he had won it in 2007, 2012 and 2014. For Hamilton, it was the tenth
title in the 2015 season. With this win, he also won the 2015 World Drivers’
Championship (WDC). It was the third title for Hamilton as he won the WDCs in
2008 and 2014 also.
26 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Third India-Africa forum
summit begins in New Delhi
The third India-Africa forum summit (IAFS) began in New
Delhi on 26 October 2015. The four day summit (from 26 October to 30 October
2015) is one of the largest gatherings of African countries outside Africa as
all 54 nations of the continent have participated. It will address the key
challenges faced by African nations which include food, health and
environmental security etc.
Deepika Kumari won silver
medal in Archery World Cup Final
On 25 October 2015 Indian archer Deepika Kumari won the
silver medal in the Archery World Cup Final held in Mexico City. Deepika won a
gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth games in the women’s individual event. She
also won a gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth games in the women’s team event
along with Dola Banerjee and Bombayala Devi. In May 2012, she won her first
World Cup individual stage recurve gold medal at Antalya, Turkey.
Comedian elected as
President of Guatemala
Comedian and political neophyte Jimmy Morales
was elected as the President of Guatemala in a landside. Jimmy swept to victory
on 25 October on a tide of voter outrage over a corruption scandal that felled
his predecessor, Otto Perez. Former TV comedian Jimmy Morales now must set
about governing one of Central America’s poorest countries.
27 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Indian para-athlete
Devendra Jhajharia win silver at IPC Athletics World Championship
India’s top para-athlete Devendra Jhajharia won a silver
medal in men’s javelin throw F46 event in the IPC Athletics World Championship
held on October 27 in Doha. He came up with a best throw of 59.06 m to finish
second behind Guo Chunliang (61.89 m) of China. With this effort, Jhajharia
qualified to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
Justice Eswar Committee
formed to simplify Income Tax Laws
A high-level committee has been set up by the centre
under former Delhi High Court Judge Justice R.V. Eswar to suggest
simplification of Income Tax (IT) laws. The 10 member panel will study and
identify the provisions in the Income Tax Act which are leading to litigation
due to different interpretations. The panel will suggest alternatives and
modifications to the existing provisions and areas to bring about
predictability and certainity in tax laws without substantial impact on the tax
base and revenue collection. The committee will give its report at the end of
January, 2016.
India ranks 130 in World
Bank’s 2016 report of Ease of Doing Business
India ranked 130 position among 189 countries
in World Bank’s 2016 report of Ease of Doing Business. In 2015 India ranked
134th position. India has made large improvements in two indicators, starting a
business (155th rank) and getting electricity (70th rank). In this list of
rankings, Singapore, New Zealand and Denmark are at the top three positions
respectively.
28 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Nepal elects first woman
President ‘Bidhya Bhandari’
Nepal for the first time elected woman candidate as it’s
President. Bidhya Bhandari of Communist Party of Nepal has been elected as the
new President of Nepal. She began her political career in 1979. Bhandari was the
minister for Defence in the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government from May 2009 to
February 2011.
Gandhi and Modi among
most admired personalities globally
Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra
Modi are among the most admired personalities globally as per a new survey by
the World Economic Forum. The list includes Nelson Mandela at the top position
and Pope Francis as second most liked leader. Mahatma Gandhi is ranked fourth
and Narendra Modi is the 10th most admired personality globally. Others in the
list are Tesla Motor’s CEO Elon Musk (3), Microsoft founder Bill Gates (5), US
President Barack Obama (6), Virgin Group founder Richard Branson (7), Apple
company founder Steve Jobs (8) and Nobel laurate Mohammad Younis at 9th place.
The 8th National Seed
Congress begins in Hyderabad
The 8th National Seed Congress has began on 27th October
at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre in Hyderabad. It is a three
day congress from 27th to 29th October. The theme of the congress is ‘Quality
seed for farmer’s prosperity’. The seed congress will be attended by about 600
participants from agricultural universities, governments agencies and seed
sector.
India-Sri Lanka bilateral
Naval Excercise ‘SLINEX15′ begins in Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee coast
The fourth edition of India-Sri Lanka
bilateral Naval Excercise ‘SLINEX15′ begins in Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee coast.
The excercise enhance the capability of the two nations to work together and
contribute towards maritime security in the region. SLINEX 15 will include
naval ships, fast attack crafts, gun boats of both India and Sri Lanka.
29 October 2015 Current
Affairs
China ends One-Child
Policy
China on 28th October announced the end of it’s hugely
controversial One -Child Policy, because of ageing population and shrinking workforce,
heightening the challenges of slowing growth. The historic change was intended
to balance population development and address the challenge of an ageing
population. China introduced the One-Child Policy in 1978 to reduce the
population growth. China ranks number one in the list of countries by
population.
Nepal, China inks MoU to
ease fuel crisis
Nepal has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China
in order to import all kinds of fuel in order to ease fuel crisis in the
country. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and China National United Oil Corporation
(Petrochina) have signed the MoU in Beijing on 29th October. This is the first
time that China is commercially supplying petroleum to Nepal.
The first Scorpene
Submarine “Kalvari” set afloat in Mumbai
The first of the Scorpene class submarines “Kalvari” was
set afloat successfully in Mumbai on 29th October. It is set to undergo sea
trials before it is commissioned into the Navy next year. 67m long submarine
has been constructed by the Mazgaon Dock Ship builders, in Mumbai. The
‘Kalvari’ is the first of six submarines in the Scorpene class. It was built
with a new technology called air independent propulsion system by which it
stays under water longer time.
Najib Shah appointed as
Chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs
Senior IRS officer Najib Shah has been appointed as the
Chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), apex body on Indirect
Taxes. He has been working as member in the board since May 2015. He will be in
this post till March 11, 2017.
Madhya Pradesh government
to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs
The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to
provide 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs. With this the
reservation has been increased from present 30 per cent to 33 per cent. How
ever, in this regard, permission would be sought from the Election Commission.
30 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Economic Affairs
secretary Shaktikanta Das nominated to RBI Central Board by Union Government
Economic Affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das has been
nominated to the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
He has nominated by the Union Government in place of Ajay Tyagi. 10 Directors are
nominated by Union Government in order to represent important elements from
India’s economy.
BRICS countries signed
Moscow Declaration for supporting Multilateral Science Projects
BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa agreed for co-investment of resources for supporting multilateral
R&D projects in mutually agreed areas. The BRICS nations signed a joint
Declaration called Moscow Declaration at the 3rd meeting of BRICS Ministers for
Science, Technology and Innovation held at Moscow on 28th October, 2015. This
Declaration reflects BRICS partnership in addressing common global and regional
socio-economic challenges, utilizing such drivers as science, technology and
innovation (STI).
Sulabh International
founder Bindeshwar Pathak selected for New York Global Leader Dialogue
Humanitarian Award
Socialist and founder of Sulabh International, Bindeshwar
Pathak was selected for the prestigious New York Global Leader Dialogue
Humanitarian Award. He was selected for his contribution to sanitation and for
the betterment of the quality of life for millions of manual scavengers. He
will be awarded on 12th April, 2016 in New York.
Saudi blogger ‘Raif
Badawi’ wins Europe’s human rights award
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was recently
sentenced to 10 years in prison for blogging about free speech, has won the Europe’s
highest human rights award. The European Parliament on 29th Octoberannounced
Badami the winner of the 2015 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Badawi was
arrested on June 2012.
31 October 2015 Current
Affairs
Subhash Chandra Sati
takes over as Director General at DRDO
Dr. Subhash Chandra Sati, an outstanding scientist took
over as Director General (Naval Systems and Materials), Defence Research and
Development Organization (DRDO) from V. Bhujanga Rao. Subhash Chandra was the
Director of Aerial Delivary Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE),
Agra before this appointment.
Indian Squash player
Joshna Chinappa won the Quatar Classic Squash Championship women’s singles
Title
Indian Squash player Joshna Chinappa won the Quatar
Classic Squash Championship held on 31 October, 2015 in Doha. She defeated the
world No.1 Raneem El Welily of Egypt in the finals. This is the second PSA
World series tournment of the season for Joshna.
No comments:
Post a Comment