Daily Current Affairs : October 16, 2017

NATIONAL

Defence Minister to commission INS Kiltan into Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam:

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will commission an indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare stealth corvette INS Kiltan into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

The commissioning ceremony will be attended by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba and a host of other dignitaries.

INS Kiltan has been designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation Directorate of Naval Design and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata.

PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate first ever All India Institute of Ayurveda:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), set up along the lines of AIIMS, on Ayurveda Day. Set up as an apex institute in New Delhi under the ministry of AYUSH, the AIIA aims to bring synergy between Ayurveda and modern diagnostic tools and technology.

Haryana’s Amin village renamed Abhimanyupur:

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave his nod to rename Amin village to Abhimanyupur after Mahabharta warrior Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu.

Haryana

• Capital: Chandigarh
• Chief Minister: Manohar Lal Khattar
• Governor: Kaptan Singh Solanki

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan and Iran sign MoU to improve border security management:

 Pakistan and Iran have agreed not to let their territories be used for terrorism against each other as the two neighbouring countries signed an MoU to improve border security management.

According to a media report, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during the 21st two-day meeting of Pakistan-Iran Joint Border Commission in the port city of Gwadar in Balochistan province.

Iran

• Currency: Iranian rial
• Capital: Tehran
• President: Hassan Rouhani

Vanuatu becomes first nation to accept Bitcoin in Exchange for citizenship:

The South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has become host to the world’s first government to accept bitcoin in exchange for citizenship. Vanuatu’s citizenship program costs $200,000 USD, meaning that at current prices the residency program costs less than 41.5 bitcoins.

As Vanuatu is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the citizenship program grants visa-free travel to over 100 countries, including much of Europe.

Vanuatu

• Currency: Vanuatu vatu
• Capital: Port Vila

BANKING & BUSINESS

Odisha government department signs MOU with SBI:

The Odisha government’s Directorate of Treasuries and Inspection and the State Bank of India have signed an MOU for integration of SBI e-Pay with cyber treasury.

The MoU is a landmark initiative by the state government to facilitate revenue collection from citizens through digital banking platform, an official said.

The SBI e-Pay is the payment aggregator service wing of the bank which will facilitate on line payment of government dues by the customers of any public private sector banks by using the payment gateway of SBI.

Odisha

• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Chief Minister: Naveen patnaik
• Governor: C. Jamir

SBI

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman: Rajnish Kumar

APPOINTMENTS

Parliamentary panel to examine operational preparedness of armed forces:

A parliamentary panel will examine the operational preparedness of the armed forces and review the accidents involving strategic defence assets.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, headed by BJP MP B C Khanduri, will also assess the procurement policy relating to defence equipment.

AWARDS

Namita Gokhale bags Centenary National Award for Literature:

Eminent writer and India author Namita Gokhale has been nominated for the first Centenary National Award for Literature, to be conferred by one of the most prestigious literary bodies in India — the Asam Sahitya Sabha — for her outstanding literary contributions as well as her service to the nation in supporting and showcasing literary talent and creating a literary environment in the country.

The award will be conferred at a special function in Guwahati by Dhruba Jyoti Borah, President of the Asam Sahitya Sabha. This is also the first time that the Sabha will be honouring an English-language author.

Singer T M Krishna wins Indira Gandhi National Integration:

Carnatic vocalist T.M. Krishna will be conferred with the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2015-16.

The singer, who won the Ramon Magsaysay award for bringing “social inclusiveness in culture” in 2016, will be presented with the honour by Congress president Sonia Gandhi on October 31, Indira Gandhi’s death anniversary.

SPORTS

Federer beats Nadal in straight sets to win Shanghai Masters:

Roger Federer has defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets to win the Shanghai Masters title.

Mohun Bagan lift Governors Gold Cup for 10th time:

Mohun Bagan won the 37th All India Governor’s Gold Cup football tournament for the 10th time by defeating Partha Chakra by a narrow 1-0 margin.

In the final match played at Paljor Stadium, at Gangtok Mohun Bagan’s striker GA Kramah scored the lone goal in the seventh minute.

Kavita Devi becomes first Indian woman wrestler to sign with WWE:

Kavita Devi,a former competitive powerlifter, has become the first ever Indian woman to be signed by the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Jinder Mahal, the current WWE champion, confirmed the news in a special visit to New Delhi recently.

Maria Sharapova wins Tianjin Open:

Former World No.1 Maria Sharapova tasted singles championship triumph for the first time in over two years, defeating Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in a hard-hitting affair, to win the Tianjin Open.

Indian paddler Selena Selvakumar wins gold in Egypt:

India’s young paddler Selena Selvakumar put up an impressive show in the Junior Girls’ Team event to annex the 2017 Egypt Junior and Cadet Table-Tennis Open title.

HISTORIC EVENTS OF THE DAY

World Food Day: OCTOBER 16^TH 2017

FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October to commemorate the founding of the Organization in 1945. Events are organized in over 150 countries across the world, making it one of the most celebrated days of the UN calendar. These events promote worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure food security and nutritious diets for all.

2017: Change the future of migration. Invest in food security and rural development.

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