DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: OCTOBER 16, 2018

Daily Current Affairs ( Oct 16, 2018) like many other sections is inevitable and this also helps to score in the Banking awareness , Static GK and Financial Awareness sections. Remember, Banking Awareness and Static Awareness Questions are asked from the General Awareness section. This will also help you to ride your preparations for the forthcoming exams.

NATIONAL

Government lays foundation stone for Prime Ministers’ Museum at Teen Murti Estate

The Minister of state for culture, Mahesh Sharma and Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri jointly laid the foundation stone for proposed Museum on Prime Ministers of India at Teen Murti Estate, New Delhi. The proposed Museum will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 271 crore.

The new museum will have the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) at the Teen Murti Estate. The Teen Murti Estate is the official residence of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The proposed Museum is dedicated to all the Prime Ministers of India and is envisaged to give visitors a holistic understanding of the continued thread of leadership.


India International Silk Fair began in New Delhi

The Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated the 6th edition of India International Silk Fair (IISF) in New Delhi.

India is the 2nd largest producer of silk in the world. The silk industry is agriculture based and labour intensive and provides gainful employment to around 8 million artisans and weavers in rural areas.

It is organised by the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council (ISEPC) at Pragati Maidan. Over 108 exhibitors of silk and blended silk products manufactured in different parts of the country will display their produce during the three-day event.


India becomes second largest solar market; installs 4.9 GW in H1

India installed 4.9 GW of solar power, consolidating its position as the second largest solar market in the world, during the first half of calendar year 2018. The country was ranked second, following China during the January-June period, according to a report by Mercom Communications India.

Adani remained the largest project developer in terms of total cumulative installations and top installer in terms of capacity installed through the end of the first half.

There are around 70 large-scale project developers with a pipeline of 5 MW or more in India. ReNew Power had the largest project pipeline.


First India-US tri-services exercise to be held in 2019

The first Indo-US tri-services exercise would take place next year and talks are on to include the Special Forces of two countries in the drill

The three forces of India and the US already take part in bilateral exercises separately — their armies participate in an annual drill called Yudh Abyaas, the air forces take part in a bilateral drill called Cope India and the navies participate in an exercise in Malabar, involving Japan.

But this will be the first time the three services of the India and the US will participate in a drill together. The first one will be in India, and it will take place in 2019.


Food Security Scheme – Khadya Sathi by West Bengal

The West Bengal government has ensured food security to more than 85 million people of the state under the ‘Khadya Sathi’ scheme.

Special assistance is also being given to the people of Jangalmahal and Hill areas besides Aila-affected areas and farmers of Singur, tea garden workers as well as the Toto tribe.

It has implemented on behalf of World Food Day.


DRDO dedicates a website to APJ Abdul Kalam

The Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has dedicated a DRDO website -‘The Kalam Vision – Dare to Dream’ – to former president and ‘Missile Man’ Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

The website was launched on the 87th birth anniversary of the former president and it focuses on subjects such as artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous systems and cyber security.  Kalam’s birthday is on 15 October.


INTERNATIONAL

India,China launches First joint programme for Afghanistan to train its diplomats’

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the first India-China Joint Training Programme for Afghan Diplomats will be held in october. Such cooperation is the first by the two nations.

Note: India, on the other hand, has invested billions of dollars in economic projects and training of military officers to strengthen the Afghan government in its fight against the Taliban.

Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan: Vinay Kumar


BANKING AND ECONOMY

Kreditech gets NBFC licence

Kreditech has been licensed by the RBI to operate as an NBFC with the first-of-its-kind licence in the Indian financial history for digital lending business and app-based financing.

Kreditech’s product suite for India will offer individualised direct-to-consumer loans as well as its Lending-as-a-Service Solution for vendors, which allows partners to offer customised credit products to their customers.

They offers loans to individuals based on their creditworthiness which is analyzed using their online data instead of using traditional credit rating information.

Kreditech

Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany


APPOINTMENTS

BankBazaar appoints former RBI Deputy Governor Mundra as advisor

The Online financial services marketplace BankBazaar has appointed former RBI Deputy Governor S S Mundra as an advisor to the company.

Mundra’s expertise will help in driving 100 percent paperless and presence-less financing by the company in India.

Mundra was a deputy governor at the RBI for three years till July 2017.

BankBazaar is the chennai based world’s first neutral online marketplace for instant customised rate quotes on loans and credit cards.


AWARDS AND HONOURS

Khayyam named for Hridaynath Award for lifetime achievement

The National Award winning music director Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, famous as ‘Khayyam’, has been named for this year’s Hridaynath Award for Lifetime Achievement

Instituted by the Hridayesh Arts, the award carries a cash prize of Rs 100,000 and a memento and shall be conferred by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

He started his music career in Ludhiana in 1943 at the age of 17. Later, the Padma Bhushan awardee teamed up as Sharma of the music-director duo ‘Sharmaji-Varmaji’ to compose music for films like “Heer Ranjha” (1948) and others.


Prema Gopalan wins Social Entrepreneur of the Year award 2018

The India Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 is Prema Gopalan of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP).

Prema Gopalan was honoured for her work in empowering women in rural areas to be entrepreneurs, participate in local governance and serve as resilient leaders, particularly on climate change

Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog, Government of India, announced the winner.


SPORTS

Novak Djokovic wins Shanghai Masters 2018

Novak Djokovic beat Croatia’s Borna Coric in the final of the Shanghai Masters to clinch the title.

The Serbian Djokovic has won 18 consecutive matches since losing at the Rogers Cup on 10 August, and will replace Federer as world number two.

Djokovic won his 26th straight set to clinch his fourth title of 2018 and go just 35 points behind Rafael Nadal in the ATP Race for London.


IMPORTANT DAYS

World Food Day – October 16

World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945.

Theme 2018: Our Actions are Our Future


Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas – October 15

Mahila Kisan Diwas is being celebrated to increase the active participation of women in agriculture.

Women farmers, entrepreneurs, farming organizations, agricultural scientists and researchers from different states will participate in the event.

In 2016, the Ministry had decided to observe 15th of October as Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas. Women are contributing in various aspects of agriculture including sowing, planting, fertilizing, plant protection, harvesting, weeding, and storage.


World Students’ Day – October 15

World Students’ Day is an marks the birthday of A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. It is observed on Kalam’s birthday, 15 October.

In 2015 the United Nations declared 15 October “World Students’ Day”.

In 1981, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan and in 1990, the Padma Vibhushan. He was later awarded the Bharat Ratna for his contributions to research, the field of science as well as his work with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Defence Research and development Organisation (DRDO).


OBITUARY

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen passes away

Paul G. Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with his childhood friend Bill Gates before becoming a billionaire philanthropist who invested in conservation, space travel, arts and culture and professional sports has passed away.

Allen ranked among the world’s wealthiest individuals. He was ranked 44th on Forbes’ 2018 list of billionaires with an estimated net worth of more than $20 billion.


CLICK HERE TO ATTEND DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUIZ: OCT 16, 2018


CLICK HERE TO REVISE

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: OCTOBER 14&15, 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: OCTOBER 13, 2018

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS: OCTOBER 12, 2018