Current affy 2018 October Science and technology

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Russia Successfully Launched 1st Soyuz Rocket Since Failed Space Launch
Russia has successfully launched a Soyuz-2.1B rocket for the first time since the failure of a similar rocket aborted a manned take-off to the International Space Station (ISS).

Europe, Japan send spacecraft on 7-Year Journey to Mercury
European and Japanese space agencies stated that an Ariane 5 rocket successfully lifted a spacecraft carrying two probes into orbit for a joint mission to Mercury, the closest planet to the sun. The unmanned BepiColombo spacecraft successfully separated and was sent into orbit from French Guiana as planned to begin a seven-year journey to Mercury.

NASAs Chandra Observatory is back in action after brief shutdown
NASA’s Chandra X-ray telescope that suffered technical glitch is back online. Due to the glitch occurred in one of Chandra’s gyroscopes it went into safe mode. Chandra X-ray telescope observes galaxies from the Earth’s orbit. The team analyzed and completed plans to switch gyroscopes and place the gyroscope that experienced the glitch in reserve.

NASA’s Voyager 2 probe approaches Interstellar Space
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Voyager 2 probe is on its way outside the influence of the Sun and it could be close to interstellar space. Voyager 2 was launched. It has crossed the Kuiper Belt, an interstellar space beyond Pluto.

China successfully launches two remote sensing satellites
China successfully launched two remote sensing satellites belonging to the Yaogan-32 family by a Long March-2C rocket with an upper stage on its top, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China.

Successful night trial of Prithvi-II missile
India’s Strategic Forces Command successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile during night time as part of a user trial by the Army from a test range in Odisha. The surface-to-surface missile, which has a strike range of 350 km, was launched from a mobile launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near Balasore.

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Current affairs 2018 Sports and Games

SPORTS & GAMES 

Roger Federer won 99th career title in his Hometown
Swiss tennis star Roger Federer won his 99th career title after winning the Basel Open for the ninth time in his career. Federer, who was born in the Swiss city of Basel, won his fourth title of the year in the form of the Basel Open.

India & Pakistan declared joint winners of Asian Champions Trophy
In Men’s Hockey, India and Pakistan were declared joint winners of the Asian Champions Trophy at Muscat in Oman. The tournament director declared both teams as winners after the summit clash was called off due to heavy rain. Defending champions India, thus, ended the tournament unbeaten. Before this edition, both India and Pakistan had won the tournament twice each.

Sourav Kothari wins World Billiards Championship title
India’s Sourav Kothari defeated Peter Gilchrist of Singapore to clinch the 2018 WBL World Billiards Championship title. The former national and Asian Billiards champion was pipped at the post for the coveted World Billiards crown on two occasions in the last two years.

Wheelchair shuttler Sanjeev Kumar wins two gold medals
Wheelchair shuttler Sanjeev Kumar has won two gold medals and a bronze medal at the Denmark Open held in Odense, Denmark recently. anjeev Kumar is an international para shuttler from Punjab. He won a gold medal in the men’s singles event, a gold medal in the men’s doubles event, and a bronze medal in the mixed doubles event.

PV Sindhu regains World No. 2 spot in BWF rankings
Olympic and world championship silver medallist PV Sindhu has once again regained her World No. 2 status in the latest BWF rankings. She is behind Chinese Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying, who continues to dominate the rankings. Saina Nehwal gained 9th position. In the men’s singles, Kidambi Srikanth remained static at world no 6.

Pooja Dhanda wins Bronze in World Wrestling championships
In Wrestling World Championships, Pooja Dhanda won a bronze medal in the women’s freestyle 57kg weight class in Budapest, Hungary last night. Dhanda defeated Grace Bullen of Norway 10-7. This was India’s second medal at the 2018 Championships. Before Pooja, only three Indian women grapplers (Alka Tomar, Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat) had won a bronze medal each at the Worlds Championships.

Kohli becomes fastest to reach 10,000 Runs In History Of ODI Cricket
Virat Kohli scored his 37th ODI hundred, reaching the landmark in 116 fewer innings than Sachin Tendulkar. He scored his 37th ODI hundred in his 205th innings, while Sachin had reached the milestone in his 321st innings against Pakistan in 2004.

Sri Lankan Spinner Herath to retire after first England Test
Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath, the most successful left-arm spinner in test history, will retire after the series opener against England in Galle next month. Herath has taken 430 wickets in 92 tests and is 10th on the list of most successful bowlers in the five-day format. He has 34 five-wicket hauls and has taken 10 wickets or more on nine occasions.

Bajrang Punia bagged silver at Wrestling World Championships
Wrestler Bajrang Punia won the silver medal after he went down against Japan’s Takuto Otoguro in the 65kg final of the Wrestling World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. It is his second medal at the Worlds. Only the fourth Indian ever to make it to the World Championship gold medal match, 24-year-old Bajrang was rattled by the 19-year old Otoguro.

Marc Marquez wins 2018 MotoGP World Champion
Marc Marquez won the hard-fought battle with Andrea Dovizioso at Motegi to win Japanese Grand Prix. With this win, Repsol Honda rider Marquez clinched his seventh World Title and fifth Premier Class Title equaling the record of Mike Dohan.

Praveen Kumar announces retirement from all forms of Cricket
Medium pacer Praveen Kumar has decided to retire from all forms of cricket, calling time on his 13-year long career. Kumar, 32, played six Tests, 68 ODIs and 10 T20Is for India, picking up 112 wickets across the formats.

World Wrestling Championships-2018 begins at Budapest
World Wrestling Championship has begun in Budapest, Hungary. Asian Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia will be India’s best bet for a medal as a 30-member team seeks a strong performance in the flagship event. Already a bronze winner at the 2013 World Championship, Bajrang has come a long way in last five years, establishing himself as a force to reckon with in the 65-kilogram category.

India finishes with 16th in Youth Olympic Games
India’s campaign at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires ended with 13 medals (three gold medals, nine silvers and one bronze). This is India’s best medal haul at the Summer Youth Olympic Games. India had won 8 medals in 2010 and 2 in 2014.

Canelo Alvarez signs richest contract in Sports History, Worth $365 Million
Professional Boxer Canelo Alvarez has signed the largest contract in the history of sports, agreeing a five-year, 11-fight deal worth at least $365 million with streaming service DAZN. Under the deal, Alvarez will participate in 11 fights, starting December 2018. The previous richest contract was the 13-year, $325-million deal signed by New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton in 2014.

Akash Malik wins India’s Maiden Archery Silver at YOG
Akash Malik became India’s first silver-medallist in archery at the Youth Olympic Games, providing a fitting finale to the country’s best-ever campaign at the marquee event Buenos Aires.

Suraj Panwar wins India’s 1st Athletics Medal
Suraj Panwar won India’s first medal in athletics at the Youth Olympic Games 2018 after claiming the silver medal in the men’s 5000m race walk event Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 17-year-old’s silver was India’s third overall medal in athletics in the history of the Youth Olympic Games.

Indian Men’s & Women’s Hockey teams bag Silver medals at Youth Olympic Games
The Indian Under-18 men’s and womens Hockey team finished their 2018 Youth Olympic Games campaign with silver medals at Buenos Aires, Argentina. While the women suffered a heart-breaking 1-3 loss against hosts Argentina, the men were handed a 2-4 loss by Malaysia in their respective final of the Hockey 5s competition.

Shanghai Masters: Novak Djokovic beats Borna Coric
Novak Djokovic continued his superb form by beating Croatia’s Borna Coric in the final of the Shanghai Masters. Coric, the 13th seed, upset Roger Federer in semi-finals to reach his first Masters 1000 final.

Great Britain beats India to win Sultan Johar Cup Junior Hockey
In Hockey, Great Britain lifted the 2018 Sultan of Johor Cup. In Johor Bahru, Malaysia, Great Britain defeated India in the final. The other teams in the tournament were Japan, Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand. Great Britain, who finished runners-up last year, secured their second Sultan of Johor Cup title by virtue of this win.

Bajrang Punia first Indian to get seeded at world wrestling championship
Bajrang Punia has become the first Indian wrestler to get seeded at the World Championship that will be held in Budapest, Hungary. In the 65kg category of men’s freestyle event, Bajrang Punia has been seeded third, with 45 points in the ranking list released by United World Wrestling.

Manu Bhaker becomes second Indian to win two medals
Manu Bhaker becomes second Indian to win two medals .She bagged a silver medal after her gold medal finish in 10m air pistol event becoming only the second India after judoka Tababi Devi Thangjam to win two medals at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.

Former Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman retires from international cricket
Former Pakistan left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman announced his retirement from international cricket.Abdur Rehman is 38 years old. He made his debut at the age of 26. He has scored 99 wickets in 22 Tests. He has also taken 30 wickets in 31 one-days and 8 wickets in 11 Twenty20 internationals.

Archer Harvinder Singh clinches Seventh Gold for India
Archer Harvinder Singh notched up the men’s individual recurve gold, while track-and-field athletes added a silver and a bronze to India’s tally in the Asian Para-Games in Jakarta. Harvinder defeated China’s Zhao Lixue 6-0 in the W2/ST category final to claim the top honors and take India’s gold tally to seven.

Thangjam Tababi Devi Clinches India’s 1st Judo Medal
16 Year old Thangjam Tababi Devi became India’s first judo medallist at the Olympic level, claiming a silver at the ongoing Youth Games. She was defeated by Venezuela’s Maria Giminez in the finals of the women’s 44kg category in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tababi Devi hails from Manipur.

Caroline Wozniacki wins her 30th WTA singles title
Caroline Wozniacki won her 30th WTA singles title with victory over Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova in the China Open final in Beijing.The 28-year-old Wozniacki, who won her maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open at the start of this year, was imperious against the unseeded Sevastova, winning 6-3, 6-3. It is her second China Open crown as she also won it in 2010.

Former England batsman Nick Compton retires from cricket
Former England batsman Nick Compton announced his retirement from cricket. South Africa-born Compton played 16 Tests for England, scoring two hundred.

India’s Keerthana Pandian wins girls’ title in IBSF world U-16 Snooker championships
India’s Keerthana Pandian has won the girls’ title in the IBSF World Under-16 Snooker Championships. In the final in St Petersburg, Russia, Keerthana outclassed her Belarussian rival Albina Leschuk 3-1. It is the Indian girl’s maiden international crown. In the corresponding boys category, Ben Martens of Belgium won the title.

Lewis Hamilton wins the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix
Four-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the 2018 Japanese Grand Prix to take a 67-point lead over Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in the championship title race,who Secured Sixth Position.

Virat Kohli becomes fastest batsman to score 24 Test hundreds since Don Bradman
India captain Virat Kohli became the quickest batsman to reach 24 Test centuries after the great Donald Bradman early on day two against the West Indies. The Indian skipper also surpassed Australia’s Steve Smith to go second in the list of centurions among active players, behind South Africa’s Hashim Amla on 28.

Manipur clinch Women’s National Football Championship crown
Manipur claimed victory in the final of the 24th Senior Women’s National Football Championships, defeating hosts Odisha in the summit clash by a 2-1 margin in Cuttack. The result marked the 19th occasion that the state from the northeast of India won the trophy. The final held at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha.

Australia’s Mile Jedinak retires from International Football
Australian midfielder Mile Jedinak announced his retirement from international football, bringing the curtain down on a 79-cap career which included leading the Socceroos at two World Cups. The Aston Villa player led his country at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and this year’s tournament in Russia.

Central Information Commission brings BCCI under RTI Act
The Central Information Commission has pronounced the judgement that the BCCI comes under the jurisdiction of the RTI Act. As a result of the ruling, the board is now ‘answerable to the people of the country’.

Lewis Hamilton wins Russian Grand Prix
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix in Russia. This was Lewis Hamilton’s 70th career win. Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas finished in second position. He was followed by Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in third place.

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Current affairs 2018 October Awards and Honours

AWARDS & HONOURS 

Simona Halep becomes first recipient of Chris Evert WTA World No.1 Trophy
Simona Halep becomes first recipient of Chris Evert WTA World No.1 Trophy . She is the first recipient of the Chris Evert Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World No.1 Trophy, named after WTA’s first-ever world number one, Chris Evert.

Roopam Sharma wins World Health summit startup award in Berlin
Roopam Sharma, a 23-year old Indian scientist, won the World Health Summit Startup award, 2018 for his invention, Manovue – the world’s first intelligent personal assisting system for the visually impaired. Sharma was awarded at an annual event of the health summit in Berlin recently.

BEML received top challengers’ & best mining equipment seller award
Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), a Mini Ratna Public Sector Undertaking, under the Ministry of Defence, received the prestigious ‘Top Challengers Award 2018’ for the excellent performance during financial year 2017-18 and Best Seller in Crawler Equipment- Dozers and Rigid Dump Truck segment for mining sectors.

Asma Jahangir posthumously awarded UN Human Rights Prize
Late Pakistani human rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir was announced as one of the four winners of the 2018 UN Human Rights Prize. She became the fourth Pakistani woman to be awarded the UN Human Rights Prize.

Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony announced
The Tagore Award for Cultural Harmony for the years 2014, 2015 & 2016 is being conferred on the doyen of Manipuri dance Sh. Rajkumar Singhajit Singh (For 2014); Chhayanaut (a cultural organization of Bangladesh, for 2015) and on one of India’s greatest sculptors, Sh. Ram Vanji Sutar (for 2016). The chairman of the Jury was Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the jury comprised of the Chief Justice of India, Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

India wins CAPAM Award 2018
India has won the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) Award, 2018. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is an institutional member of CAPAM. The awards were announced at the Annual General Members Meet held at Georgetown, Guyana.

M.S. Swaminathan to be awarded World Agriculture Prize
Agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan will receive the first World Agriculture Prize instituted by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) in New Delhi. The prize will be presented by Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu at Vigyan Bhawan at a special session. The prize has been instituted by the ICFA with an aim to recognise individuals who have served humanity through agriculture.

PM Narendra Modi to be awarded the 2018 Seoul Peace Prize
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is conferred this award in recognition of his efforts to improve international cooperation, global economic growth, Human Development of people of India, economic growth in the world’s fastest growing large economy and development of democracy through anti-corruption and social integration efforts.

Invest India wins UN Investment Promotion award
The award was presented by Armenian President Armen Sarkissian to Deepak Bagla, the CEO of Invest India, in Geneva, Switzerland. The Awards have been given annually since 2002 as part of UNCTAD’s investment promotion and facilitation programme.

Ustad Chand Khan Lifetime Achievement award for Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
Grammy-winning Hindustani classical music instrumentalist Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt will be honoured with the annual Ustad Chand Khan Lifetime Achievement Award. Best known for his Grammy award winning album ‘A Meeting by the River’ with Ry Cooder, Bhatt, born in Jaipur, plays the Mohan Veena (slide guitar).

US-based Dalit writer Sujatha Gidla wins 2018 Shakti Bhatt Prize
US-based Dalit writer Sujatha Gidla (55) has won 2018 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize for her debut book “Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India”. Her book was shortlisted by award panel from of other six contestants.

PM announces award in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s name
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an annual award in the name of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose for police and paramilitary forces for commendable contributions in disaster relief operations. He announced this while dedicating the National Police Memorial to the nation in New Delhi on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day.

Indian-Origin Woman wins top US honour for combatting sex slavery
Minal Patel Davis won the US’ Presidential Medal for her work against sex slavery and labour exploitation at a White House ceremony attended by President Donald Trump. Davis is Special Adviser on Human Trafficking to Houston Mayor.

Piyush Goyal receives Carnot prize
Union Minister for Railways, Coal and Corporate Affairs Piyush Goyal received the prestigious Carnot prize for his contribution towards sustainable energy solutions. The former power minister will be awarded by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.

Wildlife Photographer of the year 2018 Bagged by Marsel Van Oosten
Dutch photographer Marsel van Oosten won the grand title with his photo of critically endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys in China. With this photo titled ‘The Golden Couple’ Dutch photographer Marsel van Oosten has won Wildlife Photographer of the Year, awarded by London’s Natural History Museum.

Suheil Tandon wins International Olympic committee award
Social Entrepreneur Suheil F. Tandon has won the International Olympic Committee’s Sport and Active Society Commission Grant Award for his contribution to sports development. Suheil is the Founder of Pro Sport Development (PSD) and Executive Director of Martha Farrell Foundation.

Arshdeep Singh wins top Wildlife Photo award in junior category
Arshdeep Singh, a 10-year-old boy from Punjab, has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in 10 Years and Under category given by UK’s Natural History Museum. He won the award for the picture titled ‘Pipe Owls’, which showed two spotted owlets sitting inside an old waste-pipe in Punjab’s Kapurthala. Arshdeep has been taking photographs since he was six.

Northern Irish Author Anna Burns wins 2018′s Man Booker Prize
Milkman” by writer Anna Burns scooped the 2018 Man Booker Prize, with the Northern Irish writer winning the literary award for her third full-length novel. Set in an unnamed city during the bloody “Troubles” of Northern Ireland, the ‘Milkman’ tells the coming-of-age story of a young girl’s affair with an older man.

H M Pernal gets Vishwa Konkani book award
World Konkani Centre announced that writer, journalist and critic, H M Pernal bagged the prestigious ‘Vimala V Pai Vishwa’ Konkani best book award for the year 2018. He was conferred this award for ‘Beeg Ani Beegath’, a collection of short stories in Konkani.

Prema Gopalan wins Social Entrepreneur of the Year award 2018
Prema Gopalan was presented the 8th Social Entrepreneur of the Year award (SEOY) 2018, by Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, in New Delhi. Prema Gopalan was awarded for her work in promoting women’s entrepreneurship and rural livelihood. She is the founder of Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP).

Khayyam named for Hridaynath award for lifetime achievement
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 at a function in Mumbai.

Sikkim wins FAO’s Future Policy award 2018
Sikkim was awarded UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Future Policy Gold Award (Gold Prize) for its achievement in becoming the world’s first totally organic agriculture state. Sikkim beat out 51 other nominees from around the world for the award. Policies from Brazil, Denmark and Quito (Ecuador) were jointly Silver Awards.

Maryse Conde wins alternative Nobel Literature Prize
Guadeloupean author Maryse Conde (81) was awarded New Academy Prize in Literature, an alternative award formed in protest to Nobel Literature Prize. She was selected from 47 authors who were nominated by Swedish librarians and voted on by nearly 33,000 people from around the world.

Indus Towers wins Deming Prize for 2018
Indus Towers, world’s largest telecom tower company (outside China), won the Deming Prize for 2018, being the first Indian company in the service sector and the fifth in the world to achieve this. The Deming Prize was bestowed on Indus Towers for distinctive performance improvements through the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices.

ESIC Wins ‘ISSA GOOD Practice award, Asia & The Pacific 2018
The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation has won the ‘ISSA Good Practice Award’ for Administrative Solution for Coverage Extension at the ”Regional Social Security Forum for Asia and the Pacific” held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently. Director General of ESIC Raj Kumar represented the Corporation and received the Certificate of Merit on behalf of ESIC.

Nobel Prize in economics awarded to William Nordhaus and Paul Romer
American economists William Nordhaus and Paul Romer have been awarded the Economics Nobel Prize 2018 for their work on understanding how economies can grow sustainably. Nordhaus, a professor at Yale University, is best known for his work on climate economics.

Nobel laureates Nadia, Mukwege nominated for Mother Teresa award-2018
Anti-rape campaigners Nadia Murad and Dr Denis Mukwege, who were declared as the Nobel Peace Prize winners for 2018, have been nominated for this year’s ‘Mother Teresa Memorial Award’. In the past, Nobel laureates who were among those nominated ‘Mother Teresa Memorial Award’.

Nobel peace prize goes to campaigners against sexual violence
The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to a Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and an Iraqi woman Nadia Murad for their efforts to end sexual violence as a weapon of war.

South Sudanese surgeon to receive 2018 Nansen Refugee award
Evan Atar Adha, a surgeon who runs a remote hospital in South Sudan, received the prestigious 2018 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. He was chosen for his 20-year commitment to providing medical services to people forced to flee conflict and persecution in Sudan and South Sudan.

Nobel Prize in Physics goes to Arthur Ashkin, Gerard Mourou & Donna Strickland
American scientist Arthur Ashkin, French engineer Gerard Mourou and Canadian professor Donna Strickland have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in the field of laser physics. Dr. Ashkin has been awarded the Prize for the optical tweezers and their application to biological systems. Dr. Mourou & Dr. Strickland have been awarded ‘for their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses.

Nobel Prize for Medicine goes to cancer researchers from US, Japan
James P. Allison of the US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their pioneering work in the fight against cancer. The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute recognised the pair for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.

Entrepreneur Chiranjiv Patel wins Business World’s ’40 Under 40′ title
Prominent entrepreneur Chiranjiv Patel has bagged the prestigious “BW 40 under 40″ award in BW Business World’s second edition of 40 Under 40 awards held in Gurgaon.

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Current affairs 2018 October States

STATES 

Kerala the best State for teenage girls in India: Report
Kerala tops the TAG index which compares the performance of each State based on the status of their teenage girls, as a part of the survey findings of The Teen Age Girls (TAG) Report, conducted by Project Nanhi Kali. Compiled and published by the Naandi Foundation, with grant support from Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, this report is touted as the nation’s first report on what it means to be a teenage girl in India.

Shimla is to be renamed as Shyamala
BJP-ruled Himachal Pradesh government is considering a proposal to rename state capital Shimla to Shyamala. The demand was made by right-wing Hindu groups as part of efforts to remove symbols of British rule. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that his government will seek public opinion on the demand for Shimla’s renaming.

Bihar’s Shahi litchi gets GI tag
After Katrani rice, Jardalu mango and Magahi paan, Bihars Shahi litchi has got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag and has become an exclusive brand in the national and international market. The famous Shahi litchi, which is famous for its sweet, juicy, unique flavour and aroma, is mostly grown in Muzaffarpur and neighbouring districts including East Champaran, Vaishali, Samastipur and Begusarai.

Allahabad to be renamed Prayagraj very soon
Ahead of the Kumbh Mela next year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced that very soon Allahabad district will be renamed Prayagraj. Akhada Parishad and others regarding changing the name of Allahabad district. UP Governor Ram Naik has also given his consent to the proposal.

Niwari inducted as the 52nd district of MP
The state Cabinet of Madhya Pradesh approved the proposal of induction of Niwari district in the state. It became the 52nd district of the state. IAS officer Akshay Kumar Singh has been appointed as the first interim District Collector of the district.

Maharashtra tops list of states with maximum average AUM: AMFI
According to Association of Mutual Funds of India’s (AMFI) statistics, Maharashtra tops the chart for state with the maximum penetration and Assets Under Management (AUM). Also, as per August, average assets under management (AUM) of mutual funds rose to an all-time high of Rs 25.2 lakh crore across the country.

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Current affairs 2018 October National

INDIA & WORLD

 India ranked 28th among 73 countries in govt e-payment adoption

The Government E-Payments Adoption Ranking (GEAR), compiled by The Economist Intelligence Unit commissioned by payments company Visa ranked India as 28th country to progress in the digital transformation journey.

  NATIONAL

 India becomes second largest solar market: MERCOM

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 the calendar year 2018 according to a report by Mercom Communications India. According to the report, China topped the list.

India has most outward migrants in 2017: ADB Report
Most of the international migrants in 2017 were from India, followed by China and Bangladesh, according to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report titled ‘Asian Economic Integration Report 2018′. As per the report, as many as one-third of international migrants were from Asia in 2017. India had the most outward migrants in 2017 (17 million), followed by China (10 million) and Bangladesh (7.5 million).

India’s longest river bridge to be built on Brahmaputra river in Assam
It was announced that India’s longest river bridge will be built across the Brahmaputra, connecting Dhubri in Assamto Phulbari in Meghalaya, by 2026-27. It will be a 19.3 km, four-lane bridge that will cut road travel by 203 km. The new bridge will complete the missing link of NH127B from Assam to Meghalaya.

India ranked 9th most valuable Nation Brand
India has secured ninth rank out of top 50 valuable national brands, according to a report titled ‘Nation Brands 2018’ released by Brand Finance, a leading brand valuation and strategy consultancy. India was ranked 8th in last year’s report but slipped by a spot to the 9th rank, despite its brand value rose by 5%.

India’s Highest Tricolour Unfurled at Haj House in Mumbai
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi unfurled India’s highest tricolour on the terrace of the majestic Haj House in Mumbai. The national flag measured 20×30 feet and stood 350 feet above the ground level.

India’s 1st Cryptocurrency ATM installed in Bengaluru
An ATM for deposit and withdrawal of money for cryptocurrencies has been installed in Bengaluru’s Kemp Fort Mall by virtual currency exchange Unocoin. Users can deposit money to buy currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum using an OTP received on their registered numbers. In order to withdraw money, a request has to be first made on the Unocoin website.

Centre to provide Rs 7.8 Crore Textile Tourism Complex in Meghalaya
Minister of State for Textiles, Ajay Tamta has stated that the Ministry will release 7.8 crore rupees for the construction of a textile tourism complex in Nongpoh, Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. The Union Minister visited different weaving centers in Shillong. The NBCC has completed construction of an apparel center worth 14 crores rupees in the State.

Delhi, Moscow sign twin-city agreement
Delhi government signed a twin-city agreement with the government of Moscow for cooperation in various fields like environment, culture and education, for the next 3 years. The agreement was signed by Minister of the Moscow City government and head of its international relations Sergey Cheremin and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

India ranks 147th in Oxfam world inequality index
India has been ranked among the bottom 10 countries in a new worldwide indexon the commitment of different nations to reduce inequalities in their populations. UK-based charity Oxfam International’s ‘Commitment to Reducing Inequality (CRI) Index’ ranks India 147th among 157 countries.

India Post honors Narayan Seva Sansthan with new postal stamp
The Indian postal services honoured the Narayan Seva Sansthan, the Udaipur-based non-profit organisation, by launching their postal stamps. The stamp of Rs 5 includes the official logo of the Narayan Seva Sansthan in bright colours along with the picture of NGO’s Polio Hospital which is situated in Udaipur.

21 IORA Countries adopt Delhi declaration on Renewable Energy
As many as 21 countries in the Indian Ocean Rim Association, IORA, adopted the Delhi Declaration on Renewable Energy in the Indian Ocean Region. These nations adopted the Delhi Declaration post the second IORA Renewable Energy Ministerial Meeting held in Greater Noida, near Delhi.

India & ADB Sign $240 Million Loan for 3 WB Districts
Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed $240 million loan for providing safe and sustainable drinking water to about 1.65 million people in three districts of the state of West Bengal affected by arsenic, fluoride, and salinity.

Kolkata gets India’s 1st comprehensive city-level flood forecasting & warning system
Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) launched a Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System (FFEWS) for Kolkata City. It is also India’s first comprehensive city-level FFEWS.

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Current affairs 2018 October International

INTERNATIONAL

Angela Merkel to step down as German chancellor in 2021
Germany’s Angela Merkel has said she will step down as chancellor in 2021, following recent election setbacks. She also said she would not seek re-election as leader of the centre-right CDU party in December. She has held the post since 2000.

Higgins re-elected Irish President again
Michael D Higgins has been re-elected Irish president after winning a landslide victory with 8,22,566 votes. The 77-year-old professor and campaigner will serve his second term after first being elected in 2011. Mr Higgins is Ireland’s ninth president.

Jair Bolsonaro wins presidential election in Brazil
Far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro has won a sweeping victory in Brazil’s presidential election. Mr. Bolsonaro won 55.2% of the votes cast against 44.8% for Fernando Haddad from the left-wing Workers’ Party. Mr. Bolsonaro campaigned on a promise to eradicate corruption and to drive down Brazil’s high crime levels. His campaign slogan was ‘Brazil above everything, God above everyone’.

World’s largest airport ‘under one roof’ to open in Istanbul
The world’s largest airport terminal “under one roof” with a capacity to serve 90 million passengers will be officially opened in Istanbul, Turkey. Dubbed as phase-1A of the project Istanbul New Airport will have a capacity to handle 90 million passenger per year, making it the largest such facility in the world.

Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new PM
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe, incumbent prime minister of Sri Lanka and appointed former President Mahinda Rajapaksha as new Prime Minister. In recent times, the politics of Sri Lanka is in turmoil because of the tension between President Sirisena and PM Vikramasinghe.

India to become world’s 3rd largest aviation market: IATA
International Air Transport Association (IATA) stated that, India will become the world’s 3rd largest aviation market around 2024 surpassing the United Kingdom. India is at present, the world’s 7th largest aviation market. By 2037, out of 572 million new passengers in the world, India will account for 414 million passengers.

Iraq PM Adel Abdul Mahdi sworn in
Iraq’s new Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi was sworn in but could not announce the full cabinet after legislators failed to reach a consensus on key postings. Abdul Mahdi was initially expected to nominate a full 22-member cabinet, including the defence and interior ministers. Under Iraq’s constitution, Shia, Sunnis, Kurds and other minorities must all be represented in cabinet.

Paul Biya wins 7th term as President of Cameroon
Paul Biya, won the 7th term as President of Cameroon. Paul Biya has been ruling Cameroon since 1982. He is 85 years old. He had won 71.3 % of the ballot in the presidential election. His rival Maurice Kamto came second with 14.2 % of the vote.

Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa to form new government in Bhutan
The Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) will form new government in Bhutan. The party has won 30 seats in 47 member National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament. The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) has got remaining 17 seats. The Election Commission of Bhutan has formally announced the results of the parliamentary elections.

Maeen Abdulmalik sworn in as Yemen’s new PM
Yemen’s newly appointed Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik was sworn in to lead the internationally-backed government in the war-torn Arab country. Maeen was appointed as Prime Minister by Yemen’s President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi earlier this week, replacing his sacked predecessor Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr.

Global Competitiveness Report 2018: India Ranks 58th, US Top
The World Economic Forum released the Global Competitiveness Report 2018. According to the report, India has jumped five spots to become the 58th most competitive economy on the Global Competitiveness Index 2018 (GCI 4.0). India witnessed the largest gain among the G20 nations. The index covers 140 nations and it measures national competitiveness.

India is the world’s most depressed country, closely followed by China and the US
According to a World Health Organization report, India is the world’s most depressed country, closely followed by China and the US. Also according to the 2015-16 National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) implemented by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, every sixth person in India needs mental health help.

Global Hunger Index 2018: Belarus tops, India Ranks 103rd
The 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI) indicates that the level of hunger and undernutrition worldwide falls into the serious category, at a value of 20.9, down from 29.2 in 2000. As per the index, India was ranked 103rd out of 119 qualifying countries.

India elected to UNHRC securing maximum votes
India has been elected to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council with the highest vote among all candidates. It secured 188 votes in the Asia-Pacific category for a period of three years. India’s win with the highest number of votes reflects the country’s standing in the international comity.

Malaysian Government Abolishes Capital Punishment
In Malaysia, the cabinet decided to abolish the death penalty. Communications and multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo stated that the government decided to scrap capital punishment following strong domestic opposition to the practice. Capital punishment in Malaysia is currently mandatory for murder, kidnapping, possession of firearms and drug trafficking, among other crimes.

Singapore ranks first in World Bank Human Capital Index
Singapore has emerged as the top among the 157 countries and territories in the inaugural World Bank Human Capital Index (HCI), which measures the human capital that a child born today can expect to attain by the age of 18. The index defines human capital as the knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate over their lives.

Japanese Passport named as the World’s most powerful Passport
Replacing the Singaporean passport, the Japanese passport has been declared the most powerful passport across the world in 2018. According to 2018 Henley Passport Index, the people having Japanese passport can travel without a visa or can get an on-arrival visa across 190 countries.

Interpol chief resigns amid detention in China
Meng Hongwei resigned as the President of International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). Meng Hongwei is from China. He has resigned after he was detained in China and having been kept under probe for alleged involvement in criminal activities.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 1st Person to Lose Honorary Canadian Citizenship
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi became the first person to be stripped of the honorary Canadian citizenship for her role in gross human rights violations against the Rohingya people. The Canadian Senate formally revoked the symbolic honour that was bestowed on Suu Kyi in 2007. Senators unanimously adopted a genocide motion tabled by Independent Senator Ratna Omidvar in the red chamber.

Kurdish moderate Barham Salih elected Iraq president
Moderate Kurdish candidate Barham Salih swept to the post of president of Iraq with a resounding victory in a parliamentary vote. Saleh routed his main rival Fuad Hussein with 219 votes to 22. Saleh immediately named Adel Abdul Mahdi prime minister-designate.

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