Daily GK OCTOBER 2015 51 TO 100 -- BANKERS ADDA,COM

51. Union Cabinet approved Protocol on Double Taxation Avoidance with Israel and Vietnam

i. The Union Cabinet on 7 October 2015 approved the Protocol between India and Israel and between Indian and Vietnam for avoidance of double taxation and for prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital.

ii. The Protocol with both the countries provides for internationally accepted standards for effective exchange of information on tax matters including bank information and information without domestic tax interest.

iii. With this, the information received from Israel and Vietnam in respect of a resident of India can be shared with other law enforcement agencies with authorisation of the Competent Authority of both the countries and vice versa.

iv. Besides, the Protocol with Israel also provides for Limitation of Benefits Article as an anti-abuse provision aimed at preventing misuse of the Convention. The provisions of this Article enable use of the provisions of domestic law and measures concerning tax avoidance or evasion in the event of misuse of the Convention.

v. The existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) between Indian and Israel was signed in 1996 and between India and Vietnam was signed in 1994.

vi. Both the countries concurred with India to update Article 27 on the Exchange of Information in DTAC signed with India to meet internationally accepted standards and added a new Article on Assistance in the Collection of taxes.

52. Union Cabinet approved setting up of three AllMS under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna

i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7 October 2015 approved the setting up of three new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AllMS) under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY).

ii. These three new AIIMS will come up at Nagpur in Maharashtra, at Manglagiri in Andhra Pradesh and at Kalyani in West Bengal. All the three AIIMS will cost 4949 crore rupees to the exchequer with AIIMS at Manglagiri costing 1618 crore rupees, at Nagpur costing 1577 crore rupees and at Kalyani costing 1754 crore rupees respectively.

iii. These AIIMS will be established as institutes of national importance for providing quality medical education, nursing education and also to provide tertiary healthcare facilities to the people of these locations.

iv. Further, the proposed institution will have a hospital with capacity of 960 beds. In addition, these will also have an AYUSH block, nursing college, hostel and residential facilities among others.

v. Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY) launched in 2006, so far six AIIMS have been made functional. Also construction of AIIMS, Rae Barely is under progress.

vi. The AIIMS which have become functional are at Patna (Bihar), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and Rishikesh (Utaranchal).

53. CCEA approved World Bank assisted National Watershed Management project Neeranchal

i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 7 October 2015 approved implementation of the World Bank assisted National Watershed Management Project Neeranchal with a total outlay 2142.30 crore rupees.

ii. The project will be implemented at the national level as well as in the nine states of Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. The government’s share in the project is 50 percent and the rest cost will be borne by the World Bank.

iii. The project aims at achieving the major objectives of the Watershed Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY) and for ensuring access to irrigation to every farm (Har Khet Ko Pani) and efficient use of water (Per Drop More Crop).

iv. The Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) was launched in 2009-2010 by the integration of various area development programmes of the Department of Land Resources (DoLR), including the Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), the Desert Development Programme (DDP) and the Integrated Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP). However, the IWMP will be implemented as the Watershed Component of PMKSY from 2015-2016 onwards.

54. Union Cabinet approved construction of National War Memorial in Delhi

i. The Union Cabinet on 7 October 2015 approved the construction of National War Memorial and a National War Museum at Princess Park near India Gate, Delhi in memory of all Indian soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice for the country post-independence.

ii. The estimated cost of the project will be around 500 crore rupees and the total time for completion of the entire project is estimated to be five years.

iii. This prestigious project will be monitored by an empowered Steering Committee chaired by Defence Secretary and assisted by a dedicated project management team, to ensure that the proposed project is completed within scheduled time frame.

iv. The memorial will promote a sense of patriotism in the minds of visitors, and will award an opportunity to citizens of this vast nation, to express their token sense of gratitude to the brave soldiers. The museum will capture these poignant moments in history and bring out the variegated nature of soldier's commitments.

55. Cyclist Deborah Herold became first-ever Indian to win five medals at Taiwan Cup

i. Indian cyclist Deborah Herold in the first week of October 2015 bagged one gold, three silver and one bronze medal at the 2015 Taiwan Cup held at the Hsin Chu Velodrome, Hsin-Chu city in Taiwan. With this, she became the first ever Indian cyclist to win in women's elite section.

ii. Deborah fetched the gold medal in Taiwan Cup Track International Classic I by defeating the Malaysian top rider. On the other hand, she ended on second place in the keirin event and 500m time trial.

iii. In November 2014, the Indian cyclist had won four gold medals at the Track Asia Cup Cycling Championship 2014.

iv. 20-year-old Deborah is a tribal girl from Andaman and Nicobar Islands who survived the 2004 Tsunami that devastated the islands. She was trained at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Andaman and emerged as one of the rising stars of Indian cycling.

56. ICICI Bank Launches mVisa Electronic Cardless Transactions for Pockets App

i. The ICICI Bank on Thursday launched a service enabling customers to make electronic payments from their smartphones at physical stores, e-commerce portals, radio taxis and utility billers, among others, without swiping a debit card.

ii. The service is based on 'mVisa', a new mobile payment solution from Visa. ICICI Bank, India's largest private bank, is the first bank globally to launch a mobile app based on 'mVisa' solution for consumers and merchants.

iii. The service has been introduced for its customers in Bengaluru only with 1,500 merchants brought under the fold of mobile electronic payments. The service will be rolled out in other cities shortly.

iv. The process involves scanning a Quick Response code at a merchant location without swiping the card.

57. China launched the first phase of China International Payment System

i. China on 8 October 2015 launched the first phase of China International Payment System (CIPS), a milestone in bolstering Yuan’s global usage and furthering cross-border clearing of its currency from the Chinese mainland instead of offshore centres abroad.

ii. The launch of the CIPS was expected to boost the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ) launched in 2013 as a test bed for new reforms.

iii. Developed and administered by the People's Bank of China, CIPS enables market participants outside China to clear Yuan transactions with their Chinese counterparts directly from 9 am to 8 pm.

iv. The CIPS provides capital settlement and clearing services for cross-border Yuan transactions for financial institutions domestically and abroad.

v. It will enhance efficiency and increase global use of the Chinese currency. CIPS will help shore up China’s real economy and promoting the going abroad strategy of domestic enterprises.

vi. Previously, cross-border Yuan clearing was done either through one of the offshore Yuan clearing banks in places like Hong Kong, Singapore and London, or else with the help of a corresponding bank on the Chinese mainland.

58. Nobel Peace Prize 2015 awarded to Tunisian mediator group

i. Four Tunisian civil society groups have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their contribution to the country’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. The Nobel panel described its award to the National Dialogue Quartet on Friday as an “encouragement to the Tunisian people” that showed the value of dialogue in a region riven by conflict.

i. Responsible for drafting a political "road map" that is seen as having saved the country from crisis in October 2013, the broad-based quartet cleared the way for the country to establish its first democratic constitution and hold elections late last year.

iii. While Tunisia’s transition has been less violent than that of Libya and Egypt, it has been marred by occasional violence, notably from Islamic extremists. In June, an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-inspired gunman killed 38 people in the popular tourist resourt of Sousse.

iv. Most were British tourists. Two months earlier, 22 people were shot dead by Islamist gunmen in the country's national museum in Tunis.

59. Indo-China Joint Military Exercise Hand-In-Hand 2015

i. India-China Joint Military Training Exercise HAND-IN-HAND 2015 will be conducted at Kunming Military Academy of Yunnan province in China from 12 to 23 October 2015. It will be the fifth joint military exercise in the Hand-in-Hand series between armies of both countries which had started in 2007.

ii. Broaden and strengthen interoperability and cooperation between armies of both countries as well as complement a number of other exchanges between the two forces.

iii. This edition of exercise will lay emphasis on joint handling of insurgency at sub-unit level and related issues. It will also cover aspect of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief at formation headquarters level.

iv. The curriculum of exercise has been planned progressively in order to make participants to get familiar with each other’s organisational structure, weapons, equipment and tactical drills.

60. World Egg Day observed on 9 October 2015

i. World Egg Day was observed on 9 October 2015 as it is being celebrated every year on second Friday of October as per the directives of International Egg Commission.

ii. Celebration of this day gives a unique opportunity to help propagate the nutritive value of eggs in human nutrition. It also helps in increasing egg consumption, which is the main source of protein.

iii. On this day to promote awareness about the nutritional value of the egg, National Egg Co-ordination Committee (NECC) is conducting several programmes and campaign.

iv. Union government has decided to celebrate the day in four places in the country, Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh).

v. The egg white consists primarily of water (87 per cent) and protein (13 per cent) along with all the essential amino acids in the right ratios. Eggs also contain decent amounts of vitamins, phosphorus, calcium, selenium, folate and zinc. The unique shell egg makes it only farm product that cannot be adulterated.

61. Music composer AR Rahman named as Cultural Ambassador of Seychelles

i. Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman was on 8 October 2015 named as the Cultural Ambassador of Seychelles for his contribution in enhancing the country’s Art and Culture Development.

ii. One of the most globally popular Indian music icons, Rahman has won two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe, besides national recognition in his illustrious career.

iii. Despite of all these awards, Rahman will also receive the fifth Hridaynath Mangeshkar award 2015 on 26 October 2015 by veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai on the birth anniversary of Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar, the late younger brother of legendary playback singers Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.

62. Future Group partners Patanjali Ayurveda

i. Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved announced a tie-up with the Future Group on Friday under which its products will be available at the Big Bazaar, KB’s and EasyDay outlets.

ii. The inspiration to go in for the partnership with the swadeshi firm to offer its wide-range of products, said Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani at the launch, came from the tie-up between the U.S. retail giant Walmart and FMCG firm P&G. Within the next 20 months, we expect to jointly do business worth Rs.1,000 crore, Mr. Biyani announced.

iii. A recent report by the global brokerage house, CLSA, put Patanjali ahead of major Indian FMCG companies, Emami and Jyothy Labs. Patanjali, the report said, is perhaps the fastest growing fast moving consumer company in India with revenues in excess of Rs.2,500 crore for 2014-15.

iv. The pipeline of new launches includes Patanjali Noodles to take advantage of the market opened up following the forced withdrawal of Nestle’s Maggi. Also on the cards are pasta, oats, juices, powdered hair dye and muesli.

63. N. Korean soldiers parade in massive anniversary celebration

i. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared on Saturday that his country was ready to stand up to any threat posed by the United States as he spoke at a lavish military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the North’s ruling party and trumpet his third-generation leadership.

ii. The parade, which featured thousands of goose-stepping soldiers and a display of some of North Korea’s military arsenal, kicked off what is expected to be one of the North’s biggest celebrations ever an attention-getting event that is the government’s way of showing the world and its own people that the Kim dynasty is firmly in control and its military a power to be reckoned with.

iii. Mr. Kim, clad in black, walked down a red carpet and saluted his honour guard. He then walked up to a podium and waved to the troops taking part in the parade in Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Square. Visiting Chinese official Liu Yunshan stood clapping to Mr. Kim’s left, with senior North Korean officials on Mr. Kim’s right. Mr. Kim smiled as he spoke with Mr. Liu through a translator.

iv. While no world leaders attended North Korean ally China sent Mr. Liu, a senior Communist Party official, not its head of state, or even vice premier the normally isolated and quiet North Korean capital has been flooded by tourists, international media and delegations ranging from ethnic Koreans living abroad to obscure Russian and Mongolian groups dedicated to studying North Korea’s political ideas.

64. India, Ecuador ink Protocol to establish Ecuador Joint Economic and Trade Committee

i. India and Ecuador has signed a Protocol for the establishment of the India-Ecuador Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) to enhance bilateral trade and investment relations.

ii. It was signed by Mentor Villagomez, Ecuadorian Ambassador to India and Rita Teotia, Commerce Secretary during the meeting between delegations of both countries.

iii. JETCO aims to further improve, deepen and strengthen the existing trade relationship between India and Ecuador. It will function as the primary forum for discussion and other promotional activities on trade and investment issues.

iv. The meeting will be held once in every two years. The first meeting of the JETCO is proposed to be held early next year in India. The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at 1290.77 million US dollars during the year 2014-15.

65. Andhra Pradesh Government launched e-Pragati project

i. Government of Andhra Pradesh on 9 October 22015 launched Andhra Pradesh State Enterprise Architecture (APSEA). It is alternatively called as e-Pragati project. It was launched by the state Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at a function held in Visakhapatnam.

ii. It aims for a transformational change in the way government services are conceived, designed, delivered and consumed. The public private partnership (PPP) has been designed as a tool to provide integrated services to its citizens by adopting a Whole-of Government approach.

iii. It includes 72 projects, made into 14 packages for ease of implementation over the next 3 years, at a cost of 2398 crore rupees.

iv. Architecture, like establishing shared infrastructure and applications, enforcing technology standards, ensuring interoperability through the use of a SOA-based middleware called e-Highway.

66. Kerala Government launched Operation Valsalya to track missing children

i. The Kerala government on 9 October 2015 launched the Operation Valsalya project to trace, rescue and reunite the missing children with their family. This ambitious programme is envisaged to be implemented on the lines of the much acclaimed Operation Smile project in Ghaziabad.

ii. According to police statistics of Kerala, as many as 69 children have been kidnapped or abducted across the state till June this year. While 116 children were kidnapped in the state in 2014, the number was 136 in 2013 and 147 in 2012.

iii. The operation was initiated by Kerala's Social Justice Department on a small scale. However, it will be extended across the state after evaluating its success. Cooperation and support of police, childline volunteers and non-governmental organizations have been sought in this regard.

iv. Awareness programmes and poster and sticker campaigns will also be carried out to propagate the cause. The picture and other whereabouts of children, rescued from various parts of the state under the mission, will be uploaded on the website www.trackthemissingchild.nic.in.

67. Veteran music director Ravindra Jain passed away

i. Renowned music director and lyricist Ravindra Jain passed away on 9 October 2015 following a multiple-organ failure in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was 71. He is survived by his wife and son.

ii. He started his singing career at a very tender age by reciting bhajans and poetry at temples. He began his musical journey in Bollywood in the 1970s. Since then, he has composed music for almost 150 movies apart from working with Sagar Films for their television series.

iii. His famous songs are Geet Gaata Chal, Chor Machaye Shor, Chitchor, Nadiya ke Paar, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se, Do Jasoos and Henna.

iv. He has also been conferred with various awards for his work including Filmfare Award for Best Music for Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Lata Mangeshkar Lifetime Achievement Award of Maharashtra Government and Padmashri in 2015.

68. Sekhar Basu appointed as chairman of Atomic Energy Commission

i. Sekhar Basu was on 9 October 2015 appointed as the chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). By virtue of this position, he will also occupy the office of secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

ii. He will succeed RK Sinha who superannuates on 23 October 2015 and will be in the office till 19 September 2016. Basu is presently the director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, and also the Chief Executive of Nuclear Recycle Board (NRB), which is a part of BARC.

iii. Basu and his colleagues are mainly responsible for evolving strategies for safe radioactive disposal of waste in gas, liquid and solid forms containing various levels of radioactivity. He has designed and built reprocessing plants, fuel storage facilities and nuclear waste treatment facilities at Trombay, Tarapur and Kalpakkam.

iv. For his contributions to the Indian nuclear energy programme at various levels, he was conferred with several awards and honours including Padma Shri (2014), the DAE Special Achievement Award (2007) and Indian Nuclear Society Award (2002).

69. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics awarded to Angus Deaton

i. Angus Deaton, a British economist, has won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics “for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare.”

ii. “To design economic policy that promotes welfare and reduces poverty, we must first understand individual consumption choices. More than anyone else, Angus Deaton has enhanced this understanding. By linking detailed individual choices and aggregate outcomes, his research has helped transform the fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and development economics,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.

iii. Angus Deaton is a professor in the Economics Department at Princeton University, where he looks at the determinants of health in rich and poor countries, as well as on the measurement of poverty in India and around the world. He also maintains a long-standing interest in household surveys.

iv. The award was established by Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, in 1968 in memory of Alfred Nobel.

70. YES Bank gets RBI nod for mutual fund, AMC and trustee company

i. Private sector lender YES Bank on Monday said it has got the RBI's approval to set up a mutual fund, asset management company (AMC) and a trustee company.

ii. In a regulatory filing, YES Bank said it "has received an approval from the RBI to sponsor a mutual fund, and to set up an asset management company and a trustee company."

iii. Asset management companies and trustee companies will be wholly owned subsidiaries of YES Bank, it added. The lender said its AMC will channelise savings of retail and institutional investors in equity and debt capital markets.

iv. "This will complement YES Bank's retail liabilities strategy and also allow the AMC to leverage the Bank's distribution network for customer acquisition," it added.

71. Hamilton wins Russian Grand Prix, closes in on F1 world title

i. Lewis Hamilton has won the Russian Formula One Grand Prix in Sochi, taking a massive step toward winning the drivers’ championship in the process. Russia’s Daniil Kvyat managed to finish in the points as he claimed sixth place.

ii. Starting second on the grid, Hamilton took advantage of his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg’s early crash to move into the lead. The 30 year-old Briton never looked back as he cruised to victory ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

iii. Hamilton, wearing a traditional Russian ushanka (fur hat), picked up the Russian Grand Prix trophy from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who watched the race from the stands. The British driver now needs just nine more points to retain his drivers’ championship title.

iv. In winning for the second successive year in Sochi, Hamilton passed the legendary Ayrton Senna’s record of 41 wins. The Briton was delighted and honored to have surpassed his hero’s achievement.

v. Around 55,000 fans came to watch the second-ever Russian Grand Prix. The first took place in Sochi in 2014, the same year that saw Sochi host the Winter Olympics.

72. PM lays foundation stone of 4th terminal of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of fourth terminal of country’s largest container port – Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai.

ii. The ambitious project will augment JNPT’s present capacity situated off the financial capital’s eastern seafront by doubling it in next two years.

iii. The fourth terminal project will be carried out in two phases at estimated cost of 7,900 crore rupees and will be complete by the end of 2017. The project involves construction of two berths of 1 km in each of the two phases.

iv. It will be executed by Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal (BMCT), a subsidiary of Port of Singapore on a design, fund, built, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. The terminal will play important role in India’s Export-Import (exim) trade by doubling existing 4.5 million container handling capacity of JNPT to 10 million standard units.

v. The expansion of port seeks to make it in top 15 ports of the world as it is presently ranked 31st. At present, JNPT operates one of the three terminals at the port while the other two are operated by DP World and APM Terminals.

73. Veteran Tamil actress Manorama died

i. Legendary Tamil actress Gopishantha, popularly known by her stage name Manorama, died on 10 October 2015 due to multiple organ failure in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She was 78.

ii. Manorama acted in over 1500 movies in her career spanning almost six decades. She was also a brilliant comedian, singer and a stage artiste. Her first film was Malayitta Mangai, which released in 1958. She sang her first song in Ratha Thilagam in 1963. She also sang a song composed by A R Rahman for the film May Madham in 1994.

iii. She was affectionately called as Aachi Manorama for her popular grandmother roles in TV serials, which she played in the later part of her career.

iv. She also fetched a Guinness World Record for acting in more than 1000 number of films. The Tamil Nadu Government awarded her with the Kalaimamani award and she was also honoured by the Government of India with Padma Shri in 2002. She also received the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for the movie Pudhiya Pathai in 1989.

74. K P Sharma Oli of CPN-UML elected as the new Prime Minister of Nepal

i. Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)-CPN-UML was elected as new Prime Minister of Nepal. With this victory, he became first Prime Minister of Nepal under the newly adopted secular, republic and federal Constitution of Himalayan country. It was adopted in 20 September 2015.

ii. In the election for PM post in Nepalese Parliament, Mr. Oli received 338 votes out of a total of 598. He had secured 39 votes more than the 299 votes needed to get elected as PM as per provisions of new constitution. His rival Sushil Koirala of Nepali Congress President on the other hand received 249 votes.

iii. Born on 22 February 1952 in Terhathum District of Nepal. Commonly known as K P Oli.Earlier had served as Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Girija Prasad Koirala-led interim government formed in 2006.

iv. He also had served as Minister for Home Affairs (MHA) in 1994 in the government led by the then UML Chairman Manmohan Adhikari. He was elected as member of the Parliament thrice in 1991, 1994 and 1999. He had started his political career in 1966 and was elected as the chairman of CPN-UML Party in July 2014.

75. Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal to win 2015 China Open Men’s Singles title

i. Novak Djokovic on 11 October 2015 won the China Open Men’s Singles title by defeating Rafael Nadal of Spain.

ii. In the summit clash held at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing the top seeded Serbian overpowered Nadal by 6-2 6-2. For Djokovic, it was the fourth consequent win in Beijing and the fourth consequent title since 2012.

iii. Overall, he is the only player to have won the title six times. His other two titles were in 2009 and 2010. In 2015, Djokovic joined Roger Federer and Rod Laver as the only men in the Open era to reach all four major finals. His only defeat came in the final of the French Open against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

iv. Apart from the Grand slam titles in Australia, the UK (Wimbledon) and the USA he won eight titles in the 2015 season that include Indian Wells Masters, Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Italian Open and China Open.

76. Sania Mirza, Martina Hingis win China Open

i. Extending their incredible unbeaten record, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis today lifted their eighth trophy of the season and fourth in a row, winning the WTA China Open on Saturday.ii. The top seeds faced stiff resistance from sixth seed Taipei girls Hao-Ching Chan and Yung-Jan Chan before winning 6-7 (9) 6-1 10-8 in the final which lasted one hour and 40 minutes.

iii. It is the fourth title in a row for the Sania-Martina pair. In a remarkable run, they have dropped only two sets in their last 17 matches in four tournaments.

iv. It was ninth title for Sania in the 2015 season and eighth with Swiss great Martina. They had won titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, the US Open, Guangzhou and Wuhan before today's win.

77. Mission Abaas launched in Odisha to provide affordable houses to urban poor

i. The Odisha Government on 11 October 2015 launched Mission Abaas, state’s urban housing mission, to provide affordable houses to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Low Income Groups (LIG) and slum dwellers.

ii. The scheme aims at fulfilling the promise of protection and welfare of slum dwellers by providing affordable housing along with basic amenities such as piped water supply, electricity, concrete roads, drainage and community centre.

iii. As notified in August 2015, Abaas will be the nodal agency to execute the Policy for Housing for All in Urban areas.

iv. 10000 houses for EWS and Low Income Groups will be constructed in Bhubaneswar. Free land will be provided by the government for affordable housing projects in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode to developers.

v. Land on the city outskirts will be renewed into urban land by developing and expanding infrastructure. Pre-cast and pre-fabrication technology will be used under the mission. Mission Directorate will be set by the government for implementation of the policy.

78. Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram won 2015 Dutch Open Men’s Singles title

i. Ajay Jayaram of India on 11 October 2015 defended the 2015 Dutch Open Men’s Singles badminton title. In the summit clash held at Almere in Netheralnds, the World Number 26 ranker defeated Estonia’s Raul Must by 21-12 21-18.

ii. While Jayaram won his maiden title in 2014, it was the fourth overall title for India. The other two titles were won by Prakash Padukone and Chetan Anand in 1982 and 2009 respectively.

iii. Dutch Open is a Grand Prix category tournament that is held annually since 1932 in Netherlands. It is currently organized by Nederlandse Badminton Bond (NBB) and is a part of the European Badminton Circuit.

79. Indian diaspora in UK launches 'Modi Express' bus ahead of Modi's November visit

i. The Indian community in the United Kingdom launched a 'Modi Express' bus that will take the travellers on a tour around iconic landmarks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the country in November.

ii. Over 400 community organisations have come together to launch the 'Modi Express' for 'Bus Pe Charcha' in London. "We have had 'Chai Pe Charcha' in India, now we will have 'Bus Pe Charcha' in the UK," the 'UK Welcomes Modi' organising committee's Mayuri Parmar said, PTI reported.

iii. The bus, which started its journey on Sunday, stopped at Ealing Road or 'Little India street' in Wembley where the Indian community is planning to host an Olympics style reception for Modi during his visit next month.

iv. The 'Modi Express' bus will then head to Trafalgar Square to celebrate Diwali with the Indian Prime Minister. Modi is expected to address the Indian community at Wembley Stadium on 13 November -- the day of Diwali celebrations.

v. Indian-origin Parliamentarian Keith Vaz also urged people to join him in the tour on 'Modi Express' bus from Leicester. "Even if you've left your oyster cards at home, be sure to bring your 'Modi cards' to join the 'Modi Express' wherever you are," he said.

80. India inks Rs 130-crore deal for 194 microlight aircraft

i. India signed a Rs 130 crore deal for 194 microlight aircraft from Slovenian company Pipistrel Aircraft, for use by its National Cadet Corps (NCC), Air Force and Navy.

ii. The contract was inked by Pipistrel CEO, Ivo Boscarol with the MoD. Talking to FE, Wg Cdr (retd) Sanjay Thapar said: “This is the largest single order for microlight aircraft placed on any aircraft manufacturer in the world.”

iii. With the IAF as the lead agency to evaluate, select and buy these 194 planes, the microlight aircraft chosen for the purchase is the Pipistrel Aircraft’s Virus SW80,” and is tentatively christened the ‘Garuda’ in the Indian service.

iv. At the Defence Acquisition Council meeting chaired by defence minister Manohar Parrikar in July, the nod was given for buying and staggering the microlight aircraft from Slovenian Aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel.

81. Telenor rejigs global team; Sharad Mehrotra to head ops

i. Norwegian telecom major Telenor Group on Monday announced restructuring of Executive Management team to represent all the 13 markets globally, a move aimed at ensuring faster execution of the Group strategy.ii. Telenor, which has 189 million mobile subscriptions in these 13 markets, will see the India operations being headed by Sharad Mehrotra with effect from November 1. All 13 markets will be represented in the new Executive Management team to ensure faster execution of the Group strategy and a closer connection to the customers, Telenor group said in a statement.

iii. In addition, the company has set up functions of Markets and Technology to improve and develop customer experiences, and to secure networks and IT systems. The Norwegian firm said the current India head Vivek Sood will move to a global role as the EVP and Chief Marketing Officer. Besides, Ruza Sabanovic will be Chief Technology Officer, Wenche Agerup Chief Corporate Affairs Officer and Jon Gravrak as Chief Digital Officer.

iv. Sharad Mehrotra, who has been appointed CEO of Telenor India, was previously serving as Chief Marketing Officer for Telenor Myanmar. He has also been part of Telenor India's management team for more than four years from 2008.

82. Jayakumar takes over as MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda

i. P S Jayakumar, the former chief executive of VBHC Value Homes, on Tuesday took charge as the new MD and CEO of the state-owned Bank of Baroda for three years.

ii. P S Jayakumar, 53, has taken over as the chief of BoB at a time when the bank is under the investigation glare for an alleged fraud and black money transactions worth over Rs 6,000 crore.

iii. Last week, it was alleged that a whopping Rs 6,172 crore was remitted from Bank of Baroda to Hong Kong camouflaged as payments for non-existent imports like cashew, pulses and rice. The amount was allegedly deposited in 59 accounts in cash as advance for imports that never existed.

iv. Jayakumar's new assignment also assumes significance as the government has introduced a significant policy change allowing private sector professionals to head PSBs. In mid-August this year, the government had roped in private sector professionals to run two of its largest banks  Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank. Ravi Venkatesan, ex-chairman of Microsoft India, has been appointed the non-executive Chairman of BoB.

83. Infosys appoints Ranganath D Mavinakere as new CFO

i. India’s second largest software services firm, Infosys has appointed Ranganath D Mavinakere as new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He will succeed Rajiv Bansal who was Executive Vice President (EVP) and the CFO of Infosys and had resigned from the company.

ii. Prior to this appointment, Mavinakere was EVP and head of strategic operations and CEO’s office of Infosys. He has rich experience of about 18 years across banking and IT services industries. In his 15-year career with Infosys, he has held several leadership positions in the company.

iii. Mavinakere worked with ICICI Limited from 1991 to 1999 where he was senior Vice President of Treasury and Planning.

iv. He holds a post graduate diploma in management (PGDM) degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and M Tech degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras.

84. India funded 5 million US dollars grant to Palestine as Budgetary assistance

i. India on 12 October 2015 granted a cheque of 5 million US dollars to the Palestinian government as a budgetary support. The grant was handed over by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee  during his visit to Palestine.

ii. Both countries also announced five projects worth 17.79 million US dollars aimed at capacity building in the Palestinian territories. The projects include a 12 million US dollars techno park, a 4.5 million US dollars Palestine Institute for Diplomacy and a 1 million US dollars India-Palestine Centre for Excellence in Gaza.

iii. Mukherjee also reiterated India’s support to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis based on negotiations with UN Security Council resolutions.

85. Veteran filmmaker I.V. Sasi honoured with J.C. Daniel Award

i. Renowned Malayalam filmmaker I.V. Sasi on 12 October 2015 was awarded with the prestigious J.C. Daniel Award for the year 2014 for his contributions towards the Malayalam entertainment industry.

ii. Sasi has made over 150 Indian films in various languages and genres. However, he is mostly known for his South Indian films.

iii. He started his directorial career officially with his first film Ulsavam. He has directed more than 170 films over a span of 34 years. Most of his movies came out as super hits and some of them are even classified as classics or good cinema.

iv. In 1982, his film Aaroodam won the Nargis Dutt Award for the best feature film on National Integration.

86. Jamaican writer Marlon James won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction

i. Jamaican writer Marlon James on 13 October 2015 won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for his novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. With this, James became the first Jamaican author to win the prize in its 47-years of history.

ii. James was honoured with the prize money of 50000 Euros, a trophy and a designer bound edition of his book. He was also awarded with additional 2500 Euros for being shortlisted for the prize.

iii. James’s name was shortlisted from a list of writers including Sunjeev Sahota, Chigozie Obioma, Hanya Yanagihara, Anne Tyler, Tom McCarthy and Marlon James.

iv. First awarded in 1969, the Man Booker Prize is recognised as the leading award for high quality literary fiction written in English. The award promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year. The prize is the world's most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and publishers.

87. Arun Jaitley chosen 'Finance Minister of the Year, Asia' by Emerging Markets

i. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was chosen as 'Finance Minister of the Year, Asia' by London-based publication Emerging Markets in October 2015.

ii. The magazine in an article said that Jaitley too deserves some recognition for India’s relative economic success over the last 18 months. It says that without his decisions and stewardship of India’s financial direction, India would not have achieved what it has.

iii. Apart from this, Atiur Rahman, the Governor of Bangladesh Bank was named as the Central Bank Governor of the Year, Asia 2015. He was awarded for generating considerable strength and resilience in the economy of Bangladesh.

iv. In 2014, the magazine had named governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan for Central Bank Governor of the Year award for Asia. In 2010, it also chose Pranab Mukherjee as 'Finance Minister of the Year, Asia'.

88. Reliance Power appointed N Venugopala Rao as CEO

i. Reliance Power on 13 October 2015 appointed N Venugopala Rao as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with immediate effect. Rao, who has obtained an MBA degree in Finance & Marketing, holds a rich experience of about 35 years in project development, project finance, project planning, contracts management and Finance & Accounts.

ii. Prior to the appointment, Rao was the CEO of Sasan Power Limited, a 100 percent subsidiary of Reliance Power, which developed the world’s largest integrated coal mine and power project, Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP), with an investment of nearly 27000 crore rupees.

iii. Reliance Power Limited, a part of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Navi Mumbai.

iv. The company was established to develop, construct and operate power projects in the Indian and international markets.

89. Delhi government launched Bill Banvao, Inaam Pao scheme

i. The Delhi Government on 13 October 2015 launched Bill Banvao, Inaam Pao scheme to encourage people to receive or demand proper bills for purchases.

ii. Citizens will be eligible for the scheme only on a bill or cash memo/retail invoice of not less than 100 rupees for purchases made from a registered dealer in Delhi. The maximum prize to be given under the scheme is 50000 rupees.

iii. To avail the reward, the purchaser can upload the bill/cash memo on the website of the Department of Trade and Taxes within seven days of purchase.  A snapshot of the bill can also be sent to the designated number of the department through Whatsapp. After the bill is sent to the department, a unique ID will be generated for each bill and sent to the customer via SMS.

iv. The bill must include the registration number (TIN) of the dealer, full name of each item purchased, rate of tax charged against each and total sale value (excluding VAT). The winner will be selected through a computerised draw of lots using the unique IDs generated against each bill received by the department.

90. Green Indian Mission plans approved for 4 states

i. Union Environment Ministry has approved annual plans of National Mission for Green India (GIM) of four states viz. Kerala, Mizoram, Manipur and Jharkhand. In this regard, National Executive Council (NEC) has approved the Perspective Plans (PP) and Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) of GIM submitted by 4 states.

ii. The approval has been granted for alternative energy devices such as biogas, LPG, solar devices, biomass-based systems and improved stoves. These devices in turn will help to reduce pressure on forests and provide carbon emission benefits, along with health and other associated benefits.

iii. GIM is one of the 8key Missions outlined under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It aims at protecting, enhancing and restoring India’s decreasing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of mitigation and adaptation measures.

iv. The mission acknowledges the influence forests on environmental amelioration through climate change mitigation, water security, food security, biodiversity conservation and livelihood security of forest-dependent communities. It hinges on decentralized participatory approach by involving grass root level communities and organizations in decision making, planning, implementation and monitoring.

91. China operationalises Zam Hydropower Station on Brahmaputra in Tibet

i. China has operationalised the Zam Hydropower Station built on Brahmaputra River which has raised concerns in India over the likelihood of disrupting water supplies of River.

ii. The dam is considered to be the world’s highest-altitude hydropower station and largest of its kind. Annually it will produce produces 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The power station is located in the Gyaca County of Tibet and is considered as the largest in this region.

iii. It has six stations to harnesses the rich water resources of Brahmaputra River which is known as Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet and flows through Tibet into India and later into Bangladesh.

iv. Over India’s fears China mentioned that these projects are run-of-the-river and are not designed to hold water. But India is still concerned over China’s ability and dominance to release water in times of conflict which can pose serious risk of flooding.

92. India climbs 16 places in WEF’s Global Competitiveness Index

i. In a rather dramatic turnaround, India has climbed a spectacular 16 places to the 55th position among 140 economies in this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index, ending five years of decline.

ii. The list was topped by Switzerland, followed by Singapore, the US, Germany and the Netherlands. Among the larger emerging markets, South Africa progressed seven places to 49th place, while China held steady at 28, Indonesia was 37th (down three) and Brazil was 75th, the WEF said.

iii. India’s dramatic reversal is largely attributable to the momentum initiated by the election of Narendra Modi, whose pro-business, pro-growth and anti-corruption stance has improved the business community’s sentiment toward the government.

iv. The quality of India’s institutions is judged more favourably (60th, up 10), although business leaders still consider corruption to be the biggest obstacle to doing business in the country.

v. In a bid to help India leapfrog into the top 50 in the World Bank’s ease of doing business rankings by 2017 from the low 142nd (out of 189 countries), the Modi government, with the help of the bank, has carried out a state-wise assessment of implementation of business reforms.

93. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo wins record fourth Golden Boot

i. Cristiano Ronaldo has received a record fourth Golden Boot after topping Europe's goalscoring charts for the 2014/15 season. The Real Madrid star scored 48 goals in 35 La Liga appearances last term to win the honour for the third time at Madrid, with his other triumph coming during the 2007/08 season at Manchester United.

ii. It means Ronaldo becomes the first player in the awards' illustrious 47-year history to win the accolade four times.

iii. Long-term adversary, Barcelona maestro Lionel Messi, was edged out into second place, with his 43 goals in 38 Primera Division games unable to secure a fourth Golden Boot of his own.

iv. Ronaldo is level with Raul in Madrid's all-time leading scorer charts with 323 goals and has the chance to surpass the Spaniard when Levante travel to the Bernabeu on Saturday.

94. Kailash Satyarthi selected for 2015 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award

i. Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been selected for the prestigious 2015 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award. He has been awarded this award in recognition for championing the cause of child reform and ending all forms of violence against children.

ii. It is annual award is given by US based Harvard University. It recognise the works and deeds individuals who have improved the quality of lives and inspired people to greater heights. Some of the recipients of are Kofi Annan, Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Javier Perez etc.

iii. Kailash Satyarthi is an adherent of Gandhian philosophy and as upheld Mahatma Gandhi’s practice of engaging and conducting peaceful protests against the exploitation of children for financial gain. He is the founder of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement).

iv. Through his NGO, he campaigns for protection of child rights and to abolish illegal human trafficking.

v. Satyarthi ss the eighth Nobel laureate from India. He had won Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and shared it with Malala Yousafzai. He was at the forefront of driving few agendas Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were announced at United Nations SDG Summit in September 2015.

95. DRDO Missile Complex renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex

i. The country’s prestigious DRDO Missile Complex in Hyderabad was on 15 October 2015 renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar during an event at Research Centre Imarat on the occasion of the 84th Birth Anniversary of Dr Kalam, the Missile Man.

ii. Dr Kalam joined the Missile Complex, DRDO in 1982 and was a part of it for nearly two decades. The Missile Complex comprises Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI), which are considered to be the brain child of Dr Kalam.

iii. As founder Director, Dr Kalam conceived and steered RCI as a generator of critical missile technologies.

iv. Parrikar also inaugurated two advanced R&D facilities of RCI- Outdoor RCS Test Facility ORANGE at Dundigal and Kautilya Advanced Research Centre at RCI, Hyderabad.

96. India, US and Japan navies kick off 2015 Malabar Naval Exercise

i. India, United States and Japan navies have started 2015 Malabar Naval Exercise of the eastern coast in Bay of Bengal and India Ocean. The high-end warfighting and complex trilateral exercise is part of annual series of exercises conducted to advance multi-national maritime relationships and mutual security issues.

ii. The five-day exercise includes both ashore and at-sea training exercises, that would share knowledge on carrier strike group operations, anti-submarine warfare, maritime patrol etc. Military-to-military coordination, submarine familiarisation, air defence and surface warfare exercise sessions will be also undertaken at-sea.

iii. The joint fleet of 3 navies will include warships, aircraft carriers and fast attack submarines. Total Ten ships, five from India, four from US and one from Japan are participating.

iv. Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt embarked with Carrier Air Wing 1 having 90 fighter aircrafts. Guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG60), USS Nimitz, Littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS-3), P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft and fast attack nuclear submarine.

97. Pranab Mukherjee becomes 1st Indian President to address Israeli Parliament Knesset

i. Pranab Mukherjee became first Indian President to address Israeli Parliament Knesset. He addressed the Knesset as last leg of his official visit to 3 countries of west Asia viz. Jordan, Palestine and Israel. He is also is first Indian President to make a state visit Israel.

ii. India’s consistent policy had been to build a strong, mutually beneficial and substantive relationship with Israel. Appreciates Israel’s support to India’s bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

iii. There is no other option to resolve conflicts other than negotiation and peaceful settlement as a long term measure. Condemed all forms of violence and India always sought a peaceful resolution of disputes.

iv. Both countries also signed agreements on double taxation avoidance, cultural exchange and academic fields.

98. Union Cabinet gives nod to RCE for Kaladan Multi Modal Project in Myanmar

i. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of 2904.04 crore rupees for the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

ii. To create a multi-modal mode of transport for cargo shipment from the eastern ports of India to Myanmar. It will provide an alternate access route to India’s north east region and contribute towards the regional economic development.

iii. The strategic link will promote economic, commercial and strategic links between India and Myanmar as it will connect North-East, thereby reducing pressure on the Siliguri Corridor.

iv. This project will connect Sittwe Port in Myanmar to the India-Myanmar border via roadway. Thus it will provide alternative cost effective shortcut to landlocked north eastern states.

99. Union Cabinet approved MoU with Mozambique for cooperation in renewable energy

i. The Union Government on 14 October 2015 approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India and Mozambique.

ii. 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.

iii. The agreement was inked between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Government of India and the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, Government of Mozambique in New Delhi on 5 August 2015.

iv. 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.

100. Tata Housing tied-up with Facebook to sell its affordable homes online

i. Real estate developer Tata Housing on 14 October 2015 tied-up with social networking firm Facebook to sell its affordable homes online. For this purpose, Tata Housing launched the new campaign titled Social sell on Facebook.

ii. Through this new campaign Social sell, the company plans to sell around 250 units of its new five-acre residential project in Goa called Goa Paradise. The initiative is in line with the company’s target to generate over 30 percent of its overall sales online in the next five years.

iii. Tata Housing started selling homes online in India in 2013 through its partnership with Google as part of The Great Shopping Festival. Currently, the company has sold around 2000 homes online in the last three years.

iv. Earlier, Tata Housing tied up with real estate portal Housing.com and online marketplace Snapdeal to sell its housing units across the country.