Exam Oriented Current Affairs for the Month of October 2015-www.KiranBookStore.com

Exam Oriented Current Affairs for the Month of October 2015-www.KiranBookStore.com

01 October 2015 Current Affairs

Maruthi Chairman Bhargava honoured with Forbes Life Time Achievement Award

Maruthi Suzuki chairman R.C. Bhargava has been honoured with the Life Time Achievement Award at the Forbe’s India Leadership Awards, 2015. Mr Bhargava was one of the founding members of Maruthi in 1982. He led the company as MD from 1990 to 1997. From 2007 he was leading the company as the Chairman.

India won Gold medal in the Women’s event at Asian Air Gun Championship

Indian pistol shooter Heena Sidhu won the gold medal in women’s 10 meter air pistol event at the 8th Asian Air Gun Championships in New Delhi. Heena is the India’s first pistol shooter to be ranked number one in the world. India’s Shweta Singh won the Silver medal and Korean shooter Seon A Kim took the bronze medal.

China launched 20th Satellite for its Navigation system

China on 30 September 2015 launched a 20th new generation satellite for the BeiDou Navigation system (BDS) into orbit that will support it’s global navigation and positioning network. The satellite was launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the South

Western Province of Sichuan. A Long March-3 B carrier rocket carried the satellite. It was the first time that the satellite featured a hydrogen atomic clock.

A.K.Pujari assumed additional charge as CMD of SAIL 

Dr. Anup K. Pujari on 1 October, 2015 assumed additional charge as the chairman and Managing Director of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). At present he is the secretary , Government of India, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). He was also given the additional charge of the post of Secretary in Ministry of Steel.

02 October 2015 Current Affairs

India to cut emissions intensity upto 35 Per cent by 2030

The Union Envcironment MInistry on 2 October, 2015 submitted it’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to the UN Frame work Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), committing to cut the emissions intensity of GDP by 33-35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 levels. India has committed to 40 per cent of non-fossil fuel energy to be adopted by 2030. It has also set the target of generating 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent of Carbon sinks in the form of forests. India aims to mobilise domestic and global funds to implement it’s mitigation actions.

Ratan Tata honoured by UK City of Coventry as ‘Honorary Freeman’ 

The City of Coventry of United Kingdom honoured Ratan Tata, head of Tata Groups, with it’s highest award ‘Honorary Freeman’, in recognition of his contributions to the West Midlands regions of Central England. Ratan Tata took oath as Honorary Freeman of the City of Coventry. Since 1914, only 13 people have been conferred with the honour.

03 October 2015 Current Affairs

CORPAT between India and Indonesia began in Andaman Sea

26th edition of the Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between India and Indonesia began on 3 October 2015 in the Andaman Sea. The 18-day long CORPAT will conclude on 21 October 2015. It is the first ever bilateral exercise between the two nations. The two-day inaugural India-Indonesia Bilateral Maritime Exercise is scheduled from 17 October to 18 October 2015 in the Andaman Sea. The Bilateral Maritime Exercise and the CORPAT would see participation by one warship and one Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both sides.

Sania-Hingis pair won the Wuhan Open Women’s Doubles Title

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis pair won the Women’s doubles final at the Wuhan Open tennis tournament held on 2 October, 2015 in central China’s Hubei Province. They defeat the Romania’s Irina Camelia Begu and Monica Niculescu in the finals. This is the 7th title for the Sania-Hingis pair. They have won the Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, the US Open, Guangzhou and Wuhan Open this year. They have 7 WTA doubles titles won together this year. This is the 8th title for Sania Mirza.

DRDO inagurates new R&D centre at 17,600 Ft in Jammu & Kashmir

The DRDO on 2 October, 2015 inaguarated an Extreme Altitude Research Centre at Chan La in Jammu and Kashmir at 17,600 Ft above the mean sea level. This is in records as the world’s highest terrestrial R&D centre. It has been established by Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) of DRDO. This centre is for Research & Development work in frontal areas of food and agriculture and bio-medical sciences for well being of the soldiers deployed in high-altitude cold deserts.

04 October 2015 Current Affairs

Shashank Manohar elected as BCCI President

Nagpur lawyer, Mr. Shashank Manohar has been elected as the President for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the second time on 4 October, 2015. He is the 36 th President of BCCI. He will be in this post for two years. He has promised to initiate stern and practical steps and deliver results in two months to win back the confidence of Indian cricket fans.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel three day visit to India

German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to India on 4 October on a three day visit to Delhi and Bangalore. She will met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 October and bilateral discussions will be takeplace between India and Germany.

05 October 2015 Current Affairs

India and Germany signed 18 MoUs 

India and Germany on 5 October, 2015 ink 18 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) for cooperation in various fields including higher education, civil aviation, railways and food safety. India and Germany also signed a deal to fast track business approvals. The other deals include promotion of German as a foreign language in India and promotion of modern Indian languages in Germany, cooperation on Indo-German solar energy partnership, cooperation in fields of skill development and vocational education and training, cooperation in the field of disaster management, Indo-German partnerships in higher education, cooperation in the field of railways.

Fast -Track wing activated between India and Germany to boost trade 

Germany welcomed India’s decision to set up a fast track system for German companies in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The wing will become fully operational by 2016.The fast-track mechanism was one of the several initiatives declared to smoother business ties. To encourage stronger business ethics, both sides entered into an agreement to train corporate executives and junior executives.

Three scientists share Nobel Prize in Medicine

Three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize 2015 in Medicine whose discoveries led to the development of potent new drugs against parasitic diseases such as malaria and elephantiasis. Irish-born American William Campbell and Japan’s Satoshi Omura won half of the Prize for discovering “Avermectin”, a derivative of which has been nearly eradicated river blindness and radically reduced the incidence of filariasis. China’s Youyou Tu was awarded the other half of the Prize for discovering “Artemisinin”, a drug that has singnificantly reduced death rates from malaria. The three will receive the Prize on December 10 in Stockholm.

Jack Dorsey as new permanent CEO of Twitter 

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of social media company, ‘Twitter’ is the new permanent Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Twitter. Dorsey will also keep his job as CEO of mobile payments company Square Inc, the payments and financial services company he sounded in 2009. Former CEO of Twitter, Dick Costolo resigned from the board in the month of July.

06 October 2015 Current Affairs

Indo-German Summit 2015 held in Bengaluru

The Indo-German Summit 2015 has been held in Bengaluru on 6 October, 2015. The summit was organised by Nasscom. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended the summit. Industrialists from India and Germany and deligates from 15 states attended the summit. In this summit both the nations signed five B to B (Business to Business) agreements.

Japanese, Canadian Scientists win Physics Nobel Prize 2015

Taka aki Kajita of Japan and Arthur McDonald of Canada were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the “Neutrinos”. Neutrinos are subatomic particles produced from the decay of radio active elements and are elementary particles that lack an electric charge. Kajita discovered that neutrinos from the atmosphere switch between two identities on their way to the Super-Kamiokande detector in Japan. Arthur McDonald demonstrated that neutrinos from the sun were not disappearing on their way to Earth.

First weapon fitted warship- INS Asthradharini commissioned

Eastern Naval command (ENC), commander- in- chief, Vice Admiral Satish Soni on 6 October, 2015 commissioned the first weapon fitted warship INS- Asthradharini into the Indian Navy at the Vishakapatnam naval base. Asthradharini is an advanced replacement of Asthravahini which was decommissioned on 17 July, 2015. INS- Asthradharini can operate at high sea states and has a large deck area with tropedo launchers for deploying and recovering torpedos. This is an indigenously built warship at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL). The length of the ship is 50m and speed up to 15 knots.

West Bengal State Election Commissioner S.R. Upadhyay resigned

West Bengal State Election Commissioner (SEC) Sushanta Ranjan Upadhyay on 6 October, 2015 resigned from his duties as SEC. He submitted the resignation to Governor Keshari Nath Tripati. Senior IAS officer Alapan Bandopadhyay has been appointed as the interim SEC.

Eminent author Nayantara returns Sahitya Akademi Award

Eminent author Nayantara Sehgal on 6 October, 2015 returned the Sahitya Akademi Award in protest against the increasing intolerance towards the right to dissert in India. Ms. Sehgal got the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1986 for her English novel ‘Rich Like Us’.

07 October 2015 Current Affairs

‘Neeranchal’ programme received the approval for implementation by the Union Cabinet

The World Bank-assisted ‘National Watershed Management Project’ or ‘Neeranchal’ received the approval for implementation by the Union Cabinet on 7 October. The project aims to fulfil the watershed component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMSKY) to reduce surface runoff of rainwater, increase groundwater levels and better water availability in rain-fed areas. The cost of the project is estimated at Rs. 2,142.30 crore of which the Centre will be pitching in with Rs. 889 crore while Rs. 182 crore will be provided by the respective State Governments. The remaining 50 per cent of the project cost will be financed by a World Bank loan. It will be implemented across nine States – Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Rajasthan.

Centre approves War Memorial near India Gate in Delhi

The Central government on 7 October approved a Rs. 500 Crore project for building a National War Memorial and a National War Museum near India Gate in New Delhi in memory of over 22,500 soldiers who laid down their lives post-Independence. The project will be monitered by an empowered steering committee chaired by defence secretary.

Indian Cyclist Deborah Scripts History At Taiwan Cup by winning Five medals

Indian cyclist Deborah created history by winning five medals, including a gold at the Taiwan Cup Track International Classic event. Deborah became the first ever Indian cyclist to achieve top honours in women elite section by bagging a gold, three silver and a bronze. Deborah won the first ever gold medal in the women elite sprint by defeating the Malaysian top rider.

Three scientists for Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Sweden’s Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich of the US and Aziz Sancar , a Turkish-American won the 2015 Nobel Chemistry Prize for work on how cells repair damaged DNA. The three opened a dazzling frontier in medicine by unveiling how the body repairs DNA mutations that can cause sickness and contribute to ageing. They will receive the Prize in Stockholm on 10 December, 2015.

08 October 2015 Current Affairs

Ambani Family ranks third in Forbe’s Asia’s 50 richest families list 

As many as 14 Indian families are in the list of Forbe’s 50 richest families in Asia. In this list, Ambani family ranked third with a net worth of 21.5 billion dollars. The other Indian families in the top 10 include the Premji family in the 7th place and the Mistry family in the 10th place. With 14 Indian families, India stood first in the list. The overall list has topped by Lees of Samsung group, with a net worth of 26.6 billion dollars.

Belarus writer Svetlana wins 2015 Literature Nobel Prize 

Belarussian writer Svetlana Alexievich won the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize. Alexievich has drawn international acclaim with her emotional accounts of the Chernobyl Disaster and World War II based on witness accounts. She will receive the prize on December 10, 2015 at Stockholm.

T20 International series won by South Africa 

South Africa won the T20 International Series which was held on October 2-8, 2015. The first two matchs were won by South Africa. The third match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata has been called off due to rain. With this the South Africa won the series with 2-0. The bilateral Series between India and South Africa has been titled “The Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Series”.

09 October 2015 Current Affairs

Sekhar Basu to be the next chairman of Atomic Energy Commission

Renowned scientist Sekhar Basu was on 9 October appointed as chairman of Atomic Energy Commission. Basu, who is presently director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and chief executive of the Nuclear Recycle Board (NRB), will replace RK Sinha who superannuates on October 23 and he will have a tenure till September 19, 2016. Basu has also been appointed Secretary, department of atomic energy. Basu was instrumental in setting up reprocessing and waste management facilities at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research in Kalpakkam.

Author Shashi Deshpande resigned to Sahitya Akademi General Council

Award-sinning author Shashi Deshpande on 9 October resigned from the Sahitya Akademi general council expressing a sense of strong disappointment over the literary body’s silence on the killing of Kannada writer M.M. Kalburgi. She wrote several novels, short stories and essay collections and books for children and won the Sahitya Akademi awasd for her novel “That Long Silence” in 1990. She was awarded the Padma Sri in 2009.

Veteran Music Director Ravindra Jain died

Veteran music director, singer, lyricist Ravindra Jain (71), the genius who overcome his blindness died on 9 October in Mumbai. Jain was one of the most successful composers in the 70s.He was also credited for bringing south Indian singing legend K.J. Yesudas to Hindi movies.

Nobel Peace Prize for Tunisia’s Plural Democracy

Tunisia’s National Dialogue Quartet won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for building democracy in the country after the 2011 revolution which unleashed the Arab Spring. The Quartet has excercised it’s role as a mediator and driving force to advance peaceful democratic development in Tunisia with great moral authority. Prize money of 9,72,000 dollars will be presented to the committee in Oslo on December 10.

NASA’s New Horizon found blue skies and water ice on Pluto

The first colour images of Pluto’s atmosphere returned by NASA’s New Horizon Spacecraft has revealed a blue skies and numerous small exposed regions of water ice. Scientists say a blue sky often results from scattering of sunlight by very small particles. On Earth those particles are very tiny nitrogen molecules. On Pluto they appear to be larger but still relatively small soot-like particles. The Haze particles are grey or red, but the way they scatter, the blue light attracted the attention of the New Horizon.

2015 IMF, World Bank Annual Meeting held in Peru 

The 2015 annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank has been held from 9-11 October, 2015 in Lima, the capital city of Peru. After 48 years the meeting was held in Latin America. Over ten thousand participants from 188 countries attended the meeting. Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister from India also attended the meeting. IMF MD Christine Lagarde and World Bank President Jim Yang Kim attended the meeting. The meeting is very important for discussing and clarifying the road map for getting to the 100 billion dollars goal in climate finance. Addressing the plenary session of the IMF-World Bank meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley expresses concern over delay in IMF quota reform. The IMF concluded the annual meeting in Lima on 11 October with a warning to Central bankers that the world economy risks another crash unless they continue to support growth with low interest rates.

10 October 2015 Current Affairs

China Open Tennis Women’s doubles winners Sania-Hingis Pair

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won the China Open Tennis Women’s doubles title. In the finals held in Beijing on 10 October, they defeated the sixth seed Taipei pair Hao Ching Chan and Yung Jan Chan. This is the eighth trophy of this season and fourth in a row for the Sania-Hingis pair. It is the ninth title for Sania in 2015.

Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala resigned 

Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on 10 October resigned to his post. Koirala resigned after parties failed to forge a consensus amid continued protests and blockade of key border trade point with India over the country’s new Constitution.

Veteran Tamil actress Manorama passed away 

The legendary Tamil actress Manorama (78) was passed away on 10 October in Chennai. A comedy artist and a singer, she belonged to a generation of South Indian Cinema. In a career spanning nearly six decades, she acted in over 1500 films and created a Guinness world record.

China successfully launched a satellite “Nanligong – 1″ made by students 

China on 10 October has successfully launched a satellite called “Nanligong-1″ developed by the students of Nanjing University of Technology and Engineering independently. The satellite carried by a Long March-11 rocket was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. This satellite is being used for global maritime automatic identification and demonstrating information exchanges between satellites in-orbit.

Nobel Memorial Wall inaugurated in Delhi

A Nobel Memorial Wall on Indian Nobel laureates was inaugurated at Delhi Metro’s Rajiv Chowk station on 10 October, 2015. The bilingual exhibition was jointly inaugurated by the embassy of Sweden and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) with its stated purpose of spreading awareness and inspiring young minds. Ambassador of Sweden to India Harald Sandberg and DMRC chief Mangu Singh unveiled the wall exhibition together. It contains brief portraits and information of the Indian Nobel laureates.

11 October 2015 Current Affairs

K.P. Sharma Oli elected as the new Nepal Prime Minister 

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli on 11 October, 2015 has been elected as the mew Prime Minister of Nepal by defeating the former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. He secured 338 votes against 249 by Koirala. Oli is the 38th Prime Minister of Nepal.

Hamilton wins the Russian Grand Prix 

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes won the Russian Formula One Grand Prix on 11 October, 2015. Hamilton completed his race of 53 laps in one hour 37 minutes and 11.024 seconds. The win was the Hamilton’s ninth of the season and the 42nd of his career. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel is in second place and Mexican Sergio Perez finished third fof Force India.

Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram won the Dutch Open Title 

Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram won the Dutch Open Men’s singles Title held in Almere , The Netherlands on 11 October. In the finals he defeated the 12th seed and World No.48 Estonia’s Raul Must.

12 October 2015 Current Affairs

Welfare Economist Angus Deaton won the Nobel Prize in Economics

The Royal Swedish Academy on 12 October chose welfare economist Angus Deaton for the Nobel Prize in Economics for his wide ranging work on consumption and poverty. Dr. Deaton is one of the front line economists who focused his studies on poverty and redefined the way poverty is measured around the world, especially in India. A significant number of his research papers take India as a case study for studying poverty and consumption.

Alexander Lukashenko as President of Belarus for fifth time

President Alexander Lukashenko has been reelected for a fifth term, as President of Belarus. Lukashenko garnered 83.5 percent votes in the voting held on 11 October. Lukashenko’s vote share was an increase from 79.7 per cent vote share in 2010.

India, China begin counter-terrorism drills in China

The joint Hand-in-Hand counter-terrorism excercises between India and China started on 12 October, following the arrival of 175 personnel from the Naga Regiment of the Eastern Command in Kunming. An equal number of Chinese personnel from the Chengdu-based 14 Corps are participating in the manoeuvres whose aim is to develop joint operating capability, share useful experience in counter-terrorism operations and to promote friendly exchanges between the armies of India and China. These excercises will continue till October 22.

13 October 2015 Current Affairs

China starts biggest dam on Brahmaputra in Tibet

China on 13 October operationalised the 1.5 billion US Dollars Zam Hydropower Station, the largest in Tibet, built on the Brahmaputra river. Located in Gyaca county, Shannan prefecture, Zam Hydropower station also known as Zangmu Hydropower station, harnesses the waters of the Brahmaputra, known in Tibet as Yarlung Zangbo. Considered the world’s highest-altitude hydropower station and the largest of its kind, th e dam will produced 2.5 billion kilo-watt-hours of electricity a year.

Arun Jaitley chosen as ‘Best Finance Minister of the year’ in Asia

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has been chosen as ‘Finance Minister of the Year, Asia’ by London-based publication Emerging Markets. The magazine said that Jaitley too deserves ‘some recognition’ for India’s relative economic success over the last 18 months. …most of the plaudits for India’s relative economic success have gone to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan.

India ranks 3rd in Global startup ecosystems

India ranks third among global startup ecosystems with more than 4,200 new-age companies. Nasscom along with Zinnov on 13 October launched the second edition of the startup report titled “Start up India – Momentous Rise of the Indian Start-Up Ecosystem” on the sidelines of Nasscom Product Conclave 2015 in Bengaluru. Three to four startups being born every day and nearly five billion dollars of funding coming in 2015.

Google tops list of World’s Best Workplaces

Google has topped the list of world’s best company to work for compiled by research and consulting firm ‘Great Place to Work Institute’, grabbing the numero uno position for the third straight year, while software developer SAS Institute and manufacturing firm W L Gore were ranked second and third respectively. The annual ‘World’s Best Multinational Workplaces List’ ranks the top 25 global companies to work for. Data storage specialist NetApp and mobile communications provider Telefonica are at fourth and fifth places respectively. EMC Corporation has been ranked sixth, followed by software giant Microsoft at seventh position in the list. Others in the top ten include, BBVA (8th), Monsanto (9th) and American Express (10th) place.

14 October 2015 Current Affairs

Jamaica’s Marlon James wins Man Booker Prize

Marlon James became the first Jamaican winner of the prestigious Booker Prize for fiction on 14 October, 2015. His book ” A Brief History of Seven Killings” won the prestigious Man Booker Prize Award. The novel is based on the attempted assassination of Bob Marley.

Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi wins the Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award

Indian Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been selected for the prestigious Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award for his contributions towards child reforms and his inspirational work against child abuse. The annual award by the prestigious Harvard University is given to an individual whose works and deeds have served to improve the quality of lives and have inspired us to greater heights. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 16, at the Harvard University.

Union Cabinet approved MoU with Mozambique for cooperation in renewable energy

The Union Government on 14 October 2015 approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India and Mozambique. The agreement aims at establishing a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation, investment promotion and partnership on new and renewable energy issues on the basis of mutual benefit, equality and reciprocity. The focus will be on the development of new and renewable energy technologies in the field of conducting on-the-job and specialized training courses on renewable energy field, research & development and of technology transfer in renewable energy.

PS Jayakumar appointed as MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda

PS Jayakumar on 13 October 2015 took over the charge of Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of state-owned Bank of Baroda. He has taken the charge when the bank is under the scanner for an alleged black money transactions worth over 6000 crore rupees. In the first week of October 2015, allegedly 6172 crore rupees were remitted from Bank of Baroda to Hong Kong. The amount was allegedly deposited in 59 accounts in cash as advance for imports that never existed.

15 October 2015 Current Affairs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released postal stamp on Abdul Kalam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the A P J Abdul Kalam’s birth anniversary celebrations held at DRDO Bhavan in New Delhi on 15 October. Modi released a commemorative postal stamp on Kalam. Narendra Modi also announced a momorial for Kalam at Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister unveiled a statue of Dr. Kalam at DRDO Bhavan and opened a photo exhibition titled “A Celebration of Dr. Kalam’s Life”.

Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu declared as ‘AMRUT’ town

Rameshwaram town in Tamil Nadu has been declared as ‘AMRUT’ town on 15 October, 2015 by the Minister of Urban Development. Rameshwaram has been included in Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for providing basic urban infrastructure.

Zaheer Khan announces retirement from international cricket

India’s finest left arm fast bowler, Zaheer Khan on 15 October announced his retirement from international cricket. With 311 wickets from 92 Test, Zaheer finished as second best India seamer after Kapil Dev. His 610 victims also make him the fourth highest Indian wicket taker of all time.

China’s Sany Group plans 3 billion dollar investment in renewables in India

Chinese construction equipment maker Sany Group has pledged to invest 3 billion dollars (about Rs. 20,000 crore) in building 2 GW of green energy units in the country over the next 5-6 years. Sany will establish efficient technologies for off-shore wind power generation.

16 October 2015 Current Affairs

Supreme Court Bench strikes down NJAC Act as ‘unconstitutional and void’ 

The Supreme Court on 16 October rejected the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act and the 99th Constitutional Amendment which sought to give politicians and civil society a final say in the appointment of judges to the highest courts. With this veredict, the Collegium system as it existed before the NJAC Act was passed, will become operative again.

India’s subsonic Nirbhay Missile fails 

Nirbhay, the subsonic cruise missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) failed on 16 October when it lost control after about 12 minutes of flight and fell into the Bay of Bengal. Nirbhay is a surface-to-surface long range cruise missile. It is a ‘trace-top’ missile which can fly at varying heights from five metres to five Km.

M K Surana appointed as New CMD of HPCL 

M K Surana has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL). He is currently the chief executive officer of Prize Petroleum Co. Ltd, the upstream of oil exploration arm of HPCL. Mr Surana will replace Nishi Vasudeva on her retirement at the end of March 2016.

Nepal elects Onsari Gharti as first woman Parliament speaker 

Nepal on 16 October elected the country’s first woman speaker of Parliament. UCPN- Maoist law maker Onsari Gharti Mangar elected as the speaker of Parliament. Earlier she had served as Deputy Speaker in Parliament. Ganga Prasad Yadav has been elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament.

17 October 2015 Current Affairs

China launches new communication satellite for HK firm

China on 17 October put into orbit a new communication satellite in a commercial mission by the Long March-3B carrier rocket from the southwestern Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. Developed using China’s homegrown DFH-4 platform for the Hong Kong-based APT Satellite Company Limited, ‘APSTAR-9’ is designed to stay in service for at least 15 years. The launch is the 214th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC).

Civil Aviation Minister inaugurates International Civil Helicopters Conclave 2015

Union Minister of Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju has inaugurated the International Civil Helicopters Conclave 2015 in New Delhi. He launched the Corporate logo of Pawan Hans Limited and released a coffee table book on the occasion. The conclave marks the 30th anniversary of Pawan Hans Limited.

Typhoon Koppu smashes into northern Philippines

The powerful Typhoon Koppu hit the northern Philippines. Koppu downed trees and pylons, leaving two cities and 22 towns without power, while landslides and floods cut off 10 roads and eight bridges across the region.

18 October 2015 Current Affairs

Novak Djokovic won the Shanghai Masters Tennis Championship

World Number 1 ranking Novak Djokovic on 18 October 2015 won the 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis title in the men’s singles category. The top seeded Serbian player defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 6-4 in the final match held in Shanghai, China. It was the third Shanghai title for Djokovic in four years.

Li Xuerui of China won the Denmark Open final

Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China won the Denmark Open Super Series Badminton final held on 18 October. She defeated the Indian badminton player PV Sindhu with 21-19, 21-12 in the final. For Sindhu this is the first super series final match.

Saketh Myneni wins 2015 Vietnam Open Tennis Trophy

Saketh Myneni has been won the Vietnam Open trophy, his first singles Challenger title of the season. He defeated Australia’s Jordan Thompson. It was Myneni’s second singles title at the Challenger level, having won the Indore Open.

Swadhar Greh scheme approved by Haryana Government for women in distress

The Haryana Government on 18 October 2015 approved Swadhar Greh scheme, which will assure economic and social security to women in distress. The scheme aims at creating a supportive institutional framework catering to their primary needs in difficult situations. The scheme will work upon providing basic amenities, such as shelter, food, clothing and health along with economic and social security to women in distress.

19 October 2015 Current Affairs

RBI, UAE Central Bank ink MoU for supervisory information exchange

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory Information. By signing the MoU, RBI is seeking to promote greater co-operation and share supervisory information among the authorities.

Virender Sehwag announces retirement from International Cricket

Ace Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has announced his retirement from international cricket. He had started his international cricket career in 1999 after he played his first One Day International (ODI) against Pakistan and later in 2001 joined the Indian Test team. In his remarkable career, he had scored 17,253 international runs across all formats.

NATO launches biggest Trident Juncture Military Exercise in Italy

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has launched Trident Juncture Military Exercise in Italy to test the alliance’s ability to respond to new security threats. It is the biggest military exercise conducted by alliance in past 13 years as it has mobilized around 36,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen from more than 30 countries of NATO. The operational centre for the exercise is based in the Sicilian city Trapani (Italy).

20 October 2015 Current Affairs

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting reconstituted Central Press Accreditation Committee

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reconstituted the Central Press Accreditation Committee (CPAC) that issues Press Information Bureau (PIB) cards to journalists. PIB director general Frank Noronha will be the ex-officio chairman of the committee. The tenure of the CPAC will be for a period of two years from the date of its first meeting.

Justin Trudeau elected as Canada’s new PM

Justin Trudeau of Liberal Party has been elected as 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He is eldest son of Canada’s former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau who was in office for 16 years and led the country till 1984. In the 2015 Canadian Federal election, Liberal Party has emerged victorious by winning 185 seats (54% votes) in 338 member House of Commons (Lower House of Parliament). With this Justin Trudeau (age 43 years) became the second youngest Prime Minister of Canada and the first to follow a parent into office.

Union Government appoints VK Malhotra as President of All India Council of Sports

Union Government has appointed veteran sports administrator Vijay Kumar Malhotra as President of newly established All India Council of Sports (AICS). With this he became first President of AICS and was given an equivalent rank of a Minister of State (MoS) in the Union Council of Ministers. Prior to this appointment, Mr Malhotra was President of Archery Association of India and had served for 40 years. He also had acted as the Senior Vice President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and served as acting President of the IOA after the 2010 Commonwealth Games scandal.

21 October 2015 Current Affairs

Britain, China join hands for nuclear plants

The British and Chinese governments agreed on 21 October 2015 to give Chinese contractors a substantial role in the British nuclear industry.Initially, the Chinese companies will be minority investors and suppliers to Électricite de France, the French company that holds the contract to build Britain’s first new nuclear power plant in years. But the deal announced on October 21 opens the way for China to invest in future British nuclear projects and possibly to play a larger role in building the plants. The deal, which involves plans for a nuclear power station called Hinkley Point C and which would result in the first nuclear plant begun in Western Europe since the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan made many countries rethink their nuclear energy strategies, is a push for the flagging French industry. France has long been a global leader in nuclear power,but it has stumbled lately in trying to introduce a new generation of technology – the type of reactors that will be used in Britain.

Rajnath Singh releases BSF commemorative postage stamp

Home Minister Rajnath Singh 21 October 2015 released a commemorative stamp to mark 50 years of raising of country’s largest border guarding force BSF. The Home Minister also honoured the families of the martyrs of the Border Security Force. The Rs 5 stamp released depicts BSF’s camel patrol in the hot deserts of Thar in Rajasthan who are deployed there as part of their duty to guard the International Border between India and Pakistan.

Former Cabinet Secretary Alok Rawat has been appointed as the first male member of the NCW

Former Cabinet Secretary Alok Rawat has been appointed as the first male member of the National Commission for Women, filling the fourth seat in the five-member body.A 1977 batch Sikkim cadre IAS officer, Rawat has served as Director/ Joint Secretary in Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; Secretary (UPSC); Secretary (Coordination and Public Grievances) in the Cabinet Secretariat and Secretary in Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

22 October 2015 Current Affairs

PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for Andhra Pradesh’s new capital Amaravati

Prime minister Narendra Modi on 22 October 2015 laid the foundation stone of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital Amaravati at Uddandarayunipalem village in Guntur district.The city boasts a 17- km-long waterfront and is strategically placed between Guntur and Vijayawada. Though the city has already attracted investments worth Rs 20,000 crore, it has run into trouble with the National Green Tribunal for flouting environmental norms. The village is located about 40 kms from Vijayawada which is the commercial hub of the state.

India, China end military drills with anti-terror exercises

The fifth round of India-China joint military exercises wound up on 22 October 2015 in the Chinese city of Kunming with the two countries holding a unique mock exercise depicting counter-terror operations at the Sino-Indian border.A joint field exercise depicting counter-terrorist operations on India-China border areas was held from 21 to 22 October to validate the exercise objectives.

Typhoon Koppu hits Philippines, kills 43 people

Typhoon Koppu hit the Philippines on 22 October 2015 and kills 43 people. 60,000 people have been displaced in Philippines by typhoon Koppu.

23 October 2015 Current Affairs

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe awarded with 2015 Confucius Peace Prize

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was on 22 October 2015 awarded with the 2015 Confucius Peace Prize by China. The prize is known as Chinese equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize. He has chosen for his inspirational leadership and service to African independence.

Union Government cleared first batch of Urban Projects under AMRUT worth 2786 crore rupees

Union Government has cleared the first batch of projects under the scheme of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for 89 cities from 3 states. It was cleared by Union Urban Development Ministry by allocating 2,786 crore rupees to fecilitate development projects. The plans include 47 schemes relating to ensuring water supply connections and augmenting water supply.

24 October 2015 Current Affairs

Union Government approves induction of women fighter pilots in Indian Air Force

Union Government has approved induction of women into the Fighter branch of Indian Air Force (IAF). The first women fighter pilots would be selected from the batch which is presently undergoing flying training at Air Force Academy in Hyderabad. These women pilots will be commissioned into the fighter stream in June 2016 after completion of initial training. Later, they would undergo advanced training for 1 year and would enter a fighter cockpit by June 2017. Presently, there are around 1,500 women in the IAF including 94 pilots and 14 navigators.

Asia ATP Tourney tennis doubles title winner Saketh-Sanam Singh Pair

The Indian doubles pair of Saketh Myneni and Sanam Singh claimed the title in the AirAsia Open tennis event with 5-7, 6-4, 10-2 victory over wild card entrants John Paul Fruttero of the United States and Indian Vijay Sundar Prashanth on 24 October held in Bengaluru.

25 October 2015 Current Affairs

Abhishek Verma became first Indian to win Silver Medal in Archery World Cup Final

Indian archer Abhishek Verma 24 October 2015 created history by winning a silver medal in the Archery World Cup Final medal in the compound section held in Mexico City. With this, he became the first ever Indian to bag Archery World Cup Final medal. In 2014, Verma bagged the gold medal in the men’s compound archery team event along with Rajat Chauhan and Sandeep Kumar, and the silver medal in the men’s individual compound event at the Asian Games held in South Korea. He also won a gold medal in the compound men’s individual section on 15 August 2015 in the third leg of Archery World Cup held in Poland.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won 2015 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix title

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain has won 2015 United States Grand Prix title of Formula One for the fourth time. Earlier he had won it in 2007, 2012 and 2014. For Hamilton, it was the tenth title in the 2015 season. With this win, he also won the 2015 World Drivers’ Championship (WDC). It was the third title for Hamilton as he won the WDCs in 2008 and 2014 also.

26 October 2015 Current Affairs

Third India-Africa forum summit begins in New Delhi

The third India-Africa forum summit (IAFS) began in New Delhi on 26 October 2015. The four day summit (from 26 October to 30 October 2015) is one of the largest gatherings of African countries outside Africa as all 54 nations of the continent have participated. It will address the key challenges faced by African nations which include food, health and environmental security etc.

Deepika Kumari won silver medal in Archery World Cup Final

On 25 October 2015 Indian archer Deepika Kumari won the silver medal in the Archery World Cup Final held in Mexico City. Deepika won a gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth games in the women’s individual event. She also won a gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth games in the women’s team event along with Dola Banerjee and Bombayala Devi. In May 2012, she won her first World Cup individual stage recurve gold medal at Antalya, Turkey.

Comedian elected as President of Guatemala

Comedian and political neophyte Jimmy Morales was elected as the President of Guatemala in a landside. Jimmy swept to victory on 25 October on a tide of voter outrage over a corruption scandal that felled his predecessor, Otto Perez. Former TV comedian Jimmy Morales now must set about governing one of Central America’s poorest countries.

27 October 2015 Current Affairs

Indian para-athlete Devendra Jhajharia win silver at IPC Athletics World Championship

India’s top para-athlete Devendra Jhajharia won a silver medal in men’s javelin throw F46 event in the IPC Athletics World Championship held on October 27 in Doha. He came up with a best throw of 59.06 m to finish second behind Guo Chunliang (61.89 m) of China. With this effort, Jhajharia qualified to the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

Justice Eswar Committee formed to simplify Income Tax Laws

A high-level committee has been set up by the centre under former Delhi High Court Judge Justice R.V. Eswar to suggest simplification of Income Tax (IT) laws. The 10 member panel will study and identify the provisions in the Income Tax Act which are leading to litigation due to different interpretations. The panel will suggest alternatives and modifications to the existing provisions and areas to bring about predictability and certainity in tax laws without substantial impact on the tax base and revenue collection. The committee will give its report at the end of January, 2016.

India ranks 130 in World Bank’s 2016 report of Ease of Doing Business 

India ranked 130 position among 189 countries in World Bank’s 2016 report of Ease of Doing Business. In 2015 India ranked 134th position. India has made large improvements in two indicators, starting a business (155th rank) and getting electricity (70th rank). In this list of rankings, Singapore, New Zealand and Denmark are at the top three positions respectively.

28 October 2015 Current Affairs

Nepal elects first woman President ‘Bidhya Bhandari’

Nepal for the first time elected woman candidate as it’s President. Bidhya Bhandari of Communist Party of Nepal has been elected as the new President of Nepal. She began her political career in 1979. Bhandari was the minister for Defence in the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government from May 2009 to February 2011.

Gandhi and Modi among most admired personalities globally

Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the most admired personalities globally as per a new survey by the World Economic Forum. The list includes Nelson Mandela at the top position and Pope Francis as second most liked leader. Mahatma Gandhi is ranked fourth and Narendra Modi is the 10th most admired personality globally. Others in the list are Tesla Motor’s CEO Elon Musk (3), Microsoft founder Bill Gates (5), US President Barack Obama (6), Virgin Group founder Richard Branson (7), Apple company founder Steve Jobs (8) and Nobel laurate Mohammad Younis at 9th place.

The 8th National Seed Congress begins in Hyderabad

The 8th National Seed Congress has began on 27th October at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre in Hyderabad. It is a three day congress from 27th to 29th October. The theme of the congress is ‘Quality seed for farmer’s prosperity’. The seed congress will be attended by about 600 participants from agricultural universities, governments agencies and seed sector.

India-Sri Lanka bilateral Naval Excercise ‘SLINEX15′ begins in Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee coast

The fourth edition of India-Sri Lanka bilateral Naval Excercise ‘SLINEX15′ begins in Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee coast. The excercise enhance the capability of the two nations to work together and contribute towards maritime security in the region. SLINEX 15 will include naval ships, fast attack crafts, gun boats of both India and Sri Lanka.

29 October 2015 Current Affairs

China ends One-Child Policy

China on 28th October announced the end of it’s hugely controversial One -Child Policy, because of ageing population and shrinking workforce, heightening the challenges of slowing growth. The historic change was intended to balance population development and address the challenge of an ageing population. China introduced the One-Child Policy in 1978 to reduce the population growth. China ranks number one in the list of countries by population.

Nepal, China inks MoU to ease fuel crisis

Nepal has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China in order to import all kinds of fuel in order to ease fuel crisis in the country. Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and China National United Oil Corporation (Petrochina) have signed the MoU in Beijing on 29th October. This is the first time that China is commercially supplying petroleum to Nepal.

The first Scorpene Submarine “Kalvari” set afloat in Mumbai

The first of the Scorpene class submarines “Kalvari” was set afloat successfully in Mumbai on 29th October. It is set to undergo sea trials before it is commissioned into the Navy next year. 67m long submarine has been constructed by the Mazgaon Dock Ship builders, in Mumbai. The ‘Kalvari’ is the first of six submarines in the Scorpene class. It was built with a new technology called air independent propulsion system by which it stays under water longer time.

Najib Shah appointed as Chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs

Senior IRS officer Najib Shah has been appointed as the Chairman of Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), apex body on Indirect Taxes. He has been working as member in the board since May 2015. He will be in this post till March 11, 2017.

Madhya Pradesh government to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs

The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in government jobs. With this the reservation has been increased from present 30 per cent to 33 per cent. How ever, in this regard, permission would be sought from the Election Commission.

30 October 2015 Current Affairs

Economic Affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das nominated to RBI Central Board by Union Government

Economic Affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das has been nominated to the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He has nominated by the Union Government in place of Ajay Tyagi. 10 Directors are nominated by Union Government in order to represent important elements from India’s economy.

BRICS countries signed Moscow Declaration for supporting Multilateral Science Projects 

BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa agreed for co-investment of resources for supporting multilateral R&D projects in mutually agreed areas. The BRICS nations signed a joint Declaration called Moscow Declaration at the 3rd meeting of BRICS Ministers for Science, Technology and Innovation held at Moscow on 28th October, 2015. This Declaration reflects BRICS partnership in addressing common global and regional socio-economic challenges, utilizing such drivers as science, technology and innovation (STI).

Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak selected for New York Global Leader Dialogue Humanitarian Award

Socialist and founder of Sulabh International, Bindeshwar Pathak was selected for the prestigious New York Global Leader Dialogue Humanitarian Award. He was selected for his contribution to sanitation and for the betterment of the quality of life for millions of manual scavengers. He will be awarded on 12th April, 2016 in New York.

Saudi blogger ‘Raif Badawi’ wins Europe’s human rights award

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for blogging about free speech, has won the Europe’s highest human rights award. The European Parliament on 29th Octoberannounced Badami the winner of the 2015 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Badawi was arrested on June 2012.

31 October 2015 Current Affairs

Subhash Chandra Sati takes over as Director General at DRDO

Dr. Subhash Chandra Sati, an outstanding scientist took over as Director General (Naval Systems and Materials), Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) from V. Bhujanga Rao. Subhash Chandra was the Director of Aerial Delivary Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), Agra before this appointment.

Indian Squash player Joshna Chinappa won the Quatar Classic Squash Championship women’s singles Title

Indian Squash player Joshna Chinappa won the Quatar Classic Squash Championship held on 31 October, 2015 in Doha. She defeated the world No.1 Raneem El Welily of Egypt in the finals. This is the second PSA World series tournment of the season for Joshna.

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