Current affairs : October 20, 2016 for all competetive exams
International Conference on Voter Education:
The first ever Global Conference on Voter Education titled ‘Voter Education for Inclusive, Informed and Ethical Participation’ is being held in New Delhi.
- It is being organized by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in association with UNDP.
- Motto – “No Voter to be Left Behind”.
India and China for the first time conducted military exercises in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in Eastern Ladakh
- The exercise comes in the backdrop of stalemate over India's multilateral disagreements with China over blacklisting of terrorists at the United Nations and membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
- This is the second joint tactical exercise under the “China-India Cooperation 2016” and was held in the Chushul area, where the two countries fought a brief but intense war in 1962.
- The first exercise was held on the Chinese side in February in the area of Border Personnel Meeting Hut at Chushul Garrison of Eastern Ladakh, along with Chinese troops of Moldo Garrison.
Maharashtra government launched 'Kaushalya Setu', its skill development programme for students on 19th October 2016 in Mumbai.
- Under the Kaushalya Setu initiative, students of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education, who fail to clear Class X or SSC exam, would be accommodated in the skill development courses, so that they do not lose a year.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Urban Development Ministry and the Railways to redevelop railway stations and surrounding areas under the Smart City plan.
- To begin with, 100 railway stations and an adjoining area of 300-800 acres would be redeveloped in the Smart Cities and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) Cities plans.
- The validity of the MoU is five years and can be extended with the consent of both the ministries.
The Indian Railways has declared the Okha-Kanalus (141 Kms) and Porbandar-Wansjaliya (34 Kms) sections of Gujarat in Western Railway as the Green Train Corridors.
- This is being achieved by the installation of bio-toilets in all coaches of Indian Railways.
India, Algeria mull fertilizer JV
India joined hands with Algeria to explore the possibilities of setting up a multi-billion dollar fertilizer project, bearing in mind the phosphatic reserve available in this North African country which is estimated to be more than 5 billion tonnes.
- The estimated phosphate reserve in Algeria is estimated to be more than 5 billion tonnes and possible Indian investment in the sector is expected to be $5 to 7 billion.
The Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal II headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar has decided to confine the reallocation of Krishna water between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- In its recent verdict delivered, the KWDT-II decided to maintain status quo on the allocation made to upper riparian States Maharashtra and Karnataka and take up further action on distribution of water to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh out of the allocation made to the erstwhile united State.
South African struggle icon and Gandhian activist Mewa Ramgobin has died at the age of 83 after a prolonged illness.
- Ramgobin, the former president of the Natal Indian Congress which fought discrimination against Indians in South Africa
Football's world governing body FIFA has ratified Navi Mumbai as a venue for the Under-17 World Cup to be held in India next year.
- Kochi became the first Indian city to be officially declared as one of the venues for hosting the U-17 World Cup after it received a green signal from a high-level delegation of football's world body.
