Daily Current affairs - October 24th, 2017 for all competitive exams
United Nations Day is observed globally on 24 October.
- UND 2017 marks the 72nd anniversary of the UN Charter’s entry into force and celebrates everything that the UN represents and has achieved since its establishment in 1945.
Paika Rebellion named as first war of Independence
- ‘Paika Bidroha’ (Paika rebellion) of 1817 to be named first war of Indian Independence. Paikas were peasant militia under the Gajapati rulers of Odisha. They rebelled against the British rule under the leadership of Bakshi Jagabandhu Bidyadhara.
India’s First Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra for Skilling in Smart Cities inaugurated at Mandir Marg, New Delhi
India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) has been set up under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council
- It is an initiative of Indian government to make country’s youth employable and strengthen them economically by providing them a meaningful, industry relevant, skill based training.
- The beneficiaries under the scheme are successfully trained, assessed, certified and awarded financially by the government.
- PMKVY is being run by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) while National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is the implementing agency for the scheme.
Ministry seeks lower GST for 5-star hotels
The tourism ministry has proposed a reduction in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates for five-star hotels and the grant of ‘infrastructure status’ as part of measures to boost the vital jobs- and foreign exchange generating sector.
Some of the other proposals made by the ministry:
1. Providing land on lower lease rentals for hotel construction,
2. Cutting the number of permits needed to open hotels,
3. Establishing a National Tourism Regulator and
4. The related regulatory framework
- The aim is to ensure that within five years the sector generates 100 million jobs (from the current 43 million), attracts 40 million tourists (from 14.4 million now), and generates $100 billion worth of foreign exchange earnings (from about $24 billion at present).
- Currently, there is a 28% GST (the highest slab) on rooms with tariff (per room per day) above Rs. 7,500.
Centre eases norms for sewage plants
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has relaxed standards for upcoming sewage treatment plants (STP)
- Biochemical oxygen demand (Bod) had to be no more than 10 mg/litre according to 2015 CPCB proposal. STPs coming up after June 2019 — except in major State capitals and metropolitan cities — need only conform to 30 mg/litre of BoD.. These include proposed STPS to treat sewage in stretches of the river downstream of Haridwar.
- Biochemical oxygen demand is the amount of oxygen required for microbial metabolism of organic compounds in water.
- BOD value is most commonly expressed in milligrams of oxygen consumed per litre of sample during 5 days of incubation at 20 °C
Paryatan Parv - Nationwide Celebration by Yourism Ministry
“Paryatan Parv”, a nation-wide celebration of Tourism(21 day programme) was organized by Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Stakeholders.
It’s objective is to draw focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing nation’s cultural diversity and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism for All”.
It’s objective is to draw focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing nation’s cultural diversity and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism for All”.
Ministry of Railways may ask Finance Ministry to fund its share towards Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK)
With earnings deficit, the Ministry of Railways may find it difficult to contribute its share towards Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK)
- Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Rosh (RRSK) is a dedicated fund for critical safety-related works.
- In Budget 2017-18, Ministry had announced the setting up a special safety fund with a corpus of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore over a period of five years.
- Finance Ministry would contribute Rs. 15,000 crore annually towards the fund, the Ministry of Railways would fund the balance Rs. 5,000 crore every year.
Why make a show of patriotism: SC judge
The Supreme Court’s controversial order mandating moviegoers to stand up when the national anthem is featured in cinema halls before every show found criticism from within the highest judiciary itself.
- Supreme Court judge, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, lashed out at the logic behind the November 30, 2016 order, saying there is no need for an Indian to “wear his patriotism on his sleeve.”
- Justice Chandrachud was part of a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra hearing a petition filed by the Kodungallur Film Society in Kerala to recall the November order.
Nivedita house opened to public
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the newly renovated house of Sister Nivedita at 16 Bose Para Lane in Baghbazar area of north Kolkata.
The house will be kept open for the public from October 23 to 28 and November 12 to 14.
- October 28 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Sister Nivedita
Shinzo Abe’s coalition wins ‘super-majority’
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stormed to a landslide “super-majority” in snap Japanese elections.
- Mr. Abe, 63, is now on course to become Japan’s longest-serving Premier, winning a fresh term at the helm of the world’s third-biggest economy
2nd World Congress on Marxism to be Held in Beijing
The 2nd World Congress on Marxism is scheduled to be held at Peking University in Beijing, China in May 2018.
- The theme of this conference is "Marxism and the Current World and China".
- The congress coincides with the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx's birth and 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up.
Paytm plans Rs. 250 cr. for marketing
PayTM would invest over Rs. 250 crore on marketing and promotions in the ongoing quarter.
- Digital payments platform Paytm, which saw transactions worth $1.6 billion during the festive season.
SSTL-RCom merger gets DoT nod
Reliance Communications (RCOM) has received approval from the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) for demerger of the wireless business of Sistema Shyam Teleservices Limited (SSTL) into RCOM.
- With this, RCOM will acquire approximately two million customers and get additional annual revenues of about Rs. 700 crore.
RBI Sets up Task Force on ‘Public Credit Registry’
The Reserve Bank of India has constituted a 10-member ‘High Level Task Force on Public Credit Registry (PCR) for India’, which will suggest a roadmap for developing a transparent, comprehensive and near-real-time PCR for India.
- The committee will be Headed by YM Deosthalee, ex-CMD, L&T Finance Holdings. The terms of reference of the task force include reviewing the current availability of information on credit in India and assessing the gaps in India.
IndusInd Bank Launches m-wallet with MobiKwik
IndusInd Bank, in association with MobiKwik had announced the launch of a co-branded wallet ‘IndusInd MobiKwik’ that allows its customers to pay at the MobiKwik merchant network using their accounts, with a ’Direct Debit Feature’.
- The direct debit feature will allow IndusInd Bank account holders to link their accounts just once and pay using the co-branded app as and when required, thereby eliminating the need to load the MobiKwik prepaid wallet separately.
Centre appoints Shri Dineshwar Sharma as its Representative in J&K
Former Intelligence Bureau (IB)chief Dineshwar Sharma is appointed as Representative of Government of India to initiate and carry forward a dialogue with the elected representatives, various organizations and concerned individuals in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
- J & K Valley’s prolonged anti-india protest, rising insurgency in Kashmir, intense counter- insurgency operation has caused acute distress in the region.
- He will have rank equivalent to a Cabinet Secretary and complete independence in deciding who to hold talks with.
Stephen Hawking's Ph.D thesis goes online, website crashes
Cambridge University put Stephen Hawking’s doctoral thesis online on Monday, triggering such interest that it crashed the university’s website.
- Completed in 1966 when Hawking was 24, “Properties of Expanding Universes” explores ideas on the origins of the universe.
- The thesis will be available for free download.
11-Year-Old Gitanjali Rao Named America’s Top Young Scientist
Gitanjali Rao, an 11-year-old Indian-American schoolgirl, was named as “America’s top young scientist” for inventing a cost-effective, quick lead-contamination detector in water.
- The seventh-grade student was inspired by the large-scale lead contamination in water in Flint, Michigan, that came to light recently.
- Rao won $25,000 for taking the top position at the 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
State of World Population 2017 Report Launched
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem has launched the 2017 State of World Population report in London, UK.
- The new UNFPA report has been entitled as “Worlds Apart: Reproductive Health and Rights in an Age of Inequality.”
- As per the report, economic inequality goes hand in hand with inequality in reproductive health. As of 2017, half of 1.6 billion women of reproductive age living in developing regions want to avoid a pregnancy.
Kotla gate to get Sehwag name
The DDCA, under the administration of Justice Vikramjit Sen, has decided to rename Gate No. 2 of the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium as the ‘Virender Sehwag’ gate to honour the former India opener.
- The explosive batsman will be the first Delhi cricketer to receive the honour.
Legendary Filmmaker I V Sasi Passes Away
Veteran Malayalam director I V Sasi, best known for his films “Avalude Ravukal” and “Devasuram” died. He was 69.
- His debut directorial venture was “Ulsavam”, which released in 1975.
