Daily Current affairs - October 27th, 2017 for all competitive exams
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is observed globally on 27 October.
- Theme of this year's celebration of the WDAH is "Discover, remember and share"
- The General Conference of UNESCO approved the commemoration of a World Day for Audiovisual Heritage in 2005 as a mechanism to raise general awareness of the need to preserve and safeguard important audiovisual material for future generations.
NITI bats for divestment in 34 PSUs
Government think-tank NITI Aayog has recommended strategic disinvestment of 34 sick public sector units so far, its CEO Amitabh Kant said.
- The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had asked the think-tank to look into the viability of sick state-run companies.
- The Centre plans to raise funds to the tune of Rs. 72,500 crore through stake sale in PSUs this fiscal, including Rs. 46,500 crore from minority stake sale.
NHAI eyes bond issue to finance highway projects
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will soon issue bonds to finance highway projects
- The Cabinet recently approved the BharatMala Pariyojana to build 34,800 km roads worth Rs. 5.35 lakh crore.
- For Bharatmala, Rs. 2.09 lakh crore will be raised as debt from the market and Rs. 1.06 lakh crore will be mobilised through public-private partnership (PPP). The remaining Rs. 2.19 lakh crore will flow from accruals of the Central Road Funds and toll projects.
CFTRI to celebrate CSIR’s 75th anniversary
CSIR-CFTRI(Central Food Technological Research Institute) is celebrating 75 years of its parent body, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, and CFTRI Foundation Day on October 27.
- CSIR-CFTRI will sign an MoU with Akshaya Patra Foundation. Under the MoU, a series of collaborative activities such as developing innovative nutritional adjuncts as supplements under Mid-day Meal (MDM) Scheme, internship programmes, customised training for MDM workers, and enabling a policy framework for implementing robust malnutrition interventions by Central and State governments will be addressed.
Rajasthan passes bill increasing OBC quota to 26%
Rajasthan Special Backward Classes Act 2015, the state government had moved the five castes from OBC into a separate Special Backward Castes category. The Rajasthan High Court last year struck down five per cent reservation for these castes provided through The Rajasthan Special Backward Classes Act, 2015, pointing out flaws in the government’s process of granting reservation.
- The reservation in Rajasthan now stands at 54 per cent defying the set ceiling of 50 per cent by the Supreme Court.
- The Bill created a new “most backward” category within the OBCs for providing the quota benefit to Gujjars and four other nomadic communities.
- The Backward Classes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions in the State and of Appointment and Posts in Services under the State) Bill, 2017, has provided 5% reservation to the Gujjar, Banjara, Gadia-Lohar, Raika and Gadariya communities
India and ADB Signed $65.5 Million Loan to Support Coastal Protection
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $65.5 million loan agreement in New Delhi to continue interventions to check coastal erosion on the Western Coast in Karnataka.
- The loan is the Second Tranche of a $250 million financing facility under the Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Investment Program.
Russian team in vizag to inspect damaged submarine
A Russian technical team is in Vizag for a joint investigation into the mysterious damage suffered by INS Chakra, the nuclear submarine leased to India in 2011,
- Russia had leased the submarine to India for a 10-year period in 2011. There has been a speculation that the submarine met with an accident while negotiating the narrow channel to enter the harbour.
- INS Chakra is a Russia-made, nuclear-propelled, hunter-killer submarine.
GMR Hyderabad Airport, Malaysia Tourism, MAHB Sign Pact to Promote Tourism
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd (GHIAL), Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) and Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) have come together to promote the growth of tourism traffic.
- An MoU was inked to promote tourism from the catchment area of Hyderabad to Malaysia and also explore new locations for connectivity.
India, Sri Lanka ink housing project deal in Hambantota
Sri Lanka signed an agreement with India to build 1,200 houses in the southern port city- Hambantota.
- Of the 1,200 houses to be built, 600 will be constructed in the Southern Province, while the remaining would be built across Sri Lanka, through one model village in each of the country’s 25 districts.
- The coastal city of Hambantota gained strategic significance after President Rajapaksa built a massive port and an airport with huge Chinese loans.
RoboBee can dive, swim and fly
Harvard scientists have developed a next-generation hybrid version of RoboBee that can fly, dive into water, swim, propel itself back out of water, and land safely.
- The RoboBee is 1,000 times lighter than any previous aerial-to-aquatic robot, and could be used for numerous applications, from search-and-rescue operations to environmental monitoring and biological studies
Ancient human skull discovered in Papua New Guinea
An ancient human skull discovered in Papua New Guinea likely belonged to the world’s oldest-known tsunami victim.
- The partially preserved Aitape Skull was discovered in 1929 from the northern coast of the Pacific nation.
- This work reinforces a growing recognition that tsunamis have had a significant influence on coastal populations throughout Pacific prehistory.
Qatar Introduces Minimum Wage for First Time
Qatar has committed that it will introduce a minimum wage for workers in the country.
- The announcement was made by labour and social affairs minister Issa Saad al-Jafali al-Nuaimi.
- The announcement came a day before a meeting of the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Chile Named Best Country to Visit in 2018
The travel guide company Lonely Planet has ranked Chile as the number one country to visit in 2018 in its Best in Travel 2018 list.
- The guide has published the 13th edition of its annual list of the top 10 countries every traveler should have on their bucket list for 2018.
- Top 5 Countries in the list are:
1. Chile 2. South Korea 3. Portugal 4. Djibouti 5. New Zealand
Hingis quits for third time
Swiss tennis great Martina Hingis announced her “definite” retirement on Thursday, signalling the end of a career which took her from 1990s teenage superstar to doubles world number one some 20 years later.
- Hingis is the youngest ever grand slam champion, winning the women's doubles at Wimbledon in 1996 aged 15.
- Hingis began to struggle with ankle problems and announced her retirement aged 22 in 2003.
- In November 2007 came the positive cocaine test, She appealed but was given a two-year ban by the International Tennis Federation and retired again.
Arjun Kapoor new co-owner of FC Pune City
FC Pune City has announced actor Arjun Kapoor as the new co-owner of the club. Kapoor was earlier a brand ambassador of the club.
- The team is owned by Rajesh Wadhawan Group and Hrithik Roshan and its promoters Mr. Kapil Wadhawan and Mr. Dheeraj Wadhawan. The co-owners are Italian football club ACF Fiorentina.
